US 2012/0072661 A1 · HYBRID RAID CONTROLLER HAVING MULTI PCI BUS SWITCHING

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a hybrid RAID controller with multi PCI bus switching for a storage device of a PCI-Express (PCI-e) type that supports a low-speed data processing speed for a host. Specifically, embodiments of this invention provide a hybrid RAID controller having multiple (e.g., two or more) sets of RAID circuitry that are interconnected/coupled to on another via a PCI bus to enable real-time switching. Each set of RAID circuitry is coupled to a one or more (i.e., a set of) semiconductor storage device (SSD) memory disk units and/or HDD/Flash memory units. Among other things, the SSD memory disk units and/or HDD/Flash memory units adjust a synchronization of a data signal transmitted/received between the host and a memory disk during data communications between the host and the memory disk through a PCI-Express interface and simultaneously support a high-speed data processing speed for the memory disk, thereby supporting the performance of the memory to enable high-speed processing in an existing interface environment at the maximum.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A hybrid RAID controller having multi PCI bus switching, comprising:

a first set of RAID circuitry comprising:
a first disk mount coupled to a first set of SSD memory disk units, the first set of SSD memory disk units comprising a set of volatile semiconductor memories;
a first disk monitoring unit coupled to the first disk mount for monitoring the first set of SSD memory disk units;
a first disk plug and play controller coupled to the first disk monitoring unit and the first disk mount for controlling the first disk mount;
a second set of RAID circuitry comprising:
a second disk mount coupled to a second set of SSD memory disk units, the second set of SSD memory disk units comprising a set of volatile semiconductor memories;
a second disk monitoring unit coupled to the second disk mount for monitoring the second set of SSD memory disk units;
a second disk plug and play controller coupled to the second disk monitoring unit and the second disk mount for controlling the second disk mount;
a third set of RAID circuitry comprising:
a third disk mount coupled to a set of HDD/Flash memory units;
a third disk monitoring unit coupled to the third disk mount for monitoring the set of HDD/Flash memory units;
and
a PCI bus coupling the first set of RAID circuitry, the second set of RAID circuitry, and the third set of RAID circuitry to one another.

10 more elements

A hybrid RAID controller having multi PCI bus switching, comprising:

a first set of RAID circuitry comprising:
a first disk mount coupled to a first set of SSD memory disk units, the first set of SSD memory disk units comprising a set of volatile semiconductor memories;
a first disk monitoring unit coupled to the first disk mount for monitoring the first set of SSD memory disk units;
a first disk plug and play controller coupled to the first disk monitoring unit and the first disk mount for controlling the first disk mount;
a first high speed host interface coupled to the first disk monitoring unit and the first disk mount for providing high-speed host interface capabilities;
a second set of RAID control circuitry comprising:
a second disk mount coupled to a second set of SSD memory disk units, the second set of SSD memory disk units comprising a set of volatile semiconductor memories;
a second disk monitoring unit coupled to the second disk mount for monitoring the second set of SSD memory disk units;
a second disk plug and play controller coupled to the second disk monitoring unit and the second disk mount for controlling the second disk mount;
a second high speed host interface coupled to the second disk monitoring unit and the second disk mount for providing high-speed host interface capabilities;
a third set of RAID circuitry comprising:
a third disk mount coupled to a set of HDD/Flash memory units;
a third disk monitoring unit coupled to the third disk mount for monitoring the set of HDD/Flash memory units;
a PCI bus coupling the first set of RAID circuitry, the second set of RAID circuitry, and the third set of RAID circuitry to one another;
and
a set of load balancers for balancing a load across the PCI bus.

13 more elements

A method for providing a hybrid RAID controller having multi PCI bus switching, comprising:

providing a first set of RAID circuitry comprising:
a first disk mount coupled to a first set of SSD memory disk units, the first set of SSD memory disk units comprising a set of volatile semiconductor memories;
a first disk monitoring unit coupled to the first disk mount for monitoring the first set of SSD memory disk units;
a first disk plug and play controller coupled to the first disk monitoring unit and the first disk mount for controlling the first disk mount;
coupling a second set of RAID circuitry using a PCI bus, the second set of RAID circuitry comprising:
a second disk mount coupled to a second set of SSD memory disk units, the second set of SSD memory disk units comprising a set of volatile semiconductor memories;
a second disk monitoring unit coupled to the second disk mount for monitoring the second set of SSD memory disk units;
a second disk plug and play controller coupled to the second disk monitoring unit and the second disk mount for controlling the second disk mount;
and
coupling a third set of RAID circuitry comprising:
a third disk mount coupled to a set of HDD/Flash memory units;
a third disk monitoring unit coupled to the third disk mount for monitoring the set of HDD/Flash memory units;
and
coupling the first set of RAID circuitry, the second set of RAID circuitry, and the third set of RAID circuitry to a PCI bus.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Hybrid raid controller having multi pci bus switching

Life of this patent

Hybrid raid controller having multi pci bus switching

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20