Erasure code data protection across multiple NVME over fabrics storage devices

A system for providing protected data storage, the system comprising:

• an Ethernet switch;
• a plurality of Ethernet storage devices, one or more of the Ethernet storage devices being connected to the Ethernet switch;
• a local central processing unit, connected to the Ethernet switch,
• wherein the Ethernet switch comprises:
• a media access control circuit;
• a virtual local area network circuit;
• a layer 2 processing circuit;
• a layer 3 processing circuit;
• and
• a state machine,
• wherein the state machine is connected to:
• the media access control circuit;
• the virtual local area network circuit;
• the layer 2 processing circuit;
• and
• the layer 3 processing circuit, and
• wherein the state machine and the local central processing unit are configured to control the Ethernet storage devices as a redundant array of independent disks.

A method for operating a storage system, the storage system comprising:

• an Ethernet switch;
• a plurality of Ethernet storage devices, one or more of the Ethernet storage devices being connected to the Ethernet switch;
• a local central processing unit, connected to the Ethernet switch,
• wherein the Ethernet switch comprises:
• a media access control circuit;
• a virtual local area network circuit;
• a layer 2 processing circuit;
• a layer 3 processing circuit;
• and
• a RAID control circuit, the RAID control circuit being configured to control the Ethernet storage devices as a redundant array of independent disks,
• wherein the RAID control circuit is connected to:
• the media access control circuit;
• the virtual local area network circuit;
• the layer 2 processing circuit;
• and
• the layer 3 processing circuit,
• the storage system further comprising a cache device connected to the RAID control circuit,
• the method comprising, upon receipt of a write command comprising a write address:
• determining whether data corresponding to the write address are stored in the cache device;
• and
• when data corresponding to the write address are stored in the cache device, modifying the data stored in the cache device in accordance with the write command, and
• when data corresponding to the write address are not stored in the cache device:
• allocating a space in the cache device,
• reading data from one or more Ethernet storage devices of the plurality of Ethernet storage devices into the space, and modifying the data in the space in accordance with the write command.