Disk controller for implementing efficient disk I/O for a computer system

• US 8,694,688 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2007
• Issued: 04/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Original Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Inventors: Danilak, Radoslav, Rao, Krishnaraj S.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, CHUN KUAN
• Application Number:
  US12/005,816
• Publication Number:
  US 20080177914A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,293 Days
• Field of Search: 710/5, 710/19, 710/260, 710/266
• US Class Current: 710/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/385 for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/061 Improving I/O performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0659 Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0676 Magnetic disk device

Abstract

A hardware support system for implementing accelerated disk I/O for a computer system. The system includes a bus interface for interfacing with a processor and a system memory of the computer system, a disk I/O engine coupled to the bus interface, and a device interface coupled to the disk I/O engine for interfacing the disk I/O engine with a disk drive. The disk I/O engine is configured to cause a start up of the disk drive upon receiving a disk start up command from the processor. The disk I/O engine is further configured to execute a disk transaction by processing the disk transaction information from a bypass register coupled to the disk I/O engine.

Claims

1. A disk controller for implementing efficient disk I/O for a computer system, comprising:

a bus interface for interfacing with a processor and a system memory of the computer system;

a disk I/O engine coupled to the bus interface;

a device interface coupled to the disk I/O engine for interfacing the disk I/O engine with a disk drive, wherein the disk I/O engine causes a start up of the drive mechanism of the disk drive upon receiving a disk start up command from the processor and before packaging of disk transaction information associated with the start up, and wherein the disk I/O engine further executes a disk transaction by processing the disk transaction information from a bypass register located inside the disk controller and coupled to the disk I/O engine; and

a completion status register for storing only completion status data and tracking the completion status of a plurality of commands simultaneously comprising respective individual bits that correspond to one of a plurality of commands that are coupled to the disk I/O engine and configured to notify the disk I/O engine wherein a position of said respective individual bits indicate a completion status of a corresponding pending disk I/O command.

2. The disk controller of claim 1, further comprising:

a CPB pointer buffer coupled to the disk I/O engine for dynamically appending a plurality of CPB pointers to extend to a number of disk transactions scheduled for execution by the disk I/O engine.

3. The disk controller of claim 1, further comprising:

a chain memory coupled to the disk I/O engine for buffering a plurality of CPBs to extend to a number of disk transactions scheduled for execution by the disk I/O engine.

4. A bridge component for implementing efficient disk I/O for a computer system, comprising:

a bus interface for interfacing with a processor and a system memory of the computer system;

a disk controller for executing disk I/O transactions for the computer system, the disk controller further comprising;

a disk I/O engine coupled to the bus interface;

a device interface coupled to the disk I/O engine for interfacing the disk I/O engine with a disk drive, wherein the disk I/O engine is configured to cause a start up of a disk drive mechanism of the disk drive upon receiving a disk start up command from the processor and before packaging of disk transaction information associated with the start up, and wherein the disk I/O engine further executes a disk transaction by processing the disk transaction information from a bypass register located inside the disk controller and coupled to the disk I/O engine; and

a completion status register for storing only completion status data and tracking the completion status of a plurality of commands simultaneously comprising respective individual bits that correspond to a plurality of commands that are coupled to the disk I/O engine and configured to notify the disk I/O engine wherein a position of said respective individual bits indicate a completion status of a corresponding pending disk I/O command.

5. The bridge component of claim 4, further comprising:

a CPB pointer buffer coupled to the disk I/O engine for dynamically appending a plurality of CPB pointers to extend to a number of disk transactions scheduled for execution by the disk I/O engine.

6. The bridge component of claim 4, further comprising:

a chain memory coupled to the disk I/O engine for buffering a plurality of CPBs to extend to a number of disk transactions scheduled for execution by the disk I/O engine.