Interface extension device and control method of a computing device connecting a peripheral device

Abstract

The application provides an interface expansion device and a control method for connecting a peripheral device by a computing device. Each slot region comprises a plurality of interfaces of the same type, the interfaces being used for accessing the peripheral device; a plurality of switch components are in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of slot regions, each switch component comprises a plurality of first switch interfaces, the plurality of first switch interfaces being used for one-to-one connection with the plurality of interfaces in the slot region corresponding to the switch component, the switch component comprises a second switch interface, the second switch interface being used for connecting a target interface of the computing device, the type of the target interface being the same as that of the plurality of interfaces in the slot region; and the switch component is used for connecting or disconnecting the target interface and the interfaces in the slot region under the control of a control component. Thus, the computing device can be adapted to the interfaces of a plurality of peripheral devices without redesigning the hardware structure of the computing device, the computing device can communicate with the peripheral devices, the cost is reduced, and the resources are saved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of server system technology, and in particular to an interface expansion device and a control method for connecting computing devices to peripheral devices. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, the hardware design of computing devices, such as servers, determines their characteristics. However, as technology advances, the characteristics of computing devices are constantly being updated. The initial hardware design cannot predict future technologies. For example, the interfaces of older devices may not be compatible with those of other devices, preventing older computing devices from interacting with them. Therefore, older computing devices can support newer technologies through patching, or by redesigning the computing device itself, allowing the redesigned hardware architecture to adapt to the updated technologies.

[0003] However, redesigning the hardware architecture of computing devices is costly, and older computing devices will be phased out, resulting in a waste of resources. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides an interface expansion device and a control method for connecting a computing device to peripheral devices. Without redesigning the hardware structure of the computing device, the computing device can be adapted to the interfaces of various peripheral devices, thereby communicating with the peripheral devices, reducing costs and saving resources.

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide an interface extension device, including:

[0006] Multiple slot areas, each of the multiple slot areas including multiple interfaces of the same type, the interfaces being used to connect peripheral devices;

[0007] The system includes multiple switching components, each corresponding to a plurality of slot areas. Each switching component includes multiple first switching interfaces, which are used to connect one-to-one with multiple interfaces in the corresponding slot area. Each switching component also includes multiple second switching interfaces, each of which is used to connect to a target interface of a computing device. The type of the target interface is the same as the type of the multiple interfaces in the slot area.

[0008] Control component, used to control the switching component;

[0009] The switching component is used to connect or disconnect the target interface from the interface in the slot area under the control of the control component.

[0010] In this solution, the interface expansion device has multiple slot areas, and each slot area includes multiple interfaces of the same type. Thus, each slot area can connect to at least one peripheral device, whose interface is compatible with the interface in the slot area. For example, if all interfaces in the slot area are Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) interfaces, then the slot area can connect to at least one peripheral device such as a network card compatible with the PCIe interface. One slot area corresponds to one switching component. Each switching component includes multiple first switching interfaces, which are connected one-to-one with the multiple interfaces in the slot area. Each switching component also includes multiple second switching interfaces, which are used to connect to the target interface of the computing device. The type of the target interface is the same as the type of interface in the slot area corresponding to the switching component containing the second switching interface. Under the control of the control component, the switching component can switch the connection state between the target interface and the interfaces in the slot area. In this way, multiple computing devices can communicate with peripheral devices connected to the interface expansion device through the interface expansion device. This eliminates the need to redesign the hardware structure of the computing devices, allowing them to adapt to the interfaces of various newly developed peripheral devices, thus reducing costs and conserving resources. Furthermore, under the control of the control unit, the switching components can switch the target interface from one interface in the slot area to another, enabling the computing device to communicate with different peripheral devices without requiring manual switching of the connection between the computing device and the peripheral device, improving the convenience and efficiency of switching connections. In addition, the interface types in the slot areas corresponding to the multiple switching components are different, allowing the computing device to communicate with various types of peripheral devices through the interface expansion device.

[0011] In one possible implementation, the control unit stores connection relationship information, including the connection relationship between the interface in the slot area and the interface of the computing device, and the connection relationship between the peripheral device and the interface in the slot area.

[0012] The control component is used to determine control commands, which include the identity identifier of the computing device, the identity identifier of the target interface of the computing device, and the identity identifier of the peripheral device. Based on the identity identifier of the computing device, the identity identifier of the target interface of the computing device, the identity identifier of the peripheral device, and the connection relationship information, the control signal is used to indicate the peripheral device to be connected to the computing device.

[0013] The switching component connects the target interface of the computing device to the interface accessed by the peripheral device according to the control signal.

[0014] In this way, when the computing device needs to connect to a peripheral device, the switching component, under the control of the control component, can connect to the first interface of the peripheral device, thereby communicating with the computing device. Without redesigning the hardware structure of the computing device, the computing device can be adapted to the interfaces of various newly developed peripheral devices, reducing costs and saving resources.

[0015] In one possible implementation, when the peripheral device indicated by the control signal is empty, the control component is used to control the switching component to disconnect the target interface of the computing device and the interface to which the peripheral device is connected, according to the control signal.

[0016] Thus, when the computing device does not need to communicate with peripheral devices, the switching component disconnects the connection between the target interface and the interface in the slot area under the control of the control component.

[0017] In one possible implementation, the n interfaces in the slot area are used to connect to the same peripheral device, and the n interfaces and the n sets of communication channels of the peripheral device are in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0018] The switching component is used to control the connection relationship between n computing devices and the n sets of communication channels under the control of the control component.

[0019] In this way, multiple computing devices can communicate with the same peripheral device through interface expansion devices without redesigning the hardware structure of the computing device, reducing costs and saving resources.

[0020] In one possible implementation, the device further includes a power supply;

[0021] The power supply is used to power the components in the device.

[0022] In one possible implementation, if the interfaces on the computing devices connected to the plurality of second switch interfaces are not connected to any interface in the slot area, the control unit is also used to control the power supply to stop supplying power.

[0023] In this way, energy consumption can be saved.

[0024] In one possible implementation, the device further includes an auxiliary power supply for supplying power to the slot area when the power of all peripheral devices connected to the interface expansion device is greater than the power of the power supply.

