Managing a storage device using a hybrid controller

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10198305-B2
Application number	US-201514834646-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 25, 2015
Priority date	Mar 5, 2012
Publication date	Feb 5, 2019
Grant date	Feb 5, 2019

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for managing a storage device using a hybrid controller are provided where the storage device comprises an internal peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe) interface to control solid state memory within the storage device. In particular embodiments, the storage device includes a first external interface configured to establish an external PCIe link and a second external interface configured to establish at least one of an external serial attached small computer system interface (SAS) link and an external serial advanced technology attachment (SATA) link. Embodiments include receiving from an external source, by the hybrid controller, a first command at the first external interface and a second command at the second external interface; and concurrently implementing, by the hybrid controller, the first command using a PCIe protocol and the second command using one of a SAS protocol and a SATA protocol.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
by computer program instructions on a hybrid controller of a storage device, receiving from an external source, a first command at a first external interface;
receiving from the external source, a second command at a second external interface; and
concurrently implementing the first command using a peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe) protocol and the second command using one of a SAS protocol and a SATA protocol;
detecting a failure of an external PCIe link between the first external interface and the external source;
in response to detecting the failure of the external PCIe link, utilizing the second external interface to communicate with the external source over one of an external SAS link and an external SATA link;
switching from a PCIe mode to one of a SAS mode and a SATA mode; and
in response to switching to one of the SAS mode and the SATA mode, receiving via the second external interface, an input/output (I/O) command from the external source.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the first command comprises a PCIe I/O command; and
the second command comprises a management command to access management data registers in the hybrid controller, the management data registers storing management data corresponding to the solid state memory.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein utilizing the second external interface to communicate with the external source over one of an external SAS link and an external SATA link includes transmitting via the second external interface, a message to the external source, the message indicating a failure of the external PCIe link.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
suspending, by the hybrid controller, processing at the first external interface; and
flushing, by the hybrid controller, any pending commands received from the first external interface.

5. An apparatus comprising an internal peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe) interface to control solid state memory within a storage device, the storage device including a hybrid controller, a first external interface and a second external interface, the first external interface configured to establish an external PCIe link, the second external interface configured to establish at least one of an external serial attached small computer system interface (SAS) link and an external serial advanced technology attachment (SATA) link, the hybrid controller comprising a computer processor and a computer memory operatively coupled to the computer processor, the hybrid controller configured to:
receiving from an external source, a first command at a first external interface;
receiving from the external source, a second command at a second external interface; and
concurrently implementing the first command using a peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe) protocol and the second command using one of a SAS protocol and a SATA protocol;
detecting a failure of an external PCIe link between a first external interface and an external source;
in response to detecting the failure of the external PCIe link, utilizing a second external interface to communicate with the external source over one of an external SAS link and an external SATA link;
switching from a PCIe mode to one of a SAS mode and a SATA mode; and
in response to switching to one of the SAS mode and the SATA mode, receiving via the second external interface, an input/output (I/O) command from the external source.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein:
the first command comprises a PCIe I/O command; and
the second command comprises a management command to access management data registers in the hybrid controller, the management data registers storing management data corresponding to the solid state memory.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein utilizing the second external interface to communicate with the external source over one of an external SAS link and an external SATA link includes transmitting via the second external interface, a message to the external source, the message indicating a failure of the external PCIe link.

8. The apparatus of claim 5 further comprising computer program instructions that, when executed by the computer processor, cause the apparatus to carry out the steps of:
suspending, by the hybrid controller, processing at the first external interface;
flushing, by the hybrid controller, any pending commands received from the first external interface.

9. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer readable medium including computer program instructions that when executed by a hybrid controller of a storage device cause the hybrid controller to carry out the steps of:
receiving from an external source, a first command at a first external interface;
receiving from the external source, a second command at a second external interface; and
concurrently implementing the first command using a peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe) protocol and the second command using one of a SAS protocol and a SATA protocol;
detecting a failure of an external PCIe link between a first external interface and an external source;
in response to detecting the failure of the external PCIe link, utilizing a second external interface to communicate with the external source over one of an external SAS link and an external SATA link;
switching from a PCIe mode to one of a SAS mode and a SATA mode; and
in response to switching to one of the SAS mode and the SATA mode, receiving via the second external interface, an input/output (I/O) command from the external source.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein:
the first command comprises a PCIe I/O command; and
the second command comprises a management command to access management data registers in the hybrid controller, the management data registers storing management data corresponding to the solid state memory.

11. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein utilizing the second external interface to communicate with the external source over one of an external SAS link and an external SATA link includes transmitting via the second external interface, a message to the external source, the message indicating a failure of the external PCIe link.

12. The computer program product of claim 9 further comprising computer program instructions that, when executed, cause a computer to carry out the steps of:
suspending, by the hybrid controller, processing at the first external interface;
flushing, by the hybrid controller, any pending commands received from the first external interface.

13. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein the computer readable medium comprises a storage medium.

Assignees

• Lenovo Entpr Solutions Singapore Pte Ltd

Inventors

• Cudak Gary D
• Hardee Christopher J
• Humes Randall C
• Roberts Adam

Classifications

• G06F3/0619

  in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors · CPC title

• G06F13/4221

  being an input/output bus, e.g. ISA bus, EISA bus, PCI bus, SCSI bus · CPC title

• G06F11/1423

  by reconfiguration of paths · CPC title

• G06F3/0607

  by facilitating the process of upgrading existing storage systems, e.g. for improving compatibility between host and storage device · CPC title

• G06F3/068 Primary

  Hybrid storage device · CPC title