Methods and structures for efficient storage of task file information in serial ATA environments

摘要

Methods and structures for efficiently storing task file information for a significant number of SATA devices coupled to a SATA storage controller. A RAM memory within the SATA storage controller may store task file information for virtually any number of SATA devices coupled to a SAS communication domain. An arbiter and multiplexing logic is coupled to multiple client logic blocks or processes of the controller each operable to control one or more corresponding SATA devices. The arbiter and associated multiplexing logic grants each client process an opportunity to control its corresponding devices by retrieving saved state information from the task file RAM storage.