Patent Application
20080168257
1. Technical Field
Embodiments of the present inventions relate to a storage processor interface assembly for coupling a host to multiple storage devices, and to related systems and methods. In some embodiments, the storage processor interface assembly includes a circuit board supporting Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) compatible connectors.
2. Background Art
Storage systems often use multiple disk drives to provide features such as fault tolerance, increased throughput, increased storage capacity, and expandability. For example, mirroring uses two or more drives to store duplicate copies of data such that if one of the drives fails the data can still be read from another drive. Striping allows data to be divided into portions that are written (and read) in parallel to two or more drives at the same time to provide increased throughput. Concatenation combines two or more drives to enable a higher storage capacity than would be available from a single disk drive. While such features have become common in enterprise-class storage solutions, these features are still rare among consumer systems. The cost and complexity of assembling such systems prevents many consumers from being able to take advantage of these advanced storage features.
Design limitations of commodity, consumer-level storage hardware also prevent users from benefiting from these advanced storage features. For example, many computer systems limit the number of disk drives that can be addressed by a single host interface. A Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) 1.0 specification is available at www.serialata.org. A later SATA II Port Multiplier specification (available at www.serialata.org) added an additional addressing scheme that allows a host to address 15 physical disk drives, but not all hosts support the newer specification, and having the host computer system manage multiple drives involves additional complexity and configuration that is difficult for many consumers. A Serial ATA International Organization: Serial ATA Revision 2.5, 27 Oct. 2005 (available at www.serialata.org) is a revision of earlier SATA specifications and includes information about a SATA port multiplier in, for example, chapter 16. The net result is that the consumer is not able to obtain easy-to-use, low-cost hardware capable of providing high-end storage features available to enterprise-class computer systems.
In some embodiments, a storage processor interface assembly includes a circuit board supporting a storage processor, first and second standard compliant power connectors, and first, second, and third standard compliant data connectors. The second power connector and the second data connector are positioned such that they may mate with corresponding standard compliant power and data connectors on a storage device. The storage processor is capable of operating with the second and third data connectors in at least one of a mirrored memory mode and a storage expansion mode.
In other embodiments, a storage processor interface assembly includes an enclosure to hold a circuit board coupled to a storage processor and first, second, and third standard compliant data connectors, wherein the enclosure includes openings such that the first, second, and third connectors are available to be mated with connectors of cables outside the enclosure. The storage processor is capable of operating with the second and third data connectors in at least one of a mirrored memory mode and a storage expansion mode. The only data signal interfaces to the enclosure are the three data connectors.
In still other embodiments, a storage processor interface assembly includes an enclosure to hold a circuit board coupled to a storage processor and first, second, and third standard compliant data connectors, wherein the enclosure includes openings such that the first, second, and third connectors are available to be mated with connectors of cables outside the enclosure. The storage processor is capable of operating with the second and third data connectors in at least one of a mirrored memory mode and a storage expansion mode. The enclosure has length dimensions that are less than 100 millimeters by 100 millimeters by 200 millimeters.
Further embodiments are described and claimed.
The inventions will be understood more fully from the detailed description given below and from the accompanying drawings of embodiments of the inventions which, however, should not be taken to limit the inventions to the specific embodiments described, but are for explanation and understanding only.
Embodiments of the present inventions relate to a storage processor interface assembly for coupling a host to multiple storage devices, and to related systems and methods. In some embodiments, the storage processor interface assembly includes a circuit board supporting Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) compatible connectors that connect with SATA compatible connectors on, for example, a 3.5 inch disc drive. In other embodiments, the storage processor interface assembly includes an enclosure and includes one SATA data connector to interface with a host and two SATA data connectors to interface with storage devices, or a storage device and another storage processor interface assembly. As used herein, the term “data” may include address and command signals as well as more traditional data signals.
As used herein, the term SATA compatible connector means a connector that meets the requirements for the particular type of connector as described in one or more SATA specifications including current and future SATA specifications. The connectors may be compatible with internal or external (eSATA) SATA specifications. In some embodiments, the connectors are compatible with one or more other standards, but not a SATA standard. In still other embodiments, the connectors are compatible with one or more other standards and also with one or more SATA standards.
In some embodiments, the storage processor interface assembly operates in a mirrored memory mode in which data signals are provided to two storage devices in a mirrored fashion. As an example, the mirroring may be according to a RAID 1 mirroring protocol. In other embodiments, the storage processor interface assembly operates in a storage expansion mode in which two storage devices are presented to the host as a single storage device which has the combined storage of the two storage devices. In still other embodiments, the storage processor interface assembly can be configured to operate in either the mirrored memory mode or the storage expansion mode. In still other embodiments, the storage processor interface assembly can be configured to operate in some other mode such as a striping mode, or combination of the mirrored memory mode and storage expansion mode, for example, where a portion of storage device is used for mirroring and another portion for expansion.
