TWI789020B - Control system and control method of storage device - Google Patents

Abstract

A control system includes a control platform and a storage device. The control platform includes a processing unit for sending an instruction. The storage device includes an interface, a control unit and a storage unit. The interface is used to receive the instruction from the control platform. The control unit is coupled to the interface for sending a control command when triggered by the instruction. The storage unit is coupled to the control unit for receiving the control command and perform an access operation accordingly. The access operation includes a data backup operation and/or a data recovery operation. The interface includes a system management bus (SMBus) and/or an inter-integrated circuit bus (I²C Bus).

Description

Control system and control method of storage device

The present invention relates to a control system and control method of a storage device, in particular to a control system and a control method for sending and receiving instructions through at least one of a system management bus and an integrated circuit bus to perform access operations.

With the rise of applications such as the smart Internet of Things, the demand for management and maintenance of storage devices also increases. The current data transmission of the storage device can often use the out-of-band (OOB) method to transmit instructions and execute related controls. In the out-of-band mode, the remote management function can be performed through additional hardware after the operating system (Operating System, OS) program executes the cache. In a common architecture, an external out-of-band module can be connected to the storage device. When the operating system crashes and cannot operate, it can send a signal to the storage device through the out-of-band module. After the storage device receives the signal, it can restore the operating system at the next boot to restore the operating system. Although this architecture can be used, the use of external out-of-band modules will increase related costs. Therefore, there is still a lack of suitable solutions in this field to improve related system architectures and operating procedures.

The embodiment provides a storage device control system, including a control platform and a storage device. The control platform includes a processing unit for sending a first instruction. The storage device includes a first interface, a control unit and a storage unit. The first interface is used for receiving the first command from the control platform. The control unit is coupled to the first interface and configured to send a first control command when the first command is triggered. The storage unit is coupled to the control unit, and is used for receiving the first control command to execute a first access operation accordingly. The first access operation includes at least one of a data backup operation and a data restoration operation. The first interface includes at least one of a system management bus (System Management Bus, SMBus) and an integrated circuit bus (Inter-Integrated Circuit Bus, I ² C Bus).

The embodiment provides a method for controlling a storage device, comprising a storage device receiving a first instruction from a driver of a processing unit of a control platform through a first interface of the storage device; a control unit of the storage device being controlled by the first A command is triggered to send a first control command; and a storage unit of the storage device receives the first control command to execute a first access operation accordingly. The first access operation includes at least one of a data backup operation and a data restoration operation. The first interface includes at least one of a system management bus (SMBus) interface and an integrated circuit bus (I ² C Bus) interface.

100: Control system

110: Control platform

1105: processing unit

1110: Processor

120: storage device

1205: control unit

1210: storage unit

200,300,400: control methods

210,220,230,310,320,330,410,420,430: steps

D1: first drive

D2: second driver

PT1, PT2, PT3: path

S1: the first instruction

S2: Second command

S3: The third instruction

Sc1: the first control command

Sc2: Second control command

Sc3: The third control command

I1: The first interface

I2: Second Interface

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of the control system in the embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a flow chart of the control method of the control system in Fig. 1 in the embodiment.

Fig. 3 is a flow chart of the control method of the control system in Fig. 1 in another embodiment.

Fig. 4 is a flow chart of the control method of the control system in Fig. 1 in another embodiment.

In order to improve the related system architecture and operation process to deal with the above-mentioned problems, the embodiments of the present invention can provide a control system and a related control method, as described below.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a control system 100 in an embodiment. The control system 100 may include a control platform 110 and a storage device 120 . The control platform 110 may include a processing unit 1105 for sending the first instruction S1. The storage device 120 may include a first interface I1 , a control unit 1205 and a storage unit 1210 . The first interface I1 can be used to receive the first instruction S1 from the control platform 110 . As shown in FIG. 1, the first interface I1 and the control platform 110 can mutually access signals and data through the path PT1. The control unit 1205 can be coupled to the first interface I1 for sending the first control command Sc1 when triggered by the first command S1. The storage unit 1210 can be coupled to the control unit 1205 for receiving a first control command Sc1 to execute a first access operation, wherein the first access operation can include a data backup (backup) operation and a data recovery (recovery) operation at least one of them.

According to an embodiment, the storage device 120 may be a Solid State Drive (SSD) supporting Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe). According to an embodiment, the first interface I1 may include at least one of a System Management Bus (SMBus) and an Inter-Integrated Circuit Bus (I ² C Bus).

According to an embodiment, the first interface I1 of the storage device 120 may receive the first instruction S1 from the first driver D1 of the processing unit 1105 of the control platform 110, wherein the first driver D1 may include a non-volatile memory fast transfer management interface driver ( Non-Volatile Memory Express Management Interface Driver, NVMe-MI Driver).

