US 2018/0024743 A1 · DUAL-PORTED PCI EXPRESS-BASED STORAGE CARTRIDGE INCLUDING SINGLE-PORTED STORAGE CONTROLLERS

Abstract

A storage cartridge may include a storage controller comprising a single PCIe port and a PCIe switch. The PCIe switch may include a first PCIe port communicatively coupled to a first PCIe fabric, a second PCIe port communicatively coupled to a second, different PCIe fabric, and a third PCIe port communicatively coupled to the single PCIe port of the storage controller. The first PCIe port and the second PCIe port may be configured to be selectively communicatively coupled to a non-transparent bridge (NTB) of the PCIe switch.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A storage cartridge comprising:

a storage controller comprising a single PCIe port;
a PCIe switch comprising:
a first PCIe port communicatively coupled to a first PCIe fabric;
a second PCIe port communicatively coupled to a second, different PCIe fabric;
a third PCIe port communicatively coupled to the single PCIe port of the storage controller, wherein the first PCIe port and the second PCIe port are configured to be selectively communicatively coupled to a non-transparent bridge (NTB) of the PCIe switch.

2 more elements

A network attached storage (NAS) system comprising:

a first control CPU;
a second control CPU;
a first PCIe switch communicatively coupled to the first control CPU;
a second PCIe switch communicatively coupled to the second control CPU;
and
a storage cartridge, wherein the storage cartridge comprises:
a storage controller comprising a single PCIe port;
and
a third PCIe switch comprising:
a first PCIe port communicatively coupled to the first PCIe switch;
a second PCIe port communicatively coupled to the second PCIe switch;
a third PCIe port communicatively coupled to the single PCIe port of the storage controller, wherein the first PCIe port and the second PCIe port are configured to be selectively communicatively coupled to a non-transparent bridge (NTB) of the third PCIe switch.

9 more elements

A method comprising:

receiving, by a storage controller of a storage cartridge, a non-transparent bridge (NTB) assign command from a control CPU, wherein the storage controller comprises a single PCIe port, wherein the storage cartridge comprises the storage controller and a PCIe switch, and wherein the PCIe switch comprises a first PCIe port communicatively coupled to a first PCIe fabric, a second PCIe port communicatively coupled to a second, different PCIe fabric, and a third PCIe port communicatively coupled to the single PCIe port of the storage controller;
communicating, by the storage controller, to the PCIe switch, based on the NTB assign command, a command to cause the NTB to communicatively couple to either the first PCIe port of the PCIe switch or the second PCIe port of the PCIe switch.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

15/215,304Filed 20 Jul 2016

Published

25 Jan 2018

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

G06F 3/0604
Specifically adapted to achieve a particular effect: improving or facilitating administration, e.g. storage management
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…
G06F 3/067
Adopting a particular infrastructure: distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
G06F 13/4022
Coupling between buses: using switching circuits, e.g. switching matrix, connection or expansion network

Dual-ported pci express-based storage cartridge including single-ported storage controllers

Life of this patent

Dual-ported pci express-based storage cartridge including single-ported storage controllers

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18