Front-End Shared Card Routing for Disk Link Failure Continuity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems face reduced storage performance and risk of service downtime due to link failures between a host and disk controllers, leading to inefficient resource utilization and inability to meet client requirements.
Innovation Solution
A front-end shared card is introduced, connected to a host through multiple links and disk controllers via built-in sockets, enabling normal read/write operations by scanning and establishing connections with disk controllers, determining a target controller, and managing queues to ensure continuous operation even in link failures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple disk controllers are connected to the host through multiple links, then storage performance and resource utilization are improved, but the risk of service downtime increases when link failures occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a front-end shared card as an intermediary component between the host and disk controllers. This shared card receives read/write task requests from the host, determines the target disk controller, and forwards the requests accordingly. This intermediary architecture allows the system to maintain service continuity during link failures because the shared card can route requests through alternative paths or controllers, preventing direct host-disk controller link failures from causing service downtime.
2Reliability
If a disk controller is connected to a failed link, then the connected disk controller becomes idle, but this leads to reduced storage performance and resource waste
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic task allocation where the front-end shared card can dynamically determine and switch between different target disk controllers based on link status. When a link failure is detected, the system dynamically redistributes tasks from the failed controller to other available controllers, ensuring that disk controllers remain active and productive rather than becoming idle due to link failures.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters of disk controllers dynamically based on link status. When a link fails, the front-end shared card modifies the task assignment parameters, redirecting read/write requests to different disk controllers. This parameter change ensures that the system adapts to the failed link condition while maintaining optimal storage performance through alternative controller utilization.
3Device complexity
If disk controllers are directly connected to the host, then the connection structure is simple, but link failures cause service downtime and resource inefficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The front-end shared card serves as an intermediary that adds minimal structural complexity while significantly improving service availability. Rather than direct host-disk controller connections, the shared card sits in between, managing multiple links and disk controllers. This intermediary structure allows for better fault isolation and routing, enabling the system to maintain service availability during link failures without requiring complex reconfiguration.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed in the present disclosure are a method of controlling a read or write operation for disk data, a related component, and a front-end shared card. A first end of the front-end shared card is connected with a host through the M links, and the second end of the front-end shared card is respectively correspondingly connected with the disk through the N disk controllers. The front-end shared card is connected to the disk controllers, and if any one of the links has a fault and is disconnected, the host may still be connected to any one of the disk controllers through the front-end shared card, and therefore, the front-end shared card receives a read or write task request of the host, and controls, based on the read or write task request, a target disk controller to perform a read or write operation on the disk.