Abstract: Methods and apparatus for preprocessing commands by a data transfer device. A prefetch processor creates a list of contiguous pointers in a local memory coupled to a controller CPU, based on pointers stored by a host processing system coupled to the data transfer device. When the controller CPU is ready to execute a command, it uses the pointer list in the local memory to determine where to transfer data associated with the command.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for reducing the time for rebuilding a memory mapping table in a host computer. A memory mapping table is maintained by a host computer in dynamic memory and duplicated in a data storage device, for example, a solid state drive (SSD). If power is lost, a rebuild engine inside the data storage device separate and apart from a controller CPU rebuilds the memory mapping table in the dynamic memory based on a copy of the memory mapping table maintained by the data storage device.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are described to dynamically adjust internal resources and arbitration schemes of a block I/O device that allows for efficient bandwidth utilization and increased IO performance of the block I/O device. Commands from a plurality of hosts are monitored and measured under various workloads, and the block I/O device dynamically adjusts internal resources and arbitration schemes based on the received commands.

Abstract: A system, method and apparatus is described for providing low-latency swap operations in a computer system. Swap memory space is defined by physical location attributes of non-volatile memory in a data storage device. The physical location attributes are used by a processor to directly store swap data into the data storage device at a location in accordance with the physical location attributes. No address translation is performed by either the processor or the data storage device.

Abstract: A system, method and apparatus for storing data from a host system to a target data storage device over a wide-area network. In one embodiment, a network interface device is described, for receiving data storage commands from a remote host system, for determining if the data storage command comprises an I/O command or an administrative command, and for sending I/O commands to a target data storage device over a local fabric network and the administrative commands to a target data storage server over the local fabric network.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is described for assigning columns of an LDPC H matrix to a plurality of decoding logics for efficient decoding of codewords. The rows of the LDPC H matrix are evaluated in a number of different orderings, and for each row in each ordering, a number of columns containing non-zero circulants are determined that cannot be evenly distributed to a plurality of decoding logics. As each row is evaluated, one or more columns of the LDPC H matrix are assigned to temporary bins for storage. After the LDPC H matrix has been evaluated a plurality of times, the arrangement that resulted in the fewest number of “mismatched” columns is selected, and the columns of the LDPC H matrix that were assigned to the temporary storage bins for that particular row arrangement is used to assign the columns in the bins to the plurality of decoding logics.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for improved data recovery in data storage systems is described. When errors occur while retrieving a plurality of codewords from a plurality of storage devices, a long vector may be formed from the plurality of codewords and decoded by a special, long parity check matrix to re-create data stored on the plurality of storage devices when normal decoding efforts fail.

Abstract: A system, method and apparatus for encrypting data. A host processor and host memory are coupled to a block I/O device. The host processor issues encryption and decryption commands to the block I/O device in accordance with a high-speed data storage and retrieval protocol. The block I/O device performs encryption on data specified in the encryption command, thus relieving the host processor of performing the encryption and freeing the host processor for other tasks.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for improved data recovery in data storage systems is described. When errors occur while retrieving a plurality of codewords from a plurality of storage devices, a long vector may be formed from the plurality of codewords and decoded by a special, long parity check matrix to re-create data stored on the plurality of storage devices when normal decoding efforts fail.

Abstract: A system, method and apparatus for encoding and decoding data. A host processor and host memory are coupled to a block I/O device. The host processor issues encode and decode commands to the block I/O device in accordance with a high-speed data storage and retrieval protocol. The block I/O device encodes the data specified in the encode command, thus relieving the host processor of performing the encoding/decoding and freeing the host processor for other tasks.

Abstract: A system, method and apparatus for compressing and decompressing data. A host processor and host memory are coupled to a block I/O device. The host processor issues compress and decompress commands to the block I/O device in accordance with a high-speed data storage and retrieval protocol. The block I/O device compresses/decompresses the data specified in the compress/decompress command, thus relieving the host processor of performing the compression/decompression and freeing the host processor for other tasks.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is described for assigning columns of an LDPC H matrix to a plurality of decoding logics for efficient decoding of codewords. The rows of the LDPC H matrix are evaluated in a number of different orderings, and for each row in each ordering, a number of columns containing non-zero circulants are determined that cannot be evenly distributed to a plurality of decoding logics. As each row is evaluated, one or more columns of the LDPC H matrix are assigned to temporary bins for storage. After the LDPC H matrix has been evaluated a plurality of times, the arrangement that resulted in the fewest number of “mismatched” columns is selected, and the columns of the LDPC H matrix that were assigned to the temporary storage bins for that particular row arrangement is used to assign the columns in the bins to the plurality of decoding logics.

Abstract: A system, method and apparatus for encrypting data. A host processor and host memory are coupled to a block I/O device. The host processor issues encryption and decryption commands to the block I/O device in accordance with a high-speed data storage and retrieval protocol. The block I/O device performs encryption on data specified in the encryption command, thus relieving the host processor of performing the encryption and freeing the host processor for other tasks.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for efficient data decoding is described. Data is encoded by an LDPC encoder using a G matrix. An LDPC decoder uses a modified H matrix to decode encoded blocks of data, the modified H matrix having at least two columns of its circulants swapped with each other. The encoded blocks of data are stored, decoded and reconstructed in an order that considers the circulants in the columns that have been swapped.

Abstract: A system, method and apparatus for encoding and decoding data. A host processor and host memory are coupled to a block I/O device. The host processor issues encode and decode commands to the block I/O device in accordance with a high-speed data storage and retrieval protocol. The block I/O device encodes the data specified in the encode command, thus relieving the host processor of performing the encoding/decoding and freeing the host processor for other tasks.

Abstract: A system, method and apparatus for compressing and decompressing data. A host processor and host memory are coupled to a block I/O device. The host processor issues compress and decompress commands to the block I/O device in accordance with a high-speed data storage and retrieval protocol. The block I/O device compresses/decompresses the data specified in the compress/decompress command, thus relieving the host processor of performing the compression/decompression and freeing the host processor for other tasks.

Abstract: A system, method and apparatus for encrypting data. A host processor and host memory are coupled to a block I/O device. The host processor issues encryption and decryption commands to the block I/O device in accordance with a high-speed data storage and retrieval protocol. The block I/O device performs encryption on data specified in the encryption command, thus relieving the host processor of performing the encryption and freeing the host processor for other tasks.

Abstract: A system, method and apparatus for performing high data throughput computations is disclosed. An I/O device, such as a solid state hard drive (SSD), is configured with programmable circuitry, in addition to traditional data storage and retrieval components. A host processor configures the programmable circuitry to perform one of any number of high data throughput computations using the same data storage and retrieval protocol used to store data on the I/O device.

Abstract: Look-ahead LDPC decoder. In an exemplary embodiment, a method includes generating a message (QA) to a first check node, the QA message is generated from a result (RA) from the first check node, and generating a message (QB) to a second check node, the QB message is generated from the result (RA) and is transmitted to avoid decoder stall. The method also includes receiving a result (R?A) from the first check node, computing a difference (R?A) between the result (R?A) and the result (RA), and receiving a result (R?B) from the second check node. The method also includes computing a bit value P(B) using the difference (R?A) and the result (R?B).

Abstract: There is provided, in accordance with an embodiment, a method of decoding codewords in conjunction with a low-density parity-check (LDPC) code that defines variable nodes and check nodes, the method comprising receiving a codeword over a data channel; evaluating quality of the data channel; and iteratively updating values of the variable nodes to decode the codeword; wherein the values of the variable nodes are updated at different levels of numeric precision depending on the evaluated quality of the data channel.