Patent · US Expired

Computer system with storage device mapping input/output processor

US6195730A · kind A · utility

111Cited by
14References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateJul 24, 1998
Grant dateFeb 27, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 24, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F12/0875
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An input/output processor provides device virtualization "on-board" through the use of a dedicated IO cache memory. A computer system includes at least one host processor and associated main memory each with access to a system bus. Each input/output processor is also connected to the system bus through an expansion bus. IO adapters within the input/output processor each connect at least one storage device to the expansion bus. Also connected to the expansion bus is the cache memory and a control logic. The control logic receives a data transfer request from a requesting host processor. The data transfer request is mapped to a cache device object. The cache device object has associated data maintained in the cache memory. If any storage device is required for the data transfer, the data transfer request is mapped to the storage device capable of servicing the request. A location in cache memory is determined based on the mapped cache device object. The data transfer is performed based on the location and, if needed, the determined storage devices. This provides the host computer with a virtual view of the storage devices.

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