LSI LSI53C1030, Technical Manual

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Benefits of the Fusion-MPT Architecture 1-5
Version 2.1 Copyright © 2001, 2002, 2003 by LSI Logic Corporation. All rights reserved.
the purpose of Domain Validation and Ultra320 SCSI expander
configuration. Host based status software monitors the state of the
mirrored drives and reports error conditions as they arise.
1.2 Benefits of the Fusion-MPT Architecture
The Fusion-MPT architecture provides an open architecture that is ideal
for SCSI, Fibre Channel, and other emerging interfaces. The I/O
interface is interchangable at the system and application level;
embedded software uses the same device interface for SCSI and Fibre
Channel implementations just as application software uses the same
storage management interfaces for SCSI and Fibre Channel
implementations. LSI Logic provides Fusion-MPT device drivers that are
binary compatible between Fibre Channel and Ultra320 SCSI interfaces.
The Fusion-MPT architecture improves overall system performance by
requiring only a thin device driver, which off loads the intensive work of
managing SCSI I/Os from the system processor to the LSI53C1030.
Developed from the proven LSI Logic SDMS™ solution, the Fusion-MPT
architecture delivers unmatched performance of up to 100,000 Ultra320
SCSI I/Os per second with minimal system overhead or device
maintenance. The use of thin, easy to develop, common OS device
drivers accelerates time to market by reducing device driver development
and certification times.
The Fusion-MPT architecture provides an interrupt coalescing feature.
Interrupt coalescing allows an I/O controller to send multiple reply
messages in a single interrupt to the host processor. Sending multiple
reply messages per interrupt reduces context switching of the host
processor and maximizes the host processor efficiency, which results in
a significant improvement of system performance. To use the interrupt
coalescing feature, the host processor must be able to accept and
manage multiple replies per interrupt.
The Fusion-MPT architecture also provides built-in device driver stability
since the device driver need not change for each revision of the
LSI53C1030 silicon or firmware. This architecture is a reliable, constant
interface between the host device driver and the LSI53C1030. Changes
within the LSI53C1030 are transparent to the host device driver,
operating system, and user. The Fusion-MPT architecture also saves the