Systems and methods for a mass data storage system having a file-based interface to a host and a non-file-based interface to secondary storage
View Patent ↗System and method for transferring data between a host system and a data storage system is provided. The system includes an interface that uses a file based protocol to transfer data between the data storage system and the host system, wherein the data storage system includes a first mass storage device and a second mass storage device; wherein the first mass storage device is a solid state non-volatile memory device and the second mass storage device is a non-solid state memory device. The first mass storage device is a flash memory device that operates as a primary storage device that stores data on a file by file basis. The second mass storage device is a magnetic disk drive that operates as secondary storage device and stores data received via a logical interface.
1. A data storage system, comprising:
a first non-volatile mass storage device coupleable to a host system via a first interface, wherein:
the first interface utilizes a file based protocol to identify data via a unique file identifier and an offset within a file, and
the offset points to a location in the file other than a beginning of the file;
a second non-volatile mass storage device coupled to the first non-volatile mass storage device; and
a disk controller located on the second non-volatile mass storage device,
wherein:
the disk controller facilitates data transfers between the second non-volatile mass storage device and the first non-volatile mass storage device,
the first non-volatile mass storage device is a solid-state non-volatile memory that operates as a primary storage device,
the second non-volatile mass storage device is a magnetic hard disk that operates as a secondary storage device,
the first non-volatile mass storage device includes a disk file system and a disk driver interfacing with the magnetic hard disk via a logical interface that maps data files from a file based protocol to a logical address space within the second non-volatile mass storage device,
the second non-volatile mass storage device interfaces with the host only through the first non-volatile mass storage device,
the first non-volatile mass storage device and/or the second non-volatile mass storage device store data from the host system, and
the host system accesses both the first and second non-volatile mass storage devices using the file based protocol rather than the host system itself utilizing logical addressing to access the second non-volatile mass storage device.
2. The data storage system of claim 1 , wherein the first non-volatile mass storage device includes a disk file system to map data files to a logical address space of the second non-volatile mass storage device, which allows data transfer between the first non-volatile mass storage device and the second non-volatile mass storage device.
3. The data storage system of claim 1 , wherein the first non-volatile mass storage device comprises a direct data file interface configured to access data from a flash memory on a file-by-file basis.
4. The data storage system of claim 3 , wherein the first non-volatile mass storage device is configured to transfer data from the flash memory to the host system using a file based format.
5. The data storage system of claim 3 , wherein:
the first non-volatile mass storage device is configured to use the direct data file interface to transfer data to and from the second non-volatile mass storage device, and
the direct data file interface is configured to interface with a disk file system and a disk driver to send and/or receive data from the second non-volatile mass storage device via a logical interface.
6. The data storage system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first non-volatile mass storage device has a faster access time and less storage capacity than access time and storage capacity of the second non-volatile mass storage device, and
data can be accessed from the first non-volatile mass storage device if the second non-volatile mass storage device is in an unavailable state, or data can be accessed from both the first non-volatile mass storage device and the second non-volatile mass storage device when the second non-volatile mass storage device is in an available state.
7. The data storage system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first non-volatile mass storage device is configured to save a first segment of a file received from the host system, and
the second non-volatile mass storage device is configured to store a second segment of the file received from the host system.
8. The data storage system of claim 1 , wherein the first non-volatile mass storage device is configured to operate as a cache for reading data from the second non-volatile mass storage device.
9. The data storage system of claim 1 , wherein the first non-volatile mass storage device is configured to operate as a write cache for data that is written in the second non-volatile mass storage device.
10. The data storage system of claim 1 , wherein a memory controller of the data storage system is configured to determine where file data received from the host system should be stored.
11. The data storage system of claim 1 , wherein the first non-volatile mass storage device is configured to act as a temporary back up for data that is written in the secondary non-volatile mass storage device.
12. The data storage system of claim 1 , wherein the first non-volatile mass storage device is configured to store executable application program files that are copied from the first non-volatile mass storage device and executed by the host system.
13. The data storage system of claim 1 , wherein the first non-volatile mass storage device and the second non-volatile mass storage device are configured to receive data copied therebetween as a background operation during periods of inactivity.
14. The data storage system of claim 13 , further comprising a buffer distinct from the first non-volatile mass storage device and the second non-volatile mass storage device and configured to temporarily store the data copied between the first non-volatile mass storage device and the second non-volatile mass storage device.
15. A data storage system, comprising:
a first non-volatile mass storage device coupleable to a host system via a file based protocol, wherein:
data is identified using a unique file identifier and an offset within a file,
the offset points to a location in the file other than a beginning of the file, and
the first non-volatile mass storage device is a solid-state non-volatile memory that operates as a primary storage device;
a second non-volatile mass storage device, wherein the second non-volatile mass storage device is a magnetic hard disk that operates as a secondary storage device; and
a disk controller located on the second non-volatile mass storage device,
wherein:
the disk controller facilitates data transfers between the second non-volatile mass storage device and the first non-volatile mass storage device,
the first non-volatile mass storage device includes a disk file system and a disk driver interfacing with the magnetic hard disk via a logical interface that map data files from a file based protocol to a logical address space within the second non-volatile mass storage device,
the second non-volatile mass storage device interfaces with the host only through the first non-volatile mass storage device,
the first non-volatile mass storage device and/or second non-volatile mass storage device stores file data from the host system, and
the host system accesses both the first and second non-volatile mass storage devices using the file based protocol rather than the host system itself utilizing logical addressing to access the second non-volatile mass storage device.
