Methods and structure enhancing zone configuration in a serial attached SCSI environment
View Patent ↗Methods and structure are provided for enhancing zone configuration processes in a Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) architecture. The method includes embedding, at a SAS initiator, a ZONE UNLOCK request within a Serial Management Protocol (SMP) ZONE ACTIVATE command. The method also comprises transmitting the SMP ZONE ACTIVATE command to a SAS expander, and receiving, at the SAS expander, the SMP ZONE ACTIVATE command. Further, the method includes detecting, at the SAS expander, the ZONE UNLOCK request within the SMP ZONE ACTIVATE COMMAND. Additionally, the method includes copying, at the SAS expander, shadow SAS zoning data from a memory of the expander to current SAS zoning data at the memory of the expander responsive to acquiring the SMP ZONE ACTIVATE command. The method also comprises unlocking the SAS expander responsive to extracting the ZONE UNLOCK request from the SMP ZONE ACTIVATE command.
1. A Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) initiator comprising:
a controller operable to generate Serial Management Protocol (SMP) zone configuration commands for a SAS expander; and
a PHY operable to transmit the generated zone configuration commands to the expander,
the controller further operable to embed a ZONE UNLOCK request within an SMP ZONE ACTIVATE command, wherein the SMP ZONE ACTIVATE command directs the expander to copy, at the expander, shadow SAS zoning data from a memory of the expander to current SAS zoning data at the memory of the expander,
wherein the controller is further operable to instruct the PHY to transmit the SMP ZONE ACTIVATE command that includes the embedded ZONE UNLOCK request in order to activate and unlock the SAS expander.
2. The SAS initiator of claim 1 , wherein:
the controller is further operable to embed the ZONE UNLOCK request within the SMP ZONE ACTIVATE command by altering a tag within the SMP ZONE ACTIVATE command, the tag indicating whether or not a ZONE UNLOCK request should be performed along with the SMP ZONE ACTIVATE.
3. The SAS initiator of claim 2 , wherein:
the tag altered by the controller is a reserved bit.
4. The SAS initiator of claim 3 , wherein the reserved bit altered by the controller is located at byte 6 , bit 1 of the SMP ZONE ACTIVATE command.
5. The SAS initiator of claim 2 , wherein:
the controller is further operable to embed the ZONE UNLOCK request within the SMP ZONE ACTIVATE command by altering an additional tag in the SMP ZONE ACTIVATE command, the additional tag indicating whether the ZONE UNLOCK request should be performed before or after the SMP ZONE ACTIVATE command completes.
6. The SAS initiator of claim 5 , wherein:
the additional tag altered by the controller is a reserved bit.
7. The SAS initiator of claim 6 , wherein:
the reserved bit altered by the controller is located at byte 6 , bit 0 of the SMP ZONE ACTIVATE command.
8. A Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) expander comprising:
multiple PHYs;
a memory operable to store current SAS zoning data and shadow SAS zoning data for the PHYs; and
a control unit operable to alter the shadow SAS zoning data based on received SMP zone configuration commands,
the control unit further operable to acquire a Serial Management Protocol (SMP) ZONE ACTIVATE command, further operable to detect a ZONE UNLOCK request within the SMP ZONE ACTIVATE command, further operable to copy, at the expander, the shadow SAS zoning data from the memory of the expander to the current SAS zoning data at the memory of the expander responsive to acquiring the SMP ZONE ACTIVATE command, and further operable to unlock the SAS expander responsive to detecting the ZONE UNLOCK request within the SMP ZONE ACTIVATE command.
9. The SAS expander of claim 8 , wherein:
the control unit is further operable to detect the ZONE UNLOCK request within the SMP ZONE ACTIVATE command by analyzing a tag within the SMP ZONE ACTIVATE command, the tag indicating whether or not a ZONE UNLOCK request should be performed along with the SMP ZONE ACTIVATE.
10. The SAS expander of claim 9 , wherein:
the tag analyzed by the control unit is a reserved bit.
11. The SAS expander of claim 10 , wherein the reserved bit analyzed by the control unit is located at byte 6 , bit 1 of the SMP ZONE ACTIVATE command.
12. The SAS expander of claim 9 , wherein:
the control unit is further operable to detect the ZONE UNLOCK request within the SMP ZONE ACTIVATE command by analyzing an additional tag in the SMP ZONE ACTIVATE command, the additional tag indicating whether the ZONE UNLOCK request should be performed before or after the SMP ZONE ACTIVATE command completes.
13. The SAS initiator of claim 5 , wherein:
the additional tag analyzed by the control unit is a reserved bit.
14. The SAS initiator of claim 6 , wherein:
the reserved bit analyzed by the control unit is located at byte 6 , bit 0 of the SMP ZONE ACTIVATE command.
15. A method comprising:
embedding, at a Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) initiator, a ZONE UNLOCK request within a Serial Management Protocol (SMP) ZONE ACTIVATE command;
transmitting the SMP ZONE ACTIVATE command to a SAS expander via a PHY of the SAS initiator;
receiving, at the SAS expander, the SMP ZONE ACTIVATE command;
detecting, at the SAS expander, the ZONE UNLOCK request within the SMP ZONE ACTIVATE COMMAND;
copying, at the SAS expander, shadow SAS zoning data from a memory of the expander to current SAS zoning data at the memory of the expander responsive to acquiring the SMP ZONE ACTIVATE command; and
unlocking the SAS expander responsive to detecting the ZONE UNLOCK request within the SMP ZONE ACTIVATE command.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein embedding the ZONE UNLOCK request within the SMP ZONE ACTIVATE command comprises:
altering a tag within the SMP ZONE ACTIVATE command, the tag indicating whether or not a ZONE UNLOCK request should be performed along with the SMP ZONE ACTIVATE.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein:
the tag is a reserved bit.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the reserved bit is located at byte 6 , bit 1 of the SMP ZONE ACTIVATE command.
19. The method of claim 16 , wherein embedding the ZONE UNLOCK request within the SMP ZONE ACTIVATE command comprises altering an additional tag in the SMP ZONE ACTIVATE command, the additional tag indicating whether the ZONE UNLOCK request should be performed before or after the SMP ZONE ACTIVATE command completes.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein:
the additional tag is a reserved bit.