Multi-mapped flash RAID
First Claim
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1. A Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) storage system communicatively coupled to a host processor, the storage system comprising:
- a flash memory device comprising first and second partitions;
a plurality of disk drives configured as a plurality of logical units (LUNs); and
a storage controller, coupled to the flash memory device and to the disk drives, operable to map the first partition into one or more RAID logical units for handling RAID Input/Output (I/O) requests by the host processor,the storage controller is further operable to map the second partition to the host processor as an extension of an Operating System (OS) cache, independent of RAID I/O processing, andwherein the storage controller represents the first partition as a Serial Attached Small Computer System Interface (SAS) storage device accessible to the host processor via the storage controller, and the storage controller represents the second partition as a separate memory device having a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) address that is directly accessible by the host processor.
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Abstract
Disclosed is a storage system. The storage system includes a redundant array of inexpensive disks (RAID) controller. The RAID controller includes a flash memory controller coupled to a flash memory. The flash memory controller may perform background management tasks. These include logging and error reporting, address translation, cache table management, bad block management, defect management, wear leveling, and garbage collection. The array controller also allows the flash memory to be divided into multiple mappings.
23 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) storage system communicatively coupled to a host processor, the storage system comprising:
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a flash memory device comprising first and second partitions; a plurality of disk drives configured as a plurality of logical units (LUNs); and a storage controller, coupled to the flash memory device and to the disk drives, operable to map the first partition into one or more RAID logical units for handling RAID Input/Output (I/O) requests by the host processor, the storage controller is further operable to map the second partition to the host processor as an extension of an Operating System (OS) cache, independent of RAID I/O processing, and wherein the storage controller represents the first partition as a Serial Attached Small Computer System Interface (SAS) storage device accessible to the host processor via the storage controller, and the storage controller represents the second partition as a separate memory device having a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) address that is directly accessible by the host processor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method operable in a Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) storage controller communicatively coupled to a host processor, the method comprising:
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partitioning a flash memory device for the storage controller into first and second partitions; configuring a plurality of disk drives as a plurality of logical units (LUNs); mapping the first partition into one or more RAID logical units for handling RAID Input/Output (I/O) requests by the host processor; and mapping and providing cache memory to the host processor through the second partition of the flash memory device as an extension of an Operating System (OS) cache, independent of RAID I/O processing; representing the first partition as a Serial Attached Small Computer System Interface (SAS) storage device accessible to the host processor via the storage controller; and representing the second partition as an separate memory device having a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) address that is directly accessible by the host processor. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification