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SCSI architectural model

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The SCSI architectural model is a high-level, abstract view of the way that SCSI devices communicate. It is intended to show how the different SCSI standards are inter-related. The following summary is an overview of the main concepts and terminology of the SCSI archtectural model:

  • Only externally-observable behaviours are defined in SCSI standards.
  • The relationship between SCSI devices is encapsulated by a client-server service-delivery model. The client is called a SCSI initiator and the server is called a SCSI target.
  • A SCSI domain consists of a least one SCSI device, at least one SCSI target and at least one SCSI initiator interconnected by a service delivery subsystem.
  • A SCSI device has one or more SCSI ports, and a SCSI port may have an optional SCSI port identifier.
  • A SCSI device can have an optional SCSI device name which must be unique within the SCSI domain in which the SCSI device has SCSI ports. This is often called a World Wide Name. Note that the "world" may only consist of a very small number of SCSI devices.
  • A SCSI target consists of one or more SCSI logical unit numbers (LUNs).
  • A LUN may have dependent LUNs embedded within it. This can recur up to a maximum nesting depth of four addressable levels.
  • There are three type of SCSI ports: initiator ports, target ports and target/initiator ports. A SCSI device may contain any combination of initiator ports, target ports and target/initiator ports.
  • SCSI distributed objects are considered to communicate in a three layer model:
    • The highest level of abstraction is the SCSI Application Layer (SAL) where an initiator and a target are considered to communicate using SCSI commands sent via the SCSI application protocol
    • The SCSI Transport Protocol Layer (STPL) is where an initiator and a target are considered to communicate using a SCSI transport protocol. Examples of SCSI transport protocols are Fibre Channel, SSA and the SCSI Parallel Interface
    • The lowest level is the SCSI Interconnect Layer (SIL) where an initiator and a target are considered to communicate using an interconnect
  • A SCSI task is represented by an I_T_L_Q nexus. This is where one Initiator Port talks to one Target Port, addressing one LUN and together they execute one Task).
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