Patent ID: 7409442
Filing Date: 2008-08-05
Classification: G06F,H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for communicating control messages between a media library manager and a storage device, comprising: directing the control messages between the media library manager device and the storage device through a host, the host coupled to the media library manager by a control path and to the storage device by a data path; distinguishing, at the host, first control messages received over the control path by detecting an identifier in a header of each of the first control messages; translating, at the host, the first control messages received over the control path into first transport data messages, wherein each first transport data message comprises a Send Simulated Library Message (SSLIM) Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI) Command Descriptor Block (CDB) that encapsulates each of the first control messages in an unaltered form; translating, at the host, second transport data messages received over the data path into second control messages, wherein each of the second transport data message comprises a Receive Simulated Library Message (RSLIM) Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI) Command Descriptor Block (CDB) that encapsulates each of the second control messages in an unaltered form; sending from the host the first transport data messages over the data path to the storage device and the second control messages from the storage device over the control path to the media library manager; and translating, at the storage device, the first transport data messages received by the storage device into the first control messages.