[0025] This can prevent insufficient power supply.

[0026] In one possible implementation, the device further includes a heat dissipation unit for cooling the interface extension device.

[0027] This allows for heat dissipation of the interface expansion device.

[0028] In one possible implementation, the types of interfaces in the plurality of slot areas include high-speed serial computer expansion bus standard PCIe interface, input / output I / O interface, Open Compute Project (OCP) interface, serial port, universal serial bus interface, video graphics array (VGA) interface, and high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) interface.

[0029] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a control method for connecting peripheral devices, applied to a switching component in an interface expansion device as described in the first aspect. The interface expansion device further includes multiple slot areas, each of the multiple slot areas including multiple interfaces of the same type, the interfaces being used to connect to peripheral devices.

[0030] The system includes multiple switching components, each corresponding to a plurality of slot areas. Each switching component includes multiple first switching interfaces, which are used to connect one-to-one with multiple interfaces in the corresponding slot area. Each switching component also includes multiple second switching interfaces, each used to connect to a target interface of a computing device. The type of the target interface is the same as the type of the multiple interfaces in the slot area. The switching components store connection relationship information, which indicates the connection status between each target interface in the computing device and the interface in each slot area.

[0031] The method includes:

[0032] Receive control commands, the control commands including the identity identifier of the computing device, the identity identifier of the target interface of the computing device, and the identity identifier of the peripheral device to be connected to the target interface;

[0033] Based on the identity identifier of the computing device, the identity identifier of the target interface of the computing device, the identity identifier of the peripheral device to be connected to the target interface, and the connection relationship information, a control signal is sent to the switching component to control the switching component to switch the connection relationship between the target interface and the interface in the slot area, so that the computing device can communicate with the peripheral device through the target interface.

[0034] In this solution, the interface expansion device has multiple slot areas, and each slot area includes multiple interfaces of the same type. Thus, each slot area can connect to at least one peripheral device, whose interface is compatible with the interface in the slot area. For example, if all interfaces in the slot area are Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) interfaces, then the slot area can connect to at least one peripheral device such as a network card compatible with the PCIe interface. One slot area corresponds to one switching component. Each switching component includes multiple first switching interfaces, which are connected one-to-one with the multiple interfaces in the slot area. Each switching component also includes multiple second switching interfaces, which are used to connect to the target interface of the computing device. The type of the target interface is the same as the type of interface in the slot area corresponding to the switching component containing the second switching interface. Under the control of the control component, the switching component can switch the connection state between the target interface and the interfaces in the slot area. In this way, multiple computing devices can communicate with peripheral devices connected to the interface expansion device through the interface expansion device. This eliminates the need to redesign the hardware structure of the computing devices, allowing them to adapt to the interfaces of various newly developed peripheral devices, thus reducing costs and conserving resources. Furthermore, under the control of the control unit, the switching components can switch the target interface from one interface in the slot area to another, enabling the computing device to communicate with different peripheral devices without requiring manual switching of the connection between the computing device and the peripheral device, improving the convenience and efficiency of switching connections. In addition, the interface types in the slot areas corresponding to the multiple switching components are different, allowing the computing device to communicate with various types of peripheral devices through the interface expansion device.

[0035] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide an expansion device, including: a plurality of peripheral devices and an interface expansion device as described in the first aspect;

[0036] Each of the plurality of peripheral devices is connected to an interface adapted to the peripheral device in the plurality of slot regions to extend the device to communicate with at least one computing device through the interface.

[0037] In this solution, the interface expansion device has multiple slot areas, and each slot area includes multiple interfaces of the same type. Thus, each slot area can connect to at least one peripheral device, whose interface is compatible with the interface in the slot area. For example, if all interfaces in the slot area are Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) interfaces, then the slot area can connect to at least one peripheral device such as a network card compatible with the PCIe interface. One slot area corresponds to one switching component. Each switching component includes multiple first switching interfaces, which are connected one-to-one with the multiple interfaces in the slot area. Each switching component also includes multiple second switching interfaces, which are used to connect to the target interface of the computing device. The type of the target interface is the same as the type of interface in the slot area corresponding to the switching component containing the second switching interface. Under the control of the control component, the switching component can switch the connection state between the target interface and the interfaces in the slot area. In this way, multiple computing devices can communicate with peripheral devices connected to the interface expansion device through the interface expansion device. This eliminates the need to redesign the hardware structure of the computing devices, allowing them to adapt to the interfaces of various newly developed peripheral devices, thus reducing costs and conserving resources. Furthermore, under the control of the control unit, the switching components can switch the target interface from one interface in the slot area to another, enabling the computing device to communicate with different peripheral devices without requiring manual switching of the connection between the computing device and the peripheral device, improving the convenience and efficiency of switching connections. In addition, the interface types in the slot areas corresponding to the multiple switching components are different, allowing the computing device to communicate with various types of peripheral devices through the interface expansion device.

[0038] Fourthly, embodiments of this application provide an interface expansion device, including:

[0039] At least one memory for storing programs;

[0040] At least one processor is configured to execute a program stored in the memory, wherein when the program stored in the memory is executed, the processor is configured to perform the method provided in the second aspect.

[0041] Fifthly, embodiments of this application provide a computer storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method provided in the second aspect.

[0042] In a sixth aspect, embodiments of this application provide a computer program product containing instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method provided in the second aspect. Attached Figure Description

[0043] Figure 1 This is a system architecture diagram of a computing system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0044] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a computing device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0045] Figure 3a This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an interface expansion device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0046] Figure 3b This is a schematic diagram illustrating the connection relationship between a switching component, a computing device, and an interface in a slot area, as provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0047] Figure 3c This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a switching component provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0048] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the connection relationship between various devices in a computing system, provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0049] Figure 5 This is an exemplary structural diagram of a computing system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0050] Figure 6 This is an exemplary structural diagram of another computing system provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0051] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating a control method for connecting a computing device to a peripheral device, provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0052] Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating another control method for connecting a computing device to a peripheral device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0053] Figure 9 This is a flowchart illustrating another control method for connecting a computing device to a peripheral device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0054] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0055] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the words "exemplary," "for example," or "for instance" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or explanations. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary," "for example," or "for instance" in the embodiments of this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Specifically, the use of the words "exemplary," "for example," or "for instance" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner.

