Disclosed is a redundant storage virtualization subsystem (SVS) having branching functionality The SVS comprises a first and a second storage virtualization controller (SVC) and a physical storage device (PSD) array. A first and a second data path are provided between the first SVC and the PSD array passing through a first and a second signal integrity enhancing device (SIED), respectively, and configured as a first pair of redundant data paths. A third and a fourth data path are provided between the second SVC and the PSD array passing through the second and the first SIED, respectively, and configured as a second pair of redundant data paths. In view of the PSD array, the first and fourth data paths form a third redundant data path pair for a PSD, and the third and second data paths form a fourth redundant data path pair for a PSD. In a redundant data path pair, when one of the data paths is inaccessible while the other of the data paths is accessible by the SVCs to the PSD array, data access by the SVCs to the PSD array through said redundant data path pair will be performed through the accessible data path. In another embodiment, the SIEDs are provided on separate circuit boards from the SVCs. In a further embodiment, the SIEDs can be omitted.
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