A daisy-chain storage synchronization (DSS) system and method that permits a daisy-chain of interconnected pass-thru disk drive controllers (PTDDCs) each connected to a SATA local disk drive (LDD) disk storage element (DSE) to support state synchronization within PTDDCs in the daisy-chain is disclosed. The PTDDCs within the daisy-chain are configured to individually maintain drive state information (DSI) relating to the LDD as well as chain state information (CSI) relating to the individual PTDDCs within the daisy-chain. This state information may be modified on receipt of out-of-band signaling (OBS) from other PTDDC elements up the daisy-chain as well as OBS from other PTDDC elements down the daisy-chain, CSI is determined in part by conventional SATA OBS state register protocols that are modified by internal state registers (ISR) in each individual PTDDC daisy-chain element so as to make the DSS transparent to existing SATA OBS single-disk standard hardware command protocols.

An electronic apparatus having function of switching node modules includes at least two node modules, a shared I/O module having a first I/O interface connected with an external device, a second I/O interface electrically connected with the at least two node modules and a switching module connecting the at least two node modules. The shared I/O module is used to cause the shared I/O module to communicate with one node module in the at least two node modules through the second I/O interface according to a selection signal when receiving the selection signal. The shared I/O module integrates multiple communication ports and switches the node module communicating with the shared I/O module according to a selection signal, the shared I/O module also can be designed as a shared I/O module combined by multiple different ports in advance to perform corresponding replacement according to user needs.

According to various embodiments, a data storage system may be provided. The data storage system may include: a first storage device; a second storage device; a data receiver configured to receive data to be stored in the data storage system and an indicator indicating a storage profile for the data; and a storage controller configured to determine based on the indicator whether to store the data on the first storage device or to store the data on the second storage device.

An adapter card is provided, which is adapted to couple a storage device to a circuit board. The adapter card includes a card body, a first port, a second port and a first planar supporter. The first port is disposed on a surface of the card body. The first port is adapted to be coupled to the storage device. The second port is disposed on an edge of the card body. The second port is adapted to be coupled to the circuit board. An interface stander of the first port differs from an interface stander of the second port. The first planar supporter is disposed on the surface of the card body. When the storage device is connected to the first port, the first planar supporter abuts a first side of the storage device.

A daisy-chain storage synchronization (DSS) system and method that permits a daisy-chain of interconnected pass-thru disk drive controllers (PTDDCs) each connected to a SATA local disk drive (LDD) disk storage element (DSE) to support state synchronization within PTDDCs in the daisy-chain is disclosed. The PTDDCs within the daisy-chain are configured to individually maintain drive state information (DSI) relating to the LDD as well as chain state information (CSI) relating to the individual PTDDCs within the daisy-chain. This state information may be modified on receipt of out-of-band signaling (OBS) from other PTDDC elements up the daisy-chain as well as OBS from other PTDDC elements down the daisy-chain. CSI is determined in part by conventional SATA OBS state register protocols that are modified by internal state registers (ISR) in each individual PTDDC daisy-chain element so as to make the DSS transparent to existing SATA OBS single-disk standard hardware command protocols.

The present invention relates to an electronic apparatus, the back plate, the I/O module, the power supply, the node module and the like are reasonably and neatly laid out in the case, so that more modules can be laid out in a limited case space, thus having a high utilization rate and a low cost. Besides, the I/O module, the power supply module and the node module are separately designed, and the modules cooperate with each other; the modules are snap structures, and can be assembled and disassembled by hand, which increases operation and maintenance efficiency. Moreover, the completion of the signal transmission among different modules mainly depends on the golden finger or the high-speed back plate connector, thus the case is clean and neat inside.

In a storage subsystem adopting HDD and PCIe-SSD as storage media, as a method for preventing the complication of having to select a removal method while considering the drive type inserted to the drive slot since the method for removing the HDD differs from the method for removing the PCIe-SSD according to the prior art, the present invention provides an LED for displaying whether it is possible to remove the HDD or the PCIe-SSD inserted to the slot of a drive enclosure, wherein when an HDD is inserted in the drive slot, the LED displays that removal of the HDD is enabled when power supply to the HDD is stopped, and when PCIe-SSD is inserted to the drive slot, the LED displays that removal of the SSD is enabled when Downstream Port Containment (DPC) is triggered in the downstream port of the PCIe switch to which the SSD is connected.

According to various embodiments, a data storage system may be provided. The data storage system may include: a first storage device; a second storage device; a data receiver configured to receive data to be stored in the data storage system and an indicator indicating a storage profile for the data; and a storage controller configured to determine based on the indicator whether to store the data on the first storage device or to store the data on the second storage device.

The present invention discloses an interface transmission method including: enabling a first command string including a first sub-command to be transmitted to a storage device from a processing device during a first period; enabling a second command string including a second sub-command to be transmitted to the storage device from the processing device during a second period, wherein the first sub-command and the second sub-command constitute a command; when the command is a write command, enabling a write data string to be transmitted to the storage device from the processing device during a third period, wherein the write data string includes write data; and when the command is a read command, enabling a read data string to be transmitted to the processing device from the storage device during the third period, wherein the read data string includes read data.

A RAID (redundant array of independent disks) hot spare (RHS) system and method that permits a daisy-chain of interconnected pass-thru disk drive controllers (PTDDCs) each connected to a SATA local disk drive (LDD) storage element (DSE) to support a hot spare disk (HSD) such that a failing disk drive (FDD) in the RAID array can be immediately replaced by a HSD within the PTDDC daisy-chain without operator intervention is disclosed. The PTDDCs within the daisy-chain are configured in RAID fashion to support mirroring of one or more drives in the PTDDC daisy-chain. The PTDDCs monitor functional status of LDDs attached to each PTDDC. FDD failure triggers activation of a HSD in the PTDDC daisy-chain and automatic mirror copying along the PTDDC daisy-chain of RAID data from a master disk drive (MDD) mirrored to the LDD. FDD-PTDDC and HSD-PTDDC LBA mapping registers are updated after mirror copying completes.