Configurable interconnection system
AssigneeViolin Memory, Inc.
InventorJon C. R. Bennett
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An interconnection system, apparatus and method is described where the motherboard may be populated with less than all of the modules that it has been designed to accept while maintaining a configuration such that in the event of a module failure, a memory controller failure, or a combination thereof, the connectivity of the remaining modules is maintained. Where data is stored using a RAID organization of the memory on the modules, the data may be reconstructed to a spare module. The system also provides for the orderly incremental expansion of the memory by adding additional memory modules and memory controllers, while maintaining the connectivity properties.
Claims21
An interconnect system, comprising:
- a plurality of connectors having a first configuration;
- a plurality of point-to-point bus segments on a motherboard, the bus segments disposed such that each connector of the plurality of connectors is connected to an end of two or more bus segments;
- and
- a memory controller communicating with at least one bus segment;
- the interconnect system further comprising:
- a plurality of memory modules inserted in the connectors, wherein a number M of plurality of memory modules is less than or equal to the a number N of the connectors;
- at least some of the plurality of memory modules having a configurable switch for routing signals received on a first bus segment to one of a second bus segment, a third bus segment, or a memory circuit associated with the memory module,
- wherein the interconnect system is configured to provide connectivity between the memory controller and the plurality of memory modules in a first state where a memory module of the plurality of memory modules is either inoperative, or is removed from a respective connector.
An interconnect system, comprising:
- a plurality of first connectors having a same configuration and mounted on the mother board;
- a plurality of point-to-point bus segments disposed on a mother board, the connectors disposed such that each connector of a first group of first connectors of the plurality of first connectors is connected to two or more first bus segments;
- a first interface connected to an end of each of two first bus segments of the plurality of first bus segments, the first bus segments having another end connected to connectors of the plurality of first connectors;
- and
- a second interface connected to an end of at least one bus segment of the plurality of first bus segments having another end connected a connector of the plurality of first connectors;
- wherein the first interface is adapted to receive a topology configuration module and the second interface is adapted to connect to a module controller.
An interconnect system, comprising:
- a motherboard;
- a plurality of same connectors;
- a plurality of point-to-point bus segments, disposed such that each connector of a first group of first connectors of the plurality of first connectors are connected to three or more first bus segments;
- an interface connected to an end of at least one bus segment of the plurality of first bus segments having another end connected a connector of the plurality of first connectors;
- and
- wherein first interface is adapted to connect to a module controller, and a connector of a plurality of connectors is adapted to connect to a system module;
- and, the connectors, the interface and the bus segments are arranged such that connectivity between any two connectors is maintained when at least two non-adjacent connectors do not have system modules installed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.