Patent ID: 7082100

Claim:
Adapter configured for use in a data storage system to permit data communication among data exchanging devices and data storage system processors, the processors residing in the data storage system, the data exchanging devices being external to the adapter, the adapter comprising: a plurality of network nodes, the network nodes being configured to provide at least one network which is configured to interconnect the data exchanging devices and the processors so as to permit the communication among the data exchanging devices and the processors, at least one of the network nodes being configurable so as to change a topology configuration of the network between a first topology and a second topology, the communication permitted by the network among at least certain of the processors and the data exchanging devices being different depending upon which of the first topology and the second topology the network has; wherein when the network has the first topology, the network permits one of the processors to communicate only with a first subset of the devices, and when the network has the second topology, the network permits the one of the processors to communicate with a second subset of the devices, the first and second subsets having respective numbers of the devices equal to M and N, respectively, where M is less than N.