A storage controller has at least one physical data port for a data network including host processors. The storage controller is programmed to provide a plurality of virtual ports for access to storage, and a virtual switch for routing storage access requests from the physical port to the virtual ports. The virtual ports and the virtual switch are defined by software. The virtual ports appear to the hosts as physical ports in the data network. For example, in a Fiber-Channel network, the virtual ports have World Wide Names (WWNs) and are assigned temporary addresses (S_Ds), and the virtual switch provides a name server identifying the WWNs and S_IDs of the virtual ports. For convenient partitioning of storage among host processors, one or more virtual ports are assigned to each host, and a set of storage volumes are made accessible from each virtual port. A host can access storage at a virtual port only if the virtual port has been assigned to the host. Preferably, storage can be accessed through each virtual port by no more than one assigned host, although a shared volume may be accessible from more than one virtual port. The storage controller may provide a service for reporting to a host the virtual ports through which the host can access storage, and the storage volumes that are accessible to the host through each of the virtual ports.

Virtual ports for data transferring of a data storage system

An intelligent network interface card (INIC) or communication processing device (CPD) works with a host computer for data communication. The device provides a fast-path that avoids protocol processing for most messages, greatly accelerating data transfer and offloading time-intensive processing tasks from the host CPU. The host retains a fallback processing capability for messages that do not fit fast-path criteria, with the device providing assistance such as validation even for slow-path messages, and messages being selected for either fast-path or slow-path processing. A context for a connection is defined that allows the device to move data, free of headers, directly to or from a destination or source in the host. The context can be passed back to the host for message processing by the host. The device contains specialized hardware circuits that are much faster at their specific tasks than a general purpose CPU. A preferred embodiment includes a trio of pipelined processors devoted to transmit, receive and utility processing, providing full duplex communication for four Fast Ethernet nodes.

TCP/IP offload network interface device

A storage router and method for providing virtual local storage on remote storage devices to devices are provided. Devices are connected to a first transport medium, and a plurality of storage devices are connected to a second transport medium. In one embodiment, the storage router maintains a map to allocate storage space on the remote storage devices to devices connected to the first transport medium by associating representations of the devices connected to the first transport medium with representations of storage space on the remote storage devices, wherein each representation of a device connected to the first transport medium is associated with one or more representations of storage space on the remote storage devices and controls access from the devices connected to the first transport medium to the storage space on the remote storage devices in accordance with the map and using native low level block protocol.

Storage router and method for providing virtual local storage

A system for protocol processing in a computer network has an intelligent network interface card (INIC) or communication processing device (CPD) associated with a host computer. The INIC provides a fast-path that avoids protocol processing for most large multi-packet messages, greatly accelerating data communication. The INIC also assists the host for those message packets that are chosen for processing by host software layers. A communication control block for a message is defined that allows DMA controllers of the INIC to move data, free of headers, directly to or from a destination or source in the host. The context is stored in the INIC as a communication control block (CCB) that can be passed back to the host for message processing by the host. The INIC contains specialized hardware circuits that are much faster at their specific tasks than a general purpose CPU. A preferred embodiment includes a trio of pipelined processors with separate processors devoted to transmit, receive and management processing, with full duplex communication for four fast Ethernet nodes.

Fast-path apparatus for receiving data corresponding to a TCP connection

An apparatus and method are disclosed for providing one or more computer services to a plurality of customers (A, B, C). At least one virtual machine (VS) is set up on a real computer (30) for each of the customers (A, B, C) at the request of each of the customers (A, B, C). The or each virtual machine (VS) for each of the customers (A, B, C) has a specification specified by the respective customer (A, B, C).

Method and apparatus for providing computer services

A computer system having a plurality of computers connected to each other by a computer coupling mechanism. Each computer includes a processor, memory, I/O device, disk control mechanism, computer coupling network adapter, disk requirement processing section connected to a system bus, and a disk connected to a disk control mechanism. The disk requirement processing section controls the disk, in response to a processing requirement for the disk from one of the processors of the other computers, based on structural definition information. The structural definition information describes a structure of the computer system. The computer system may be a loosely-coupled computer system.

Computer system having a plurality of computers each providing a shared storage access processing mechanism for controlling local/remote access to shared storage devices

A highly reliable computer system is intended to duplicate processors, compare the outputs of the processors with each other and enhance the validity of the output of processor system. If a mismatch between the outputs is detected, one of the processors performs a process of saving an internal state of the processor in amain memory and diagnosing factor of the detected mismatch. If the process is recognized to be continued in a duplex mode, the processors are re-synchronized by a processor reset, and initialize themselves and restore the internal information saved in the main memory for continuing the process having been proceeded before the fault occurred.

Fault recovering system provided in highly reliable computer system having duplicated processors

A large-scaled interconnection switch in which a plurality of data processors are interconnected to perform data transfer between one another. The switch includes communication controllers, one provided for each of the plurality of data processors, divided into groups, for controlling communication between the data processors. Each group of communication controllers is connected by a signal line having a multiple bit width. A switch arbiter for arbitrates switch setting requests for interconnection of the data processors from the communication controllers to output a switch setting control signal. The switch also includes bit slice switches having a predetermined bit division count and to which respective/output signal lines are connected which bit-divide input/output signals of the communication controllers. The bit slice switch receives a switch setting control signal from the switch arbiter and transfers data from a transmission data line from a communication controller to a receiving data line to the communication controller on the basis of the switch setting control signal.

Large scale interconnecting switch using communication controller groups with multiple input-to-one output signal lines and adaptable crossbar unit using plurality of selectors

A processing/observing instrument which allows for obtaining a SIM image of a processed cross section of a specimen without changing an angle of the specimen. This processing/observing instrument includes a processing ion beam irradiation system which processes the surface of a specimen with an irradiation of a focused ion beam, an observing ion beam irradiation system which, with an exposure of a focused ion beam, detects secondary ions emitted from the specimen to detect the surface condition of the specimen, a specimen holder which holds the surface of the specimen at a point of intersection of a processing ion beam exposure axis and an observing ion beam exposure axis, and a display which displays the surface condition of the specimen.

Processing/observing instrument

A composite apparatus is disclosed which includes in combination a secondary ion mass spectrometry instrument and a scanning electron microscope. A liquid metal ion source and an ion source other than the liquid metal ion source are installed in the same apparatus so that an ion beam emitted from the liquid metal ion source and an ion beam emitted from the ion source other than the liquid metal ion source are aligned with each other on a primary beam axis which is an optical axis of an irradiating system. The liquid metal ion source is disposed in rear of a primary ion separating device which mass-separates the ion beam emitted from the ion source other than the liquid metal ion source. Further, an electron gun is installed in the same apparatus so that an electron beam emitted from the electron gun is aligned with the ion beam on the primary beam axis.

Hiroshi Iwamoto

Papers

Computer system having a plurality of computers each providing a shared storage access processing mechanism for controlling local/remote access to shared storage devices

Fault recovering system provided in highly reliable computer system having duplicated processors

Large scale interconnecting switch using communication controller groups with multiple input-to-one output signal lines and adaptable crossbar unit using plurality of selectors

Processing/observing instrument

Composite apparatus with secondary ion mass spectrometry instrument and scanning electron microscope