Patent ID: 8656213

Claim:
A data storage system comprising: a controller comprising a plurality of hardware engines; a processor; a data store configured to store a plurality of control blocks selectively arranged in one of a plurality of predefined chains, each control block designed to control a hardware operation in one of the plurality of hardware engines; each said predefined chain defining a sequence of operations, each said predefined chain configured to minimize hardware and firmware interaction and to implement a particular performance path to maximize performance; a resource handle structure configured to select one of said plurality of predefined chains based upon predefined system characteristics including a particular redundant array of inexpensive drives (RAID) level, a particular host operating system (OS), and a particular caching mode; and a bridge code configured to select a non-performance path firmware sequence for error recovery completion of remaining operations, responsive to an identified predefined error during hardware operations in the predefined hardware chain of a particular performance path; said non-performance path firmware sequence based upon said predefined system characteristics including said particular RAID level, said particular host operating system (OS), and a particular caching mode, and said non-performance path firmware sequence being performed to complete operations of said particular performance path.