Abstract: A controller includes a communications interface configured to communicatively couple a host to a computer expansion bus configured to perform peripheral device enumeration and configuration. The computer expansion bus is configured to communicatively couple the host to a peripheral device. The controller also includes a processor configured to facilitate enumeration and configuration by the host of the peripheral device. The controller further includes a memory having computer executable instructions stored thereon. The computer executable instructions are configured for execution by the processor to facilitate enumeration and configuration of a topology associated with the communicative coupling between the host and the peripheral device, where the topology is enumerated and configured by the host.

Abstract: Methods and structure are disclosed for normalizing storage performance across a plurality of logical volumes. One embodiment is a storage controller. The storage controller is adapted to couple with a plurality of host systems and a storage device. The storage controller is adapted to receive one or more requests to create logical volumes for the plurality of hose systems, and adapted to identify a plurality of performance zones for storage areas of the storage device. The performance zones exhibit different performance criteria for one or more of: reading data from the storage device and writing data to the storage device. The storage controller is further adapted to allocate storage from each of the plurality of performance zones for each of the plurality of logical volumes such that the performance criteria for accessing the storage device is distributed substantially uniformly across the plurality of logical volumes.

Abstract: Methods and structure are disclosed for normalizing storage performance across a plurality of logical volumes. One embodiment is a storage controller. The storage controller is adapted to couple with a plurality of host systems and a storage device. The storage controller is adapted to receive one or more requests to create logical volumes for the plurality of hose systems, and adapted to identify a plurality of performance zones for storage areas of the storage device. The performance zones exhibit different performance criteria for one or more of: reading data from the storage device and writing data to the storage device. The storage controller is further adapted to allocate storage from each of the plurality of performance zones for each of the plurality of logical volumes such that the performance criteria for accessing the storage device is distributed substantially uniformly across the plurality of logical volumes.

Abstract: Methods and systems for improved update of firmware for components in a storage system/network. A storage network comprising one or more initiator components coupled through one or more switching components to one or more target components may be updated by generating and distributing a package buffer comprising portions where each portion comprises firmware for a corresponding type of component. Switching and/or initiator components in the system locate a portion of the package buffer for each target component directly coupled to it and transmits the located, corresponding portion (comprising firmware) to each target component. Each initiator/switching component then also forwards the entire package buffer to each other switching component coupled with it and the process repeats until all components have received updated firmware.