RAID-based storage control board having fibre channel interface controller

• US 8,438,324 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2011
• Issued: 05/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taejin Info Tech Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Taejin Info Tech Company Limited
• Inventors: Cho, Byungcheol
• Primary Examiner(s): Shin, Christopher B
• Application Number:
  US13/018,504
• Publication Number:
  US 20120198116A1
• Time in Patent Office: 826 Days
• Field of Search: 710/62, 710/74, 710/300, 710305-306, 711/100, 711111-114
• US Class Current: 710/305
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1441 Resetting or repowering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2015 Redundant power supplies power supply failure G06F1/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2089 Redundant storage control functionality

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a (e.g., hybrid) redundant array of independent disks (RAID)-based storage control board having a fiber channel interface controller. Specifically, the present invention relates to a storage control board having a RAID controller with a peripheral component interconnect express (PCI-e) interface and a fiber channel interface controller. In one embodiment, the RAID controller is coupled to an input/output (I/O) hub and a set (at least one) of PCI-e slots, which themselves can receive cards such as a fiber channel (FC) add-on card, a serial attached small component system interface (SAS) add-on card, or a PCI-e bridge add-on card. The I/O hub can be coupled to a set of processors, each of which can be coupled to a main memory module or the like.

Claims

1. A redundant array of independent disks (RAID)-based storage control board, comprising:

a RAID controller having a peripheral component interconnect express (PCI-e) interface;

an input/output (I/O) hub coupled to the raid controller;

a fibre channel (FC) interface controller coupled to the I/O hub; and

a set of PCI-e slots coupled to the raid controller;

wherein the FC interface controller is configured to control a FC device coupled to the storage control board through the PCI-e interface.

2. The RAID-based storage control board of claim 1, further comprising:

a set of processors coupled to the I/O hub; and

a main memory module coupled to each of the set of processors.

3. The RAID-based storage control board of claim 1, further comprising a set of cards coupled to the set of PCI-e slots.

4. The RAID-based storage control board of claim 3, the set of cards comprising at least one of the following:

an FC add-on card, a serial attached small component system interface (SAS) add-on card, or a PCI-e bridge addon card.

5. The RAID-based storage control board of claim 1, the RAID controller comprising:

a disk mount coupled to a set of SSD memory disk units, the set of SSD memory disk units comprising a set of volatile semiconductor memories;

a disk monitoring unit coupled to the disk mount for monitoring the set of SSD memory disk units;

a disk plug and play controller coupled to the disk monitoring unit and the disk mount for controlling the disk mount; and

a high-speed host interface coupled to the disk monitoring unit and the disk mount for providing high-speed host interface capabilities.

6. The RAID-based storage control board of claim 5, further comprising a disk controller coupled to the high-speed host interface and the disk monitoring unit.

7. The RAID-based storage control board of claim 6, further comprising a host interface coupled to the disk controller.

8. A redundant array of independent disks (RAID)-based storage control board, comprising:

a RAID controller having a peripheral component interconnect express (PCI-e) interface, the RAID controller comprising;

a set of disk mounts coupled to a set of SSD memory disk units, the set of SSD memory disk units comprising a set of volatile semiconductor memories;

a set of disk monitoring units coupled to the set of disk mounts for monitoring the set of SSD memory disk units;

a set of disk plug and play controllers coupled to the set of disk monitoring units and the set of disk mounts for controlling the set of disk mounts;

a set of high-speed host interfaces coupled to the set of disk monitoring units and the set of disk mounts for providing high-speed host interface capabilities;

an input/output (I/O) hub coupled to the raid controller;

a fibre channel (FC) interface controller coupled to the I/O hub; and

a set of PCI-e slots coupled to the raid controller.

9. The RAID-based storage control board of claim 8, further comprising:

a set of processors coupled to the I/O hub; and

a main memory module coupled to each of the set of processors.

10. The RAID-based storage control board of claim 8, further comprising a set of cards coupled to the set of PCI-e slots, the set of cards comprising at least one of the following:

an FC add-on card, a serial attached small component system interface (SAS) add-on card, or a PCI-e bridge add-on card.

11. The RAID-based storage control board of claim 8, further comprising a set of disk controllers coupled to the set of high-speed host interfaces and the set of disk monitoring units.

12. The RAID-based storage control board of claim 11, further comprising a set of host interfaces coupled to the set of disk controllers.

13. A method for producing a redundant array of independent disks (RAID)-based storage control board, comprising:

providing a RAID controller having a peripheral component interconnect express (PCI-e) interface;

coupling an input/output (I/O) hub to the raid controller;

coupling a fibre channel (FC) interface controller to the I/O hub; and

coupling a set of PCI-e slots to the raid controller;

wherein the FC interface controller is configured to control a FC device coupled to the storage control board through the PCI-e interface.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

coupling a set of processors to the I/O hub; and

coupling a main memory module to each of the set of processors.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising coupling a set of cards to the set of PCI-e slots.

16. The method of claim 15, the set of cards comprising at least one of the following:

an FC add-on card, a serial attached small component system interface (SAS) add-on card, or a PCI-e bridge add-on card.

17. The method of claim 13, the providing the RAID controller comprising:

coupling a disk mount to a set of SSD memory disk units, the set of SSD memory disk units comprising a set of volatile semiconductor memories;

coupling a disk monitoring unit to the disk mount for monitoring the set of SSD memory disk units;

coupling a disk plug and play controller to the disk monitoring unit and the disk mount for controlling the disk mount; and

coupling a high-speed host interface to the disk monitoring unit and the disk mount for providing high-speed host interface capabilities.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising coupling a disk controller to the high-speed host interface and the disk monitoring unit.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising coupling a host interface to the disk controller.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising producing the RAID-based storage control board according to the method of claim 13.