Abstract: A method for managing a plurality of servers is disclosed. Each server of the plurality of servers has access to data stored by other servers. The data is stored to one or more data storage devices. Coordinating information is written for the plurality of servers to a master mailbox record. The coordinating information includes data that each server uses to recover after a failure by a server. The master mailbox record is stored on a selected storage device at a location known to the plurality of servers, and the selected storage device is designated as a lock storage device. A plurality of lock storage devices is chosen so that in the event of failure of a server of the plurality of servers, at least one lock storage device will be available to the remaining servers.

Abstract: A system and method for associating a network address with a volume, individual disk or collection of disks in a network storage system. Identifying information is stored on each volume or disk so that a file server can map a network address to a MAC address associated with a particular network interface controller of a file server. Input/output operations directed to the network address associated with a particular volume or disk is directed to the file server that is currently managing that volume or disk. In a system utilizing these address associated volumes, the name and address of data does not change as different file servers manage a particular volume or disk.

Abstract: A method for managing a cluster of file servers is disclosed. The method has the first step of writing coordinating information for a plurality of servers of the cluster of servers to a master mailbox record, the master mailbox record written to a specific location on each disk of a set of lock disks, the set of lock disks having a plurality of disks, the plurality of disks chosen so that in the event of failure of a server of the plurality of servers, at least one lock disk will be available to the remaining servers. The method has the second step of writing a second copy of eth coordinating information to the master mailbox record of the set of lock disks.

Abstract: A system and method for a file server to allocate spare disks in a network storage system. The method determines the available spare disks and first selects those disks that satisfy one or more required rules. The method sorts the spare disks by a set of ordered policies to determine a highest-ranked disk that is then selected as the spare to be utilized. If multiple disks are equally ranked, one of the equally ranked disks is randomly chosen to be the spare disk allocated.

Abstract: A system and method for an improved mailbox mechanism to contain coordinating information for computers in a cluster environment is provided. The system and method creates two copies of a master mailbox record stored in a set and predetermined location on disks associated with the cluster. A subset of the disks is designated as lock disks, which must contain the most up-to-date coordinating information.

Abstract: A system and method for a file server to allocate spare disks in a network storage system. The method determines the available spare disks and first selects those disks that satisfy one or more required rules. The method sorts the spare disks by a set of ordered policies to determine a highest-ranked disk that is then selected as the spare to be utilized. If multiple disks are equally ranked, one of the equally ranked disks is randomly chosen to be the spare disk allocated.

Abstract: A system and method for facilitating both in-order and out-of-order packet reception in a SAN includes requestor and responder nodes that maintain local copies of a message sequence number. Each request packet includes an ordering field specifying whether the packets must be received in-order. The request node includes a copy of the local sequence number in each packet transmitted and increments its local copy of the sequence number only for packets that must be received in order. The responder node includes the received message sequence number in all response packets and increments its local copy of the message sequence number only if the ordering field specifies that the packets must be received in order.

Abstract: A system and method for facilitating both in-order and out-of-order packet reception in a SAN includes requestor and responder nodes, coupled by a plurality of paths, that maintain the good and bad status of each path and also maintain local copies of a message sequence number. If an error occurs for a transaction over a given path, the requestor informs the responder, over a good path, that the given path has failed and both nodes update their path status to indicate that the given path is bad. A barrier transaction is used by the requestor to determine whether the error is transient or permanent, and, if the error is transient, the requestor retries the transaction.

Abstract: A system and method for facilitating both in-order and out-of-order packet reception in a SAN includes requestor and responder nodes that maintain local copies of a message sequence number. Each request packet includes an ordering field specifying whether the packets must be received in-order. The request node includes a copy of the local sequence number in each packet transmitted and increments its local copy of the sequence number only for packets that must be received in order. The responder node includes the received message sequence number in all response packets and increments its local copy of the message sequence number only if the ordering field specifies that the packets must be received in order.

Abstract: A system and method for facilitating both in-order and out-of-order packet reception in a SAN includes requester and responder nodes that maintain local copies of a message sequence number. Each request packet includes an ordering field specifying whether the packets must be received in-order. The request node includes a copy of the local sequence number in each packet transmitted and increments its local copy of the sequence number only for packets that must be received in order. The responder node includes the received message sequence number in all response packets and increments its local copy of the message sequence number only if the ordering field specifies that the packets must be received in order.

Abstract: A plurality of multiprocessor systems is arranged in a high speed network to allow any processor in one system to communicate with any processor in another system. The network is configured as a multi-node dual bidirectional ring having a multiprocessor system at each node. Packets of information may be passed around the ring in either of two directions and are temporarily stored in buffer memory locations dedicated to a selected destination processor in a selected direction between each successive transfer between neighboring nodes. The buffer locations are managed so that they can request an adjacent node to stop transmitting packets if the buffer is becoming full from that direction and request resumption of transmission of packets as the buffer empties.

Abstract: A plurality of multiprocessor systems is arranged in a high speed network to allow any processor in one system to communicate with any processor in another system. The network may be configured as a multi-node dual bidirectional ring having a multiprocessor system at each node. Packets of information may be passed around the ring in either of two directions and are temporarily stored in buffer memory locations dedicated to a selected destination processor in a selected direction between each successive transfer between neighboring nodes. The buffer locations are managed so that a node can request an adjacent node to stop transmitting packets if the buffer is becoming full from that direction and request resumption of transmission of packets as the buffer empties.