Data management circuit with network functions and network-based data management method

• US 20180343302A1
• Filed: 03/30/2018
• Published: 11/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
• Original Assignee: Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
• Inventors: Hung, Sheng-Kai, Chen, Hung-Tai, Cheng, E-Cheng, Yang, Chi
• Granted Patent: US 10,645,166 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3209 Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3228 Monitoring task completion, e.g. by use of idle timers, stop commands or wait commands
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/362 with centralised access control
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4022 using switching circuits, e.g. switching matrix, connection or expansion network G06F13/4009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1737 for reducing power consumption or coping with limited storage space, e.g. in mobile devices saving storage space on storage devices G06F3/0608; power saving in storage systems G06F3/0625
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/81 by operating on the power supply, e.g. enabling or disabling power-on, sleep or resume operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/263 Network storage, e.g. SAN or NAS
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0604 Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. storage management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0608 Saving storage space on storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0625 Power saving in storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0635 by changing the path, e.g. traffic rerouting, path reconfiguration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0643 Management of files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0646 Horizontal data movement in storage systems, i.e. moving data in between storage devices or systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers

Abstract

A data management circuit with network functions and a network-based data management method are provided. The network-based data management method is employed to manage a storage device coupled to a computer that includes a processor. The method includes steps of: receiving a network packet through a network; sending the network packet to the processor or accessing the storage device, according to a network header of the network packet; and requesting the processor to access the storage device according to a remaining capacity of the storage device and/or a content of the network packet.

Claims

1. A data management circuit with network functions, coupled to a processor of a computer and providing the computer with network accessing capabilities, comprising:

a network interface;

a memory storing a plurality of program instructions;

a first data transmission interface;

a second data transmission interface; and

a control unit, which is coupled to the processor through the first data transmission interface, coupled to a storage device through the second data transmission interface, and coupled to the memory, executing the program instructions to perform following steps;

receiving a network packet from the network interface;

sending the network packet to the processor through the first data transmission interface or accessing the storage device, according to a network header of the network packet; and

requesting the processor to access the storage device according to a remaining capacity of the storage device and/or a content of the network packet.

2. The data management circuit of claim 1, wherein when the remaining capacity of the storage device is smaller than a threshold value or when the storage device does not store a file designated by the content of the network packet, the processor is requested to access the storage device.

3. The data management circuit of claim 2, wherein the storage device is a first storage device, and the computer comprises a second storage device coupled to the processor, and when the remaining capacity of the first storage device is smaller than the threshold value, the control unit requests the processor to move part or all of the data in the first storage device to the second storage device.

4. The data management circuit of claim 2, wherein the storage device is a first storage device, and the computer comprises a second storage device coupled to the processor, and when the first storage device does not store the file designated by the content of the network packet, the control unit requests the processor to read the file from the second storage device and write the file to the first storage device.

5. The data management circuit of claim 1, wherein the processor and the second data transmission interface are coupled to the storage device through a switching circuit, the switching circuit connects the storage device to the processor or the control unit, and the control unit further performs following step:

controlling the switching circuit to connect the processor with the storage device when the processor needs to access the storage device.

6. The data management circuit of claim 1, wherein the processor is coupled to the storage device through the control unit, the control unit determines whether the processor can access the storage device, and the control unit further performs following step:

allowing the processor to access the storage device when the processor needs to access the storage device.

7. The data management circuit of claim 1, wherein the control unit transmits the content of the network packet to the storage device through the second data transmission interface when the computer is in a sleep mode or powered off, and the control unit further performs following step:

waking up or powering on the computer according to the remaining capacity of the storage device or the content of the network packet.

8. The data management circuit of claim 1, wherein the second data transmission interface is a universal serial bus interface, and the storage device is an external USB storage device supporting hot swap.

9. The data management circuit of claim 1, wherein the second data transmission interface is a secure digital interface.

10. A network-based data management method for managing a storage device coupled to a computer that comprises a processor, comprising:

receiving a network packet through a network;

sending the network packet to the processor or accessing the storage device, according to a network header of the network packet; and

requesting the processor to access the storage device according to a remaining capacity of the storage device and/or a content of the network packet.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein when the remaining capacity of the storage device is smaller than a threshold value or when the storage device does not store a file designated by the content of the network packet, the processor is requested to access the storage device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the storage device is a first storage device, and the computer comprises a second storage device coupled to the processor, the method further comprising:

requesting the processor to move part or all of the data in the first storage device to the second storage device when the remaining capacity of the first storage device is smaller than the threshold value.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the storage device is a first storage device, and the computer comprises a second storage device coupled to the processor, the method further comprising:

requesting the processor to read the file from the second storage device and write the file to the first storage device when the first storage device does not store the file designated by the content of the network packet.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the processor is coupled to the storage device through a switching circuit, the method further comprising:

controlling the switching circuit not to connect the processor with the storage device when the storage device is accessed according to the network header of the network packet; and

controlling the switching circuit to connect the processor with the storage device when the processor needs to access the storage device.

15. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

not allowing the processor to access the storage device when the storage device is accessed according to the network header of the network packet; and

allowing the processor to access the storage device when the processor needs to access the storage device.

16. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

transmitting the content of the network packet to the storage device when the computer is in a sleep mode or powered off; and

waking up or powering on the computer according to the remaining capacity of the storage device or the content of the network packet.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the storage device is an external USB storage device supporting hot swap.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the second data transmission interface is a secure digital interface.