DATA STORAGE SYSTEM HAVING A GLOBAL CACHE MEMORY DISTRIBUTED AMONG NON-VOLATILE MEMORIES WITHIN SYSTEM DISK DRIVES

摘要

A data storage system having a host computer/server coupled to a bank of disk drives through an interface. The bank of disk drives has a plurality of disk units, each one of such disk drive units having a magnetic storage media. The interface includes: a plurality of front-end directors coupled to the host computer/server; a plurality of back end directors coupled to the disk drive units; and, a global cache memory available for caching user data for the plurality of disk drives. The global cache memory comprises a plurality of non-volatile memory global cache memory sections distributed among disk drive units within the bank of disk drive units. The non-volatile memory global cache memory sections are connected to the back-end directors. Each one of the non-volatile memory global cache memory sections caches user data for the magnetic storage media of the plurality of disk drive units independent of the one of the disk drive units having such one of the non-volatile memory global cache memory sections.