Patent ID: 7617252

Claim:
A method for operating a storage virtualization controller arrangement, comprising: providing at least two central processing elements both designed with the same functionality of arbitrating access between at least one host and at least one storage device disposed within the storage virtualization controller arrangement to facilitate an in-band storage virtualization configuration; configuring the storage virtualization controller arrangement to connect at least one host and at least one storage device through the storage virtualization controller arrangement and the at least two central processing elements wherein the storage virtualization controller arrangement is distinct from both the at least one host and the at least one storage device and uses features of the in-band storage virtualization configuration to perform both data transfer and communication over the access arbitrated between the at least one host and at least one storage device; assigning one of the at least two central processing elements within the storage virtualization controller arrangement, distinct from both the at least one host and the at least one storage device, as a primary central processing element to arbitrate access from the at least one host to the at least one storage device; and upon detection of an unavailability of the primary central processing element within the storage virtualization controller arrangement yet distinct from both the at least one host and the at least one storage device, automatically reassigning at least one of the at least two different one of the central processing elements as a backup central processing element within the storage virtualization controller to arbitrate the access from the at least one host to the at least one storage device using features of the in-band storage virtualization configuration.