Patent ID: 7213102

Claim:
An apparatus for alternate control of a storage array, the apparatus comprising: a RAID controller operably connected to a storage array, the RAID controller configured to receive storage commands from a host computer and execute corresponding operations on the storage array; a storage adapter residing on the host computer, the storage adapter operably connected to the storage array independent of the RAID controller, the storage adapter configured to transmit storage commands to a selected storage device within the storage array; an augmented services module residing on the host computer, wherein the augmented services module performs services on the selected storage device within the storage array when said services are not available on the RAID controller; and a control module residing on the host computer, the control module configured to selectively direct storage commands to the RAID controller and the storage adapter, wherein in response to detecting a RAID controller fault the control module retrieves RAID configuration information from the RAID controller, quiesces the RAID controller, and directs storage commands to the storage adapter so that the storage adapter emulates the RAID controller in conducting RAID operations on the storage array.