Patent ID: 7640365
Filing Date: 2009-12-29
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A disk controller for controlling data transfer between a host computer and a disk drive, comprising: a channel unit including a channel memory; a cache unit including a cache memory; a control unit for controlling the data transfer, wherein, the data transferred to/from the host computer is transferred in a packet between the channel memory and the cache memory; and the control unit decides whether the transfer between the channel memory and the cache memory can be permitted by verifying consistency of information included in a header of the packet to be transferred when the packet is transferred; wherein the control unit specifies a first attribute of a first memory area of a source of the transfer between the channel memory and the cache memory and a second attribute of a second memory area of a destination of the transfer based on a transfer source address of the packet and a transfer destination address of the packet; wherein the first attribute indicates whether the first memory area is to store control information or the first memory area is to store user data; wherein the second attribute indicates whether the second memory area is to store control information or the second memory area is to store user data; and wherein the control unit permits the transfer when the first attribute indicates the first area is to store control information and the second attribute indicates the second area is to store control information or when the first attribute indicates the first area is to store user data and the second attribute indicates the second area is to store user data.