Communication with two or more storage devices via one SAS communication port
One or more techniques and/or systems are disclosed for enabling communication between a SAS communication port of a SAS communication component and multiple storage devices. In a first example, a first SAS to SATA bridge chip and a second SAS to SATA bridge chip may be configured to route data from a SAS communication component to multiple storage devices. In a second example, a SAS to SATA bridge chip and a port multiplier may be configured to route data from a SAS communication component to multiple storage devices. In a third example, a four port SAS to SATA bridge comprising two SAS ports and two SATA ports may be configured to route data from a SAS communication component to multiple storage devices. Supporting two or more storage devices with a single SAS communication port allows storage enclosures to increase storage capacity, while decreasing cost per slot.
1. An apparatus, comprising:
a first bridge chip operatively coupled between a serial attached small computer system interface (SCSI) (SAS) communication port of a SAS expander and a first storage device, and configured to provide a first communication channel between the SAS expander and the first storage device; and
a second bridge chip operatively coupled between the first bridge chip and a second storage device, and configured to provide a second communication channel between the SAS expander and the second storage device through the SAS communication port and the first bridge chip, the second storage device different that the first storage device, and wherein the SAS expander is configured to be in communication with the second storage device only by way of the first bridge chip.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , the second bridge chip operatively coupled between another SAS communication port of another SAS expander and the second storage device.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 , the second bridge chip configured to provide a third communication channel between the another SAS expander and the second storage device.
4. The apparatus of claim 2 , the first bridge chip configured to provide a fourth communication channel between the another SAS expander and the first storage device through the another SAS communication port and the second bridge chip wherein the another SAS expander is configured to be in communication with the first storage device only by way of the second bridge chip.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising an address translation module configured to route communication from the first SAS expander to the first storage device and to the second storage device.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , the first bridge chip comprising a first SAS to serial advanced technology attachment (SATA) bridge chip and the second bridge chip comprising a second SAS to SATA bridge chip and the first bridge chip, the second bridge chip, the first storage device, and the second storage device comprised within a storage device carrier.
7. An apparatus comprising a bridge chip comprising a first port operatively coupled to a serial attached small computer system interface (SCSI) (SAS) communication port of an SAS expander, a second port operatively coupled to a first storage device, and a third port operatively coupled to a second storage device, the bridge chip configured to provide a first communication channel between the SAS expander and the first storage device and a second communication channel between the SAS expander and the second storage device, the second storage device different than the first storage device, and communication between the SAS expander and the first and second storage devices occurring only through the bridge chip.
8. The apparatus of claim 7 , comprising a fourth port operatively coupled to another SAS expander.
9. The apparatus of claim 8 , configured to provide a third communication channel between the another SAS expander and the first storage device or a fourth communication channel between the another SAS expander and the second storage device.
10. The apparatus of claim 8 , comprising an address translation module configured to route communication from the SAS expander or the another SAS expander to the first storage device or the second storage device.
11. The apparatus of claim 7 , the bridge chip represented by a first logical unit number, the first storage device represented by a second logical unit number, and the second storage device represented by a third logical unit number.
12. The apparatus of claim 1 , the first bridge chip represented by a first logical unit number, the second bridge chip represented by a second logical unit number, the first storage device represented by a third logical unit number, and the second storage device represented by a fourth logical unit number.