US 9,870,373 B2Granted

Daisy-chain storage synchronization system and method

OwnerKevin Mark Klughartinventor

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A daisy-chain storage synchronization (DSS) system and method that permits a daisy-chain of interconnected pass-thru disk drive controllers (PTDDCs) each connected to a SATA local disk drive (LDD) disk storage element (DSE) to support state synchronization within PTDDCs in the daisy-chain is disclosed. The PTDDCs within the daisy-chain are configured to individually maintain drive state information (DSI) relating to the LDD as well as chain state information (CSI) relating to the individual PTDDCs within the daisy-chain. This state information may be modified on receipt of out-of-band signaling (OBS) from other PTDDC elements up the daisy-chain as well as OBS from other PTDDC elements down the daisy-chain. CSI is determined in part by conventional SATA OBS state register protocols that are modified by internal state registers (ISR) in each individual PTDDC daisy-chain element so as to make the DSS transparent to existing SATA OBS single-disk standard hardware command protocols.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A daisy-chain storage synchronization system comprising:

(a) plurality of pass-thru disk drive controllers (PTDDCs);
and
(b) plurality of local disk drives (LDDs);
wherein:
said plurality of PTDDCs each comprise a pass-thru input (PTI) port, pass-thru output (PTO) port, and disk drive interface (DDI) port;
said PTI port, said PTO port, and said DDI port each comprise a serial advanced technology attachment (SATA) interface;
said plurality of PTDDCs are each connected in a serial daisy-chain with only the PTI port of a member PTDDC in said daisy-chain connected to the PTO port of a previous PTDDC in said daisy-chain and the PTO port of said member PTDDC connected to the PTI port of a next PTDDC in said daisy-chain;
said plurality of PTDDCs are individually electrically coupled via said DDI port on said individual PTDDC to one of said plurality of said LDDs;
said daisy-chain comprises a first PTDDC at the beginning of said daisy-chain further comprising a first PTI port, a first PTO port, and a first DDI port;
said first PTDDC is configured for connection to a host computer system (HCS) having a host bus adapter (HBA) via said first PTI port;
said plurality of PTDDCs each comprise a PTI out-of-band signaling (OBS) register-based hardware state machine (PTIRSM), a PTO out-of-band signaling (OBS) register-based hardware state machine (PTORSM), a DDI out-of-band signaling (OBS) register-based hardware state machine (DDIRSM), and a PTDDC register-based hardware state machine (PTTRSM);
said PTIRSM is configured to implement a SATA out-of-band signaling SATA hardware interface on said PTI port;
said PTORSM is configured to implement a SATA out-of-band signaling SATA hardware interface on said PTO port;
said DDIRSM is configured to implement a SATA out-of-band signaling SATA hardware interface on said DDI port;
and
said PTTRSM is configured to control operation of said PTIRSM, said PTORSM, and said DDIRSM by modifying an operation sequence for said PTIRSM, said PTORSM, and said DDIRSM using a digital signal.

13 more elements

A daisy-chain storage synchronization method comprising:

(1) with a register-based hardware state machine (PTTRSM) operating on each of a plurality of pass-thru disk drive controllers (PTDDCs), with each comprising a serial advanced technology attachment (SATA) interface pass-thru input (PTI) port, SATA interface pass-thru output (PTO) port, and SATA interface disk drive interface (DDI) port, controlling using a digital signal the sequential operation of a PTI out-of-band signaling (OBS) register-based hardware state machine (PTIRSM), a PTO out-of-band signaling (OBS) register-based hardware state machine (PTORSM), and a DDI out-of-band signaling (OBS) register-based hardware state machine (DDIRSM), each of which is present on each of said PTDDC;
(2) with said PTIRSM, implementing a SATA out-of-band signaling SATA hardware interface on said PTI port;
(3) with said PTORSM, implementing a SATA out-of-band signaling SATA hardware interface on said PTO port;
and
(4) with said DDIRSM, implementing a SATA out-of-band signaling SATA hardware interface on said DDI port;
wherein:
said plurality of PTDDCs are each connected in a serial daisy-chain with only the PTI port of a member PTDDC in said daisy-chain connected to the PTO port of a previous PTDDC in said daisy-chain and the PTO port of said member PTDDC connected to the PTI port of a next PTDDC in said daisy-chain;
said plurality of PTDDCs are individually electrically coupled via said DDI port on said individual PTDDC to one of said plurality of said LDDs;
said daisy-chain comprises a first PTDDC at the beginning of said daisy-chain further comprising a first PTI port, a first PTO port, and a first DDI port;
and
said first PTDDC is configured for connection to a host computer system (HCS) having a host bus adapter (HBA) via said first PTI port.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/595,663Filed 15 May 2017 · continuation in part
Priority: 21 Sep 2011
Published: US 2017/0024295 A131 Aug 2017
Granted: 16 Jan 2018
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification18 codes

G06F 16/183
Implemented using Network-attached Storage [NAS] architecture: provision of network file services by network file servers, e.g. by using NFS, CIFS
G06F 3/0607
Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. storage management: by facilitating the process of upgrading existing storage systems, e.g. for…
G06F 3/0619
Improving the reliability of storage systems: in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors
G06F 3/0643
Organizing or formatting or addressing of data: management of files

Family

Application13/200,242Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 21 Sep 2011
Application13/200,572Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 25 Sep 2011
Application14/314,143Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 25 Jun 2014
Application14/317,892Parent of this continuation · filed 27 Jun 2014
Application14/526,855Parent of this continuation · filed 29 Oct 2014
Application14/685,439Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 13 Apr 2015
Application14/886,616Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 19 Oct 2015
Application15/284,113Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 3 Oct 2016
US 2017/0249332 A1Pre-grant publication · published 31 Aug 2017
US 9,652,343 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 9,460,110 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 9,164,946 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 9,015,355 B2Parent of this continuation
Application14/685,439Parent of this continuation
US 8,943,227 B2Parent of this continuation
US 8,914,549 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 8,799,523 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 8,813,165 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 2013/0073747 A1Published application
US 2013/0081098 A1Published application
US 2014/0310441 A1Published application
US 2014/0310459 A1Published application
US 2015/0052276 A1Published application
US 2015/0220478 A1Published application
US 2016/0078054 A1Published application
US 2017/0024295 A1Published application
US 9,870,373 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.