[0056] In the description of the embodiments in this application, the term "and / or" is merely a description of the association relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, B existing alone, and A and B existing simultaneously. Furthermore, unless otherwise stated, the term "multiple" means two or more. For example, multiple systems refer to two or more systems, and multiple terminals refer to two or more terminals.

[0057] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. The terms "comprising," "including," "having," and their variations all mean "including but not limited to," unless otherwise specifically emphasized.

[0058] Currently, when computing devices such as servers need to connect peripherals, these peripherals are either directly plugged into the server motherboard or indirectly plugged into the motherboard through other components. When peripherals need to be replaced, manual replacement is required. This process also necessitates powering down the server, making it cumbersome. Furthermore, when too many peripherals are connected to a server, it can easily lead to overheating and poor heat dissipation, compromising server security. In addition, some servers are designed with specific features in mind. When new technologies emerge, such as multi-hosting, some servers simply cannot support it. This necessitates patching existing hardware to support multi-hosting, or even abandoning multi-hosting on some servers altogether, resulting in a waste of existing server resources. If support for new technologies is absolutely necessary, hardware redesign is required, necessitating different hardware designs for different servers to adapt to the new technology, leading to increased development complexity.

[0059] Based on this, the present application provides an interface expansion device, which enables the computing device to communicate with various peripheral devices without redesigning the hardware structure of the computing device, thereby enabling the computing device to adapt to the interfaces of various peripheral devices, reducing costs and saving resources.

[0060] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a computing system provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 1 As shown, the computing system provided in this application embodiment may include a computing device 10, an interface expansion device 20, and a peripheral device 30.

[0061] An interface expansion device can connect to at least one computing device and multiple peripheral devices. Peripheral devices can include, for example, network interface cards (NICs), redundant arrays of independent disks (RAID) cards, solid-state drives (SSDs), FPGA programmers, routers, etc. The interface expansion device connects peripheral devices and computing devices, enabling communication between them, such as data exchange.

[0062] Next, the specific structure of each device in the computing system provided in the embodiments of this application will be described in detail.

[0063] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a computing device provided in an embodiment of this application. The computing device provided in this embodiment can be a server, host, or other computing device. Figure 2 As shown, the computing device provided in this embodiment may include a processor 201, a memory 202, and a communication interface 203. The processor 201, the memory 202, and the communication interface 203 are connected via a bus 210. The memory 202 stores program code modules.

[0064] The processor 201 (or central processing unit, CPU) is the computing and control core of a computing device. The processor can handle the tasks required by the computing device.

[0065] The memory 202 may include a large-capacity memory for data or instructions, thereby providing storage space for the operating system and executable program code of the computing device, which may include, but is not limited to: Windows system (an operating system), Linux system (an operating system), HarmonyOS system (an operating system), etc., without limitation.

[0066] For example, and not as a limitation, memory 202 may include a hard disk drive (HDD), a floppy disk drive, flash memory, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, magnetic tape, or a Universal Serial Bus (USB) drive, or a combination of two or more of these. Where appropriate, memory 202 may include removable or non-removable (or fixed) media. Where appropriate, memory 202 may be internal or external to the integrated gateway disaster recovery device. In a particular embodiment, memory 202 is non-volatile solid-state memory.

[0067] Memory may include read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), disk storage media devices, optical storage media devices, flash memory devices, and electrical, optical, or other physical / tangible memory storage devices. Therefore, typically, memory may include one or more tangible (non-transitory) computer-readable storage media (e.g., memory devices) encoded with software that may include computer-executable instructions, and when the software is executed (e.g., by one or more processors), it is operable to perform the operations described with reference to the methods according to this application.

[0068] The processor 201 reads and executes computer program instructions stored in the memory 202 to implement any of the access control methods based on terminal security risks in the above embodiments.

[0069] In one example, the computing device may also include a communication interface 203 and a bus 210. Wherein, as Figure 2 As shown, the processor 201, memory 202, and communication interface 203 are connected through bus 210 and complete communication with each other.

[0070] The communication interface 203 is mainly used to realize communication between various modules, devices, units and / or devices in the computing device in the embodiments of this application.

[0071] Bus 210 may include hardware, software, or both, that couples components of a computing device together. For example, and not limitingly, the bus may include an Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) or other graphics bus, an Enhanced Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus, a Front Side Bus (FSB), HyperTransport (HT) interconnect, an Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, an Infinite Bandwidth Interconnect, a Low Pin Count (LPC) bus, a memory bus, a Microchannel Architecture (MCA) bus, a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus, a PCI-Express (PCI-X) bus, a Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) bus, a Video Electronics Standards Association Local (VLB) bus, or other suitable buses, or combinations of two or more of these. Where appropriate, bus 210 may include one or more buses. Although specific buses are described and illustrated in embodiments of this application, any suitable bus or interconnect is contemplated herein.

[0072] Figure 3a This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an interface expansion device provided in an embodiment of this application. For example... Figure 3a As shown, the interface expansion device provided in this application embodiment may include: multiple slot areas 31 (e.g. Figure 3a The slot areas 31-1 to 31-N shown), and multiple switching components 32 (such as...) Figure 3a The switch components 32-1 to 32-N and the control component 33 are shown. Wherein, N is a positive integer.

[0073] In this embodiment, each slot area may include multiple interfaces of the same type, but the types of interfaces in different slot areas are different. For example, all interfaces in slot area 31-1 are Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) interfaces, and all interfaces in slot area 31-2 are serial ports. The interfaces in the slot areas are used to connect peripheral devices, such as network cards, RAID cards, SSD cards, FPGA programmers, routers, etc. The interfaces of the peripheral devices connected to each slot area are compatible with the interfaces in that slot area. For example, if all interfaces in slot area 311 are PCIe interfaces, then the interfaces of the peripheral devices connected to the interfaces in that slot area are all compatible with PCIe interfaces. For example, the PCIe interfaces in slot area 31-1 can connect to network cards, RAID cards, SSD cards, etc.

