Patent ID: 8205218

Claim:
A data storage system having common software environment, the data storage system comprising: a computer system including a processor and having a user space and a kernel space; a first and second user process logic operating in the user space; peripheral component interconnect (PCI) device driver logic, wherein the PCI device driver logic operates in the first user process logic within the user space and communicates with the first user process logic; an Ethernet device driver logic communicating with the second user process logic, the Ethernet device driver logic operating in the kernel space, wherein the Ethernet device driver facilitates communications with a host; an application programming interface (API), wherein the API provides support for communication between the PCI device driver logic operating in the first user process logic, the second user process logic and the Ethernet device driver; a first and second helper module, wherein the first helper module operates in the user space, wherein the second helper module operates in the kernel space and wherein the communication between the PCI device driver logic operating in the first user process logic, the second user process logic and the Ethernet device driver is facilitated by the first and second helper modules; and wherein the Ethernet device driver logic receiving a file system request from the host, the file system request being communicated from kernel space to the first user process logic operating in the user space, the first user process logic forming a block input/output (I/O) request in response to the file system request.