Research Of Redundant Disk Channel Controller Architecture Based On Embedded System

With the rapid development of network storage technology, the cost of SAN(Storage Area Networking) and low-end servers has decreased. How to manage and optimize SAN and incorporate the connected servers will become the key factor of controlling cost and increasing efficiency in enterprises, which will also become the research hotspot of network storage. A new network storage fundamental frame----the network storage controller comes up to meet such requirement, which will incorporate disconnected and isolated information to centralized information system.The hardware foundation of network storage controller is disk controller with network storage management. At present, the research of network storage controller technology focuses on high-level products. Many enterprises of middle and small scale can not afford so high expenses. To solve such problem, the thesis has presented a blueprint of high-performance storage disk channel controller based on SOPC(System on a Programmable Chip), which is an especial embedded system with high-flexibility and high-performance on a chip.With core of FPGA(Field Programmable Gate Array), based on double 32 bit Nios II processor, SDRAM module, GbE(Gigabit Ethernet)interface, DMA(Direct Memory Access) controller and other IP(Intellectual Property) core have been added to build a redundant storage disk channel controller prototype system, which uses Avalon on-chip bus and is an important composing of network storage system. In theory, the predominance of redundant storage disk channel using double GbE Link are demonstrated. In the main processor of storage disk channel controller, the embedded real-time operating system uC/OS-II has been transplanted, then the TCP/IP protocol stack-LwIP has been applied, furthermore, the driver for the LwIP has been implemented.The controller system has been tested in Stratix GX development board. By analyzing the test results, all interfaces work well and reach the expectant goal of project. Using SOPC technology to design storage disk channel controller prototype has many strongpoints, such as short system developing cycle, upgrading hardware and software easily, high expansibility and so on.