Patent · US Expired

Methods and apparatus for message transfer in computer storage system

US6061274A · kind A · utility

23Cited by
1References
18Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJan 4, 1999
Grant dateMay 9, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 4, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F12/084
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A computer storage system includes an array of storage devices, a system cache memory, one or more back end directors for controlling data transfer between the storage devices and the system cache memory, and one or more front end directors for controlling data transfer between the system cache memory and a host computer. Each director includes a processor and a message interface for controlling high speed message transfer between the processors in the directors. The message interfaces in the directors may be interconnected in a closed-loop configuration. Each message interface may include a transmit/receive circuit for transferring messages to and from other directors, a message memory for storing outgoing messages and incoming messages, and a message controller for controlling transfer of messages between the processor and the message memory and between the message memory and the transmit/receive circuit.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.