An Object-based Storage Controller Based on Switch Fabric

Object-based storage controller (OSC) plays a decisive role in the performance of the whole object-based storage systems (OBSS). A new OSC based on switch fabric proposed in this paper. The new architecture aims to improve the OSC´s disk I/O performance. Through parallel data transfer using two independent high-speed PCI-X buses attached to the switch fabric, the possibility that a single PCI bus will become a bottle neck is avoided. Theoretical analysis indicates that 24 SATA (serial ATA) disks can operate concurrently in this architecture at sustained rates of 65 MB/s. The traditional architecture would permit only 16 SATA devices.