Network storage device having solid-state non-volatile memory

• US 6,981,070 B1
• Filed: 07/06/2001
• Issued: 12/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BiTMICRO, LLC (BiTMICRO Networks, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dave L. Bultman, Rey H. Bruce, Ricardo H. Bruce, Shun Hang Luk
• Inventors: Bultman, Dave L., Bruce, Ricardo H., Bruce, Rey H., Luk, Shun Hang
• Primary Examiner(s): SHIN, CHRISTOPHER B
• Application Number:
  US09/900,720
• Time in Patent Office: 1,635 Days
• Field of Search: 710/1, 710 5- 7, 710 32- 42, 710 62- 74, 709213-216, 709/250, 707/200, 711/207, 711100-146
• US Class Current: 710/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0804 with main memory updating G06F12/0806 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0866 for peripheral storage systems, e.g. disk cache
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0897 with two or more cache hierarchy levels with multilevel cache hierarchies G06F12/0811
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/221 Static RAM
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/222 Non-volatile memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/263 Network storage, e.g. SAN or NAS
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0617 in relation to availability
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0656 Data buffering arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

A network storage device. In one embodiment, the network storage device of the present invention uses solid-state non-volatile memory (e.g., flash-memory) as a storage medium, and has at least one interface configured for coupling to a computer network. The network storage device of the present invention is accessible to client(s) and/or server(s) of the computer network, and uses solid-state non-volatile memory to store data received therefrom. The network storage device may also be configured to include a memory for caching data to be written to the solid-state non-volatile memory. In order to provide additional storage, the network storage device may also include a peripheral interface or another network interface for coupling to a mass storage device (e.g., a RAID system), and/or another network interface for coupling to a network of mass storage devices. The network storage device may be a stand-alone unit, or may be implemented as part of a network server, or as part of a mass storage device.

Claims

1. A network storage device for a computer network, said device comprising:

a network interface configured for receiving a file system call via the computer network;

a solid-state non-volatile memory;

a controller coupled to said network interface and said solid-state non-volatile memory;

a power supply having an energy store comprising entirely of capacitors;

wherein said controller is configured for receiving said file system call from said network interface and for processing said file system call, and said solid-state non-volatile memory is configured for storing data associated with the file system call when requested by said controller; and

wherein said controller is configured to read from said at least one mass storage device if said file system call corresponds to a read request and if said solid-state non-volatile memory does not contain the data corresponding to the read request.

2. The network storage device in claim 1, wherein said controller is configured to include an embedded file system.

3. The network storage device in claim 2, wherein said power supply, said peripheral interface, said solid-state non-volatile memory, said volatile memory, said controller, said embedded file system, and said network interface are integrated into a form and size equivalent to a disk drive form factor of approximately three and a half inches or less.

4. A network storage device for a storage area work, said device comprising:

a Fibre Channel interface configured for receiving a block-level I/O request via the storage area network;

a solid-state non-volatile memory;

a controller coupled to said network interface and said solid-state non-volatile memory;

a volatile memory coupled to said controller and for caching said data before said data is written to said solid-state non-volatile memory;

a peripheral interface coupled to said controller and configured for coupling to at least one mass storage device;

a power supply having an energy store comprising entirely of capacitors;

wherein said controller is configured for receiving said block-level I/O request from said Fibre Channel interface and for processing said block-level I/O request, and said solid-state non-volatile memory is configured for storing data associated with the block-level I/O request when requested by said controller; and

wherein said controller is configured to read from said at least one mass storage device if said block-level I/O request corresponds to a read request and if said solid-state non-volatile memory does not contain the data corresponding to the read request.

5. The network storage device in claim 4, wherein said power supply, said peripheral interface, said solid-state non-volatile memory, said volatile memory, said controller, and said Fibre Channel interface are integrated into a form and size equivalent to a disk drive form factor of approximately three and a half inches or less.