Multiple communication paths in a storage system
AssigneePure Storage, Inc.
InventorsPar Botes, John Hayes, Zhangxi Tan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A storage system is provided. The storage system includes a plurality of storage nodes, each of the plurality of storage nodes having a plurality of storage units with storage memory. The system includes a first network coupling the plurality of storage nodes and a second network coupled to at least a subset of the plurality of storage units of each of the plurality of storage nodes such that one of the plurality of storage units of a first one of the plurality of storage nodes can initiate or relay a command to one of the plurality of storage units of a second one of the plurality of storage nodes via the second network without the command passing through the first network.
Claims20
A storage system, comprising:
- a plurality of storage nodes, each of the plurality of storage nodes having storage memory;
- a first communication path coupling the plurality of storage nodes;
- and
- a second communication path coupled to the storage memory of each of the plurality of storage nodes such that the storage memory of a first one of the plurality of storage nodes configured to initiate a command to the storage memory of a second one of the plurality of storage nodes via the second communication path, wherein the first communication path includes a switch fabric that couples the plurality of storage nodes, the switch fabric distinct from the second communication path.
A method for communicating in a storage system, comprising:
- communicating a command from a processor of a storage node to a processor of a first storage unit of the storage node, wherein the storage node is coupled to further storage nodes of the storage system by a first communication path, the first communication path comprising switch fabric that couples storage nodes of the storage system;
- and
- communicating regarding the command from the processor of the first storage unit to a processor of a second storage unit of one of the further storage nodes via a second communication path coupling the first storage unit and the second storage unit without the communicating regarding the command passing through the first communication path.
A storage system, comprising:
- a plurality of storage nodes, each of the plurality of storage nodes coupled to each other of the plurality of storage nodes by a first communication path that includes switch fabric;
- a plurality of storage drives, each having storage memory, wherein each of the plurality of storage nodes includes one or more of the plurality of storage drives;
- and
- at least a subset of the plurality of storage drives coupled by a second communication path wherein one of the plurality of storage drives included in a first one of the plurality of storage nodes can initiate a command via the second communication path to one of the plurality of storage drives included in a second one of the plurality of storage nodes, without the command passing through the first communication path.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.