Method and Apparatus for Providing Memory Storage Using Small Form-Factor Pluggable ("SFP") Auxiliary Plug

A system capable of storing data comprising:

• a plurality of quad small form-factor (“QSFP”) sockets located at a network device operable to provide data communication via a plurality of socket contacts;
• a first QSFP auxiliary plug (“QSAP”) having a first solid state drive (“SSD”) connector and a first auxiliary connector, and configured to facilitate storing information persistently via non-volatile memory (“NVM”), wherein the first SSD connector is capable of communicating with the network device when the first QSAP is inserted into one of the plurality of QSFP sockets;
• and
• a power QSAP, have a power connector and a power auxiliary connector, configured to facilitate delivering electrical power to the first QSAP when the power extension connector and the first auxiliary connector are connected.

A network system capable of storing data comprising:

• a network switch capable of routing data and configured to have a plurality of small pluggable sockets for data communication;
• a non-volatile memory (“NVM”) solid state drive (“SSD”) storage plug containing NVM cells, switch interface, auxiliary interface, and Ethernet capable communication module, and configured to be pluggable into one of the plurality of small pluggable sockets for providing additional storage capacity to the network switch;
• and
• a controller plug containing NVM control component capable of facilitating storage management to the NVM cells of the NVM SSD storage plug when both the NVMSSD storage plug and the controller plug are plugged to the plurality of small pluggable sockets.

A method for providing secondary power supply to an external storage pluggable to a digital processing system, comprising:

• inserting a small form-factor pluggable (“SFP”) non-volatile memory (“NVM”) storage (“SNS”) plug into an SFP socket which is optical communication capable at a digital processing system;
• initiating a handshaking process between the digital processing system and the SNS plug utilizing an Ethernet based protocol;
• activating an NVM internal bus connecting to NVM array to reboot a plurality of NVM storage blocks and drawing power from a secondary power supply via an auxiliary connector of the SFP NVM SNS plug;
• and
• allowing the digital processing system to see its available external memory associated with the SFP NVM SNS plug.