Patent ID: 7213141

Claim:
A storage controller for controlling transfer of input/output data to and from a plurality of storage devices in response to input/output requests received from a plurality of host computers, each of said host computers being coupled to said storage controller, said storage controller comprising: a plurality of interface circuits for receiving said input/output requests from said host computers; at least one control processor which processes said input/output requests to read data from or write data to said storage devices coupled to said storage controller; a first fibre channel interface which forms a looped transmission path interposed between said interface circuits and said control processor so as to serve as a channel through which information is transferred therebetween; a second fibre channel interface which forms a looped transmission path interposed between said control processor and said storage devices so as to serve as a channel through which read/write data is transferred therebetween; and a third fibre channel interface which forms a looped transmission path interposed between said control processor and said storage devices so as to serve as an alternative to said second fibre channel interface, wherein said interface circuit transmits said input/output request to said control processor through said first fibre channel interface, and wherein said control processor transmits said read/write data to and from said storage devices through either said second or third fibre channel interface.