Abstract: A system and method for managing logins and/or conducting data storage transactions, for example in a network interface. One exemplary embodiment comprises a method for interfacing a mass storage target system with a plurality of initiators. The method includes creating a data structure in local memory of a network interface chip to, at least in part, manage one or more logins; storing information comprising service parameter information m the data structure; and receiving a login request for a login comprising service parameter information. The method further includes comparing the service parameter information of the login request to the service parameter information stored in the data structure; determining, based at least in part on said comparing, to utilize the data structure to manage the login; and managing the login with the network interface chip using at least the data structure.

Abstract: A system and method for managing logins and/or conducting data storage transactions, for example in a network interface.

Abstract: A system and method for managing logins and/or conducting data storage transactions, for example in a network interface.

Abstract: In various embodiments, the present invention provides virtual disk formatting by intermediate devices including: (1) a storage shelf router and the storage shelf in which the storage-shelf is included, to external computing entities, such as disk-array controllers and host computers; (2) an I/O controller; and (3) a storage-bridge device. Additional embodiments of the present invention enhance virtual formatting by using additional padding, in a dual-abstraction method, to efficiently align virtual-block reads with underlying device blocks. Yet additional embodiments of the present invention allow for tracking and correcting device blocks corrupted during READ-MODIFY operations that occur during virtual-block WRITE operations. Various intermediate devices may employ two or more of the virtual formatting, dual abstraction, and corrupted-device-block tracking methods.

Abstract: In one embodiment of the present invention, a two-register interface is provided by a first electronic device to allow access to memory within the electronic device by external electronic devices. The two-register interface is mapped from the memory of an accessing, second electronic device. READ and WRITE accesses are transmitted from the accessing, second electronic device to the two-register interface through a communications medium. A first register of the two-register interface directs access to a particular memory location, and the second register of the two-register interface provides a portal for both READ and WRITE access to the particular memory location.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a technique to protect sector remapped boundary data from corruption due to catastrophic errors such as loss of power in storage disks including SATA (Serial ATA) drives. Specially, one method is provided for protecting the boundary sector data from power failure through a data recovery mechanism, namely, a boundary sector table in which the boundary sectors are pre-stored in case any power failure or loss occurs during the sector remapped write operations. In connection with the boundary sector table stored in a reserved region of the storage disk, a boundary sector information index is provided in a bridge coupled to the disk, which serves as a key to identify and retrieve the needed boundary sector data from the table for corrupted data recovery.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an improved sector remapping method that maps logical sectors into physical sectors in storage disks such as SATA (Serial ATA) drives without reducing either storage capacity or I/O performance efficiency. Under this sector remapping method, logical sectors of data can be written into the physical sectors of a storage device through control frames having padded data or information associated with the padded data, as well as data frames having real data to be stored. With the padded data to be added to the real data, the frames provide multiple physical sectors to be transmitted into the storage device in a single write operation. The sector remapping method can be implemented in a storage bridge coupled to a storage device such as SATA drives.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to methods for efficient queue management, and device implementations that incorporate these methods, for systems that include two or more electronic devices that share a queue residing in the memory of one of the two or more electronic devices. In certain embodiments of the present invention, a discard field or bit is included in each queue entry. The bit or field is set to a first value, such as the Boolean value “0,” by a producing device to indicate that the entry is valid, or, in other words, that the entry can be consumed by the consuming device. After placing entries into the queue, the producing device may subsequently remove one or more entries from the queue by setting the discard field or bit to a second value, such as Boolean value “1.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a technique to protect sector remapped boundary data from corruption due to catastrophic errors such as loss of power in storage disks including SATA (Serial ATA) drives. Specially, one method is provided for protecting the boundary sector data from power failure through a data recovery mechanism, namely, a boundary sector table in which the boundary sectors are pre-stored in case any power failure or loss occurs during the sector remapped write operations. In connection with the boundary sector table stored in a reserved region of the storage disk, a boundary sector information index is provided in a bridge coupled to the disk, which serves as a key to identify and retrieve the needed boundary sector data from the table for corrupted data recovery.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an improved sector remapping method that maps logical sectors into physical sectors in storage disks such as SATA (Serial ATA) drives without reducing either storage capacity or I/O performance efficiency. Under this sector remapping method, logical sectors of data can be written into the physical sectors of a storage device through control frames having padded data or information associated with the padded data, as well as data frames having real data to be stored. With the padded data to be added to the real data, the frames provide multiple physical sectors to be transmitted into the storage device in a single write operation. The sector remapping method can be implemented in a storage bridge coupled to a storage device such as SATA drives.

Abstract: In various embodiments, the present invention provides virtual disk formatting by intermediate devices including: (1) a storage shelf router and the storage shelf in which the storage-shelf is included, to external computing entities, such as disk-array controllers and host computers; (2) an I/O controller; and (3) a storage-bridge device. Additional embodiments of the present invention enhance virtual formatting by using additional padding, in a dual-abstraction method, to efficiently align virtual-block reads with underlying device blocks. Yet additional embodiments of the present invention allow for tracking and correcting device blocks corrupted during READ-MODIFY operations that occur during virtual-block WRITE operations. Various intermediate devices may employ two or more of the virtual formatting, dual abstraction, and corrupted-device-block tracking methods.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to methods for efficient queue management, and device implementations that incorporate these methods, for systems that include two or more electronic devices that share a queue residing in the memory of one of the two or more electronic devices. In certain embodiments of the present invention, a discard field or bit is included in each queue entry. The bit or field is set to a first value, such as the Boolean value “0,” by a producing device to indicate that the entry is valid, or, in other words, that the entry can be consumed by the consuming device. After placing entries into the queue, the producing device may subsequently remove one or more entries from the queue by setting the discard field or bit to a second value, such as Boolean value “1.

Abstract: In one embodiment of the present invention, a two-register interface is provided by a first electronic device to allow access to memory within the electronic device by external electronic devices. The two-register interface is mapped from the memory of an accessing, second electronic device. READ and WRITE accesses are transmitted from the accessing, second electronic device to the two-register interface through a communications medium. A first register of the two-register interface directs access to a particular memory location, and the second register of the two-register interface provides a portal for both READ and WRITE access to the particular memory location.