JP2008065575A - Expanded memory device and memory expansion system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To achieve an expanded memory device and a memory expansion system to allow easy expansion of an external storage capacity of a host system. <P>SOLUTION: A host interface bridge 20 recognizes the number of connection of memory units 14 and each memory capacity, and processes data from the host system 10 to access the accessible memory unit 14. Additionally, the host interface bridge 20 accesses the memory unit 14 to write data therein, and if required, also writes the same data into a backup device 22. Thus, the plurality of memory units 14 are collectively managed with a host interface unit 18, so that the cost can be reduced as compared with a case where each of the memory units has the host interface unit, and the plurality of memory units 14 can be added on a small space. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an expansion memory device used as an external storage area, and a memory expansion system including the expansion memory device.

It has been proposed to add a memory boat having a plurality of semiconductor memories mounted inside the host system and connect the memory of the memory boat, a memory controller, and a CPU with an optical cable. (Patent Document 1)
According to this, high-speed data transmission is realized by performing optical transmission using light instead of metal wiring for transmission of a semiconductor memory, a memory controller, and a CPU added in the host system.
JP 2000-58882 A

  However, the expansion of the semiconductor memory in the host system is limited in the housing that accommodates the entire host system, so that the expansion amount is limited in terms of space.

  In addition, it is possible to add a plurality of memory units each having a semiconductor memory as an external storage device. However, the conventional method requires a host interface for controlling information from the host computer for each memory unit, which increases the size. A large space is required and the cost is high.

  An object of the present invention is to easily extend the external storage capacity of the host system in consideration of the above facts.

  According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an extended memory device including a host interface unit including a host interface bridge for transmitting / receiving data to / from a host system, a backup device for backing up the data, and a power supply device, and the host interface. And a memory expansion unit connected to the unit and into which a plurality of memory units can be loaded.

  According to the above configuration, the power supply device supplies power to the host interface unit and the memory unit in the memory expansion unit, and the host interface bridge provided in the host interface unit receives and processes data from the host system to process the memory unit. To access. Further, the host interface bridge backs up data from the host system to a backup device as necessary.

  In this way, all data from the host system is processed by the host interface unit, and the use of each memory unit in the memory expansion unit is taken into account and the memory unit suitable for the situation is accessed.

  Therefore, the external storage capacity of the host system can be easily expanded simply by increasing the number of memory units provided separately from the host interface unit.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the extended memory device according to the first aspect, the memory of the memory unit is a volatile semiconductor memory, and the memory unit is supplied with power from a power supply unit different from the power supply device. It is characterized by being.

  According to the above configuration, the memory of the memory unit is configured by the volatile semiconductor memory that stores and holds the power while the power is supplied. However, since the memory unit is supplied with power from a power supply unit that is different from the power supply device, the memory contents of the volatile semiconductor memory can be retained even when a failure occurs in the host interface unit.

  An extended memory device according to claim 3 of the present invention is the extended interface unit according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising an extended interface bridge connected to the host interface unit and transmitting / receiving data to / from the host interface unit. And an expansion memory expansion unit connected to the expansion interface unit and into which a plurality of expansion memory units can be loaded.

  According to the above configuration, the host interface bridge provided in the host interface unit processes the data from the host system and accesses the accessible memory unit and the extended interface unit.

  Further, an extension interface bridge provided in the extension interface unit processes data from the host interface unit to access an accessible extension memory unit.

  As described above, all data from the host system is controlled by the host interface unit, and the expansion memory unit is accessed through the memory unit or the expansion interface unit suitable for the situation in consideration of the use state of the memory.

  Accordingly, it is possible to easily add a memory by connecting an expansion interface unit to the host interface unit, not the host system, and connecting the expansion memory unit in the expansion memory expansion unit to the expansion interface unit.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a memory expansion system comprising a host system and the expansion memory device according to any one of the first to third aspects connected to the host system.

  According to the above configuration, since the memory expansion system includes the host system and the expansion memory device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, the data processing capability of the memory expansion system can be improved. .

  According to the present invention, the external storage capacity of the host system can be easily expanded.

