Importance

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Abstract

A data storage system is provided wherein each one of a plurality of disk interfaces is coupled to a corresponding storage disk drive. The disk interfaces in one portion are coupled through a first unidirectional channel to a first disk controller and the disk interfaces in another portion of the disk interfaces are coupled through a second unidirectional channel to a second disk controller. Each disk interface includes a switch adapted to allow data to pass to another disk drive in the channel thereof; and, when the other channel becomes inoperative, coupling the disk drive in the inoperative channel to the operative fiber channel. With such arrangement, a disk drive may be removed without requiring a shut-down of the storage system (i.e., the disk drive may be 'hot swapped'). In one embodiment, a pair of the switches is disposed on the common printed circuit board with the disk interface for enabling depopulation, or removal of, disk drives from the storage system.

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First Claim