Data storage system having a global cache memory distributed among non-volatile memories within system disk drives

摘要

A data storage system having a host computer/server coupled to a bank of disk drives through an interface. The bank of disk drives has a plurality of disk units, each one of such disk drive units having a magnetic storage media. The interface includes: a plurality of front-end directors coupled to the host computer/server; a plurality of back end directors coupled to the disk drive units; and, a global cache memory available for caching user data for the plurality of disk drives. The global cache memory comprises a plurality of non-volatile memory global cache memory sections distributed among disk drive units within the bank of disk drive units. The non-volatile memory global cache memory sections are connected to the back-end directors. Each one of the non-volatile memory global cache memory sections caches user data for the magnetic storage media of the plurality of disk drive units independent of the one of the disk drive units having such one of the non-volatile memory global cache memory sections.

主权项

1. A method for a writing user data from a host computer/server to a bank of disk drives in a data storage system, such host computer/server being coupled to the bank of disk drives through an interface, such interface comprising: a plurality of processors coupled to the host computer/server and to the bank of disk drives, the method comprising:
arranging the bank of disk drives into a plurality of disk drive units connected to at least one of the processors, each one of the disk drive units having: (i) a magnetic storage media; and (ii) a non-volatile storage media; arranging the non-volatile storage media of the plurality of disk drive units into a global cache memory, the non-volatile storage media being distributed among the disk drive units within the bank of disk drives; transferring the user data from host computer/server to one of the processors; caching the user data in one of the plurality the of non-volatile storage media connected to such one of the processors; transferring the cached user data from such one of the plurality the of non-volatile storage media through the one of the processors connected thereto and subsequently to a different one of the processors; storing the cached user data in the magnetic storage media of the one of the disk drive units connected to the different one of the processors.