Providing input/output virtualization (IOV) by mapping transfer requests to shared transfer requests lists by IOV host controllers

A method for providing virtual transfer request lists (TRLs) for multiple hosts, comprising:

• receiving, by an input/output virtualization (IOV) host controller (HC) (IOV-HC), a transfer request (TR) directed to a flash-memory-based storage device from a client register interface (CRI) of a plurality of CRIs;
• and
• mapping, by a TR fetch circuit of the IOV-HC, the TR to a slot of a shared TRL based on a TRL slot offset register of a plurality of TRL slot offset registers and a TRL slot count register of a plurality of TRL slot count registers, the TRL slot offset register and the TRL slot count register corresponding to the CRI;
• wherein:
• the plurality of TRL slot offset registers each indicates a slot of the shared TRL that is assigned as a base slot to a corresponding CRI of the plurality of CRIs;
• and
• the plurality of TRL slot count registers each indicates a number of slots of the shared TRL assigned to the corresponding CRI of the plurality of CRIs.

An input/output virtualization (IOV) host controller (HC) (IOV-HC), comprising:

• a means for receiving a transfer request (TR) directed to a flash-memory-based storage device from a client register interface (CRI) of a plurality of CRIs;
• and
• a means for mapping the TR to a slot of a shared transfer request list (TRL) based on a TRL slot offset register of a plurality of TRL slot offset registers and a TRL slot count register of a plurality of TRL slot count registers, the TRL slot offset register and the TRL slot count register corresponding to the CRI;
• wherein:
• the plurality of TRL slot offset registers each indicates a slot of the shared TRL that is assigned as a base slot to a corresponding CRI of the plurality of CRIs;
• and
• the plurality of TRL slot count registers each indicates a number of slots of the shared TRL assigned to the corresponding CRI of the plurality of CRIs.