Patent ID: 7284082

Claim:
A controller for controlling the transfer of data from a first device to at least one second device, the controller comprising: a host interface logic for connecting the controller to a host via a bus, the host having a host memory device connected thereto; a first device interface logic for connecting the controller to the first device, wherein the first device interface logic reads data from the first device; a second device interface logic for connecting the controller to the at least one second device, wherein the second device interface logic writes data to the second device; and a switching circuitry having a first portion connected between the host interface logic and the first device interface logic and a second portion connected between the host interface logic and the second device interface logic, wherein the switching circuitry controls the transfer of data from the first device interface logic to the second device interface logic without the transferred data passing to the host interface logic, the host, the bus, and the host memory device, and wherein the host includes logic for performing at least one optimization feature, and wherein, when the host disables the at least one optimization feature, the controller controls the transfer of data between the first and second devices without the transferred data passing to the host interface logic, the host, the bus and the host memory device.