Abstract: Methods and structure within a storage system for tuning performance of the storage system based on monitored block level access within the storage system. Block level access, either in cache memory or on the storage devices of the storage system, is monitored to detect patterns of access and/or data that correspond to an identified host system program. Based on the identified host system program, a profile of desired storage device configuration information is selected by the storage system. The profile comprises information identifying optimal configuration of a logical volume used by the corresponding host system program. Reconfiguration options are identified from the profile information and used either to automatically reconfigure the logical volume or are presented to a user to permit the user to select desired options from the reconfiguration options.

Abstract: Coding circuitry for difference-based data transformation in an illustrative embodiment comprises a difference-based encoder having a plurality of processing stages, with the difference-based encoder being configured to generate respective orders of difference from a sequence of data samples and to output encoded data determined based on at least a selected one of the orders of difference. The coding circuitry may be configured to implement lossless, linear compression of the sequence of data samples. The coding circuitry may additionally or alternatively comprise a difference-based decoder having a plurality of processing stages, with the difference-based encoder being configured to process encoded data comprising selected ones of a plurality of orders of difference and to reconstruct a sequence of data samples based on the selected orders of difference.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method which allows for substitution of standard SAS ALIGN primitives with an alternative, more spectrally pure set of SAS ALIGN primitives that allows for enhanced continuous adaptation performance. Two consenting SAS devices which are connected to each other may negotiate for and start communicating using the alternate set of ALIGN primitives, which may allow for improved jitter tolerance and reduced bit error rate.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for detection and decoding in flash memories using a correlation of neighboring bits or errors in neighboring bits. Data from a flash memory device is processed by obtaining one or more read values for a plurality of bits in a given page of the flash memory device; converting the one or more read values for the plurality of bits to a reliability value for a bit among said plurality of bits based on a probability that a data pattern was written to the plurality of bits given that a particular pattern was read from the plurality of bits; and decoding the bit in the page using the reliability value. The probability that the data pattern was written to the plurality of bits given that the particular pattern was read from the plurality of bits is obtained from one or more tables.

Abstract: An integrated circuit comprises scan test circuitry and additional circuitry subject to testing utilizing the scan test circuitry. The scan test circuitry comprises at least one scan chain having a plurality of scan cells, wherein the scan chain is separated into a plurality of scan segments with each such segment comprising a distinct subset of two or more of the plurality of scan cells. The scan test circuitry further comprises scan segment bypass circuitry configured to selectively bypass one or more of the scan segments in a scan shift mode of operation. The scan segment bypass circuitry may comprise a plurality of multiplexers and a scan segment bypass controller. The multiplexers are arranged within the scan chain and configured to allow respective ones of the scan segments to be bypassed responsive to respective bypass control signals generated by the scan segment bypass controller.

Abstract: A scalable packet switch possessing a multiport memory, a multiport memory manager, two or more input/output (I/O) ports, and two or more switch engines. Each switch engine is associated with one or more I/O ports, and is adapted to receive inbound packets and transmit outbound packets via the associated I/O ports. Inbound packets are stored in a shared packet buffer. Each switch engine is further adapted to (i) determine (i.e., bridge) the outbound I/O port(s) for received inbound packets by consulting a shared bridging table and (ii) schedule outbound packets for transmission, independently and in parallel with other switch engines. The shared packet buffer and shared bridging table are stored in the multiport memory and shared by all switch engines. The multiport memory manager allocates/de-allocates memory blocks within the multiport memory.

Abstract: Described embodiments provide a system having a bridge for communicating information between two processor buses. The bridge receives a command from a first bus, the command having an identification field and an address field. As the command is entered into a buffer in the bridge, the address field is checked against one or more addresses. If there is a match, then control bits are checked to see if the command will be allowed or not depending on the identification field value. If the command is not transferred to the second bus, a flag is set in the buffer, and an error message is returned to the first bus, and an interrupt may be generated. The control bits allow commands access to specific addresses on the second bus or deny the access depending on the command identification field. Bit-wise masking provides a range of values for identification and address field matching.

Abstract: Described embodiments provide a system having a bridge for connecting two different processor buses. The bridge receives a command from a first bus, the command having an identification field having a value. The command is then entered into a buffer in the bridge unless another command having the same identification field value exists in the buffer. Once the command with the same identification field value is removed from the buffer, the received command is entered into the buffer. Next, the buffered command is transmitted over a second bus. A response to the command is eventually received from the second bus, the response is transmitted over the first bus, and the command is then removed from the buffer. By not entering the received command until a similar command with the same identification value is removed from the buffer, command ordering is enforced even though multiple commands are pending in the buffer.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a first circuit, a second circuit, and a third circuit. The first circuit may be configured to generate a first control voltage and a second control voltage. The second circuit may be configured to generate a bias signal in response to the first control voltage and the second control voltage. The third circuit may be configured to generate a filtered signal in response to the bias signal. The filtered signal may be added to the first control voltage and the second control voltage to provide AC noise suppression when generating the bias signal.

Abstract: Described embodiments provide a system having a bridge for connecting two different processor buses. A process monitor within the bridge allows for measuring latency of commands issued on a first bus, passing through the bridge, and executed by clients coupled to the second bus. By using identification fields associated with the command, measuring the latency of each command begins with matching the identification field of the command to an integer. As the bridge passes acknowledgements back to the first bus, the monitoring of the command is stopped when an identification field associated with an acknowledgement matches the identification field of the command being monitored. Data collected include the minimum, maximum, total latency, and the number of commands monitored. From this data, the average latency can be easily calculated.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising an initiator circuit and a target circuit. The initiator circuit may be configured to (i) communicate with a network through a first interface and (ii) generate testing sequences to be sent to the network. The target circuit may be configured to (i) receive the testing sequences from the network through a second network interface and (ii) respond to the testing sequences.