A. System Overview
Referring to
Connector 34 is shown mated with connector 32 which carries power signals from host computer 12 or from some other power source. As an example, connector 34 may be a male SATA power segment connector and connector 32 may be a female SATA power connector. The power signals from connector 34 are provided to a power chip 38 and to a connector 42, which is shown mated with connector 44. Connector 42 may be a female SATA power segment connector and connector 44 may be a male SATA power connector that may be part of storage device 62. Power chip 38 provides power signals to storage processor 28. In some embodiments, assembly 20 includes more than one power chip.
Storage devices 62 and 64 each may be a hard disc drive, an optical drive, or some other type of mass storage device. Storage devices 62 and/or 64 may be considered part of host computer 12 or separate from it. Storage devices 62 and 64 may be commodity, low cost devices or more specialty, higher priced storage devices. Storage devices 62 and 64 may be storage devices used in a computer system, or a digital video recorder (DVR), or in another system. Storage device 62 may be internal or external to the computer system or DVR or other system. Storage device 64 may be internal or external to the computer system or DVR or other system.
There are many ways in which storage processor 28 may be implemented, and the inventions are not restricted to one particular way.
As an example, if storage processor 28 is in a mirrored memory mode, data is provided to both device 1 interface 80 and to device 2 interface 82, which are coupled to connectors 48 and 54. If storage processor 28 is in a storage expansion mode, mapping circuitry 70 provides data to either device 1 interface 80 or to device 2 interface in such a way as to cause storage devices 62 and 64 to act as one large storage device. In some embodiments, in the storage expansion mode, the operation is transparent to a user of host computer 12 in that the operating system of host computer 12 only sees only one large storage device.
The configuration may be permanent or changeable. The configuration may be established through various means. For example, the configuration information may be provided through commands through data connector 24. The configuration information may be provided through hardware pins or jumpers, or by flashing a particular firmware image to the system during manufacturing. The system may use a policy table to specify configuration information in the form of behavior directives. When control logic within the device reaches a decision point and must select a course of action from multiple possibilities, the table may be consulted and the action specified by the table is performed. This allows the same hardware to be used to expose different features simply by modifying the contents of the policy table. Hardware pins may also be provided that override particular policies in the policy table to allow for additional configurability without modifying the policy table.
Referring to
Referring to
As mentioned above, the connectors may be SATA connectors. However, in other embodiments, some or all of the connectors are not SATA compatible.
B. Storage Processor Interface Assemblies Attached to Storage Devices
Storage processor interface assembly 20 may be implemented in a variety of ways.
Referring to
Storage processor interface assembly 420 includes a male SATA data connector 424, a male SATA power connector 434, and a male SATA data connector 454 which are examples of connectors 24, 34, and 54 in
C. Storage Processor Interface Assemblies in Enclosures
Storage processor interface assembly 190 may be implemented in a variety of ways.
Referring to
In different embodiments, the enclosures may have different dimensions. Example dimensions for enclosure 902 and 980 are less than 100×100×200 millimeters, less than 50×50×100 millimeters, and less than 30×30×90 millimeters. The enclosures could have still other dimensions including combinations of those listed above.
D. Other Information and Embodiments
In some embodiments, the storage processor interface assembly includes four data connectors to interface with a host and three storage devices or, for example, a host, two storage devices, and a storage processor interface assembly, or a host, a storage device and two storage processor interface assemblies. In some embodiments, the storage processor interface assembly may interface with two hosts.
There may be intermediate structure between various illustrated components. The various chips described or illustrated herein may have additional inputs or outputs which are not illustrated or described. In actual implementations of the systems of the figures, there would be additional circuitry, control lines, and perhaps interconnects which are not illustrated. When the figures show two blocks connected through conductors, there may be intermediate circuitry that is not illustrated. The shape and relative sizes of the blocks is not intended to relate to actual shapes and relative sizes.
An embodiment is an implementation or example of the inventions. Reference in the specification to “an embodiment,” “one embodiment,” “some embodiments,” or “other embodiments” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiments is included in at least some embodiments, but not necessarily all embodiments. The various appearances of “an embodiment,” “one embodiment,” or “some embodiments” are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiments.
When it is said the element “A” is coupled to element “B,” element A may be directly coupled to element B or be indirectly coupled through, for example, element C.
When the specification or claims state that a component, feature, structure, process, or characteristic A “causes” a component, feature, structure, process, or characteristic B, it means that “A” is at least a partial cause of “B” but that there may also be at least one other component, feature, structure, process, or characteristic that assists in causing “B.”
If the specification states a component, feature, structure, process, or characteristic “may”, “might”, or “could” be included, that particular component, feature, structure, process, or characteristic is not required to be included in all embodiments. If the specification or claim refers to “a” or “an” element, that does not mean there is only one of the element.
The inventions are not restricted to the particular details described herein. Indeed, many other variations of the foregoing description and drawings may be made within the scope of the present inventions. Accordingly, it is the following claims including any amendments thereto that define the scope of the inventions.