According to an embodiment, the processing unit 1105 of the control platform 110 may additionally be used to send the second instruction S2. As shown in FIG. 1 , the storage device 120 may further include a second interface I2 for receiving the second command S2 from the first driver D1 of the processing unit 1105 of the control platform 110 . The control unit 1205 of the storage device 120 can be further coupled to the second interface I2 for sending the second control command Sc2 when triggered by the second command S2, and the storage unit 1210 of the storage device 120 can also be used for receiving the second control command The command Sc2 is used to execute a second access operation, wherein the second access operation may include at least one of a data backup operation and a data restore operation. The second interface I2 may include a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) interface. As shown in FIG. 1 , the second interface I2 and the first driver D1 can mutually access signals and data through the path PT2 . For example, when the first interface I1 is temporarily unavailable due to busyness or failure, signal access and related control can be performed through the path PT2. According to an embodiment, the messages accessed through the path PT2 may be vendor defined messages (VDMs), so as to improve flexibility in use.

According to an embodiment, the control platform 110 may include a processor 1110 for sending the third instruction S3. The second driver D2 of the processor 1110 can send the third command S3 to the second interface I2 of the storage device 120 . The control unit 1205 of the storage device 120 is configured to send a third control command Sc3 when triggered by the third command S3. The storage unit 1210 of the storage device 120 can further receive a third control command Sc3 to execute a third access operation, wherein the third access operation can include at least one of a data backup operation and a data restoration operation. As shown in FIG. 1, the second interface I2 and the second driver D2 can mutually access signals and data through the path PT3. According to an embodiment, the processor 1110 may include a central processing unit, a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a digital signal processor, or a graphics processor, etc., and the second driver D2 of the processor 1110 may include a non-volatile memory fast transfer driver (Non-Volatile Memory Express Driver, NVMe Driver).

According to an embodiment, each of the above-mentioned first access operation, second access operation, and third access operation may further include data write protection operation, data read protection operation, self-monitoring operation, and analysis report At least one of operation and firmware update operation.

According to an embodiment, the processing unit 1105 may include a microprocessor (Microprocessor, MPU) or a baseboard management controller (Baseboard Management Controller, BMC). The processing unit 1105 can be used to monitor the rotation speed, temperature or power status of the storage device 120 . According to an embodiment, the control platform 110 can be installed in various computers such as a host computer, a server, and a personal computer. The first interface I1 and the second interface I2 of the storage device 120 can be electrically connected to the control platform 110 through the electroplating connection parts (often referred to as golden finger connectors) of the storage device 120 .

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a control method 200 of the control system 100 in FIG. 1 in an embodiment. The control method 200 in FIG. 2 can be a flow chart of controlling through the path PT1 in FIG. 1 . As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the control method 200 may include the following steps: Step 210: The storage device 120 may receive the first driver D1 of the processing unit 1105 of the control platform 110 through the first interface I1 of the storage device 120. A command S1; step 220: the control unit 1205 of the storage device 120 can send the first control command Sc1 when triggered by the first command S1; and step 230: the storage unit 1210 of the storage device 120 can receive the first control command Sc1 according to to perform a first access operation, wherein the first access operation includes at least one of a data backup operation and a data restore operation.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a control method 300 of the control system 100 in FIG. 1 in another embodiment. The control method 300 in FIG. 3 can be a flow chart of controlling through the path PT2 in FIG. 1 . As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, the control method 300 may include the following steps: Step 310: the storage device 120 may control the platform through the second interface I2 of the storage device 120 The first driver D1 of the processing unit 1105 of 110 receives the second command S2; Step 320: the control unit 1205 of the storage device 120 can send the second control command Sc2 when triggered by the second command S2; and Step 330: the storage device 120 The storage unit 1210 may receive the second control command Sc2 to execute a second access operation accordingly, wherein the second access operation may include at least one of a data backup operation and a data restoration operation.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a control method 400 of the control system 100 in FIG. 1 in another embodiment. The control method 400 in FIG. 4 can be a flow chart of controlling through the path PT3 in FIG. 1 . As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 4, the control method 400 may include the following steps: Step 410: The storage device 120 may receive the second driver D2 of the processor 1110 of the control platform 110 through the second interface I2 of the storage device 120 Step 420: the control unit 1205 of the storage device 120 can send the third control command Sc3 when triggered by the third command S3; and step 430: the storage unit 1210 of the storage device 120 can receive the third control command Sc3 according to to perform a third access operation, wherein the third access operation may include at least one of a data backup operation and a data restore operation.

