Patent ID: 7529877

Claim:
A Serial Attached SCSI (“SAS”) device comprising: a Serial SCSI Protocol (“SSP”) management element for performing management functions with other SAS SCSI devices coupled to the SAS device; and a simplified SSP link layer circuit coupled to the management element to manage SSP link layer exchanges in conjunction with the management element, wherein the simplified SSP link layer circuit is configured to exchange only a single frame during an open connection by the simplified SSP link layer with a second SAS device, wherein the simplified SSP link layer circuit is further configured to preclude reception of more than one data frame in said open connection and to preclude transmission of more than one data frame in said open connection, wherein the simplified SSP link layer is devoid of logic to process one or more of interlocked SAS frames, multiple buffer credits of the SAS protocol, and full-duplex SAS protocol exchanges.