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US 5,689,729 AGranted
Storage subsystem having plurality of access paths permitting independent access to cache memory from host and independent access to the cache from rotating storage device
AssigneeHitachi, Ltd.
InventorYasuo Inoue
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A plurality of independent cache units and nonvolatile memory units are provided in a disk controller located between a host (central processing unit) and a magnetic disk drive. A plurality of channel units for controlling the data transfer to and from the central processing unit and a plurality of control units for controlling the data transfer to and from the magnetic disk drive are independently connected to the cache units and the nonvolatile memory units through data buses and access lines.
Claims12
A storage subsystem comprising:
- a rotating storage device for storing data from a host and sending data to the host in response to a request from the host;
- and
- a memory controller including:
- a plurality of cache memories for temporarily storing the data transferred between the host and the rotating storage device,
- a plurality of channel units for controlling data transfer to and from the host,
- a plurality of control units for controlling data transfer to and from the rotating storage device, and
- a plurality of access paths for permitting independent access to the cache memories from the host and independent access to the cache memories from the rotating storage device, the plurality of access paths including a plurality of common data buses, each common data bus being coupled to each channel unit, each cache memory and each control unit, for controlling data transfer between the host and the rotating storage device,
- a first of said plurality of channel units having a first access line connected to a first of said plurality of data buses and a second access line connected to a second of said plurality of data buses,
- a first of said plurality of control units having a first access line connected to the first of said plurality of data buses and a second access line connected to the second of said plurality of data buses,
- a second of said plurality of channel units having a first access line connected to the first of said plurality of data buses and a second access line connected to the second of said plurality of data buses,
- a second of said plurality of control units having a first access line connected to the first of said plurality of data buses and a second access line connected to the second of said plurality of data buses,
- each of said plurality of cache memories having a first access line connected to the first data bus and a second access line connected to the second data bus.
9 more elements
A storage subsystem comprising:
- a rotating storage device for storing data from a host and sending data to the host in response to a request from the host;
- and
- a memory controller including:
- a cache memory including at least two semiconductor memory banks for temporarily storing the data transferred between the host and the rotating storage device,
- a plurality of channel units for controlling data transfer to and from the host,
- a plurality of control units for controlling data transfer to and from the rotating storage device, and
- a plurality of access paths for permitting independent access to the cache memory banks from the host and independent access to the cache memory banks from the rotating storage device, the plurality of access paths including a plurality of common data buses, each common data bus being coupled to each channel unit, each cache memory bank and each control unit, for controlling data transfer between the host and the rotating storage device,
- a first of said plurality of channel units having a first access line connected to a first of said plurality of data buses and a second access line connected to a second of said plurality of data buses,
- a first of said plurality of control units having a first access line connected to the first of said plurality of data buses and a second access line connected to the second of said plurality of data buses,
- a second of said plurality of channel units having a first access line connected to the first of said plurality of data buses and a second access line connected to the second of said plurality of data buses,
- a second of said plurality of control units having a first access line connected to the first of said plurality of data buses and a second access line connected to the second of said plurality of data buses,
- each of said at least two semiconductor memory banks having a first access line connected to the first data bus and a second access line connected to the second data bus.
9 more elements
A storage subsystem comprising:
- a rotating storage device storing data from a host and sending data to the host in response to a request from the host;
- and
- a memory controller including:
- a cache memory storing the data transferred between the host and the rotating storage device,
- a plurality of channel units controlling data transfer to and from the host,
- a plurality of control units controlling data transfer to and from the rotating storage device, and
- a plurality of access paths permitting independent access to the cache memory from the host and independent access to the cache memory from the rotating storage device, the plurality of access paths including a plurality of common data buses, each common data bus being coupled to each channel unit, the cache memory and each control unit, the access paths controlling data transfer between the host and the rotating storage device,
- each of said plurality of channel units having a plurality of access lines which are each connected to each of said plurality of common data buses,
- each of said plurality of control units having a plurality of access lines which are each connected to each of said plurality of common data buses, and
- said cache memory having a plurality of access lines which are each connected to each of said plurality of common data buses.
7 more elements
A storage subsystem comprising:
- a rotating storage device storing data from a host and sending data to the host in response to a request from the host;
- and
- a memory controller including:
- a plurality of cache memories including at least two semiconductor memories storing the data transferred between the host and the rotating storage device,
- a plurality of channel units controlling data transfer to and from the host,
- a plurality of control traits controlling data transfer to and from the rotating storage device, and
- a plurality of access paths permitting independent access to the cache memories from the host and independent access to the cache memories from the rotating storage device, the plurality of access paths including a plurality of common data buses, each common data bus being coupled to each channel unit, each cache memory and each control unit, the access paths controlling data transfer between the host and the rotating storage device,
- each of said plurality of channel units having a plurality of access lines which are each connected to each of said plurality of common data buses,
- each of said plurality of control units having a plurality of access lines which are each connected to each of said plurality of common data buses, and
- each of said plurality of cache memories having a plurality of access lines which are each connected to each of said plurality of common data buses.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.