Pmc-Sierra US, Inc.

Microsemi Storage Solutions (u.s.), Inc.

Raymond Lam

Cheng Yi

Tao Zhong

Ivy Chow

Jesslly Wong

A method and system for allocating memory in a RAID system. A RAID system requires the use of shared memory to store processed data related to operations of different mass storage devices. Certain RAID algorithms require different sizes of memory regions of the memory, and multiple requests to lock the required memory regions are therefore required. As multiple requests are made in parallel for different operations, the multiple requests for each operation are sorted in a predetermined order. This ensures that all memory regions for one operation can be locked. Requests for memory regions locked by a second operation are held in a pending state to wait for release of those memory regions by a first operation, at which point they are locked again by the second operation.

Memory allocation for RAID systems

A controller comprising a transport layer, an internal memory, and a link list manager block. The internal memory stores pending instruction entries. The link list manager block is configured to read instructions stored in an external memory, update an active vector, the active vector for storing indications of instructions from the external memory; update the pending instruction entries in the internal memory; and update the instructions stored in the external memory. The link list manager block configured to dispatch a instruction from the pending instruction entries in the internal memory to the transport layer.

Methods and apparatus for SAS controllers with link list based target queues

A method of chaining a plurality of engines for a system on chip (SOC) controller device and a SOC controller device are disclosed herein. The method comprises: generating, at an initiator, a super-descriptor for providing instructions to the plurality of engines of the SOC controller; passing the super-descriptor from the initiator to a first engine of the plurality of engines; and executing a portion of the super-descriptor at each of the plurality of engines in series without the intervention of the initiator.

System and method for multiengine operation with super descriptor in SAS/SATA controller wherein portion of super-descriptor is executed without intervention of initiator

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Vancouver, Canada

Raymond Lam