SAS system, SAS system traversal method, and apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10049068-B2
Application number	US-201715590003-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 8, 2017
Priority date	Nov 11, 2014
Publication date	Aug 14, 2018
Grant date	Aug 14, 2018

Abstract

A SAS system includes an SAS controller, a first expansion card, a second expansion card, and a third expansion card. The first expansion card includes a first port and a second port. The second expansion card and the third expansion card establish a communication connection to the SAS controller by using the first expansion card. The first expansion card establishes a communication connection to the second expansion card through the first port. The first expansion card establishes a communication connection to the third expansion card through the second port. The second expansion card is connected to the third expansion card.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A serial attached small computer system interface (SAS) system, comprising an SAS controller, a first expansion card, a second expansion card, and a third expansion card,
wherein the first expansion card is connected to the SAS controller and additionally comprises a first port and a second port;
wherein the second expansion card comprises a third port and a fourth port, and is in communication with the SAS controller through a communication channel between the third port and the first port of the first expansion card;
wherein the third expansion card comprises a fifth port and a sixth port, and is in communication with the SAS controller through a communication channel between the fifth port and the second port of the first expansion card; and
wherein the SAS controller is configured to:
initiate an expansion card traversal to obtain a topology structure of expansion cards in the SAS system;
receive topology structure information from the second expansion card and the third expansion card respectively; and
when the received topology structure information indicates that the fourth port of the second expansion card is directly connected to the sixth port of the third expansion card, set the second expansion card and the third expansion card as not to be involved in subsequent expansion card traversal.

2. The SAS system according to claim 1 , wherein the second expansion card broadcasts a received SAS system status change message through a port except the fourth port, and the third expansion card broadcasts a received SAS system status change message through a port except the sixth port.

3. The SAS system according to claim 2 , wherein the fourth port of the second expansion card and the sixth port of the third expansion card are subtractive attribute ports.

4. The SAS system according to claim 1 , wherein the second expansion card is configured not to broadcast a received SAS system status change message.

5. The SAS system according to claim 1 , wherein the third expansion card is configured not to broadcast a received SAS system status change message.

6. The SAS system according to claim 1 , wherein the SAS controller is further configured to:
calculate a shortest path from the SAS controller to the third expansion card according to the obtained topology structure of the expansion cards in the SAS system; and
if the shortest path from the SAS controller to the third expansion card passes through the second expansion card, establish routing tables of the first expansion card and the second expansion card according to the shortest path.

7. An expansion card traversal method for use in a serial attached small computer system interface (SAS) system, wherein the SAS system comprises an SAS controller, a first expansion card, a second expansion card, and a third expansion card; the first expansion card is connected to the SAS controller and additionally comprises a first port and a second port; the second expansion card comprises a third port and a fourth port, and is in communication with the SAS controller through a communication channel between the third port and the first port of the first expansion card; the third expansion card comprises a fifth port and a sixth port, and is in communication with the SAS controller through a communication channel between the fifth port and the second port of the first expansion card; wherein the method comprises:
initiating, by the SAS controller, an expansion card traversal to obtain a topology structure of expansion cards in the SAS system;
receiving, by the SAS controller through the first expansion card, topology structure information from the second expansion card;
receiving, by the SAS controller through the first expansion card, topology structure information from the third expansion card; and
when the topology structure information received from the second expansion card and the third expansion card indicates that the fourth port of the second expansion card is directly connected to the sixth port of the third expansion card, setting, by the SAS controller, the second expansion card and the third expansion card as not to be involved in subsequent expansion card traversal.

8. The method according to claim 7 , further comprising:
calculating, by the SAS controller, a shortest path from the SAS controller to the third expansion card according to the obtained topology structure of the expansion cards of the SAS system; and
if the shortest path from the SAS controller to the third expansion card passes through the second expansion card, establishing routing tables of the first expansion card and the second expansion card according to the shortest path.

9. A controlling device of a serial attached small computer system interface (SAS) system, wherein the SAS system further comprises a first expansion card, a second expansion card, and a third expansion card; the first expansion card is connected to the controlling device and additionally comprises a first port and a second port; the second expansion card comprises a third port and a fourth port, and is in communication with the controlling device through a communication channel between the third port and the first port of the first expansion card; the third expansion card comprises a fifth port and a sixth port, and is in communication with the controlling device through a communication channel between the fifth port and the second port of the first expansion card; wherein the controlling device comprises:
a communication interface, configured to connect with the first expansion card;
a memory, configured to store program instructions; and
a processor, configured to execute the program instructions;
wherein the processor, by executing the program instructions, is configured to:
initiate an expansion card traversal to obtain a topology structure of expansion cards in the SAS system;
receive, through the first expansion card, topology structure information from the second expansion card;
receive through the first expansion card, topology structure information from the third expansion card; and
when the topology structure information received from the second expansion card and the third expansion card indicates that the fourth port of the second expansion card is directly connected to the sixth port of the third expansion card, set the second expansion card and the third expansion card as not to be involved in subsequent expansion card traversal.

10. The controlling device according to claim 9 , wherein the processor, by executing the program instructions, is further instructed to:
calculate a shortest path from the SAS controller to the third expansion card according to the obtained topology structure of the expansion cards of the SAS system; and
establish routing tables of the first expansion card and the second expansion card according to the shortest path if the shortest path from the SAS controller to the third expansion card passes through the second expansion card.

Assignees

• Huawei Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hu Yu
• Wang Na

Classifications

• G06F11/3055

  Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the status of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring if the computing system is on, off, available, not available (error or fault processing without redundancy G06F11/0703; error detection or correction by redundancy in data representation G06F11/08; error detection or correction of the data by redundancy in operations G06F11/14; error detection or correction by redundancy in hardware G06F11/16) · CPC title

• G06F11/3031

  where the computing system component is a motherboard or an expansion card · CPC title

• G06F11/3034

  where the computing system component is a storage system, e.g. DASD based or network based (digital input from or digital output to record carriers G06F3/06; digital recording or reproducing G11B20/18; for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS], H04L67/1097) · CPC title

• G06F11/3048

  where the topology of the computing system or computing system component explicitly influences the monitoring activity, e.g. serial, hierarchical systems · CPC title

• G06F11/3079

  the data filtering being achieved by reporting only the changes of the monitored data · CPC title