# US 2014/0207980 A1 · Interface control apparatus, data storage apparatus and method for interface control > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0207980 A1 - Document ID: US20140207980A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/921,538 - Filed: 2013-06-19 - Published: 2014-07-24 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-23 - Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba - Applicants: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba - Inventors: Hiroshi Tsurumi; Hidetoshi Koike; Nobuaki Yoshitake; Tomoo Utsumi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140207980A1 ## CPC - G06F 13/1642: {with request queuing} - G06F 3/0608: {Saving storage space on storage systems} - G06F 3/0659: {Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling} - G06F 3/0673: {Single storage device} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract According to one embodiment, an interface control apparatus includes an interface, and a controller. The interface is configured to transmit information between a host and a data storage apparatus. The controller is configured to fetch request information making a processing request for the data storage apparatus, from an element being a storage unit of a queue provided on the host through the interface. The controller is configured to execute read request processing of fetching first request information divided into a plurality of elements and stored, with priority over second request information which is different from the first request information, when the request information is fetched. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An interface control apparatus comprising: an interface configured to transmit information between a host and a data storage apparatus; and a controller configured to fetch request information making a processing request for the data storage apparatus from an element being a storage unit of a queue provided on the host through the interface, the controller configured to execute read request processing of fetching first request information divided and stored in a plurality of elements, with priority over second request information which is different from the first request information, when the request information is fetched. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The interface control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to give a read request for fetching remaining request information from remaining element which have not been obtained in the elements forming the first request information, priority over a read request to fetch the second request information, when a read request to fetch the request information by a unit of element from the queue is transmitted to the host. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The interface control apparatus of claim 2, wherein the controller comprises: a first buffer memory configured to store read requests to fetch the first request information from elements; a second buffer memory configured to store read requests to fetch the second request information from elements, and the controller is configured to select the first buffer memory with priority over the second buffer memory, and to transmit a read request to fetch the remaining elements from the first buffer memory to the host, when the first buffer memory stores the read request to fetch the remaining elements. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The interface control apparatus of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to continuously transmit the read request stored in the first buffer memory to the host, until the remaining elements are reduced to zero. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The interface control apparatus of claim 3, wherein the controller is configured to continuously transmit the read request stored in the first buffer memory to the host, until the remaining elements are reduced to zero. ### Claim 6 A data storage apparatus comprising: a storage medium configured to store data; an interface configured to transmit information between the data storage apparatus and a host; and a controller configured to fetch request information indicating a processing request of data writing or reading for the storage medium from an element being a storage unit of a queue provided on the host through the interface, the controller configured to execute read request processing of fetching first request information divided and stored in a plurality of elements, with priority over second request information which is different from the first request information, when the request information is fetched. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The data storage apparatus of claim 6, further comprising: a host request processor configured to process the processing request, based on the request information obtained in accordance with the read request processing of the controller. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The data storage apparatus of claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to give a read request for fetching the first request information from remaining elements which have not been obtained in the elements forming the first request information, priority over a read request to fetch the second request information, when a read request to fetch the request information element by element from the queue is transmitted to the host. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The data storage apparatus of claim 8, wherein: the controller comprises: a first buffer memory configured to store read requests to fetch the first request information from elements; a second buffer memory configured to store read requests to fetch the second request information from elements, the controller is configured to select the first buffer memory with priority over the second buffer memory, and to transmit a read request to fetch the remaining elements from the first buffer memory to the host, when the first buffer memory stores the read request to fetch the remaining elements. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The data storage apparatus of claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to give a read request for fetching the first request information from remaining elements which have not been obtained in the elements forming the first request information, priority over a read request to fetch the second request information, when a read request to fetch the request information element by element from the queue is transmitted to the host. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The data storage apparatus of claim 10, wherein: the controller comprises: a first buffer memory configured to store read requests to fetch the first request information from elements; a second buffer memory configured to store read requests to fetch the second request information from elements, the controller is configured to select the first buffer memory with priority over the second buffer memory, and to transmit a read request to fetch the remaining elements from the first buffer memory to the host, when the first buffer memory stores the read request to fetch the remaining elements. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The data storage apparatus of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to continuously transmit the read request stored in the first buffer memory to the host, until the remaining elements are reduced to zero. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The data storage apparatus of claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to continuously transmit the read request stored in the first buffer memory to the host, until the remaining elements are reduced to zero. ### Claim 14 A method of interface control for transmitting information between a host and a data storage apparatus, the method comprising: fetching request information indicating a processing request for the data storage apparatus from an element being a storage unit of a queue provided on the host, and executing read request processing of fetching first request information divided and stored in a plurality of elements, with priority over second request information which is different from the first request information, when the request information is fetched. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising: giving a read request for fetching remaining request information from remaining element which have not been obtained in the elements forming the first request information, priority over a read request to fetch the second request information, when a read request to fetch the request information by a unit of element from the queue is transmitted to the host. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising: selecting a first buffer memory with priority over a second buffer memory, the first buffer memory storing read requests to fetch the first request information from elements and the second buffer memory storing read requests to fetch the second request information from elements; and transmitting a read request to fetch the remaining elements from the first buffer memory to the host, when the first buffer memory stores the read request to fetch the remaining elements. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising: transmitting continuously the read request stored in the first buffer memory to the host, until the remaining elements are reduced to zero. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising: transmitting continuously the read request stored in the first buffer memory to the host, until the remaining elements are reduced to zero.