A network storage appliance including one or more integrated switching
devices is disclosed. The appliance includes redundant storage
controllers that transfer frames of data between storage devices and host
computers. The integrated switching devices include a plurality of I/O
ports and a data transfer path between each of the I/O ports for
providing simultaneous data transfers between multiple pairs thereof. The
switches enable the appliance to simultaneously transfer frames between
its I/O ports and storage device I/O ports and/or host I/O ports, thereby
providing increased data transfer bandwidth over arbitrated loop
configurations. Additionally, the switches are intelligent and may be
programmed to achieve improved fault isolation. The appliance may also
include servers that include I/O ports coupled to the switches for
simultaneously transferring data with the storage controllers and/or I/O
ports of devices external to the appliance.