Method and apparatus for resource arbitration

[0009]FIG. 1 illustrates several components that may be included in a high availability networked storage environment incorporating the present invention. In FIG. 1, two data paths 6 and 8 share access to a resource 32 via mux 30. In one embodiment, the resource 32 is an array of data disks, although the present invention may be used to control access to any resource.

[0010]In the embodiment of FIG. 2, each data path includes a storage processor 12, 22, a controller 14, 24 and a bridge 16, 26. The Storage Processors (SPs) each signal their associated controller to provide access commands for accessing the shared resource 32. In addition, the storage processors 12, 22 are coupled to bridges 16, 26, respectively. The bridges 16 and 26 each are coupled to an Arbiter 28. In response to resource associated requests from the bridges, the arbiter 28 signals mux 30 to couple either the first data path 6 or the second data path 8 to the resource 32. Thus, the Arbiter is used to decide which data