Nvm express over fabrics

Abstract

A network storage appliance comprises solid state disks, a network interface adapter communicatively coupled to the solid state disks and a host client, a non-volatile semiconductor memory device communicatively coupled to the solid state disks and the network interface adapter, and a CPU communicatively coupled to the non-volatile semiconductor memory device and the network interface adapter. The non-volatile semiconductor memory device can receive data from the host client via the network interface adapter, store the data temporarily, and transfer the data to one of the solid state disks. The CPU can receive a write request from the host client via the network interface adapter, determine whether or not the non-volatile semiconductor memory device is available to store the data, initiate the network interface adapter to perform the transfer of the data from the host client to the non-volatile semiconductor memory device if the non-volatile semiconductor memory device is available to store the data, and initiate the network interface adapter to broadcast a query to one or more external storages if the non-volatile semiconductor memory device is not available to store the data.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A network storage appliance comprising:
 a plurality of solid state disks;   a network interface adapter communicatively coupled to the plurality of solid state disks and a host client, wherein the network interface adapter is configured to:
 retrieve data from the host client, and 
 transfer the data from the host client to the plurality of solid state disks; 
   a non-volatile semiconductor memory device communicatively coupled to the plurality of solid state disks and the network interface adapter, wherein the non-volatile semiconductor memory device is configured to:
 receive data from the host client via the network interface adapter, 
 store the data temporarily, and 
 transfer the data to one of the plurality of solid state disks; and 
   a CPU communicatively coupled to the non-volatile semiconductor memory device and the network interface adapter, wherein the CPU is configured to:
 receive a write request from the host client via the network interface adapter, 
 determine whether or not the non-volatile semiconductor memory device is available to store the data, 
 in response to determining that the non-volatile semiconductor device is available to store the data, initiate the network interface adapter to perform the transfer of the data from the host client to the non-volatile semiconductor memory device via the network interface adapter, and 
 in response to determining that the non-volatile semiconductor memory device is not available to store the data, initiate the network interface adapter to broadcast a query to one or more external storages via the network interface adapter.