Disk array controller with automated processor which routes I/O data according to addresses and commands received from disk drive controllers
US6138176A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 4, 1998 |
| Grant date | Oct 24, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 4, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F3/0653
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A high-performance RAID system for a PC comprises a controller card which controls an array of ATA disk drives. The controller card includes an array of automated disk drive controllers, each of which controls one respective disk drive. The disk drive controllers are connected to a microcontroller by a control bus and are connected to an automated coprocessor by a packet-switched bus. The coprocessor accesses system memory and a local buffer. In operation, the disk drive controllers respond to controller commands from the microcontroller by accessing their respective disk drives, and by sending packets to the coprocessor over the packet-switched bus. The packets carry I/O data (in both directions, with the coprocessor filling-in packet payloads on I/O writes), and carry transfer commands and target addresses that are used by the coprocessor to access the buffer and system memory. The packets also carry special completion values (generated by the microcontroller) and I/O request identifiers that are processed by a logic circuit of the coprocessor to detect the completion of processing of each I/O request. The coprocessor grants the packet-switched bus to the disk drive controllers u…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.