Patent ID: 6920511
Filing Date: 2005-07-19
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A first controller for positioning on a shelf of a data storage cabinet in a mass storage system having a plurality of reporting groups, comprising: an interface to a data communication loop for a reporting group, said loop linked to device enclosures each including a plurality of data devices and an enclosure processor, wherein the interface is adapted for transmitting control commands onto the data communication loop; a cabinet bus interface controller linked to a cabinet bus in the data storage cabinet and adapted to receive enclosure reporting messages from the device enclosures including environmental information for the device enclosures and to transmit a subenclosure message including environmental information for the first controller; and a processor for creating the control commands and the subenclosure message, wherein the control commands are addressed to one of the device enclosures designated as a primary reporting device designated by the processor.