Patent ID: 7124245
Filing Date: 2006-10-17
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A system interface comprising: a plurality of front end directors adapted for coupling to a host computer/server; a plurality of back end directors adapted for coupling to a bank of disk drives; a data transfer section having cache memory, the cache memory being coupled to the plurality of front end and back end directors; wherein the front end and back end directors control data transfer between the host computer/server and the bank of disk drives, such data passes through the cache memory in the data transfer section as such data passes between the host computer and the bank of disk drives; a cache memory manager, adapted to receive queries from the plurality of directors, such cache memory manager having therein a memory for storing a map maintaining a relationship between data stored in the cache memory and data stored in the disk drives; wherein the cache memory manager receives the queries from the plurality of directors and operates independently of the plurality of directors in processing such queries to determine for the querying directors whether data to be read from the disk drives, or data to be written to the disk drives, resides in the cache memory; a packet switching network; and wherein the cache memory manager, plurality of front end directors, plurality of back end directors and cache memory are interconnected through the packet switching network.