Patent ID: 7594134

Claim:
In a mass data storage system, an improvement comprising: a first data storage unit to which data storage operations are communicated, the first data storage unit including at least one data storage device which stores data, the first data storage unit including first and second interfaces to communicate the data storage operations to each data storage device of the first data storage unit; a second data storage unit to which data storage operations are communicated, the second data storage unit including at least one data storage device which stores data, the second data storage unit including first and second interfaces to communicate the data storage operations to each data storage device of the second data storage unit; a first filer which manages data storage operations of the first data storage unit, the first filer including first and second adapters for operatively communicating the data storage operations to the interfaces of the first and second data storage units; a second filer which manages data storage operations of the second data storage unit, the second filer including first and second adapters for operatively communicating the data storage operations to the interfaces of the first and second data storage units; a first main primary communication pathway connector extending from the first adapter of the first filer to the first interface of the first data storage unit; a first redundant primary communication pathway connector extending from the first adapter of the first filer to the second interface of the first data storage unit; a second main secondary communication pathway connector extending from the second adapter of the second filer to one of the first or second interfaces of the first data storage unit; a second redundant secondary communication pathway connector extending from the second adapter of the second filer to the one of the first or second interfaces of the first data storage unit other than the one interface to which the second main secondary communication pathway connector of the second filer is connected; a second main primary communication pathway connector extending from the first adapter of the second filer to the first interface of the second data storage unit; a second redundant primary communication pathway connector extending from the first adapter of the second filer to the second interface of the second data storage unit; a first main secondary communication pathway connector extending from the second adapter of the first filer to one of the first or second interfaces of the second data storage unit; and a first redundant secondary communication pathway connector extending from the second adapter of the first filer to the one of the first or second interfaces of the second data storage unit other than the one interface to which the first main secondary communication pathway connector from the first filer is connected.