Abstract: A time-interleaved track-and-hold circuit includes a clock generator adapted to receive a global sine-wave clock signal and to generate therefrom multiple square-wave output clock signals of different phases. The track-and-hold circuit includes a switching array operative in at least a track mode or a hold mode. The switching array includes multiple switch circuits, each switch circuit adapted to receive an analog input signal, a corresponding one of the output clock signals, and the global sine-wave clock signal. Each switch circuit is operative to utilize the corresponding one of the output clock signals during the track mode for tracking the analog input signal, and is operative during the hold mode to store the input signal sampled during the track mode as an output of the switch circuit and to utilize the global sine-wave clock signal during the hold mode for synchronizing sampling instants of the respective outputs of the switch circuits.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for collecting cell-level statistics for detection and decoding in flash memories. Data from a flash memory device is processed by obtaining one or more read values for a plurality of bits in a page of the flash memory device; and generating cell-level statistics for the flash memory device based on a probability that a data pattern was read from the plurality of bits given that a particular pattern was written to the plurality of bits. The cell-level statistics are optionally generated substantially simultaneously with a reading of the read values, for example, as part of a read scrub process. The cell-level statistics can be used to convert the read values for the plurality of bits to a reliability value for a bit among the plurality of bits.

Abstract: Inter-cell interference cancellation is provided for flash memory devices. Data from a flash memory device is processed by obtaining one or more quantized threshold voltage values for at least one target cell of the flash memory device; obtaining one or more hard decision read values for at least one aggressor cell of the target cell; determining an aggressor state of the at least one aggressor cell; determining an interference amount based on the aggressor state; determining an adjustment to the quantized threshold voltage values based on the determined interference amount; and adjusting the quantized threshold voltage values based on the determined adjustment. The quantized threshold voltage values for at least one target cell are optionally re-used from a previous soft read retry operation. The adjusted quantized threshold voltage values are optionally used to determine reliability values and are optionally applied to a soft decision decoder and/or a buffer.

Abstract: Methods and systems for mapping and programming the debug logic of a circuit are provided. The system acquires a Register Transfer Level (RTL) representation of a circuit, wherein the circuit implements test logic that is externally programmable for providing one or more output signals corresponding to internal operational signals. The system analyzes the RTL representation to identify test multiplexers (MUXs) having registers for implementing the test logic, and correlates test register values for the test MUXs with outputs corresponding to the internal operational signals, based upon the RTL representation. The system further enables a user to select a desired internal operational signal for acquisition. Additionally, the system programs the test registers of the test MUXs of the circuit based on the correlated test register values to acquire the selected internal operational signal and to apply the acquired signal as one or more output signals.

Abstract: Methods and systems for backing up data of a RAID 0 volume. The system includes a plurality of storage devices implementing a logical volume in a Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) level 0 configuration. The system also includes a storage controller. The storage controller is adapted to manage Input/Output (I/O) operations directed to the RAID 0 volume. The storage controller is further adapted to duplicate data stored on the RAID 0 volume to unused portions of other storage devices during an idle time of the storage controller.

Abstract: A scan chain lockup latch comprises at least one latching element and data input control circuitry configured to control application of data to a data input of the latching element responsive to a scan enable signal. The lockup latch is configured for coupling between first and second scan cells of a scan chain. The scan chain may be controllable between a scan shift mode of operation and a functional mode of operation responsive to the scan enable signal. The data input control circuitry may be configured to maintain the data input of the latching element at a constant logic value when the scan chain is in its functional mode of operation such that switching activity in the latching element is suppressed. The scan chain lockup latch and the associated scan chain may be implemented in scan test circuitry of an integrated circuit, for testing additional circuitry of that integrated circuit.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for detection and decoding in flash memories with error correlations for a plurality of bits within a sliding window. Data from a flash memory device is processed by obtaining one or more read values for a plurality of bits from one or more pages of the flash memory device; converting the one or more read values for the plurality of bits to a non-binary log likelihood ratio based on a probability that a given data pattern was written to the plurality of bits when a particular pattern was read from the plurality of bits; and decoding the plurality of bits using a binary decoder. The non-binary log likelihood ratio captures one or more of intra-page correlations and/or intra-cell correlations. A least significant bit and a most significant bit of a given cell can be independently converted and/or jointly converted to the non-binary log likelihood ratio.

Abstract: A method and storage controller for providing active-active RAID functionality within storage controller device(s). An embodiment may utilize zoning capabilities to assign a subset of physical storage devices with each storage controller. One or more storage controllers may detect that a storage controller/server has failed and may reconfigure zoning of the physical storage devices originally zoned in with the failed storage controller such that the physical storage devices of the failed zone are zoned out of the failed zone and zoned in with at least one of the remaining functional storage controllers. A reverse process may be used on recovery. An embodiment may further represent each of the physical devices zoned in with a storage controller as at least one virtual storage device and configure an additional comprehensive zone incorporating the storage controllers such that each storage controller has access to all physical storage devices through the virtual storage devices.

Abstract: A redundant array of independent disks level 5 (RAID 5) with a mirroring functionality is disclosed. In one embodiment, a method for adding a mirroring functionality to a RAID 5 includes forming an array using at least three drives for storing data, creating multiple data blocks and a parity for the multiple data blocks based on the data for every (2N?1)th stripe of the array, and generating a mirror image of the multiple data blocks and the parity for the multiple data blocks for every (2N?1)th stripe to its respective 2Nth stripe of the array, where the N is an integer starting from 1.