Parallel data storage system
View Patent ↗A parallel data storage system for storing data received from, or retrieving data to, a host system using multiple data storage devices. The system includes an interface for communicating with the host system and a buffer configured to store data sectors received from the host system via the interface. A switch is used to selectively connect the interface and the data storage devices to the buffer to facilitate the transfer of data into and out of the buffer. The data sectors are transferred by segmenting each sector into multiple smaller data cells and distributing these data cells among the data storage devices using an arbitrated distribution method.
1. A method for storing data in an array of solid-state data storage devices, comprising:
receiving a plurality of data sectors from a host system;
storing the data sectors in a buffer;
segmenting the data sectors into a plurality of data cells;
distributing the data cells among a plurality of solid-state data storage devices using a distribution method, wherein one data cell is transferred to one of the data storage devices during each of a plurality of time slots of the distribution method, and wherein all of the data cells segmented from the same data sector are transferred to the same solid-state data storage device; and
reassembling the data cells into their respective data sectors and storing the data sectors in the respective solid-state data storage devices.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the data sectors are received from the host system at a first data transfer rate and are reassembled and stored in the respective solid-state data storage devices at a second data transfer rate slower than the first.
3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising allocating access to the buffer by the host system and the plurality of solid-state data storage devices using a round-robin allocation method, wherein one data cell of the data sectors is stored in the buffer during each of a plurality of time slots allocated to the host system.
4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising allocating access to the buffer by the host system and the plurality of solid-state data storage devices using a dynamic allocation method, wherein one data cell of the data sectors is stored in the buffer during each of a plurality of time slots allocated to the host system.
5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein all of the data sectors are the same size.
6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising testing each of the plurality of solid-state data storage devices to determine the status of the solid-state data storage device, wherein the data cells are distributed among solid-state data storage devices having a ready status.
7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the plurality of solid-state data storage devices are tested prior to receiving the data cells from the host system.
8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the data cells are distributed among the plurality of solid-state data storage devices using a static routing algorithm.
9. A parallel data storage system, comprising:
an interface for communicating with a host system;
a buffer configured to store a plurality of data sectors;
a plurality of solid-state data storage devices;
a switch for selectively connecting the interface and the plurality of solid-state data storage devices to the buffer; and
a controller programmed to store a plurality of data sectors received from the host system via the interface in the buffer, segment the data sectors into a plurality of data cells, and distribute the data cells among the plurality of solid-state data storage devices using a distribution method, wherein one data cell is transferred to one of the solid-state data storage devices during each of a plurality of time slots of the distribution method, and wherein all of the data cells segmented from the same data sector are transferred to the same solid-state data storage device,
wherein the plurality of solid-state data storage devices are configured to reassemble the data cells into their respective data sectors and store the data sectors.
10. The parallel data storage system according to claim 9 , wherein the data transfer rate of each of the plurality of solid-state data storage devices is slower than the data transfer rate of the interface.
11. The parallel data storage system according to claim 9 , wherein the controller is programmed to distribute the data cells among the plurality of solid-state data storage devices using a static routing algorithm.
12. The parallel data storage system according to claim 9 , wherein the buffer is a random access memory (RAM).
13. The parallel data storage system according to claim 9 , wherein the controller is programmed to allocate access to the buffer by the interface and the plurality of solid-state data storage devices using a round-robin allocation method, wherein one data cell of the data sectors is stored in the buffer during each of a plurality of time slots allocated to the interface.
14. The parallel data storage system according to claim 9 , wherein the controller is programmed to allocate access to the buffer by the interface and the plurality of solid-state data storage devices using a dynamic allocation method, wherein one data cell of the data sectors is stored in the buffer during each of a plurality of time slots allocated to the interface.
15. The parallel data storage system according to claim 9 , wherein the controller is programmed to test each of the plurality of solid-state data storage devices to determine the status of the data storage device, wherein the data cells are distributed among the solid-state data storage devices having a ready status.
16. The parallel data storage system according to claim 9 , wherein the buffer is a dual-port random access memory.
17. The parallel data storage system according to claim 9 , wherein the interface is an Advanced Technology Attachment (ATA) interface.
18. The parallel data storage system according to claim 9 , wherein the interface is a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface.
19. The parallel data storage system according to claim 9 , wherein the interface is a CompactFlash interface.
20. The parallel data storage system according to claim 9 , wherein the plurality of solid-state data storage devices are Advance Technology Attachment (ATA) storage devices.