Secure store implementation on common platform storage subsystem (CPSS) by storing write data in non-volatile buffer

• US 6,035,347 A
• Filed: 12/19/1997
• Issued: 03/07/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Benhase, Michael Thomas, Beardsley, Brent Cameron, Wade, Forrest Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kim, Harold J.
• Application Number:
  US08/994,312
• Time in Patent Office: 809 Days
• Field of Search: 714/6, 714/5, 714/13, 714/22, 371/51.1, 710/52, 710/57, 710/17, 710/33
• US Class Current: 710/52
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1441 Resetting or repowering

Abstract

A data storage system and method for securely storing data includes (a) a host CPU; (b) a non-volatile storage (NVS) memory for storing data; (c) a processor, the processor being coupled to the host CPU and the NVS memory and monitoring availability of space in the NVS memory and in a non-volatile buffer (NV-Buffer); and (d) the NV-Buffer, the NV-Buffer being coupled to the host CPU, the NVS memory, and the processor, upon receiving a request to write data into the NVS memory, the host CPU storing data to be transferred to the NVS memory into the NV-Buffer, and upon receiving a confirmation message that data of a write operation to the NV-Buffer is committed, the NV-Buffer transferring the data to the NVS memory. The NVS memory includes a fast dump space for storing data transferred from the NV-Buffer when a main power is down and for restoring back data from the NVS memory to the NV-Buffer when the power is up. The NV-Buffer is a fast drain buffer and is equipped with a backup power source sufficient to hold up a power needed to transfer the data when the power is down.

Claims

1. A data storage system for securely storing data, comprising:

(a) a host CPU;

(b) a non-volatile storage (NVS) memory for storing data;

(c) a processor, the processor being coupled to the host CPU and the NVS memory and monitoring availability of space in the NVS memory and in a non-volatile buffer (NV-Buffer), the NV-Buffer being coupled to the host CPU, the NVS memory, and the processor; and

(d) wherein upon receiving a request to write data into the NVS memory, the host CPU storing data to be transferred to the NVS memory into the NV-Buffer, and upon receiving a confirmation message that data of a write operation to the NV-Buffer is committed, the NV-Buffer transferring the data to the NVS memory.

2. The data storage system of claim 1, wherein the NV-Buffer includes at least one track slot, the track slot including a mailbox unit which receives the confirmation message, a control block unit which stores characteristics of the data requested to be stored, a write data unit which stores the contents of the data.

3. The data storage system of claim 2, wherein the NVS memory includes a control block space for receiving contents from the control block unit of the NV-Buffer and a write data space for storing contents of the write data unit of the NV-Buffer, such that upon receiving the confirmation message that data of a write operation to the NV-Buffer is committed, the NV-Buffer transferring the data to the NVS memory at which time the host CPU is notified that the write operation is complete.

4. The data storage system of claim 2, wherein the NVS memory further includes a fast dump space for storing the track slot of the NV-Buffer transferred when power is down and for restoring back the track slot to the NV-Buffer when the NVS memory initializes.

5. A method for securely storing data in a data storage system, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving, by a host CPU, a request to write data into a non-volatile storage (NVS) memory of the data storage system;

(b) monitoring, by a processor, availability of space in the NVS memory and in a non-volatile buffer (NV-Buffer), the NV-Buffer being coupled to the host CPU, the NVS memory, and the processor which is coupled to the host CPU;

(c) transferring the data to the NV-Buffer if space is allocated;

(d) transferring the data from the NV-Buffer to the NVS memory upon receiving a confirmation message that data of a write operation to the NV-Buffer is committed.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of:

(e) acknowledging to the processor that at least one track slot of the NV-Buffer is available for reuse after completing transferring the data from the NV-Buffer to the NVS memory.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of:

(e) transferring the data stored in the NV-Buffer to a fast dump space of the NVS memory.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of:

(f) restoring the transferred data back to the NV-Buffer from the fast dump space of the NVS memory.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of transferring the data from the NV-Buffer to the NVS memory includes transferring data from a write data unit of the NV-Buffer to a write data space of the NVS memory and characteristics of the data from a control block unit of the NV-Buffer to a control block space of the NVS memory.

