System for storing data and for providing simultaneous plural access to data by connecting each access channel to each and every one of storage arrays

A system for storing large amounts of data and for providing simultaneous plural access to the data, the system comprising:

• an access medium having N access channels;
• a mass storage medium having M individual storage arrays for storing the data;
• a commutator having Z establishable paths for connecting each of said access channels to each of said storage arrays, in which Q of said paths are established at a time, which Q paths each connects a different one of said access channels to a different one of said storage arrays, where Z is greater than Q, and Q is the lesser of N and M when they are different and N when they are the same;
• and
• control means for controlling said commutator to cause said commutator to switch the Q paths which are established among said access channels and said storage arrays so that in a period T each of said access channels is connected to each and every one of said storage arrays by means of said paths.

A system for storing large amounts of data and for providing simultaneous plural access to the data, the system comprising:

• an access medium having N access channels;
• a mass storage medium having M individual storage arrays for storing the data;
• a commutator having establishable paths for connecting each of said access channels to each of said storage arrays, said commutator having Q paths established at a time, which each connects a different one of said access channels to a different one of said storage arrays, where Q is equal to the lesser of N and M when they are different and N when they are the same;
• and
• control means for controlling said commutator to cause said commutator to switch the Q paths which are established so that (i) each of said access channels is connected to each and every one of said storage arrays by means of said paths during a period T and (ii) each of said access channels is connected to each of said storage arrays by means of said paths for a period t during the period T.

A system for storing large amounts of data and for providing simultaneous plural access to the data, the system comprising:

• an access medium having N access channels;
• a mass storage medium having M individual storage arrays for storing the data;
• a commutator having establishable paths for connecting each of said access channels to each of said storage arrays;
• and
• control means for controlling said commutator to cause each of said access channels to be connected to each and every one of said storage arrays by means of said paths in a period T;
• wherein said commutator comprises N 1-by-M multiplexers, each having one input and M outputs, and connecting means for selectively connecting said input to said outputs;
• and said control means is adapted for controlling each of said connecting means so that said input of each of said multiplexers is connected to each and every one of said outputs of that multiplexer during the period T.

A system for storing large amounts of data and for providing simultaneous plural access to the data, the system comprising:

• an access medium having N access channels;
• a mass storage medium having M individual storage arrays for storing the data;
• a commutator having establishable paths for connecting each of said access channels to each of said storage arrays;
• and
• control means for controlling said commutator to cause each of said access channels to be connected to each and every one of said storage arrays by means of said paths in a period T;
• wherein said commutator comprises M 1-by-N multiplexers, each having one input and N outputs, and connecting means for selectively connecting said input to said outputs;
• and said control means is adapted for controlling each of said connecting means so that said input of each of said multiplexers is connected to each and every one of said outputs of that multiplexer during the period T.

A system for storing large amounts of data and for providing simultaneous plural access to said stored data, said system comprising:

• an access medium having N access channels;
• a mass storage medium having M individual storage arrays for storing the data;
• a commutator having Q established paths at a time, which each connects a different one of said access channels to a different one of said storage arrays, where Q is the lesser of N and M when they are different and N when they are the same;
• and
• control means for controlling said commutator to cause said commutator to switch said paths among said access channels and said storage arrays so that
• T=P.times.t,
• where P is the greater of N and M when they are the same and N when they are different, t is the time in which one of said paths connects one of said access channels to one of said storage arrays, and T is the time in which one of said access channels is connected to each and every one of said storage arrays by means of said paths.

A system for storing large amounts of data and for providing simultaneous plural access to the data, the system comprising:

• an access medium having N access channels;
• a mass storage medium having M individual storage arrays for storing the data, where M is less than N;
• a commutator having M established paths at a time, which each (i) connects a different one of said access channels to a different one of said storage arrays and (ii) is adapted to transfer data between one of said access channels and one of said storage arrays at a system bandwidth;
• N downstream channels, which each is coupled to a different one of said access channels and has a bandwidth, in which at least two of said downstream channels have bandwidths which differ from the system bandwidth;
• and
• control means for controlling said commutator to cause said commutator to switch said paths among said access channels and said storage arrays so that (i) each of said access channels is connected to each and every one of said storage arrays by means of said paths during a period T.sub.s and (ii) each downstream channel receives a sufficient amount of data during the period T.sub.s to maintain its bandwidth.

A system for storing large amounts of data and for providing simultaneous plural access to the data, the system comprising:

• an access medium having N access channels;
• a mass storage medium having M individual storage arrays for storing the data, where M is less than N;
• a commutator having M established paths at a time, which each (i) connects a different one of said access channels to a different one of said storage arrays and (ii) is adapted to transfer data between one of said access channels and one of said storage arrays at a system bandwidth;
• N downstream channels, which each is coupled to a different one of said access channels and has a bandwidth, in which at least two of said downstream channels have bandwidths which differ from the system bandwidth;
• and
• control means for controlling said commutator to cause said commutator to switch said paths among said access channels and said storage arrays so that each downstream channel receives a sufficient amount of data during a period T.sub.s to maintain its bandwidth, in which said paths are switch in a manner whereby each of said access channels is connected to each of said storage arrays for a period t.sub.s =T.sub.s /(TB/LCF) at a time during the period T.sub.s, where TB is the sum of the bandwidths of all of the downstream channels and LCF is a least common factor of the bandwidths of all of the downstream channel bandwidths.