SAS Compatibility Test Mechanism for Super-Standard Features
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for determining compatibility between Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) devices with vendor-specific enhancements often cause protocol violations in non-compliant devices, leading to error recovery procedures that confuse users and consume resources.
Innovation Solution
A compatibility test method that transmits information using SAS protocols in non-standard ways to determine if a second SAS device is compliant with super-standard features, enabling or disabling these features for future communications without causing protocol violations, by exchanging information about supported features during initial connections and storing test results for subsequent use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If compatibility tests are performed to determine support for vendor proprietary enhancements, then compatibility determination is achieved, but protocol violations are generated in non-compliant devices causing error recovery procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary compatibility test mechanism that acts as a mediator between SAS devices. This test uses specially constructed SAS commands that can be interpreted by both compliant and non-compliant devices without causing protocol violations. The intermediary test structure allows compatibility determination while preventing harmful protocol violations in non-compliant devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameters of SAS commands during compatibility testing. Instead of using standard SAS commands that would cause protocol violations, the system modifies command parameters to create test-specific command structures. These modified commands maintain SAS protocol compliance while enabling compatibility testing for vendor proprietary enhancements.
2Measurement precision
If compatibility tests are performed to determine support for super-standard features, then feature compatibility is identified, but error recovery procedures consume significant time and resources
Solution Approach 1:
The compatibility test mechanism serves as an intermediary that prevents unnecessary error recovery procedures. By using specially constructed test commands that do not trigger protocol violations, the system eliminates the need for error recovery in non-compliant devices, thereby reducing time and resource consumption while maintaining accurate compatibility determination.
3Productivity
If vendor proprietary enhancements are implemented, then performance enhancement is achieved, but device complexity increases requiring compatibility testing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies SAS command parameters to create a simplified compatibility testing mechanism. By changing command structures to be compatible with both standard and proprietary implementations, the system reduces the complexity of compatibility testing while maintaining the ability to identify support for vendor proprietary enhancements.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and structure for determining compatibility between a pair of SAS devices for support of super-standard features of the devices. Features and aspects hereof provide for exchange of information between a first and second SAS device using SAS protocol in non-standard manners. The exchanges are designed to exchange information between compatible, enhanced device without causing protocol violation errors in either the first or second devices. The information exchanged represents super-standard features supported by each device. Mutually supported super-standard features are enabled for further communications between the devices. If no super-standard features are mutually supported or if the second device is non-enhanced, no super-standard features are enabled in further communications between the devices.