PCIe Master Card Routing Flash Storage in Disk Bays
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing disk storage interfaces, such as AT and SATA, are restrictive in bandwidth and capabilities, particularly for random access, and rack-mounted computer systems face limitations in space and card slots, making it difficult to implement high-bandwidth, non-volatile, solid-state storage systems.
Innovation Solution
A non-volatile, solid-state storage system utilizing flash memory with a PCI Express interface, where flash memory cards are mounted in disk bays and connected via a PCI Express extender cable, allowing for high-bandwidth and random access, and using a master card to manage and route the bus connections, enabling multiple flash memory cards to be accessed from a single PCI Express slot.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If traditional disk storage interfaces (AT, SATA) are used, then the system is simple and compatible, but the bandwidth is restrictive and random access capability is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the interface parameter from traditional SATA/ATA to PCI Express, fundamentally altering the bandwidth and access capabilities. This parameter change enables high-speed serial communication with multiple lanes, transforming the storage interface from block-based to parallel/high-speed serial, thereby resolving the bandwidth limitation while maintaining compatibility through the extender cable approach.
Solution Approach 2:
The PCI Express extender cable acts as an intermediary component that bridges the gap between the high-speed PCI Express interface and the flash memory cards. This intermediary enables the high-bandwidth PCI Express connection to work with the flash memory storage system, allowing the benefits of high-speed interface to be achieved without directly replacing the entire storage architecture, thus managing the complexity transition.
2Speed
If flash memory cards are mounted in disk bays with PCI Express interface, then high bandwidth and random access are achieved, but space and card slot limitations in rack-mounted systems become more challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The storage system is segmented into multiple flash memory cards that can be independently mounted in disk bays. Each card or group of cards can be accessed through the PCI Express interface, allowing the system to distribute storage capacity across multiple smaller units rather than requiring a single large high-speed interface connection, thereby managing space constraints while maintaining high random access performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent leverages the vertical dimension by mounting flash memory cards in disk bays that utilize the height space of rack-mounted systems. By stacking cards vertically in disk bays and using PCI Express extender cables that route connections through the system architecture, the solution exploits three-dimensional space rather than being constrained by horizontal card slot limitations, enabling high-bandwidth access within the available rack space.
3Quantity of substance
If multiple flash memory cards are connected via PCI Express, then storage capacity and bandwidth are increased, but the system complexity and routing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple flash memory cards are merged into a unified storage system that shares a common PCI Express interface through extender cables. Rather than requiring separate direct connections for each card, the system combines multiple cards into a group that can be accessed through the PCI Express bus, reducing the number of individual routing connections while maintaining the ability to access multiple cards for increased capacity and bandwidth.
Solution Approach 2:
The PCI Express interface serves a universal function by providing high-speed access to multiple flash memory cards through extender cables. This universal interface design allows the same PCI Express connection mechanism to serve multiple storage devices, eliminating the need for separate dedicated connections for each card and thereby reducing overall system complexity while supporting increased storage capacity.
Data Source
AI summary
Approaches for a non-volatile, solid-state storage system that is capable of supporting high bandwidth and/or random read/write access. The storage system may include a chassis having a bus slot and a disk bay, a master card mounted in the bus slot, and a flash memory card stacked in the disk bay and cabled to the master card. The master card enables one or more flash memory cards to be communicatively coupled to a single PCI Express bus. The master card may split a multi-lane PCI Express bus into a plurality of lanes, where one or more of the flash memory cards communicate over each of the plurality of lanes. Alternately, the master card may includes active circuitry for processing, switching, routing, reformatting, and/or converting the PCI Express bus into one or more busses for a plurality of flash memory cards. The stacked flash memory card is not in an enclosure.