16. The data storage system of claim 15 , wherein the first non-volatile mass storage device includes a disk file system configured to map data files to a logical address space of the second non-volatile mass storage device, which allows data transfer between the first non-volatile mass storage device and the second non-volatile mass storage device.
17. The data storage system of claim 15 , wherein:
the first non-volatile mass storage device has a faster access time and less storage capacity than access time and storage capacity of the second non-volatile mass storage device, and
data can be accessed from the first non-volatile mass storage device if the second non-volatile mass storage device is in an unavailable state, or from both the first non-volatile mass storage device and the second non-volatile mass storage device when the second non-volatile mass storage device is in an available state.
18. The data storage system of claim 15 , wherein:
the first non-volatile mass storage device is configured to save a first segment of a file received from the host system, and
the second non-volatile mass storage device is configured to store a second segment of the file received from the host system.
19. The data storage system of claim 15 , wherein the first non-volatile mass storage device is configured to operate as a cache for reading data from the second non-volatile mass storage device.
20. The data storage system of claim 15 , wherein the first non-volatile mass storage device is configured to operate as a write cache for data that is written in the second non-volatile mass storage device.
21. The data storage system of claim 15 , wherein the first non-volatile mass storage device is configured to act as a temporary back up for data that is written in the secondary non-volatile storage device.
22. The data storage system of claim 15 , wherein the first non-volatile mass storage device is configured to store executable application program files that are copied from the first non-volatile mass storage device and executed by the host system.
23. The data storage system of claim 15 , further comprising a buffer configured to temporarily store data copied between the first non-volatile mass storage device and the second non-volatile mass storage device as a background operation during periods of inactivity.
24. A system for transferring data between a host system and a data storage system, comprising:
an interface configured to use a file based protocol wherein data is identifiable using a unique file identifier and an offset within a file to transfer data between the data storage system and the host system,
wherein the offset is configurable to point to a location in the file other than a beginning of the file;
wherein the data storage system includes a first non-volatile mass storage device, a second non-volatile mass storage device, and a disk controller located on the second non-volatile mass storage device,
wherein the disk controller is configured to facilitate data transfers between the second non-volatile mass storage device and the first non-volatile mass storage device;
wherein the first non-volatile mass storage device is configured to store data in a first format and the second non-volatile mass storage device is configured to store data in a second format;
wherein the first non-volatile mass storage device is a solid-state non-volatile memory configured to operate as a primary storage device;
wherein the second non-volatile mass storage device is a magnetic hard disk configured to operate as a secondary storage device;
wherein the first non-volatile mass storage device includes a disk file system and a disk driver for interfacing with the magnetic hard disk via a logical interface configured to map data files from a file based protocol to a logical address space within the second non-volatile mass storage device;
wherein the second non-volatile mass storage device is configured to interface with the host only through the first non-volatile mass storage device; and
wherein the host system is configured to access both the first and second non-volatile mass storage device using the file based protocol rather than the host system itself utilizing logical addressing to access the second non-volatile mass storage device.
25. The system of claim 24 , wherein the first non-volatile mass storage device includes a disk file system configured to map data files to a logical address space of the second non-volatile mass storage device, which allows data transfer between the first non-volatile mass storage device and the second non-volatile mass storage device.
26. The system of claim 24 , wherein:
the first non-volatile mass storage device has a faster access time and less storage capacity than access time and storage capacity of the second non-volatile mass storage device, and
data can be accessed from the first non-volatile mass storage device if the second non-volatile mass storage device is in an unavailable state, or data can be accessed from both the first non-volatile mass storage device and the second non-volatile mass storage device when the second non-volatile mass storage device is in an available state.
27. The system of claim 24 , wherein:
the first non-volatile mass storage device is configured to save a first segment of a file received from the host system, and
the second non-volatile mass storage device is configured to store a second segment of the file received from the host system.
28. The system of claim 24 , wherein the first non-volatile mass storage device is configured to operate as a cache for reading data from the second non-volatile mass storage device.
29. The system of claim 24 , wherein the first non-volatile mass storage device is configured to operate as a write cache for data that is written in the second non-volatile mass storage device.
30. The system of claim 24 , wherein a memory controller of the data storage system is configured to determine where file data received from the host system should be stored.
31. The system of claim 24 , wherein the first non-volatile mass storage device is configured to act as a temporary back up for data that is written in the secondary non-volatile mass storage device.
32. The system of claim 24 , wherein the first non-volatile mass storage device is configured to store executable application program files that are copied from the first non-volatile mass storage device and executed by the host system.
33. The system of claim 24 , wherein the first non-volatile mass storage device and the second non-volatile mass storage device are configured to receive data copied therebetween as a background operation during periods of inactivity.
34. The system of claim 33 , further comprising a buffer distinct from the first non-volatile mass storage device and the second non-volatile mass storage device and configured to temporarily store the data copied between the first non-volatile mass storage device and the second non-volatile mass storage device.