US 10,896,089 B2Granted

System level data-loss protection using storage device local buffers

AssigneeWestern Digital Technologies, Inc.

InventorsDaniel Lee Helmick, Paul David Martin

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Abstract

A computing system comprises a host system, a first storage device, a second storage device, a third storage device, a fabric interconnect device and a controller separate from the host system. The first, second, and third storage devices comprise a first, second, and third local memory buffer. The fabric interconnect device is configured to connect the first, second, and third storage devices over a fabric network to the host system. In response to receiving a write operation from the host system, a controller (e.g., on the first storage device or the fabric interconnect device) is configured to calculate error-correction data (e.g., parity data) by using data-protection operations (e.g., XOR operation(s)) directly on data stored on the first, second, and third local memory buffer, without having to rely on computing resources of the host system.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A computing system comprising:

a host processor configured to initiate a first write operation associated with a first data and a second data;
a first storage device comprising a first main storage memory and a first local memory buffer separate from the first main storage memory;
a second storage device comprising a second main storage memory and a second local memory buffer separate from the second main storage memory;
a third storage device comprising a third main storage memory and a third local memory buffer separate from the third main storage memory;
a fabric interconnect device configured to connect a plurality of storage devices, including the first storage device, the second storage device and the third storage device, over a fabric network to the host processor;
and
a controller located at the fabric interconnect device or the first storage device, the controller configured to receive the first write operation from the host processor and perform the first write operation by at least:
writing the first data associated with the first write operation to the first local memory buffer in the first storage device;
writing error-correction data in the third local memory buffer in the third storage device based on the first data written to the first local memory buffer;
writing the second data associated with the first write operation to the second local memory buffer in the second storage device;
calculating updated error-correction data, using a data-protection operation performed directly on the second data in the second local memory buffer and on the error-correction data in the third local memory buffer;
and
writing the updated error-correction data in the third local memory buffer in the third storage device.

10 more elements

A method for calculating error-correction data on local buffers during a write operation associated with a first data and a second data, the method comprising:

receiving, on a controller separate from a host processor, a first write operation from the host processor;
identifying a first storage device, a second storage device, and a third storage device associated with the write operation;
writing the first data associated with the first write operation to a first local memory buffer in the first storage device;
writing error-correction data in a third local memory buffer in the third storage device based on the first data written to the first local memory buffer;
writing the second data associated with the first write operation to a second local memory buffer in the second storage device;
calculating, by the controller, updated error-correction data, using a data-protection operation performed directly on the second data in the second local memory buffer and on the error-correction data in the third local memory buffer;
and
writing the updated error-correction data in the third local memory buffer in the third storage device;
wherein the first storage device, the second storage device, and the third storage device are interconnected by a fabric interconnect device;
and
wherein the controller is located on the fabric interconnect device or the first storage device.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/377,023Filed 5 Apr 2019 · us provisional application
Priority: 6 Apr 2018
Published: US 2019/0310913 A110 Oct 2019
Granted: 19 Jan 2021
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

G06F 11/1076
Adding special bits or symbols to the coded information, e.g. parity check, casting out 9's or 11's: parity data used in redundant arrays of…
G06F 3/0619
Improving the reliability of storage systems: in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors
G06F 3/0656
Vertical data movement, i.e. input-output transfer; data movement between one or more hosts and one or more storage devices: data buffering…
G06F 3/0659
Vertical data movement, i.e. input-output transfer; data movement between one or more hosts and one or more storage devices: command handling…