Methods and apparatus for transferring a data element within a data storage system
First Claim
1. In an interface circuit of a data storage system, a point-to-point channel directly connecting to both the interface circuit and a volatile memory cache circuit, a method for exchanging data with the volatile memory cache circuit, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a command to the volatile memory cache circuit through the point-to-point channel which directly connects to both the interface circuit and the volatile memory cache circuit, the point-to-point channel including a first link and a second link;
dividing a data element into a first half of the data element and a second half of the data element;
moving the data element through the point-to-point channel in accordance with the command, the step of moving including the step of conveying the first half of the data element through the first link and the second half of the data element through the second link, the step of conveying including the step of transmitting the first half of the data element from a first transmitter and concurrently transmitting the second half of the data element from a second transmitter; and
receiving status from the volatile memory cache circuit through the point-to-point channel in accordance with the data element.
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Abstract
The invention is directed to techniques for transferring data within a data storage system that includes, among other things, an interconnection mechanism having a point-to-point channel between an interface circuit (e.g., a director) and a volatile memory cache circuit. The point-to-point channel allows the interface circuit and the volatile memory cache circuit to have contention free access to each other. One arrangement of the invention is directed to a data storage system having a volatile memory cache circuit that buffers data elements exchanged between a storage device and a host, an interface circuit that operates as an interface between the volatile memory cache circuit and at least one of a storage device and a host, and a point-to-point channel interconnected between the volatile memory cache circuit to the interface circuit.
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Citations
47 Claims
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1. In an interface circuit of a data storage system, a point-to-point channel directly connecting to both the interface circuit and a volatile memory cache circuit, a method for exchanging data with the volatile memory cache circuit, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a command to the volatile memory cache circuit through the point-to-point channel which directly connects to both the interface circuit and the volatile memory cache circuit, the point-to-point channel including a first link and a second link;
dividing a data element into a first half of the data element and a second half of the data element;
moving the data element through the point-to-point channel in accordance with the command, the step of moving including the step of conveying the first half of the data element through the first link and the second half of the data element through the second link, the step of conveying including the step of transmitting the first half of the data element from a first transmitter and concurrently transmitting the second half of the data element from a second transmitter; and
receiving status from the volatile memory cache circuit through the point-to-point channel in accordance with the data element. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. In a volatile memory cache circuit of a data storage system, a point-to-point channel directly connecting to both an interface circuit and the volatile memory cache circuit, a method for exchanging data with the interface circuit, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving a command from the interface circuit through the point-to-point channel which directly connects to both the interface circuit and the volatile memory cache circuit, the point-to-point channel including a first link and a second link;
moving a data element through the point-to-point channel in accordance with the command, the step of moving including the step of conveying a first half of the data element through the first link and a second half of the data element through the second link, the step of conveying including the step of receiving the first half of the data element from a first transmitter of the interface circuit and concurrently receiving the second half of the data element from a second transmitter of the interface circuit;
reconstructing the data element from the first half of the data element and the second half of the data element; and
providing status to the interface circuit through the point-to-point channel in accordance with the data element. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A data storage system, comprising:
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a volatile memory cache circuit that buffers data elements exchanged between a storage device and a host;
an interface circuit that operates as an interface between the volatile memory cache circuit and at least one of the storage device and the host; and
a point-to-point channel, interconnected between the volatile memory cache circuit to the interface circuit, that carries the data elements between the volatile memory cache circuit and the interface circuit, the point-to-point channel directly connecting to both the interface circuit and the volatile memory cache circuit, the point-to-point channel including a first link configured to carry first halves of the data elements and a second link configured to carry second halves of the data elements, the interface circuit including a first transmitter and a second transmitter configured to concurrently transmit the first and second halves of the data elements respectively through the first and second links. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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Specification