Data Storage Devices With Multiple Host Interfaces

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatuses, and software for data storage systems are provided herein. In one example, a data storage apparatus is provided. The data storage apparatus includes a plurality of storage drives each comprising a drive Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) interface. A PCIe switch circuit is coupled to the drive PCIe interfaces of the plurality of storage drives, and the PCIe switch comprises at least two host PCIe interfaces shared among the plurality of storage drives. The PCIe switch circuit is configured to receive storage operations transferred by more than one host system over the at least two host PCIe interfaces, and transfer the storage operations for delivery to selected ones of the plurality of storage drives.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a plurality of storage drives each comprising a drive Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) interface;   a PCIe switch circuit coupled to the drive PCIe interfaces of the plurality of storage drives and comprising at least two host PCIe interfaces shared among the plurality of storage drives; and   the PCIe switch circuit configured to receive storage operations transferred by more than one host system over the at least two host PCIe interfaces, and transfer the storage operations for delivery to selected ones of the plurality of storage drives.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein write date received over at least one of the host PCIe interfaces is striped over more than one of the plurality of storage drives. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein at least two of the host systems interact with the plurality of storage drives via the at least two host PCIe interfaces in a redundant configuration. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 power circuitry configured to provide holdup power to at least the plurality of storage drives after input power is lost to the apparatus.   
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , comprising:
 the power circuitry configured to monitor the plurality of storage drives to determine a state of at least write commit operations and selectively power down ones of the plurality of storage drives according to completion of associated write commit operations.   
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , comprising:
 the power circuitry configured to determine when excess power remains in the holdup power after completion of the write commit operations and responsively bleed the excess power into a load circuit of the apparatus.   
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , comprising:
 the power circuitry configured to determine when excess power remains in the holdup power after completion of the write commit operations and responsively redistribute the excess power to another apparatus external to the apparatus.   
     
     
         8 . A method of operating a data storage assembly, the method comprising:
 in a plurality of storage drives, storing and retrieving data responsive to storage operations received over associated drive PCIe host interfaces;   in a PCIe switch circuit coupled to the associated drive PCIe interfaces, receiving storage operations over at least two host PCIe interfaces, wherein the storage operations are transferred by more than one host system; and   in the PCIe switch circuit, transferring the storage operations for delivery to selected ones of the plurality of storage drives over the over associated drive PCIe host interfaces.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein write date received over at least one of the host PCIe interfaces is striped over more than one of the plurality of storage drives. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least two of the host systems interact with the plurality of storage drives via the at least two host PCIe interfaces in a redundant configuration. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 in power circuitry, providing holdup power to at least the plurality of storage drives after input power is lost to the data storage assembly.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 in the power circuitry, monitoring the plurality of storage drives to determine a state of at least write commit operations and selectively powering down ones of the plurality of storage drives according to completion of associated write commit operations.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 in the power circuitry, determining when excess power remains in the holdup power after completion of the write commit operations and responsively bleeding the excess power into a load circuit of the data storage assembly.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 in the power circuitry, determining when excess power remains in the holdup power after completion of the write commit operations and responsively redistributing the excess power to another assembly external to the data storage assembly.   
     
     
         15 . A data storage module, comprising:
 solid-state storage drives each comprising a drive interface;   a communication circuit coupled to the drive interfaces and comprising at least two host Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) interfaces shared among the storage drives; and   the communication circuit configured to receive storage operations over the at least two host PCIe interfaces that are transferred by more than one host system, and transfer the storage operations for delivery to selected ones of the storage drives.   
     
     
         16 . The data storage module of  claim 15 , wherein write date received over at least one of the host PCIe interfaces is striped over more than one of the storage drives. 
     
     
         17 . The data storage module of  claim 15 , wherein at least two of the host systems interact with the storage drives via the at least two host PCIe interfaces in a redundant configuration. 
     
     
         18 . The data storage module of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 control circuitry configured to provide holdup power to at least the storage drives after input power is lost to the data storage module.   
     
     
         19 . The data storage module of  claim 18 , comprising:
 the control circuitry configured to monitor the storage drives to determine a state of at least write commit operations, selectively power down ones of the storage drives according to completion of associated write commit operations, and bleed excess holdup power into a load circuit of the data storage module.   
     
     
         20 . The data storage module of  claim 15 , wherein the drive interfaces each comprise a ×4 width PCIe interface, and wherein the at least two host PCIe interfaces each comprise a ×4 width PCIe interface.