  A memory expansion system 30 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 1A, the memory expansion system 30 includes a host system 10 and an expansion memory device 12, and the expansion memory device 12 further includes a plurality of memory units 14 in which various types of information are stored. Is installed, and a host interface unit 18 connected between the host system 10 and the memory expansion unit 15 is provided.

  The host system 10 and the host interface unit 18 are connected by a data transmission cable 24 that transmits an optical signal. The host interface unit 18 and each memory unit 14 in the memory expansion unit 15 transmit data that transmits an optical signal. They are connected by a transmission cable 25.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the memory expansion unit 15 loaded with the memory unit 14 and the host interface unit 18 can be mounted in a 1U rack (19 inches). An interface unit 18 is mounted, and a memory expansion unit 15 is stacked thereon.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the host interface unit 18 is provided with a host interface bridge 20, a backup device 22 for backing up data, and a power supply device 26 for supplying power to each unit. The interface bridge 20 is configured to process data from the host system 10 and access the accessible memory unit 14. Further, the host interface bridge 20 backs up data from the host system 10 to the backup device 22. As the backup device 22, a storage device such as a hard disk is usually used.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1B, the memory unit 14 is provided with a memory bridge 14A and a memory 14B as a semiconductor memory, and data from the host interface bridge 20 is controlled by the memory bridge 14A. It is stored in the memory 14B.

  Specifically, the host interface bridge 20 recognizes the number of memory units 14 connected and the memory capacity, and processes data from the host system 10 to access the accessible memory unit 14. Further, the host interface bridge 20 accesses the memory unit 14 to write data, and writes the same data to the backup device 22 as necessary.

  The host system 10 has a PCI-Express interface, and transmits and receives a PCI-Express signal.

  A case of data transfer with the above configuration will be described.

  The host interface bridge 20 receives a PCI-Express signal from the host system 10 through the data transmission cable 24 (see FIG. 1A), performs encoding necessary for optical transmission (for example, 8B10B), and a certain block as necessary. ECC (error correction code) is added in units, and optically transmitted to the memory bridge 14A through the data transmission cable 25 (see FIG. 1A). The memory bridge 14A reads necessary information from the received optical signal and accesses the memory 14B.

  When there is a write request to the memory 14B, data is written to the memory 14B. When there is a read request to the memory 14B, the signal read from the memory 14B is encoded by the memory bridge 14A. And transmit to the host interface bridge 20. The host interface bridge 20 transmits the received signal to the host system 10 as a PCI-Express signal.

  On the other hand, the host interface bridge 20 writes the same data to the backup device 22 as necessary only when there is a write request to the memory 14B.

  As described above, since the plurality of memory units 14 are collectively managed by the host interface unit 18, the cost can be reduced compared with the case where each memory unit has a host interface unit. A plurality of memory units 14 can be added in space. That is, the external storage capacity of the host system 10 can be easily expanded.

  Further, since the memory unit 14 can be mounted in a 1U rack (19 inches), the memory unit 14 in the memory expansion unit 15 can be easily added.

  Although the present invention has been described in detail with respect to specific embodiments, the present invention is not limited to such embodiments, and various other embodiments are possible within the scope of the present invention. It is clear to the contractor. For example, in the above embodiment, when there is a write request to the memory 14B, data is written to the backup device 22 as necessary. Instead, the contents of the memory 14B are periodically transferred to the host interface bridge 20. May be read and synchronized with the backup device 22.

  Further, when there is a failure, the power supply (DC power supply) necessary for the memory 14B may be supplied and the contents of the memory 14B may be retained before the backup device 22 backs up the memory 14B.

  Moreover, although the said embodiment demonstrated the structure by which multiple memory units 14 are arrange | positioned, the memory unit 14 may be one.

  Next, a memory expansion system 60 according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In addition, about the same component as 1st Embodiment, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and the description is abbreviate | omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the memory unit 14 in the memory expansion unit 15 is not supplied with power from the power supply device 26 provided in the host interface unit 18, but is provided with an uninterruptible power supply ( Power is supplied from the power supply unit 32 that is a UPS). Further, the memory 14B of the memory unit 14 is composed of a volatile semiconductor memory that stores and holds the power while power is supplied.

