Ethernet SSD Storage Offload Engine Controller
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing storage systems face challenges in shifting increased functionality to remote hosts or target storage devices, leading to increased burdens and costs, as well as limitations in implementing storage-offload or storage-acceleration functionalities due to the lack of native support for target storage devices acting as master initiators, which results in inefficient bandwidth usage and computational complexity.
Innovation Solution
An Ethernet solid-state drive (eSSD) system that includes a storage-offload engine (SoE) controller, coupled with an Ethernet switch and SSDs, which operates in replication, erasure-coding, or combined modes to manage data replication, erasure coding, and data movement, allowing SSDs to act as initiators and reducing the need for remote host intervention, thereby optimizing bandwidth and computational efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If increased storage functionality (replication, erasure coding, data movement) is shifted to remote hosts or administrators, then storage-offload functionalities can be provided, but the functional burden on remote hosts increases and computational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a dedicated storage controller within the target storage device that acts as an intermediary to handle replication, erasure coding, and data movement operations. This controller receives commands from remote hosts and autonomously manages these storage functionalities, eliminating the need for remote hosts to directly perform complex storage operations while maintaining full functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The target storage device is empowered with self-service capabilities through the storage controller, enabling it to autonomously perform replication, erasure coding, and data movement operations without requiring external intervention from remote hosts or administrators. The controller manages these operations independently, reducing the functional burden on remote systems.
2Adaptability or versatility
If target storage devices act as master initiators for storage requests, then storage-offload functionalities can be implemented, but existing protocols do not natively support this capability
Solution Approach 1:
The storage controller is designed with multi-functionality, serving both as a traditional target device responder and as a master initiator for storage operations. It can initiate read, write, and administrative commands to other storage devices in the system, enabling bidirectional communication and operation initiation while maintaining compatibility with existing storage protocols through its dual operational modes.
3Device complexity
If remote host control and data traffic shares the same network path as storage-offload traffic, then network infrastructure is simplified, but bandwidth is reduced and traffic interference occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments network traffic into distinct pathways: control traffic for storage-offload operations and data traffic for remote host communications. The storage controller manages control traffic independently, while remote hosts use separate data paths, eliminating traffic interference and ensuring dedicated bandwidth for each function while maintaining simplified network infrastructure through standardized Ethernet connections.
Data Source
AI summary
An Ethernet solid-state drive (Ethernet SSD or eSSD) system and corresponding method provide improved latency and throughput associated with storage functionalities. The eSSD system includes at least one primary SSD, at least one secondary SSD, an Ethernet switch, and a storage-offload engine (SoE) controller. The SoE controller may operate in a replication mode and/or an erasure-coding mode. In either mode, the SoE controller receives a first write command sent from a remote device to at least one primary SSD. In the replication mode, the SoE controller sends a second write command to the at least one secondary SSD to replicate data associated with the first write command at the at least one secondary SSD. In the erasure-coding mode, the SoE determines erasure codes associated with the first write command and manages distribution of the write data and associated erasure codes. The SoE controller may also receive read commands, data cloning commands and data movement commands from the remote device.