Abstract: In processor-based systems, loss of ports may be avoided while connecting mass storage drives or devices at a host level. In one embodiment, a slave device (e.g., a cache or an accelerator) may be interposed between a host device and a master storage device (e.g., a disk drive) over a serialized link, providing accelerated communications between the host device and the master storage device through the slave device both coupled on select one of one or more ports available at the host device for device connections.

Abstract: Briefly, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a method to generate cache data is provided, wherein the method includes identifying access data transmitted from a storage device during execution of a predetermined software program and generating cache data using the identified access data.

Abstract: A system including a data requester and a storage system. The storage system determines which prefetch data to include with demand data, without the data requester specifying the prefetch data, and provides information enabling the data requestor to discern the demand data from the prefetch data. The data requestor can be a disk drive driver which copies the demand data in fulfilling an operating system request, and then caches the prefetch data. The storage system can be a disk drive.

Abstract: A method, device, and computer program to generate operation codes having a maximum hamming distance between them. Utilizing these operation codes it is possible to detect errors immediately upon receipt of a first byte of data in a packet to allow the receiver to immediately act on the received data. This reduces the need for buffer space on both the transmitting and receiving devices. Further, this method reduces the latency for the receiver acting on the incoming data.

Abstract: Data is read in response to a request for a predetermined amount of data. The amount of data that has been read is determined prior to completing reading the predetermined amount of data. The predetermined amount of data may include prefetch data and demand data, where demand data is data for a computer program and prefetch data is data adjacent to the demand data.

Abstract: A method is described that involves sending a second command over a Serial ATA interface to a device before the device is able to execute a first command that was previously sent to the Serial ATA interface. In a further embodiment of the first command is tagged with a first reference number. In an even further embodiment of the method the second command is tagged with a second reference number.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer program for causing a host computer to optimize execution of plural requests for access to plural data storage locations on a rotating disk, included in a disk storage device, based on a rotational position of the disk relative to a position of a read/write head. The host computer stores position information representing a rotational position of the disk, detects whether plural requests are to be executed, and when plural requests are to be executed, optimizes execution of the requests by reordering a sequence of execution of the requests in a manner to reduce a total service time of the requests based on the position information.

Abstract: Data is read from a storage medium in response to a command and stored in a region of memory. An interrupt is issued after a predetermined portion of the data has been stored in memory. A database, such as a scatter/gather list, may be consulted to determine when to issue the interrupt. A host processing device may read data from a first location on the storage medium in response to a command requesting data at a second location on the storage medium, and may read data from the second location on the storage medium in response to the command. The first location precedes the second location in a direction of movement of the storage medium during reading.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a system includes a switch coupled to a first host, a second host and a storage device. The switch is to decouple the second host from the storage device in response to a signal received from the first host, and to couple the first host to the storage device in response to the signal received from the first host. The signal is a valid signal, sequence of valid signals or combination of valid signals in a communication protocol used between the first host and the switch. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: In processor-based systems, loss of ports may be avoided while connecting mass storage drives or devices at a host level. In one embodiment, a slave device (e.g., a cache or an accelerator) may be interposed between a host device and a master storage device (e.g., a disk drive) over a serialized link, providing accelerated communications between the host device and the master storage device through the slave device both coupled on select one of one or more ports available at the host device for device connections.

Abstract: A method for performing CRC calculations on packets with dynamic headers is disclosed. The header may be changed during transmission across a network. When the header is changed, a CRC associated with the header is recalculated such that a residue of the initial seed value is always obtained. A final CRC covers the entire packet including the header and its header CRC, or just the data portion of the packet. The final CRC remains valid and unchanged during transmission of the packet, allowing an endpoint along the network to confirm the validity of the entire packet. By only changing the CRC associated with the changed portion of the packet (the header CRC), the introduction of errors during transmission of the packet is minimized.

Abstract: According to some embodiments, a presence indication associated with an attachment is provided.

Abstract: A method is described that involves sending a second command over a Serial ATA interface to a device before the device is able to execute a first command that was previously sent to the Serial ATA interface. In a further embodiment of the first command is tagged with a first reference number. In an even further embodiment of the method the second command is tagged with a second reference number.

Abstract: According to one aspect of the present invention, a method is provided in which a device, in response to a read request issued by a host, transfers data to the host through a series of direct memory access (DMA) data in bursts. The host is allowed to interrupt the data transfer and terminate the data in burst upon completion of a portion of the data transfer.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for reducing the disk drive data transfer interrupt service latency penalty is described. The method comprises beginning a data transfer between a disk drive and a host system, issuing an interrupt before the transfer is complete, and then completing the data transfer. This method may be implemented on a computer assembly that includes a processor, an input/output controller, and a scatter/gather list, which is stored in memory, that includes an entry that will cause the input/output controller to generate the interrupt.

Abstract: Briefly, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a method to generate cache data is provided, wherein the method includes identifying access data transmitted from a storage device during execution of a predetermined software program and generating cache data using the identified access data.

Abstract: A system including a data requester and a storage system. The storage system determines which prefetch data to include with demand data, without the data requester specifying the prefetch data, and provides information enabling the data requestor to discern the demand data from the prefetch data. The data requestor can be a disk drive driver which copies the demand data in fulfilling an operating system request, and then caches the prefetch data. The storage system can be a disk drive.

Abstract: A request for information is received at a peripheral from a computer. A reply to the request is transmitted that will cause a computer using a first computer/peripheral scheme not to use the peripheral.

Abstract: An apparatus and method to reduce the initialization time of a system is disclosed. In one embodiment, the invention stores metadata for data in a cache memory in a partitioned section of a non-volatile storage media. This allows multiple metadata entries to be read in one operation, thereby improving system performance.

Abstract: A system and method for generating a transportable physical level data block trace for a computer system. The method comprises capturing a first physical level data block trace on a first computer system, then performing a reverse file system lookup to generate a logical representation of that trace. That logical representation may be delivered to a second computer system, which may perform a file system lookup to convert the logical representation to a second physical level data block trace for a sequence of disk block accesses resulting from executing an application on the second computer system.