  Although the stored contents in the memory unit 14 are lost when the power is turned off, the power supply unit 32 of the uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is provided as the power supply of the memory unit 14 so that even when the power is turned off due to a power failure or the like. Record information in the memory unit 14 can be held. That is, even when a failure occurs in the host interface unit 20, the stored contents of the volatile semiconductor memory can be retained.

  Next, a memory expansion system 70 according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In addition, about the same component as 1st Embodiment, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and the description is abbreviate | omitted.

  In the present embodiment, a maximum of eight memory units can be connected to the host interface unit 18, and as shown in FIG. 4, the eight memory units 14 in the memory expansion unit 15 are connected to the host interface unit. 18 is connected through a data transmission cable 25.

  Further, the expansion interface unit 42 is connected to the host interface unit 18 by the data transmission cable 44. The expansion interface unit 42 includes eight expansion memory units 48, which is the maximum number connectable to the expansion interface unit 42. The eight expansion memory units 48 connected through the transmission cable 46 are loaded in the expansion memory expansion unit 49.

  The expansion interface unit 42 is provided with an expansion interface bridge 50 and a power supply device 52 that supplies power to the expansion interface unit 42. The expansion interface bridge 50 processes data from the host interface unit 18 and expands it. The memory unit 48 is accessed.

  Further, the extended memory unit 48 is provided with a memory bridge 48A and a memory 48B which is a semiconductor memory, and data from the extended interface bridge 50 is controlled by the memory bridge 48A and stored in the memory 48B. Yes.

  Further, the extended memory unit 48 in the extended memory expansion unit 49 is supplied with power from a power supply unit 54 that is an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) provided individually.

  Specifically, the host interface bridge 20 recognizes the memory capacity of each memory unit 14 and the memory capacity of each expansion memory unit 48 through the expansion interface bridge 50, processes the data from the host system 10, and can access the memory. The unit 14 is accessed and at the same time optically transmitted to the extension interface unit 42.

  Further, the expansion interface bridge 50 of the expansion interface unit 42 processes the data from the host interface unit 18 and accesses the accessible expansion memory unit 48.

  On the other hand, when there is a write request to the memory 14B and the memory 48B, the host interface bridge 20 writes the same data to the backup device 22 as necessary.

  As described above, one host interface unit 18 can connect only eight memory units 14, but by using the extension interface unit 42, eight more extension memory units 48 can be connected.

  Further, since the control of the memory unit 14 and the extended memory unit 48 is shared by the host interface unit 18 and the extended interface unit 42, the memory unit 14 and the extended memory unit 48 can be controlled efficiently.

  Further, by connecting the extension interface unit 42 to the host interface unit 18 instead of the host system 10 and connecting the extension memory unit 48 to the extension interface unit 42, the memory can be easily added.

(A) It is explanatory drawing which showed the memory expansion system which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. (B) It is the block diagram which showed the memory expansion system which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an extended memory device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is explanatory drawing which showed the memory expansion system which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which showed the memory expansion system which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

10 Host System 12 Extended Memory Device 14 Memory Unit 15 Memory Expansion Unit 18 Host Interface Unit 20 Host Interface Bridge 22 Backup Device 26 Power Supply Device 30 Memory Expansion System 32 Power Supply Unit 42 Expansion Interface Unit 48 Expansion Memory Unit 49 Expansion Memory Expansion Unit 50 Expansion Interface bridge 52 Power supply 54 Power supply unit 60 Memory expansion system 70 Memory expansion system

Claims (4)

A host interface unit comprising a host interface bridge for transmitting and receiving data to and from the host system, a backup device for backing up the data, and a power supply;
A memory expansion unit connected to the host interface unit and capable of loading a plurality of memory units;
An extended memory device comprising:   2. The extended memory device according to claim 1, wherein the memory of the memory unit is a volatile semiconductor memory, and the memory unit is supplied with power from a power supply unit different from the power supply device. An expansion interface unit that is connected to the host interface unit and includes an expansion interface bridge that transmits and receives data to and from the host interface unit;
An expansion memory expansion unit connected to the expansion interface unit and capable of loading a plurality of expansion memory units;
The extended memory device according to claim 1, further comprising: A host system;
The extended memory device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, connected to the host system;
A memory expansion system comprising:

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