Patent ID: 8161316

Claim:
A method for use in managing loop interface instability, the method comprising: monitoring an event in a data storage system, wherein the data storage system includes a storage processor and a peer storage processor, wherein a first loop enables the storage processor to communicate with a set of disk drives using a set of link controller cards, wherein a second loop enables the peer storage processor to communicate with the set of disk drives using the set of link controller cards, wherein the event indicates an intermittent failure, wherein monitoring of the event comprises monitoring a count of the event, recording a time at which the event occurs and recording a time interval at which the event occurs; determining, based on whether the count exceeds a threshold, the time interval expires, and identification of a cause of the event has started, whether the first loop is unstable, wherein the threshold indicates excessive intermittent failures; determining, based on whether the intermittent failures are detectable by the peer storage processor on the second loop, whether the cause of the excessive intermittent failures is within a specific category of components, wherein the specific category of components is selected from the group consisting of the set of link controller cards, a cable and the set of disk drives; and executing a search procedure directed to the specific category of components, to isolate the cause of the excessive intermittent failures, wherein the search procedure is directed to the set of disk drives if the intermittent failures are detectable by the peer storage processor on the second loop, wherein the search procedure is directed to the set of link controller cards if the intermittent failures are not detectable by the peer storage processor on the second loop.