Patent ID: 9007943
Filing Date: 2015-04-14
Classification: G06F,H04L

Abstract:
1. A method operable in a Serial Attached Small Computer System Interface (SAS) expander comprising a SAS independent switching device, the SAS) expander having a plurality of physical links (PHYs), the number of said PHYs being “N”, the method comprising: detecting a SAS request from a first PHY of the N PHYs to establish a SAS connection to a second PHY of the N PHYs; operating, responsive to detecting the SAS request, a first stage circuit of the switching device to couple the first PHY with an unused communication path of N/2 communication paths within the switching device; and operating, responsive to detecting the request, a second stage circuit of the switching device to couple the second PHY with the unused communication path, whereby the first and second PHYs are coupled through the switching device.