[0074] like Figure 3a As shown, there is a one-to-one correspondence between the slot areas and the switch components. For example, slot area 31-1 corresponds to switch component 32-1, slot area 31-2 corresponds to switch component 32-2, ..., slot area 31-N corresponds to switch component 32-N.

[0075] In this embodiment, the switch component may include multiple first switch interfaces, and the first switch interfaces in the switch component have a one-to-one connection with the interfaces in the corresponding slot area of ​​the switch component. For example, as Figure 3b As shown, the switch component 32-1 is used to access the server's PCIe interface and can be connected to the interfaces in the slot area 31-1 respectively. All interfaces in the slot area are PCIe interfaces. The switch component 32-1 may include six first switch interfaces: switch interface 32-1-1, switch interface 32-1-2, ..., switch interface 32-1-6. The slot area 31-1 may include six interfaces: interface 31-1-1, interface 31-1-2, ..., interface 31-1-6. Switch interface 32-1-1 is connected to interface 31-1-1, switch interface 32-1-2 is connected to interface 31-1-2, ..., switch interface 32-1-6 is connected to interface 31-1-6.

[0076] In this embodiment, the switching component may further include multiple second switching interfaces, which are used to connect to interfaces in the computing device. Here, the type of interface in the computing device connected to the second switching interface is the same as the type of interface in the corresponding slot area of ​​the switching component. For example, if all interfaces in slot area 31-1 are PCIe interfaces, then switching component 32-1 is connected to the PCIe interface in the computing device; if all interfaces in slot area 31-2 are serial ports, then switching component 32-2 is connected to the serial port in the computing device.

[0077] For example, such as Figure 3b As shown, switch interface 32-2-1 is connected to switch interface 32-1-2, switch interface 32-2-3 is connected to switch interface 32-1-3, and switch interface 32-2-5 is connected to switch interface 32-1-6. The PCIe interface of computing device 1 is connected to switch interface 32-1-2 via switch interface 32-2-1, the PCIe interface of computing device 2 is connected to switch interface 32-1-3 via switch interface 32-2-3, and the PCIe interface of computing device 3 is connected to switch interface 32-1-6 via switch interface 32-2-5. If interface 31-1-2 is connected to a PCIe network card, computing device 1 can communicate with the PCIe network card. If interface 31-1-3 is connected to a GPU, computing device 2 can communicate with the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU).

[0078] It should be noted that, Figure 3bThe present invention provides an exemplary description of the connection relationship between the interfaces of the computing device, the switching components, and the interfaces in the slot area, based only on some components in the interface expansion device, and serves as a limitation thereof.

[0079] In some embodiments, the switching component may be a chip with internal switching logic. For example, the switching component includes multiple switches, and the second switching interface is correspondingly connected to the multiple switches, such as... Figure 3c As shown, switch interface 32-2-1 connects to switches 32-3-11 to 32-3-1n; switch interface 32-2-2 connects to switches 32-3-21 to 32-3-2n; and switch interface 32-2-n connects to switches 32-3-31 to 32-3-3n. Switch interface 32-1-1 is connected to switches 32-3-11, 32-3-21, and 32-3-31. Switch interface 32-1-2 is connected to switches 32-3-12, 32-3-22, and 32-3-32. Switch interface 32-1-3 is connected to switches 32-3-13, 32-3-23, and 32-3-33. Thus, the control unit sends control signals to the switch components to control the opening or closing of different switches, thereby switching the connection between the computing device and external components.

[0080] The control unit 33 is used to manage peripheral devices that have been connected to the interface expansion device and to allocate peripheral devices to computing devices that have been connected to the interface expansion device.

[0081] As one possible implementation, the control unit may include a processor and memory. The memory of the control unit stores the operating system and executable program code, which may include, but is not limited to, Windows (an operating system), Linux (an operating system), HarmonyOS (an operating system), etc. When the processor runs the executable program code, it can send instructions to the switching unit to control the connection status between peripheral devices and computing devices. In this way, the connection relationships between all computing devices and peripheral devices can be switched without manual operation, solely through the control unit, improving the convenience and efficiency of switching the connection relationships between computing devices and peripheral devices.

[0082] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3a As shown, the interface expansion device provided in this embodiment may further include a power supply 34. The power supply is used to supply power to the slot area, the switching components, and the control components.

[0083] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3aAs shown in the embodiment of this application, the interface expansion device may further include an auxiliary power supply 35. Since the interface expansion device may include a large number of interfaces, when the power of the peripheral devices connected to multiple interfaces exceeds the power supply capacity of the mains power supply, the auxiliary power supply can provide auxiliary power, preventing insufficient power supply from the mains power supply.

[0084] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3a As shown in the embodiments of this application, the interface expansion device may further include a heat sink 36. Since the interface expansion device may include a large number of interfaces, the heat generated will increase when a large number of peripheral devices are connected to the interface expansion device. Therefore, the heat sink can dissipate heat from the interface expansion device, thereby preventing heat accumulation and ensuring the safe use of the interface expansion device.

[0085] In some embodiments, the interface expansion device is configured with hot-plug capability to enable notification-based hot-plugging or force-plugging, without requiring the device to replace peripheral devices while powered off.

[0086] Next, based on Figure 3a The structure of the interface expansion device shown in this application provides a detailed explanation of the connection relationships between the computing device, the interface expansion device, and the peripheral devices in this embodiment.

[0087] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the connection relationships between various devices in a computing system provided in an embodiment of this application. For example... Figure 4 As shown, the computing system provided in this application embodiment may include multiple computing devices 41 (such as... Figure 4 The computing devices 41-1 to 41-M shown), interface expansion device 42 and multiple peripheral devices 43 (such as...) Figure 4 Peripheral devices 43-1 to 43-P are shown. M and P are positive integers.

