Patent ID: 8713257

Claim:
A data storage system, comprising: at least one host device configured to initiate a data request; a plurality of target devices configured to store data; and a serial attached SCSI (SAS) switch coupled between the at least one host device and the plurality of target devices, the SAS switch including an integrated cache memory, a processor, a plurality of ports, and control programming, wherein the control programming of the SAS switch is configured to: as the data request is passed through the SAS switch from the at least one host device to one or more of the plurality of target devices, determine whether to designate data of the data request as cache data; determine whether data of the data request is stored in the cache memory of the SAS switch; determine whether data of the data request is data to be written in the cache memory of the SAS switch; when the data request is a write request, upon a determination of a cache hit, write data in the cache and close the write request; and when the data request is a read request, upon a determination of a cache hit, serve data from cache and close the read request, wherein the cache memory of the SAS switch is a shared cache that is shared across each of the at least one host device and the plurality of target devices.