Method for implementing backplane lighting for multiple NVMe hard disks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10896113-B2
Application number	US-201816493244-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 19, 2018
Priority date	Sep 27, 2017
Publication date	Jan 19, 2021
Grant date	Jan 19, 2021

Abstract

A method for lighting a backplane lamp of multiple NVMe hard disks is provided. The method includes: transmitting a VPP address to the backplane in a cyclic manner by the controller, and analyzing the address transmitted by the controller by a programmable logic device of the backplane after a data stream transmitted by the controller is received; transmitting, by the controller, hard disk lamp lighting information of a corresponding disk position to the programmable logic device of the backplane, if a VPP address analyzed by the backplane is the same as the VPP address transmitted by the controller; and performing logical conversion on the hard disk lamp lighting information, to convert a serial data stream on the VPP signal wires into a parallel signal, lighting a backplane lamp at a corresponding port, and uploading information of a position of the hard disk to the controller.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for lighting a backplane lamp of a plurality of Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe) hard disks, wherein a backplane is connected to a motherboard, a group of Virtual Pin Port (VPP) signal wires are connected to each controller of the motherboard, the VPP signal wires are connected to the backplane via a connector sideband channel of each port, and wherein the method comprises:
transmitting a VPP address to the backplane in a cyclic manner by the controller, and analyzing the address transmitted by the controller by a programmable logic device of the backplane after a data stream transmitted by the controller is received;
transmitting, by the controller, hard disk lamp lighting information of a corresponding disk position to the programmable logic device of the backplane, if a VPP address analyzed by the backplane is the same as the VPP address transmitted by the controller; and
performing logical conversion, by the programmable logic device of the backplane, on the hard disk lamp lighting information transmitted by the controller, to convert a serial data stream on the VPP signal wires into a parallel signal, lighting a backplane lamp at a corresponding port, and uploading information of a position of the hard disk monitored by the backplane to the controller.

2. The method for lighting a backplane lamp of a plurality of NVMe hard disks according to claim 1 , wherein an Oculink connector serves as a connector of the backplane, a reserved signal pin on the Oculink connector serves as an address line, each port address is defined through an up-down pull resistor at the motherboard end, address line information is read at the backplane end, and the VPP address is allocated for a corresponding channel after the address line information is analyzed by the backplane.

3. The method for lighting a backplane lamp of a plurality of NVMe hard disks according to claim 2 , wherein the backplane is provided with a dial switch, a status list of the dial switch is determined by configuration of each NVMe, and the programmable logic device of the backplane determines a type of an uplink controller, a channel for interacting with the controller, and the number of NVMe hard disks based on read status information.

4. The method for lighting a backplane lamp of a plurality of NVMe hard disks according to claim 2 , wherein the Oculink connector supports Serial Attached Small Computer System Interface (SAS), Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) and Peripheral Component Interface Express (PCIe) signal links, each Oculink connector supports four SAS and SATA hard disks or one NVMe hard disk, remaining signal pin in the uplink connector is defined as Serial General Purpose Input/Output (SGPIO) or VPP, and is defined as a PERST # signal and a WAKE # signal in a NVMe support mode.

5. The method for lighting a backplane lamp of a plurality of NVMe hard disks according to claim 1 , wherein VPP addresses of different PCIE ports of the controller are determined by a register in a VPP index, and the VPP address of the PCIE port is written into a corresponding VPP index by Basic Input/Output System (BIOS).

6. The method for lighting a backplane lamp of a plurality of NVMe hard disks according to claim 1 , wherein a Complex Programmable Logic Device (CPLD) serves as the programmable logic device of the backplane, the CPLD simulates a PCA9555 module circuit, each PCA9555 module circuit transmits backplane lamp lighting information of two ports, and each port occupies 8 bits of data information.

7. The method for lighting a backplane lamp of a plurality of NVMe hard disks according to claim 6 , wherein the backplane lamp lighting information of the port comprises fault, locate, and present information of the NVMe hard disk, the numbers of bytes occupied by the fault, locate, and present information are 0, 1, and 4 respectively, and remaining bits are reserved.

Assignees

• Zhengzhou Yunhai Information Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Cheng Shichao

Classifications

• G06F11/3037 Primary

  where the computing system component is a memory, e.g. virtual memory, cache (accessing, addressing or allocating within memory systems or architectures G06F12/00; checking stores for correct operation G11C29/00) · CPC title

• G06F11/327

  Alarm or error message display · CPC title

• G06F11/325 Primary

  by lamps or LED's · CPC title

• G06F11/326

  for error or online/offline status · CPC title

• G06F1/187

  Mounting of fixed or removable disk drives · CPC title