[0088] like Figure 4 As shown, the interface expansion components may include switch components 32-1, 32-2, 32-3, ... The slot areas may include slot areas 31-1, 31-2, 31-3, ... Specifically, switch component 32-1 corresponds one-to-one with slot area 31-1, switch component 32-2 corresponds one-to-one with slot area 31-2, and switch component 32-3 corresponds one-to-one with slot area 31-3.

[0089] Each computing device's interface can connect to an interface expansion device. Specifically, interface 11 in computing device 41-1, interface 21 in computing device 41-2, and interface M1 in computing device 41-M are of the same type as the interfaces in slot area 31-1. Interfaces 11 in computing device 41-1, 21 in computing device 41-2, and M1 in computing device 41-M are all connected to switch component 32-1. Interfaces 12 in computing device 41-1, 22 in computing device 41-2, and M2 in computing device 41-M are of the same type as the interfaces in slot area 31-2. Interfaces 12 in computing device 41-1, 22 in computing device 41-2, and M2 in computing device 41-M are all connected to switch component 32-2. Interface 13 in computing device 41-1, interface 23 in computing device 41-2, and interface M3 in computing device 41-M are of the same type as the interfaces in slot area 31-3. Interface 13 in computing device 41-1, interface 23 in computing device 41-2, and interface M3 in computing device 41-M are all connected to switch component 32-3.

[0090] like Figure 4 As shown, peripheral device 43-1 is connected to interface 31-12, peripheral device 43-4 is connected to interface 31-46, peripheral device 43-3 is connected to interface 32-22, peripheral device 43-4 is connected to interface 32-24, peripheral device 43-5 is connected to interface 32-26, two channels of peripheral device 43-P are connected to interfaces 33-31 and 33-32 respectively, and the other two channels of peripheral device 43-P are connected to interfaces 33-34 and 33-36 respectively.

[0091] For example, interface 11 of computing device 41-1 is connected to interface 31-12 via switch component 32-1, and then to peripheral device 43-1, enabling computing device 41-1 to communicate with peripheral device 43-1. Computing device 41-M is connected to interface 31-16 via peripheral device 32-1, and then to peripheral device 43-2, enabling computing device 41-M to communicate with peripheral device 43-2. ​​Interface 12 of computing device 41-1 is connected to interface 32-22 via switch component 32-2, and then to peripheral device 43-3, enabling computing device 41-1 to communicate with peripheral device 43-3. Computing device 41-3 is connected to interface 32-24 via switch component 32-2, and then to peripheral device 43-4, enabling computing device 41-2 to communicate with peripheral device 43-4. The computing device 41-M is connected to the interface 32-26 via the switch component 32-2, and then to the peripheral device 43-5, enabling the computing device 41-M to communicate with the peripheral device 43-5.

[0092] In some embodiments, the interface expansion device can instruct multi-host technology. Multiple computing devices can allocate different channels of the same peripheral device. For example, computing device 41-1 is connected to interfaces 33-31 and 33-32 via switch 32-3, and thus to two channels X2 of peripheral device 43-P, enabling computing device 41-P to communicate with peripheral device 43-P. Computing device 41-M is connected to interfaces 33-34 and 33-36 via switch 33-3, and thus to two channels X2 of peripheral device 43-P, enabling computing device 41-P to communicate with peripheral device 43-P.

[0093] The above computing system is described below as an example.

[0094] Figure 5 This is an exemplary structural diagram of a computing system provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 5 As shown, the computing system provided in this application embodiment may include multiple servers 51 (such as... Figure 5 Servers A, B, and C shown), interface expansion device 52, and multiple peripheral devices 53 (such as...) Figure 5 The diagram shows a RAID card, a graphics processing unit (GPU), and an 8-channel PCIe network card (PCIe Width X8 network card).

[0095] For example, multiple servers may include three types of interfaces: a serial port (COM), a PCIe interface, and an I / O port. Figure 5 As shown, server A may include a serial port (com-A), a PCIe interface (PCIe-A), and an I / O port (I / OA); server B may include a serial port (com-B), a PCIe interface (PCIe-B), and an I / O port (I / OB); and server C may include a serial port (com-C), a PCIe interface (PCIe-C), and an I / O port (I / OC).

[0096] like Figure 5As shown, the interface expansion device may include a COM-Sw switch, a PCIe-Sw switch, and an I / O-Sw switch. The interface expansion device may include slot area 1, slot area 2, and slot area 3. The COM-Sw switch corresponds one-to-one with slot area 1, the PCIe-Sw switch corresponds one-to-one with slot area 2, and the I / O-Sw switch corresponds one-to-one with slot area 3. The interfaces in slot area 1 are all serial ports, namely COM1, COM2, COM3, COM4, ​​COM5, COM6, ... Serial ports COM1, COM2, COM3, COM4, ​​COM5, and COM6 are all connected to the COM-Sw switch. The interfaces in slot area 2 are all PCIe interfaces, namely PCIe 1, PCIe 2, PCIe 3, PCIe 4, PCIe 5, PCIe 6, ... The PCIe interfaces PCIe 1, PCIe 2, PCIe 3, PCIe 4, PCIe 5, and PCIe 6 are all connected to the PCIe-Sw switch. The interfaces in slot area 3 are all I / O ports, namely I / O 1, I / O 2, I / O 3, I / O 4, I / O 5, I / O 6, ... All I / O ports, including I / O 1, I / O 2, I / O 3, I / O 4, I / O 5, and I / O 6, are connected to the I / O-Sw switch.

[0097] like Figure 5 As shown, the serial ports of server A (com-A), server B (com-B), and server C (com-C) are all connected to the com-Sw switch. The PCIe interfaces of server A (PCIe-A), server B (PCIe-B), and server C (PCIe-C) are all connected to the PCIe-Sw switch. The I / O ports of server A (I / OA), server B (I / OB), and server C (I / OC) are all connected to the I / O-Sw switch.

[0098] In this embodiment, the control unit stores connection relationship information between each server and peripheral device. Based on the connection relationship information and control commands sent by the upper-layer application, the control unit can allocate peripheral devices to the computing device.