In summary, by using the control system 100 and the control methods 200 to 400 in FIGS. 1 to 4 , the control system 100 can monitor, analyze and control data related to the storage device 120 through the processor 1110 . When the operating system (OS) of the control system 100 crashes, the first driver D1 (such as an NVMe-MI driver) can still pass through the system management bus (SMBus) of the storage device 120, the integrated circuit bus (I ² C Bus) and/or a peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe) interface to send restore commands to the storage device 120 to restore the system and perform other monitoring and control operations. By using the control system 100 and the control methods 200 to 400 in FIGS. 1 to 4 , the out-of-band (OOB) management commands that come with the storage device 120 can be used to perform control between the control platform 110 and the storage device 120 , so an external out-of-frequency module can be omitted, thereby reducing related costs, and the embodiment also provides a complete control process. The control system 100 and the control methods 200 to 400 can support applications in various scenarios such as computer hosts, servers, and personal computers, so they are really helpful for solving difficult problems in this field.

The above descriptions are only preferred embodiments of the present invention, and all equivalent changes and modifications made according to the scope of the patent application of the present invention shall fall within the scope of the present invention.

100: Control system

110: Control platform

1105: processing unit

1110: Processor

120: storage device

1205: control unit

1210: storage unit

D1: first drive

D2: second drive

PT1, PT2, PT3: path

S1: the first instruction

S2: Second instruction

S3: The third instruction

Sc1: the first control command

Sc2: Second control instruction

Sc3: The third control command

I1: The first interface

I2: Second Interface

Claims (8)

A storage device control system, comprising: a control platform, including: a processing unit, including a first driver, used to send a first instruction and a second instruction; and a processor, including a second driver, for to send a third command; and a storage device, including: a first interface for receiving the first command from the first driver of the processing unit of the control platform; a second interface for receiving the first command from the control platform The first driver of the processing unit of the platform receives the second instruction, and is used to receive the third instruction from the second driver of the processor of the control platform; a control unit, coupled to the first interface and The second interface is used to send a first control command when triggered by the first command, send a second control command when triggered by the second command, and send a third control command when triggered by the third command and a storage unit, coupled to the control unit, for receiving the first control command to perform a first access operation, receiving the second control command to perform a second access operation, and receiving the third control command to execute a third access operation accordingly, wherein each of the first access operation, the second access operation and the third access operation includes a data backup operation and a At least one of data restoration operations; wherein the first interface includes at least one of a system management bus (System Management Bus, SMBus) and an integrated circuit bus (Inter-Integrated Circuit Bus, I ² C Bus) , and the second interface includes a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) interface. The control system as described in claim 1, wherein: the first driver includes a non-volatile memory express management interface driver (Non-Volatile Memory Express Management Interface Driver, NVMe-MI Driver); and the second driver includes A non-volatile memory express driver (Non-Volatile Memory Express Driver, NVMe Driver). The control system as described in claim 1, wherein each of the first access operation, the second access operation and the third access operation further includes a data write protection operation, a data read protection operation, a At least one of a self-monitoring operation, an analysis report operation, and a firmware update operation. The control system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the processing unit includes a Microprocessor (MPU) or a Baseboard Management Controller (BMC). The control system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the processing unit is used to monitor the rotation speed, temperature or power status of the storage device. A control method of a storage device, comprising: a storage device receives a first instruction from a first driver of a processing unit of a control platform through a first interface of the storage device; the storage device receives a first instruction through a first interface of the storage device The second interface receives a second instruction from the first driver of the processing unit of the control platform; the storage device receives a third instruction from a second driver of a processor of the control platform through the second interface of the storage device command; when a control unit of the storage device is triggered by the first command, send a first control command; when the control unit of the storage device is triggered by the second command, send a second control command; when the control unit of the storage device is triggered by the second command; When the control unit of the storage device is triggered by the third command, it sends a third control command; a storage unit of the storage device receives the first control command to perform a first access operation; the storage unit of the storage device The storage unit receives the second control command to perform a second access operation; and the storage unit of the storage device receives the third control command to perform a third access operation; wherein the first access Each of the operation, the second access operation, and the third access operation includes at least one of a data backup operation and a data restore operation; wherein the first interface includes a system management bus (System Management Bus , SMBus) interface and at least one of an Inter-Integrated Circuit Bus (I ² C Bus) interface, and the second interface includes a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) interface. The control method of claim 6, wherein each of the first access operation, the second access operation and the third access operation includes a data write protection operation, a data read protection operation, and a self-monitoring operation . At least one of an analysis report operation and a firmware update operation. As the control method of claim item 6 or 7, wherein the first driver includes a non-volatile memory express management interface driver (Non-Volatile Memory Express Management Interface Driver, NVMe-MI Driver), and the second driver includes a non-volatile memory Fast transfer driver (Non-Volatile Memory Express Driver, NVMe Driver).

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