Patent ID: 8140696

Claim:
A storage area network system comprising: multiple host systems, each host system being enabled with a Serial Attached Small Computer System Interface (SAS) storage protocol; multiple storage controllers, each storage controller controlling storage of data on multiple corresponding data storage devices and further controlling access to said data, at least one storage controller being physically separated from at least one host system; and an Ethernet interface comprising an Ethernet switch connected to said multiple host systems and further connected to each of said multiple storage controllers, said Ethernet switch allowing communication between all of said multiple host systems and all of said multiple storage controllers such that said communication is not subjected to a maximum physical distance limitation that is defined by said Serial Attached Small Computer Interface (SAS) storage protocol and that sets a maximum physical distance by which any host system and any storage controller can be physically separated during said communication, and said Serial Attached Small Computer System Interface (SAS) storage protocol providing, over said Ethernet interface, commands and transport protocol for exchanging information between said host system and said multiple storage controllers.