STORAGE

Company's 92nd Patent Resolves Errors by Adjusting Speed Over SAS Connections

Dot Hill Systems has patented a method to improve the reliability of data transfers between storage controllers and storage devices over Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) interconnections, enabling errors to be detected and remediated without terminating communications.

Dot Hill serves customers in core vertical markets including: Media & Entertainment, Telecommunications, Oil and Gas, Big Data & Analytics and Digital Imaging. This type of innovation maximizes performance and value for customers, enabling them to do more with less capital investment.

Storage controllers are used to detect target device errors, which can often be caused by circumstances such as poor quality cables or overheating. While previous methods simply disabled links that experienced such errors, rather than attempting to run at reduced speed, Dot Hill's innovation maintains the availability of SAS connections to hosts even when errors are present.

By downshifting the data transfer rate, links can often continue working until the cable is replaced or the system cools down to the point where it can be returned to higher/original speeds. Dot Hill's patented innovation uses timestamps to record errors types, and if the frequency reaches a particular threshold, a downshift takes place to maintain the availability of SAS connections between controllers and JBODs. This method of speed adjustment achieves stronger performance as links continue to transfer data through an error period. Once disruptions are corrected, the system returns to higher speeds, resulting in a self-repair scenario. Higher speeds enable Dot Hill customers to achieve higher utilization of storage assets to improve overall business results.

"Reliability is a hallmark of Dot Hill AssuredSAN storage systems," said Ken Day, chief technology officer, Dot Hill. "The Dot Hill engineering team is always looking for ways to innovate and improve upon our highly reliable solutions, which deliver 99.999 percent data availability. As a significant segment of our customer base uses SAS-connected storage, this speed-adjusting approach will improve reliability and availability that can turn into a competitive advantage for many organizations."

Dot Hill's 92^nd U.S. patent, numbered 8,510,606, is demonstrative of the company's innovation and continual efforts to provide complete, always-innovative platforms for addressing customers' storage needs. Dot Hill's patent portfolio builds on the extensive intellectual property behind Dot Hill AssuredSAN and AssuredSAN Pro solutions which deliver 'rock solid' and 'wicked fast' solutions to customers and OEM partners.