Data storage system having plural data pipes

• US 7,987,229 B1
• Filed: 06/28/2007
• Issued: 07/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Kinne, Jeffrey, MacLellan, Christopher S., O'Shea, John, Sgrosso, Michael, Baxter, William F. III
• Primary Examiner(s): PHILLIPS, HASSAN A
• Application Number:
  US11/769,744
• Time in Patent Office: 1,489 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/28 using burst mode transfer, e.g. direct memory access DMA, cycle steal G06F13/32 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/385 for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0658 Controller construction arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

A data storage system having protocol controller for converting packets between PCIE format used by a storage processor and Rapid IO format used by a packet switching network. The controller includes a PCIE end point for transferring atomic operation (DSA) requests, a data pipe section having a plurality of data pipes for passing user data; and a message engine section for passing messages among the plurality of storage processors. An acceleration path controller bypasses a DSA buffer in the absence of congestion on the network. Packets fed to the PCIE end point include an address portion having code indicating an atomic operation. An encoder converts the code from a PCIE format into the same atomic operation in SRIO format. Each one of a plurality of CPUs is adapted to perform a second DSA request during execution of a first DSA request.

Claims

1. A data storage system for transferring data between a host computer/server and a bank of disk drives through a system interface, such system interface having:

a plurality of storage processors, each one of the storage processors having a user data port, one portion of the storage processors having the user data port coupled to the host computer/server and another portion of the storage processors having the user data port coupled to the bank of disk drives; and

, a packet switching network coupled to the plurality of storage processors for passing packets between the plurality storage processors, each one of the plurality of storage processors comprising;

a CPU section;

a data pipe section coupled between the user data port and the packet switching network, such data pipe section comprising;

a plurality of data pipe managers;

a plurality of data pipes, each one of the data pipes having a corresponding one of the plurality of data pipe managers; and

a data pipe controller responsive to descriptors produced by the CPU section for controlling the plurality of data pipes, user data at the user data port passing through the data pipes, each one of the plurality of data pipes being controlled by the corresponding one of the plurality of data pipe managers in such one of the data pipes in response to the descriptors passed to the data pipe manager in such one of the data pipes by the data pipe controller.

2. The system recited in claim 1 wherein each one of the data pipes includes an XOR section, such XOR section comprising:

an XOR tree having a first input port for receiving data from the PCI end point;

a selector having a first input port and a second input coupled to an output of the XOR tree;

a buffer coupled to an output of the selector; and

wherein the buffer has an output coupled to a second input port of the XOR tree.

3. A data storage system for transferring data between a host computer/server and a bank of disk drives through a system interface, such system interface having:

a plurality of storage processors, each one of the storage processors having a user data port, one portion of the storage processors having the user data port coupled to the host computer/server and another portion of the storage processors having the user data port coupled to the bank of disk drives; and

, a packet switching network coupled to the plurality of storage processors for passing packets having a Rapid IO (RIO) format between the plurality of storage processors, each one of the plurality of storage processors comprising;

a CPU section;

a PCI/RIO protocol controller coupled between the user data port and the packet switching network, such PCI/RIO controller converting packets between a PCI format used by the storage processor and the Rapid IO format used by the packet switching network, such PCI/RIO controller comprising;

(a) a PCI end point connected to the CPU section;

(b) an SRIO end point connected to the packet switching network;

(c) a data pipe section coupled between the PCI end point and the SRIO end point, such data pipe section comprising;

a plurality of data pipe managers;

a plurality of data pipes coupled between the PCI end point and the SRIO end point, each one of the data pipes having a corresponding one of the plurality of data pipe managers;

a data pipe controller responsive to descriptors produced by the CPU section for controlling the plurality of data pipes, such user data port passing packets of user data at the user data port, each one of the plurality of data pipes being controlled by the corresponding one of the plurality of data pipe managers in such one of the data pipes in response to the descriptors passed to the data pipe manager in such one of the data pipes by the data pipe controller.

4. The system recited in claim 3 wherein each one of the data pipes includes an XOR section, such XOR section comprising:

an XOR tree having a first input port for receiving data from the PCI end point;

a selector having a first input port coupled to the PCI end point and a second input coupled to an output of the XOR tree;

a buffer coupled to an output of the selector; and

wherein the buffer has an output coupled to a second input port of the XOR tree.