NAS 7820/1, Next Generation Media Networked Storage Solution
PLX NAS 7820/1 brings a new architectural
approach to consumer NAS system on a chip
(SoC)
For years the conventional approach to SoC design
has been the bigger hammer approach. To improve
the performance, increase the clock speed of the
processor. This approach has not been unique to the
consumer NAS market but more of a general
semiconductor industry approach.
The PLX 7820/1 changes the game by a holistic view
of the overall system architecture. It uses PLX’s
Trident architectural approach:
intensive processing requirements, the product has
implemented hardware engines to relieve the
processor and the internal bus from intensive
processing and system traffic. Hence this
improves the overall system performance with
better processor utilization (i.e., higher throughput
per CPU clock) reduces internal traffic within the
SoC, and better cost structure due to less
processor demand. PLX NAS 7820/1 utilizes
hardware offload engines in networking, security,
and storage (i.e., RAID & SATA) areas.
3. What integrates all the sub-systems together as a
cohesive system is restructured firmware. The key
design criterion is to fully utilize and bond all the
system hardware via highly optimized firmware.
Simply said, optimized firmware to utilize
hardware modules. This is the most challenging
part of the overall system architecture. The PLX
NAS 7820/1 has taken this approach to the next
level by providing the industry’s highest
optimized firmware for consumer storage.
Figure 1: Trident Architectural Approach
1. Processor still is a key part of the overall
architecture. However, the new applications,
particularly the media applications, have unique
and stringent requirements such as low jitter and
high QoS. The common single core processors
simply cannot meet these requirements effectively
regardless of how fast the processor clock is
running. On the other hand, the dual core
architecture has significant advantages in
Simultaneously running multiple applications
Performance intensive applications
Multi-threading kernels such as Linux
Flexibility in processor resource allocation.
For example, each core could be dedicated to
specific application or load-sharing and
balancing
Independent I & D cache reduces cache
pollution improved power/performance ratio
particularly in media application processing
2. Application specific hardware offload engine. The
PLX NAS 7820/1 has taken this approach to the
next level. By analyzing the performance funnel,
and indentifying key areas and applications with
© PLX Technology, www.plxtech.com
Figure 2: NAS 7820 architecture overview
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