[0099] like Figure 5As shown in Table 1, taking the PCIe interface as an example, the connection information in the control unit is as follows. The interfaces for connecting peripheral devices in the interface expansion device, from PCIe1 to PCIe6, are PCIe1, PCIe3, and PCIe6, respectively. The peripheral device connected to PCIe1 is a RAID card, and the peripheral device connected to PCIe3 is a GPU.

[0100] The slot area identifier indicates the type of interface within the slot area. For example, as shown in Table 1, the slot area identifier is PCIe, meaning all interfaces in the slot area are PCIe interfaces. For example, the character "0" indicates that the interface is not connected to a peripheral device, and the character "1" indicates that the interface is connected to a peripheral device. For example, the character "0" indicates that the interface is not connected to a computing device, and the character "1" indicates that the interface is connected to a computing device. Furthermore, as shown in Table 1, the connection relationship information table also stores the identifiers of connected computing devices, the interface identifiers of the computing devices, and the channel identifiers of the interfaces of the computing devices. For example, interface PCIe1 connects to the PCIe interface of server A, interface PCIe3 connects to the PCIe interface of server B, and interface PCIe5 connects to the PCIe interface of server C.

[0101] Table 1

[0102]

[0103]

[0104] Table 1 is for illustrative purposes only and does not limit the scope of this application.

[0105] like Figure 6As shown in Table 2, with the interface expansion device supporting multi-host technology and taking the PCIe interface as an example, the connection information in the control unit is as follows: Interfaces PCIe2, PCIe3, and PCIe4 are all used to connect to different channels of the peripheral PCIeWidthX8 network card. Specifically, interface PCIe2 is used to connect channels 1 to 4 (#1 to #4) of the PCIeWidthX8 network card, interface PCIe3 is used to connect channels 5 (#5) and 6 (#6) of the PCIeWidthX8 network card, and interface PCIe4 is used to connect channels 7 (#7) and 8 (#8) of the PCIeWidthX8 network card. Server A's PCIe interface is connected to interface PCIe2 via the PCIe-Sw switch, thereby connecting to channels 1 to 4 of the peripheral PCIeWidthX8 network card. Server B connects to interface PCIe3 via a PCIe-Sw switch, thereby connecting to channels 5 and 6 of the peripheral PCIe Width x8 network card. Server C connects to interface PCIe4 via a PCIe-Sw switch, thereby connecting to channels 7 and 8 of the peripheral PCIe Width x8 network card.

[0106] Table 2

[0107]

[0108] Table 2 is for illustrative purposes only and does not limit the scope of this application.

[0109] In this embodiment, the control unit can allocate peripheral devices to the computing device based on connection relationship information. Specifically, the user sends control commands to the control unit through an upper-layer application. These commands include the identity identifier of the computing device, the identity identifier of the target interface of the computing device, and the identity identifier of the peripheral device to be connected to the target interface. The control unit generates control signals based on the identity identifier of the computing device, the identity identifier of the target interface of the computing device, the identity identifier of the peripheral device to be connected to the target interface, and the connection relationship information, thereby completing the connection relationship between the target interface of the computing device and the peripheral device indicated by the control command.

[0110] In some embodiments, identity can be represented by a serial number. For example, Server A represents server A, and Server B represents server B. The identity of a PCIe interface is PCIe. Control commands can be represented by serial numbers, with different bits identifying different identities. For example, a control command might include Server A-PCIe-Raid, meaning the control command indicates that the PCIe interface of server A needs to be connected to a RAID card. For example, as... Figure 5As shown, the control command received by the control unit may include the serial number Server C-PCIe-Raid, which means that the control command indicates that the PCIe interface of server C needs to be connected to the RAID card.

[0111] As one possible implementation, the identity of the computing device currently connected to the peripheral device indicated in the control command is determined based on the identity of the computing device, the identity of the target interface of the computing device, the identity of the peripheral device to be connected to the target interface, and connection relationship information. If the identity of the computing device currently connected to the peripheral device indicated in the control command is inconsistent with the identity of the computing device indicated in the control command, a first control signal is sent to the switching component to disconnect the peripheral device indicated in the control command from the currently connected computing device. Then, a second control signal is sent to the switching component to connect the target interface of the computing device to the peripheral device indicated in the control command.

[0112] For example, as shown in Table 1, the control unit determines that the PCIe interface of server A is currently connected to the RAID card based on the connection relationship information. The control unit sends a first control signal to the switch unit, causing the PCIe interface of server A to disconnect from the PCIe network. Then, the control unit sends a second control signal to the switch unit to switch the PCIe interface of server C to interface PCIe1 in the slot area.

[0113] As another possible implementation, the identity of the peripheral device currently connected to the interface of the computing device is determined based on the identity of the computing device, the identity of the target interface of the computing device, the identity of the peripheral device to be connected to the target interface, and the connection relationship information. If the identity of the peripheral device is consistent with the identity of the peripheral device indicated in the control command, the control component does not need to control the switching component.

[0114] In some embodiments, if the identifier of the peripheral device in the control command is empty, the target interface of the computing device in the control command is disconnected from all peripheral devices. The control unit determines the peripheral devices connected to the target interface of the computing device based on the connection relationship information, and then sends a command to the switching unit to disconnect the target interface of the computing device from the peripheral devices.

[0115] In this way, when the computing device is not using peripheral devices, the connection between the computing device and the peripheral devices can be disconnected, thereby freeing up the unused peripheral devices.

[0116] According to embodiments of this application, the interface expansion device is provided with multiple slot areas, and each slot area may include multiple interfaces of the same type. Thus, each slot area can connect to at least one peripheral device, wherein the interface of the peripheral device is compatible with the interface in the slot area. For example, if all interfaces in the slot area are Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) interfaces, then the slot area can connect to at least one peripheral device such as a network card compatible with a PCIe interface. One slot area corresponds to one switching component. Each switching component may include multiple first switching interfaces, thereby corresponding one-to-one with multiple interfaces in the slot area. Each switching component may also include multiple second switching interfaces, which are used to connect to the target interface of the computing device. The type of the target interface is the same as the type of interface in the slot area corresponding to the switching component containing the second switching interface. Under the control of the control component, the switching component can switch the connection state between the target interface and the interfaces in the slot area. In this way, multiple computing devices can communicate with peripheral devices connected to the interface expansion device through the interface expansion device. This eliminates the need to redesign the hardware structure of the computing devices, enabling them to adapt to the interfaces of various newly developed peripheral devices, thus reducing costs and conserving resources. Furthermore, under the control of the control unit, the switching components can switch the target interface from one interface in the slot area to another, allowing the computing device to communicate with different peripheral devices. Moreover, the slot areas corresponding to the multiple switching components each contain different types of interfaces, allowing the computing device to communicate with various types of peripheral devices through the interface expansion device.

