Fault tolerant data storage subsystem employing hierarchically arranged controllers
US5504882A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 20, 1994 |
| Grant date | Apr 2, 1996 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 20, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG11C29/74
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A fault tolerant disk storage subsystem which includes a multipath dynamically alterable hierarchical arrangement of storage device controllers. Multiple storage device controllers are provided which are each adapted to emulate a storage device and which each include a cache memory which has multiple data input ports and multiple data output ports. A processing element within the storage device controller is utilized to selectively interconnect particular data input ports with selected data output ports to provide multiple paths within the storage device controller. An interconnection is then provided for coupling a data output port of one or storage device controller with a data input port of one more alternate storage device controllers which emulate storage devices, creating an alterable hierarchical arrangement of storage device controllers. Storage devices are then coupled to each of the lowest levels of the hierarchical arrangement of storage device controllers. As the storage device controllers may very in type and capability, various combinations of access speed and redundancy may be provided.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.