SCSI Interface

SCSA is the DDI/DKI programming interface for the transmission of SCSI commands from a target driver to a host adapter driver. By conforming to the SCSA, the target driver can easily pass any combination of SCSI commands and sequences to a target device. Knowledge of the hardware implementation of the host adapter is not necessary. Conceptually, SCSA separates the building of a SCSI command from the transporting of the command with data to the SCSI bus. SCSA manages the connections between the target and HBA drivers through an HBA transportlayer, as shown in the following figure.

Figure 18-1 SCSA Interface

The HBA transport layer is a software and hardware layer that is responsible for transporting a SCSI command to a SCSI target device. The HBA driver provides resource allocation, DMA management, and transport services in response to requests made by SCSI target drivers through SCSA. The host adapter driver also manages the host adapter hardware and the SCSI protocols necessary to perform the commands. When a command has been completed, the HBA driver calls the target driver's SCSI pkt command completion routine.

The following example illustrates this flow, with emphasis on the transfer of information from target drivers to SCSA to HBA drivers. The figure also shows typical transport entry points and function calls.

Figure 18-2 Transport Layer Flow