[0117] based on Figure 3a The interface expansion device shown below will be followed by a description of the control method for connecting a computing device to a peripheral device provided in this application embodiment.

[0118] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating a control method for connecting a computing device to peripheral devices according to an embodiment of this application. The control method for connecting a computing device to peripheral devices provided in this embodiment is applied to... Figure 3a The control components in the interface expansion device shown. For example... Figure 7 As shown in the embodiments of this application, a control method for connecting a computing device to a peripheral device may include the following steps S701 and S702.

[0119] S701, Receive control commands. The control commands may include the identity identifier of the computing device, the identity identifier of the target interface of the computing device, and the identity identifier of the peripheral device to be connected to the target interface.

[0120] Control commands are instructions configured by the user through an upper-level application and sent by the upper-level application to the control unit. The control commands carry the identity of the computing device, the identity of the target interface of the computing device, and the identity of the peripheral device to be connected to the target interface.

[0121] As one possible implementation, control commands can be a string of characters, with different bits representing different information. For example, a control command could include "Server A-PCIe-Raid," indicating that server A's PCIe interface needs to be connected to a RAID card. Here, "Server A" represents server A, and the PCIe interface is identified as PCIe.

[0122] S702. Based on the identification of the computing device, the identification of the target interface of the computing device, the identification of the peripheral device to be connected to the target interface, and the connection relationship information, a control signal is sent to the switching component to control the switching component to switch the connection relationship between the target interface and the interface in the slot area, so that the computing device can communicate with the peripheral device through the target interface.

[0123] As one possible implementation, the identity of the computing device currently connected to the peripheral device indicated in the control command is determined based on the identity of the computing device, the identity of the target interface of the computing device, the identity of the peripheral device to be connected to the target interface, and connection relationship information. If the identity of the computing device currently connected to the peripheral device indicated in the control command is inconsistent with the identity of the computing device indicated in the control command, a first control signal is sent to the switching component to disconnect the peripheral device indicated in the control command from the computing device currently connected to it. Then, a second control signal is sent to the switching component to connect the target interface of the computing device to the peripheral device indicated in the control command.

[0124] For example, as shown in Table 1, the control unit determines that the PCIe interface of server A is currently connected to the RAID card based on the connection relationship information. The control unit sends a first control signal to the switch unit, causing the PCIe interface of server A to disconnect from the PCIe network. Then, the control unit sends a second control signal to the switch unit to switch the PCIe interface of server C to interface PCIe1 in the slot area.

[0125] As another possible implementation, the identity of the peripheral device currently connected to the interface of the computing device is determined based on the identity of the computing device, the identity of the target interface of the computing device, the identity of the peripheral device to be connected to the target interface, and the connection relationship information. This identity is consistent with the identity of the peripheral device indicated in the control command, and the control component does not need to control the switching component.

[0126] In some embodiments, if the identifier of the peripheral device in the control command is empty, the target interface of the computing device in the control command is disconnected from all peripheral devices. The control unit determines the peripheral devices connected to the target interface of the computing device based on the connection relationship information, and then sends a command to the switching unit to disconnect the target interface of the computing device from the peripheral devices.

[0127] In this way, when the computing device is not using peripheral devices, the connection between the computing device and the peripheral devices can be disconnected, thereby freeing up the unused peripheral devices.

[0128] For example, such as Figure 8 As shown, assuming Figure 5 If the PCIe interface of server A is connected to the GPU, but the user needs to switch the PCIe interface of server A to a RAID card connection, the execution process of the control unit may include the following steps S801 to S803.

[0129] S801 receives control commands.

[0130] Since the user needs to switch the PCIe interface of server A to a RAID card, the information carried in the control command can be "ServerA-PCIe-RAID".

[0131] S802: Based on the control commands and connection information, determine whether server A is currently connected to the RAID card. If not, execute S803; if yes, exit the program.

[0132] S803 sends a control signal to the PCIe-Sw switching component, thereby controlling the PCIe interface of server A to connect to the RAID card.

[0133] Specifically, among all the switches connected to the PCIe interface of server A, the switch connected to the GPU is disconnected, and the switch connected to the RAID card is closed, thereby connecting server A to the RAID card.

[0134] Another example is, such as Figure 9 As shown, assuming Figure 5 If the PCIe interface of server A is connected to the GPU, but the user needs to disconnect the PCIe interface of server A from the GPU, the process executed by the control unit may include the following steps S901 to S903.

[0135] S901 receives control commands.

[0136] The control commands may include the identity of server A, the identity of the server's PCIe interface, and the identity of peripheral devices, such as RAID cards.

[0137] S902, based on the control command, determines that the peripheral device currently connected to the PCIe interface of server A is a GPU.

[0138] S903: Determine if the identifier of the peripheral device currently connected to the PCIe interface of server A matches the identifier of the peripheral device in the control command. If not, execute S904; if yes, exit the program.

[0139] S904: If the identity of the peripheral device currently connected to the PCIe interface of server A is inconsistent with the identity of the peripheral device in the control command, a control signal is sent to the PCIe-Sw switch to disconnect the PCIe interface of server A from the GPU.

[0140] Specifically, disconnect the switch connecting the PCIe interface of server A to the GPU from all the switches connected to the PCIe interface, thereby disconnecting the PCIe interface of server A from the GPU.