10. A computer storage system, comprising:

(a) a host central processing unit (Host CPU);

(b) a host adapter (HA), the host adapter being coupled to the host central processing unit;

(c) a non-volatile storage space manager (NSM), the non-volatile storage space manager being coupled to the host adapter;

(d) a non-volatile buffer (NV-Buffer), the non-volatile buffer being coupled to the host adapter and the non-volatile storage space manager, the buffer including a plurality of track slots, each track slot having a mailbox unit which receives a confirmation message that data of a write operation is committed, a control block unit which stores characteristics of data requested to be stored, a write data unit which stores the contents of the data requested to be stored;

(e) a non-volatile storage processor (NVS Processor), the storage processor being coupled to the NV-Buffer and to the non-volatile space manager to indicate that one of the track slots is available to be reused; and

(f) a non-volatile storage memory (NVS memory), the NVS memory being coupled to the non-volatile buffer and the non-volatile storage space manager, the NVS memory including a control block space for receiving contents from the control block unit of the NV-Buffer and a write data space for storing contents of the write data unit of the NV-Buffer.

11. The computer storage system of claim 10, wherein the NVS memory further includes a fast dump space for storing the track slots of the buffer when power is down and for restoring back the track slots to the non-volatile buffer when the NVS memory initializes.

12. A method of storing data in a computer storage system, comprising the steps of:

(a) sending a write data signal by a host adapter (HA) to a non-volatile space manager (NSM);

(b) allocating, by the non-volatile space manager, a plurality of track slots in a non-volatile buffer (NV-Buffer);

(c) allocating, by the non-volatile space manager, track slots of a write data space in a non-volatile storage (NVS) memory;

(d) updating, by the non-volatile space manager, a control block unit of one of the track slots in the NV-Buffer;

(e) sending, by the non-volatile space manager, a signal to the host adapter to use the track slot in the NV-Buffer;

(f) transferring data to a write data unit of the one of the track slot in the NV-Buffer;

(g) transferring a confirmation message, by the host adapter, to a mailbox unit of the NV-Buffer that data of a write operation is committed;

(h) signaling, by the host adapter, to a host central processing unit (Host CPU) that the write operation is complete;

(i) acknowledging, by the host central processing unit, to the host adapter receipt of the write operation complete signal sent by the host adapter such that the host adapter is available;

(j) transferring the data from the write data unit of the NV-Buffer to the write data space of the NVS memory;

(k) transferring contents from the control block unit of the NV-Buffer to a control block space of the NVS memory; and

(l) sending a signal by a non-volatile storage processor (NVS Processor) to the non-volatile space manager to indicate the track slot of the buffer is available for reuse.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

(m) transferring entire track slots of the NV-Buffer to a non-volatile storage fast dump space of the NVS memory.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

(n) restoring at least a portion of the transferred track slots of the NV-Buffer from the fast dump space of the NVS memory to the track slots of the NV-Buffer.

15. An article of manufacture for a computer-based data storage system, the article of manufacture comprising a computer readable medium having instructions for causing a computer to perform a method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving, by a host CPU, a request to write data into a non-volatile storage (NVS) memory of the data storage system;

(b) monitoring, by a processor, availability of space in the NVS memory and in a non-volatile buffer (NV-Buffer), the NV-Buffer being coupled to the host CPU, the NVS memory, and the processor which is coupled to the host CPU;

(c) transferring the data to the NV-Buffer if space is allocated;

(d) transferring the data from the NV-Buffer to the NVS memory upon receiving a confirmation message that data of a write operation to the NV-Buffer is committed.

16. A data storage system for securely storing data, the data storage system being supported by a main power source comprising:

(a) a host CPU;

(b) a non-volatile storage (NVS) memory for storing data including a fast dump space;

(c) a processor, the processor being coupled to the host CPU and the NVS memory and monitoring availability of space in the NVS memory and in a NV-Buffer, the NV-Buffer being coupled to the host CPU, the NVS memory, and the processor; and

(d) a backup power source for supporting the processor and the NV-Buffer, wherein when the main power source is down, the backup power source having a sufficient power for the data stored in the NV-Buffer to be transferred and stored in the fast dump space of the NVS memory.

17. The data storage system of claim 16, wherein when the main power source is up, the data stored in the fast dump space of the NVS memory is transferred and restored back to the NV-Buffer.

18. The data storage system of claim 17, wherein when the main power source is up, the backup power source is recharged.

19. The data storage system of claim 16, wherein the backup power source is at least one capacitor.

20. A data storage system for securely storing data, the data storage system being supported by a main power source comprising:

(a) a host CPU;

(b) a non-volatile storage (NVS) memory for storing data including a fast dump space;

(c) a processor, the processor being coupled to the host CPU and the NVS memory and monitoring availability of space in the NVS memory and in a NV-Buffer, the NV-Buffer being coupled to the host CPU, the NVS memory, and the processor; and

(d) a backup power source for supporting the processor, wherein when the main power source is down, the backup power source having a sufficient power for data and instructions stored in cache memories of the processor to be transferred and stored the NV-Buffer.

21. The data storage system of claim 20, wherein the backup power source is at least one capacitor.