Dynamic routing of data across multiple data paths from a source controller to a destination controller

A storage controller comprising:

• a source device;
• a destination device;
• a first data path between the source device and the destination device;
• a second data path between the source device and the destination device;
• a means for selecting the first data path to send data from the source device to the destination device if a first address is detected;
• and
• a means for selecting the second data path to send data from the source device to the destination device if a second address is detected;
• wherein the first address corresponds to a first cache memory near the destination device and the second address corresponds to a second cache memory near the destination device;
• wherein the first data path comprises the first cache memory and a first memory controller controlling access to the first cache memory and the second data path comprises the second cache memory and a second memory controller controlling access to the second cache memory.

A data handling system adapted for dynamic data routing, the system comprising:

• a first data bus;
• a second data bus;
• a source device;
• a destination device;
• a processor, and
• software executed by the processor to dynamically select the first data bus to route data from the source device to the destination device if a first address is detected and to dynamically select the second data bus to route data from the source device to the destination device if a second address is detected;
• wherein the first data bus comprises a first memory controller controlling access to a first memory device and the second data bus comprises a second memory controller controlling access to a second memory device, the first and second memory devices being in the first and second data busses, respectively.

A method of operating a drive array controller to provide dynamic data routing based on cache addressing, comprising:

• detecting cache addresses nearest to a destination controller relative to a source controller;
• when the detecting results in a single one of the detected cache addresses, identifying a single nearest data path between the source controller and the destination controller;
• if the single nearest data path is identified, routing data from the source controller to the destination controller on the single nearest data path;
• when the detecting results in at least two of the detected cache addresses, identifying a nearest data path between the source controller and the destination controller that is not most recently utilized to route data between the source controller and the destination controller;
• and
• if the not most recently utilized nearest data path is identified, routing the data from the source controller to the destination controller.