Method and apparatus for performing pre-request operations in a cached disk array storage system
US6055603A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 18, 1997 |
| Grant date | Apr 25, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 18, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F12/0862
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method of improving the performance of a storage system is provided. The method includes sending a pre-request to a logical device before data associated with the previous request is transferred from a cache to the requesting host device. Additionally, while a host controller of the storage system is transferring data from the cache to the requesting host, it will also check to see if any other requests are entered in a request queue for that logical device. To do this, the host controller checks a status flag in a mailbox location within the host controller. A disk controller is also responsive to the placement of requests in the mailbox location and can set the status flag upon a completion of a data transaction. If there has been an entry, a pre-request will be sent to the logical device while the data from the previous request is being transferred to the host.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.