[0141] According to embodiments of this application, the interface expansion device is provided with multiple slot areas, and each slot area may include multiple interfaces of the same type. Thus, each slot area can connect to at least one peripheral device, wherein the interface of the peripheral device is compatible with the interface in the slot area. For example, if all interfaces in the slot area are Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) interfaces, then the slot area can connect to at least one peripheral device such as a network card compatible with a PCIe interface. One slot area corresponds to one switching component. Each switching component may include multiple first switching interfaces, thereby corresponding one-to-one with multiple interfaces in the slot area. Each switching component may also include multiple second switching interfaces, which are used to connect to the target interface of the computing device. The type of the target interface is the same as the type of interface in the slot area corresponding to the switching component containing the second switching interface. Under the control of the control component, the switching component can switch the connection state between the target interface and the interfaces in the slot area. In this way, multiple computing devices can communicate with peripheral devices connected to the interface expansion device through the interface expansion device. This eliminates the need to redesign the hardware structure of the computing devices, enabling them to adapt to the interfaces of various newly developed peripheral devices, thus reducing costs and conserving resources. Furthermore, under the control of the control unit, the switching components can switch the target interface from one interface in the slot area to another, allowing the computing device to communicate with different peripheral devices. Moreover, the slot areas corresponding to the multiple switching components each contain different types of interfaces, allowing the computing device to communicate with various types of peripheral devices through the interface expansion device.

[0142] It is understood that the processor in the embodiments of this application can be a central processing unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. A general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0143] The method steps in the embodiments of this application can be implemented in hardware or by a processor executing software instructions. The software instructions can consist of corresponding software modules, which can be stored in random access memory (RAM), flash memory, read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), registers, hard disks, portable hard disks, CD-ROMs, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor, enabling the processor to read information from and write information to the storage medium. Of course, the storage medium can also be a component of the processor. The processor and the storage medium can reside in an ASIC.

[0144] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved entirely or partially through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented entirely or partially in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted through the computer-readable storage medium. The computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (e.g., floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., DVD), or a semiconductor medium (e.g., solid-state disk (SSD)).

[0145] It is understood that the various numerical designations used in the embodiments of this application are merely for descriptive convenience and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. An interface expansion device, characterized in that, include: Multiple slot areas, each of the multiple slot areas including multiple interfaces of the same type, the interfaces being used to connect peripheral devices; The system includes multiple switching components, each corresponding to a plurality of slot areas. The different slot areas contain different types of interfaces. Each switching component includes multiple first switching interfaces, which are used to connect one-to-one with multiple interfaces in the corresponding slot area. Each switching component also includes multiple second switching interfaces, each of which is used to connect to a target interface of a computing device. The type of the target interface is the same as the type of the multiple interfaces in the slot area. A control component, connected to each of the switching components, is used to control the switching components; The switching component is used to connect or disconnect the target interface from the interface in the slot area under the control of the control component; Each switch component includes multiple switches. Any second switch interface is connected to any first switch interface through a switch. Each switch achieves a one-to-one correspondence between the first switch interface and the second switch interface.

2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control unit stores connection relationship information, including the connection relationship between the interface in the slot area and the target interface of the computing device, and the connection relationship between the peripheral device and the interface in the slot area. The control unit is used to determine control commands, which include the identity identifier of the computing device, the identity identifier of the target interface of the computing device, and the identity identifier of the peripheral device. Based on the identity identifier of the computing device, the identity identifier of the target interface of the computing device, the identity identifier of the peripheral device, and the connection relationship information, the control signal is used to indicate the peripheral device to be connected to the target interface of the computing device. The switching component connects the target interface of the computing device to the interface accessed by the peripheral device according to the control signal.

3. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that, When the peripheral device indicated by the control signal is empty, the control component is used to control the switch component to disconnect the target interface of the computing device and the interface to which the peripheral device is connected, according to the control signal.

4. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The n interfaces in the slot area are used to connect to the same peripheral device, and the n interfaces and the n sets of communication channels of the peripheral device have a one-to-one connection relationship. The switching component is used to control the connection relationship between n computing devices and the n sets of communication channels under the control of the control component.

5. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The device also includes a power supply; The power supply is used to power the components in the device.

6. The device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The device also includes an auxiliary power supply for supplying power to the slot area when the power of all peripheral devices connected to the interface expansion device is greater than the power of the power supply.

7. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The device also includes a heat dissipation unit for dissipating heat from the interface expansion device.

8. The device according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The types of interfaces in the multiple slot areas include high-speed serial computer expansion bus standard PCIe interface, input / output I / O interface, Open Compute Project (OCP) interface, serial port, universal serial bus interface, video graphics array (VGA) interface, and high-definition multimedia (HDMI) interface.

9. A control method for connecting a computing device to peripheral devices, characterized in that, A control component is used in an interface expansion device, the interface expansion device further including multiple slot areas, each of the multiple slot areas including multiple interfaces of the same type, the interfaces being used to connect to peripheral devices; The system includes multiple switching components, each corresponding to a plurality of slot areas. Different slot areas contain different types of interfaces. Each switching component includes multiple first switching interfaces, which are used to connect one-to-one with multiple interfaces in the corresponding slot area. Each switching component also includes multiple second switching interfaces, each used to connect to a target interface of a computing device. The type of the target interface is the same as the type of the multiple interfaces in the slot area. The switching components store connection relationship information, which indicates the connection relationship between each target interface in the computing device and the interfaces in each slot area. Each switch component includes multiple switches. Any second switch interface is connected to any first switch interface through a switch. Each switch realizes a one-to-one correspondence between the first switch interface and the second switch interface. The method includes: Receive control commands, the control commands including the identity identifier of the computing device, the identity identifier of the target interface of the computing device, and the identity identifier of the peripheral device to be connected to the target interface; Based on the identity identifier of the computing device, the identity identifier of the target interface of the computing device, the identity identifier of the peripheral device to be connected to the target interface, and the connection relationship information, a control signal is sent to the switching component to control the switching component to disconnect or connect the target interface to the interface in the slot area.

10. An extension device, characterized in that, Includes multiple peripheral devices and an interface expansion device as described in any one of claims 1-8; Each of the plurality of peripheral devices is connected to an interface adapted to the peripheral device in the plurality of slot regions to extend the device to communicate with at least one computing device through the interface.

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