Patent ID: 8838840

Claim:
A computer-implemented method comprising: monitoring execution time of an operation by a small computer system interface (SCSI) target processor within a SCSI target, wherein the SCSI target is communicatively coupled with a SCSI initiator through a set of communication links, wherein the operation is associated with a service offered by the SCSI target, and wherein the operation is performed for executing SCSI commands associated with the service; performing a first escalating action to reduce workload of the SCSI target processor when the execution time of the operation exceeds a first threshold; and performing a second escalating action that is different from the first escalating action to reduce workload of the SCSI target processor when the execution time of the operation exceeds a second threshold, wherein the first threshold is no larger than the second threshold, wherein each of the first and the second escalating actions comprises one of: removing messages at a virtual driver for the service in response to that the operation duration of the operation exceeds a period, wherein the virtual driver accepts SCSI commands associated with the service and make the SCSI commands available to a file system of the SCSI target; removing messages at a SCSI driver for the service in response to that the operation duration of the operation exceeds the period by a first number of times, wherein the SCSI driver accepts SCSI commands and determines where to route the SCSI commands for further processing; removing messages at the virtual driver for a number of services of the plurality of services including the service in response to that the operation duration of the operation exceeds the period by a second number of times; and triggering a diagnostic procedure in response to that the operation duration of the operation exceeds the period by a third number of times, wherein the diagnostic procedure involves more operations than removing messages at the virtual driver for the number of services of the plurality of services, wherein the first number is no larger than the second number, and wherein the second number is no larger than the second number.