Secure and scalable solid state disk system

• US 8,010,768 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2007
• Issued: 08/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kingston Technology Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kingston Technology Corporation
• Inventors: Chien, Yungteh, Chen, Ben Wei, Tang, Choon Tak
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Hiep T
• Application Number:
  US11/746,576
• Publication Number:
  US 20080282264A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,574 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 711/170
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/80 in storage media based on magnetic or optical technology, e.g. disks with sectors preventing unauthorised reproduction or copying of disc-type recordable media G11B20/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0604 Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. storage management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0659 Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0679 Non-volatile semiconductor memory device, e.g. flash memory, one time programmable memory [OTP]

Abstract

A solid state disk system is disclosed. The system comprises a user token and at least one level secure virtual storage controller, coupled to the host system. The system includes a plurality of virtual storage devices coupled to at least one secure virtual storage controller. A system and method in accordance with the present invention could be utilized in flash based storage, disk storage systems, portable storage devices, corporate storage systems, PCs, servers, wireless storage, and multimedia storage systems.

Claims

1. A method re-synchronizing a secure and scalable solid state disk system (SSDS) with a host, the method comprising:

asserting a busy status to the requesting upstream host system or the upper-level virtual storage controller;

sending an Identify command to a downstream storage device list;

testing the identified downstream storage devices;

initializing a crypto engine; and

starting an interrupt processor to synchronize the SSDS to the host.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein starting the interrupt processor comprises:

generating an interrupt to the host, and

generating a soft reset to the local CPU.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein starting a host command processor if the solid state disk system is re-synchronized and initialized.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the host command start comprises:

analyzing the command queue;

determining if the command is a one of a data read command, a data write command, a get status and attribute command, a pass-through command; and

a local command;

sending the command to a data read processor if the command is a data read command;

sending the command to a data write processor if the command is a data write command;

sending the command to a pass-through processor if the command is a pass-through command; and

sending the command to a get status and attribute processor is the command is a get status and attribute command, otherwise sending to a local command processor.

5. A computer readable medium containing program instructions for re-synchronizing a secure and scalable solid state disk system (SSDS) with a host, the program instructions for:

asserting a busy status to the requesting upstream host system or the upper-level virtual storage controller;

sending an Identify command to a downstream storage device list;

testing the identified downstream storage devices;

initializing a crypto engine; and

starting an interrupt processor to synchronize the SSDS to the host.

6. The computer readable medium containing program instructions of claim 5 wherein starting the interrupt processor comprises:

generating an interrupt to the host; and

generating a soft reset to the local CPU.

7. The computer readable medium containing program instructions of claim 5 wherein starting a host command processor if the solid state disk system is re-synchronized and initialized.

8. The computer readable medium containing program instructions of claim 6 wherein the host command start comprises:

analyzing the command queue;

determining if the command is a one of a data read command, a data write command, a get status and attribute command, a pass-through command; and

a local command;

sending the command to a data read processor if the command is a data read command;

sending the command to a date write processor if the command is a date write command;

sending the command to a pass-through command processor if the command is a pass-through command; and

sending the command to a get status and attribute processor if the command is a get status and attribute command, otherwise sending to a local command processor.