Systems and methods for network and I/O device drivers

Claim 3

The system for sending both network and storage protocols over the same host adapter as defined in claim 1 , wherein said network driver includes at least a intermediate driver.

Claim 4

The system for sending both network and storage protocols over the same host adapter as defined in claim 1 , wherein said communication medium link is fibre channel-compatible.

Claim 5

The system for sending both network and storage protocols over the same host adapter as defined in claim 1 , wherein said communication medium link is SCSI-compatible.

Claim 6

The system for sending both network and storage protocols over the same host adapter as defined in claim 1 , wherein said network related information is transferred using an Ethernet protocol.

Claim 7

The system for sending both network and storage protocols over the same host adapter as defined in claim 1 , wherein said storage related data is transferred using a SCSI protocol.

Claim 8

The system for sending both network and storage protocols over the same host adapter as defined in claim 1 , wherein said storage related data is transferred using a fibre channel protocol.

Claim 9

The system of claim 1 , wherein the SCSI miniport driver can process multiple packets send in a single call by the network miniport.

Claim 10

The system of claim 1 , wherein the SCSI miniport driver builds control blocks for sending unencapsulated data packets along with scatter/gather lists to the bus adapter.

Claim 13

The method of transferring data as defined in claim 10 , wherein said lower layer storage driver is a miniport driver.

Claim 14

The method of transferring data as defined in claim 10 , wherein said upper layer storage driver is a port driver.

Claim 15

The method of transferring data as defined in claim 10 , wherein said network driver includes at least a network miniport driver.

Claim 16

The method of transferring data as defined in claim 10 , further comprising the act of encapsulating said network data in a storage command.

Claim 17

The method of transferring data as defined in claim 10 , further comprising the act of passing a network scatter/gather list to said lower layer storage driver.

Claim 18

The method of transferring data as defined in claim 10 , further comprising the act of determining if said lower layer storage driver supports an interface to said network driver.

Claim 21

The system for sending both network and storage data as defined in claim 17 , wherein said storage driver further comprises at least one entry point for communication with said network driver.

Claim 22

The system for sending both network and storage data as defined in claim 17 , further comprising a spinlock managed by said storage driver, said spinlock used to control access to at least a first resource.

Claim 23

The system for sending both network and storage data as defined in claim 17 , wherein said interface card is configured to be coupled to a fibre channel network.

Claim 24

The system for sending both network and storage data as defined in claim 17 , wherein said interface card is configured to be coupled to a SCSI bus.

Claim 27

The device driver as defined in claim 22 , further comprising at least a standard Windows NT class layer.

Claim 28

The device driver as defined in claim 22 , further comprising at least a class layer, a port layer, and a miniport layer, wherein said second entry point is associated with said miniport layer.

Claim 29

A networked system, including at least two computer systems coupled by a communication link which transfers data between said computer systems using both network and storage protocols, said system comprising: at least a first processor located in at least a first of said at least two computer systems; a first operating system configured to be executed by said first processor; a first network driver configured to be executed by said first computer system, said first network driver having an interface used to receive network related information from said operating system; and a first storage driver, configured to be executed by said first computer system, said first storage driver having at least a first interface used to receive said network related information from said network driver, and said first storage driver having at least a second interface used to receive storage related information from said operating system; a first bus adapter in communication with said first storage driver, said first bus adapter used to receive both said network related information and said storage related information; and a communication medium in communication with said first adapter, said communication medium used to transfer both said network and said storage related data, using respectively, a network protocol and a storage protocol, to at least a second of said at least two computer systems.

Claim 30

A networked system, including at least two computer systems coupled by a communication link which transfers data between said computer systems using both network and storage protocols, said system comprising: at least a first processor located in at least a first of said at least two computer systems; a first operating system configured to be executed by said first processor; a first network driver configured to be executed by said first computer system, said first network driver having an interface used to receive network related information from said operating system; and a first storage driver, configured to be executed by said first computer system, said first storage driver having at least a first interface used to receive said network related information from said network driver, and said first storage driver having at least a second interface used to receive storage related information from said operating system; a first bus adapter in communication with said first storage driver, said first bus adapter used to receive both said network related information and said storage related information; and a communication medium in communication with said first adapter, said communication medium used to transfer both said network and said storage related data, using respectively, a network protocol and a storage protocol, to at least a second of said at least two computer systems.

Claim 31

The networked system as defined by claim 25 , further comprising: a second host adapter coupled to at least a second processor in a second of said at least two computers, said second host adapter coupled to said communication medium; and a second storage driver, configured to be executed by said second computer system, said second storage driver having at least a first interface used to receive said network related information and storage related information from said second host adapter; a second network driver configured to be executed by said second computer system, said second network driver having at least a first interface for receiving network related information from said storage driver; and a second operating system configured to be executed by at least a first processor of said second computer system, said second operating system having at least one interface for receiving information from said storage driver and said network driver.

Claim 32

The networked system as defined by claim 25 , wherein said communication medium is a fibre channel.

Claim 33

The networked system as defined by claim 25 , wherein said communication medium is SCSI-compatible.

Claim 34

The networked system as defined by claim 25 , wherein said first operating system is Windows NT.

Claim 35

The networked system as defined by claim 25 , wherein said first computer system further comprises at least a second processor configured to execute said first operating system.

Claim 36

A networked system, including at least two computer systems coupled by at least two communication links, said networked system comprising: a first computer system; a second computer system; a first communication link coupling said first computer system and said second computer system, said first communication link configured to transfer data using an I/O protocol; a second communication link coupling said first computer system and said second computer system, said second communication link configured to transfer data using a network protocol; a failure detection routine configured to detect the failure of said first communication link and said second communication link, wherein upon detecting the failure of either of said first and said second communication links, said failure detection routine causes both I/O and network protocols to be used to transfer, respectively, storage and network data, on the non-failed communication link.

Claim 37

A networked system, including at least two computer systems coupled by at least two communication links, said networked system comprising: a first computer system; a second computer system; a first communication link coupling said first computer system and said second computer system, said first communication link configured to transfer data using an I/O protocol; a second communication link coupling said first computer system and said second computer system, said second communication link configured to transfer data using a network protocol; a failure detection routine configured to detect the failure of said first communication link and said second communication link, wherein upon detecting the failure of either of said first and said second communication links, said failure detection routine causes both I/O and network protocols to be used to transfer, respectively, storage and network data, on the non-failed communication link.

Claim 38

The networked system as defined by claim 31 , wherein said I/O protocol is a SCSI protocol.