Patent ID: 7551853
Filing Date: 2009-06-23
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for achieving data communications between a data storage controller and data storage devices in a data storage system via an optical network, the apparatus comprising: wavelength division multiplexing logic for simultaneously establishing by wavelength division multiplexing a plurality of arbitrated communications loops extending between the controller and the data storage system on the optical network for communicating data between the controller and the storage devices; and, control logic for controlling data communications between the controller and the data storage system via the arbitrated communications loops, wherein the control logic comprises queuing logic for controlling queues of data to be communicated via the optical network, each queue corresponding to one of the arbitrated communications loops, such that when the data storage controller is to send data to a given data storage device: wherein the control logic further comprises collision avoidance logic to ensure that, at any instant, each data storage device communicates on a different loop of the arbitrated communications loops, and wherein the wavelength division multiplexing logic comprises a single tunable laser to communicate data over all the arbitrated communications loops, the single tunable laser tunable to selectively transmit light at different wavelengths of light, each wavelength of light corresponding to one of the arbitrated communications loops.