Patent · US Expired

Systems and methods for cache synchronization between redundant storage controllers

US7117310B2 · kind B2 · utility

6Cited by
3References
16Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 18, 2004
Grant dateOct 3, 2006
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 30, 2025

Classification

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

Abstract

Systems and methods for maintaining cache coherency between a first controller and a redundant peer controller while reducing communication overhead processing involved in the coherency message exchange. Header or meta-data information is accumulated in a buffer in a first controller along with updated cache data (if any) and forwarded to the peer controller. The accumulating information may be double buffered so that a buffer is filling as a previously filled buffer is transmitting to the peer controller. The peer controller processes the received information to update its mirror cache to maintain coherency with the first controller's cache memory with respect to dirty data. The method and systems avoid the need to update cache coherency in response to every flush operation performed within the first controller to thereby improve overall system performance.

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