Electronic equipment including storage device

• US 9,952,945 B2
• Filed: 07/05/2013
• Issued: 04/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kioxia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Memory Corporation (Kioxia Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsuo, Kiyotaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Tim T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dang, Phong H
• Application Number:
  US13/935,749
• Publication Number:
  US 20140289452A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,754 Days
• Field of Search: 710 20, 710 21, 710 38, 710110, 710113, 710305, 710309, 710313, 710316, 710317, 370423
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2007 using redundant communication media
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/201 between storage system components

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a storage device includes a nonvolatile memory, controller and interface. The nonvolatile memory stores data. The controller controls the operation of the nonvolatile memory. The interface includes first and second input/output units that transmit and receive a signal with respect to a host device. The first and second input/output units are set on the first hierarchy having the same communication function. The interface issues a connection request to the first input/output unit and when the connection request to the first input/output unit is rejected, the interface issues the connection request to the second input/output unit.

Claims

1. A storage device comprising:

a nonvolatile memory configured to store data;

a controller that controls an operation of the nonvolatile memory; and

an interface including first and second input/output circuits that transmit and receive a signal with respect to a host device, the first and second input/output circuits being set on first hierarchy having the same communication function,

wherein the first input/output circuit includes a first phy layer, the second input/output circuit includes a second phy layer, the interface includes a first link layer, an arbiter, and a first transport layer sequentially connected to the first phy layer, and the interface includes a second link layer, the arbiter, and a second transport layer sequentially connected to the second phy layer, and the arbiter controls connections between the first link layer and the first transport layer and between the second link layer and the second transport layer,

wherein the arbiter issues a connection request to the host device through the second phy layer, when a connection is established between the first phy layer and the host device to which the second transport layer wants to transmit information,

wherein when the connection request from the second phy layer to the host device is rejected from the host device, the second transport layer transmits information to the host device using the connection established between the first phy layer and the host device without making a retrial through the second phy layer.

2. The storage device according to claim 1, wherein the arbiter closes a connection between the first transport layer and the first link layer when information is transmitted from the second transport layer to the first link layer.

3. The storage device according to claim 1, wherein the arbiter includes control information and outputs the connection request received from one of the first and second transport layers to the second link layer according to the control information.

4. The storage device according to claim 3, wherein the control information includes at least one of first information that is previously stored and second information received from the first and second phy layers.

5. The storage device according to claim 4, wherein the first information includes a protocol of a Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) interface.

6. The storage device according to claim 1, wherein the storage device includes one of a solid-state drive (SSD), personal computer and server.

8. The storage device according to claim 1, wherein when the connection request from the second phy layer and a connection request to the second phy layer from the host device are conflicted, the connection requests are arbitrated based on a predetermined arbitration rule.

7. Electronic equipment comprising:

an interface including first and second input/output circuits that transmit and receive a signal with respect to an exterior,

wherein the first input/output circuit includes a first phy layer, the second input/output circuit includes a second phy layer, the interface includes a first link layer, an arbiter, and a first transport layer sequentially connected to the first phy layer, and the interface includes a second link layer, the arbiter, and a second transport layer sequentially connected to the second phy layer, and the arbiter controls connections between the first link layer and the first transport layer and between the second link layer and the second transport layer,

wherein the arbiter issues a connection request to the exterior through the second phy layer, when a connection is established between the first phy layer and the exterior to which the second transport layer wants to transmit information,

wherein when the connection request from the second phy layer to the exterior is rejected from the exterior, the second transport layer transmits information to the exterior using the connection established between the first phy layer and the exterior without making a retrial through the second phy layer.

9. A storage device configured to communicate with a host device with a Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) interface, comprising:

a nonvolatile memory configured to store data; and

a controller configured to control an operation of the nonvolatile memory, the controller including a SAS wide port, the SAS wide port including a first phy and a second phy, wherein

the first phy includes a first phy layer and a first link layer;

the second phy includes a second phy layer and a second link layer;

the controller further includes a first transport layer, a second transport layer, and a first arbiter;

the first phy, the first arbiter, and the first transport layer are connected sequentially;

the second phy, the first arbiter, and the second transport layer are connected sequentially; and

the first arbiter controls a flow of a frame in one of (a) between the first phy and the first transport layer, (b) between the first phy and the second transport layer, (c) between the second phy and the first transport layer, and (d) between the second phy and the second transport layer,

wherein the first arbiter issues a connection request to the host device through the second phy layer, when a connection is established between the first phy layer and the host device to which the second transport layer wants to transmit a frame,

wherein when the connection request from the second phy layer to the host device is rejected from the host device, the second transport layer transmits the frame to the host device using the connection established between the first phy layer and the host device without making a retrial through the second phy layer.

10. The storage device according to claim 9, wherein

when the connection request from the second phy and a connection request from the host device to the second phy are conflicted, the connection requests are arbitrated based on a predetermined arbitration rule.

11. The storage device according to claim 10, wherein

when the arbitration for the connection request from the second phy is lost, the controller transmits the frame from the first phy to the host device.

12. The storage device according to claim 9, wherein

when a frame generated in the first transport layer is transmitted from the first phy to the host device in a connection, the first arbiter does not flow a frame generated in the second transport layer to the first phy during the connection.

13. The storage device according to claim 9, wherein

the controller further includes a first transmission buffer configured to store data read from the nonvolatile memory, a second transmission buffer configured to store data read from the nonvolatile memory, and a second arbiter,

the second arbiter controls a flow of data in one of (a) between the first transport layer and the first transmission buffer, (b) between the first transport layer and the second transmission buffer, (c) between the second transport layer and the first transmission buffer, and (d) between the second transport layer and the second transmission buffer.

14. The storage device according to claim 9, wherein

the controller further includes a first reception buffer configured to store data received from the host device, a second reception buffer configured to store data received from the host device, and a second arbiter,

the second arbiter controls a flow of data in one of (a) between the first transport layer and the first reception buffer, (b) between the first transport layer and the second reception buffer, (c) between the second transport layer and the first reception buffer, and (d) between the second transport layer and the second reception buffer.

15. The storage device according to claim 9, wherein

the nonvolatile memory is a nonvolatile semiconductor memory.

16. The storage device according to claim 9, wherein

the nonvolatile memory is a magnetic disk.