Storage controller with the disk drive and the RAM in a hybrid architecture

• US 20030196031A1
• Filed: 05/06/2003
• Published: 10/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jack Yajie Chen
• Original Assignee: Jack Yajie Chen
• Inventors: Chen, Jack Yajie
• Granted Patent: US 7,047,356 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0873 Mapping of cache memory to specific storage devices or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/281 Single cache
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/312 In storage controller

Abstract

A method to combine disk drive'"'"'s inexpensive large capacity and RAM'"'"'s fast access speed to accelerate computer system'"'"'s booting speed and application execution speed. Some of the most recently used data will be permanently stored in a large RAM storage with a power source. A controller unit is designed to manage the interface between the RAM storage, disk drive and the computer storage device interface.

Claims

1. A hybrid storage controller designed for use with a disk drive in a computer system, said hybrid storage controller comprising:

RAM unit means for storing digital data, said RAM unit means including but not limited to dynamic random access memory chips, static random access memory chips;

A power source connected with said RAM units for providing said controller with a continues power supply to maintain data in RAM units and transfer data from RAM units to said disk drive in case of failure of this power source when the main computer system power is off;

A controller unit is connected to a disk drive and manages the data transfer between the computer system, disk drive and RAM units;

A copy of most frequently used data blocks is stored in RAM units for fast access. The controller unit periodically synchronizes the data with the copy stored in disk drive.

2. The hybrid storage controller as define in claim 1, wherein said RAM units have the same or different capacity than the external disk drive.

3. The hybrid storage controller, as define in claim 1, wherein said controller unit is compatible with IDE standard interface for use with a computer system and is connected with the IDE interface of a computer system.

4. The hybrid storage controller as defined in claim 1, wherein said controller unit is compatible. with SCSI interface for use with a computer system and is connected with SCSI interface of a computer system.

5. The hybrid storage controller as defined in claim 1, wherein said controller unit is compatible with USB interface for use with a computer system and is connected with USB interface of a computer system.

6. The hybrid storage controller as defined in claim 1, wherein said controller unit is compatible with firewire interface for use with a computer system and is connected with firewire interface of a computer system.

7. The hybrid storage controller as defined in claim 1;

wherein said power source comprises a rechargeable storage battery.

8. The hybrid storage controller as defined in claim 1;

wherein said power source comprises a non-rechargeable battery.

9. The hybrid storage controller as defined in claim 1;

wherein said controller copy the data block from a disk drive to said RAM unit if the data is not in the RAM units when that data block is accessed by the computer system.

10. The hybrid storage controller as defined in claim 1, wherein said controller unit periodically update the data block in the disk drive if the content of the data block is changed by the computer system.

11. The hybrid storage controller as defined in claim 1;

wherein said controller update the data blocks in the disk drive if the content of those data blocks have been modified by the computer system when the computer system is powered down.

12. The hybrid storage controller as defined in claim 1, wherein said controller maintains a cross-reference list of RAM data block address and disk drive data block address with a access sequential number and a modified flag. The less frequently used data block is removed from said RAM unit if the capacity of said RAM units is less than the capacity of the disk drive and the RAM units have been fully loaded with data blocks.

13. A hybrid storage device comprising:

RAM means for storing digital data, said RAM unit means including but not limited to dynamic random access memory chips, static random access memory chips;

A disk drive which is a storage device used to stored digital data permanently even without a power source, including but not limited to magnetic disk drive, optical disk drive or a tape drive;

A power source connected with said RAM units for providing said controller with a continues power supply to maintain data in RAM units and transfer data from RAM units to said disk drive in case of failure of this powers source when the main computer system power is off;

A controller unit to manage the data transfer between the computer system, disk drive and RAM units;

A copy of most frequently used data block is stored in RAM units for fast access. The controller unit periodically synchronizes the data with the copy store in disk drive.