Patent ID: 7739416
Filing Date: 2010-06-15
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A storage system comprising: a plurality of disk devices; an SAS expander coupled to the plurality of disk devices via first physical links having a first level transmission rate; and a controller coupled to the SAS expander via a second physical link having a second level transmission rate; wherein the second level transmission rate is higher than the first level transmission rate, wherein the controller provides a plurality of virtual disk devices configured by at least one of the plurality of disk devices to a computer; wherein the controller receives information of the first level transmission rate and the second level transmission rate, determines a multiplexing ratio based on the information of the first and second level transmission rates, multiplexes data to be stored in at least one virtual disk device of the plurality of virtual disk devices by using time division multiplexing according to the determined multiplexing ratio, transmits a predetermined parameter to the SAS expander to indicate that the subsequent data are multiplexed, and transmits the multiplexed data to the SAS expander, and wherein when the SAS expander receives the predetermined parameter via the second physical link, the SAS expander demultiplexes the multiplexed data received after the predetermined parameter, and transmits demultiplexed data to the at least one disk device corresponding to the at least one virtual disk device to store the demultiplexed data in the at least one disk device.