Patent ID: 6567890
Filing Date: 2003-05-20
Classification: G06F,H04L

Abstract:
A fibre channel port by-pass selector section, comprising:a pair of port by-passes, each one of such by-passes, comprising: (a) a bi-directional input/output port; and (b) a plurality of bidirectional output/input ports, wherein: the bidirectional output/input ports of a first one of the pair of port by-passes are serially connected between a first one of a pair of bi-directional ports of a plurality of disk drives through a first plurality of fibre channel links, and the bi-directional output/input ports of a second one of the pair of port by-passes are serially connected between a second one of the pair of bidirectional ports of the plurality of disk drives through a plurality of second fibre channel links; wherein the fibre channel port by-pass selector section is adapted to couple the input/output port of the first one of the pair of port by-passes serially to a selected one, or ones, of the plurality of disk drives through a first fibre channel via the first one of the pair of bidirectional ports of the plurality of disk drives, such first fibre channel comprising one, or more, of a first set of the plurality of fibre channel links; wherein the fibre channel port by-pass selector is adapted to couple the input/output port of the first one of the pair of port by-passes serially to a selected one, or ones, of the plurality of disk drives through a second fibre channel via the second one of the pair of bi-directional ports of the plurality of disk drives, such second fibre channel comprising one, or more, of a second set of the plurality of fibre channel links; and wherein the first fibre channel and the second fibre channel provide separate fibre channels to and from the plurality of disk drives and wherein the first and second fibre channels includes the same disk drives in the plurality of disk drives.