Multi-element storage array

• US 20040010660A1
• Filed: 09/10/2002
• Published: 01/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Storage Technology Corp (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Konshak, Michael V., Eichel, Dale R., Wewel, Paul A., Fechner, Jimmy R., Snyder, Mark S., Kemmer, Lawrence R.
• Granted Patent: US 6,925,531 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/114
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0614 Improving the reliability of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0626 Reducing size or complexity of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0661 Format or protocol conversion arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/1833 by adding special lists or symbols to the coded information G11B20/1806, G11B20/1866 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/125 the apparatus comprising a plurality of recording/reproducing devices, e.g. modular arrangements, arrays of disc drives

Abstract

A self-contained data storage module receives a data request conforming to a first standard. The data request is translated into a second standard. At least one of the storage devices mounted on a board within the data storage module is identified. The translated data request is transmitted to each identified storage device, where the data request is serviced.

Claims

1. A data storage module comprising:

a printed circuit board;

a plurality of disk drives affixed to the circuit board;

a controller mounted on the printed circuit board in communication with the disk drives, the controller receiving data access commands, writing data to the plurality of disk drives based on received commands and reading data from the plurality of disk drives based on received commands;

a media interface mounted on the printed circuit board, the media interface communicating over interconnection media in a format compatible with the interconnection media; and

programmable logic mounted on the printed circuit board in communication with the controller and the media interface, the logic causing the data storage module to appear over the interconnection media as a type of storage device different than the plurality of disk drives.

2. A data storage module as in claim 1 wherein the interconnection media is Fibre Channel.

3. A data storage module as in claim 1 wherein the interconnection media is Ethernet.

4. A data storage module as in claim 1 wherein the interconnection media is wireless communication.

5. A data storage module as in claim 1 wherein the interconnection media transmits data serially.

6. A data storage module as in claim 1 wherein the interconnection media transmits data in parallel.

7. A data storage module as in claim 1 wherein the interconnection media permits devices connected by the media to communicate using Internet Protocol.

8. A data storage module as in claim 1 wherein the interconnection media permits devices connected by the media to communicate using SCSI commands.

9. A data storage module as in claim 1 wherein the interconnection media permits devices connected by the media to communicate using iSCSI commands.

10. A data storage module as in claim 1 wherein the data storage module is rack mountable.

11. A data storage module as in claim 1 wherein the data storage module further comprises a second media interface.

12. A data storage module as in claim 11 wherein the second media interface is bus interface.

13. A data storage module as in claim 1 wherein the interconnection media is within an information router.

14. A data storage module as in claim 1 wherein the interconnection media is within an information switch.

15. A data storage module as in claim 1 wherein the printed circuit board is constructed in two pieces with at least one disk drive affixed to each piece.

16. A data storage module as in claim 1 wherein the disk drives are ATA disk drives.

17. A data storage module as in claim 1 wherein the number of disk drives is five.

18. A data storage module as in claim 1 wherein the disk drives are removably affixed to the printed circuit board.

19. A data storage module as in claim 1 wherein the data storage module appears as at least one tape drive to a device accessing the data storage module over the interconnection media.

20. A data storage module as in claim 1 wherein the data storage module appears as a tape library to a device accessing the data storage module over the interconnection media.

21. A data storage module as in claim 1 wherein the data storage module appears as a single disk drive to a device accessing the data storage module over the interconnection media.

22. A data storage module as in claim 1 wherein the data storage module appears as multiple storage devices to a device accessing the data storage module over the interconnection media.

23. A data storage module as in claim 1 wherein the data storage module appears as at least one disk drive to a device accessing the data storage module over the interconnection media.

24. A data storage module as in claim 1 wherein the plurality of disk drives operate as a RAID system.

25. A data storage module as in claim 1 wherein the data storage module is operative to compress and decompress data.

26. A data storage module as in claim 1 wherein the data storage module is operative to encrypt and decrypt data.

27. A data storage module as in claim 1 wherein at least one disk in at least one disk drive functions as a parity disk.

28. A data storage module as in claim 1 wherein the logic is programmable over the interconnection media.

29. A data storage module as in claim 1 wherein the logic is programmable over a serial interface.

30. A system comprising:

a plurality of non-solid state storage devices mounted on a printed circuit board;

a controller on the printed circuit board in communication with the storage devices; and

a processor on the printed circuit board in communication with the controller, the processor programmable to receive data access commands in a first format and issue data access commands to the controller in a second format different from the first format, the second format data access commands implementing the first format data access commands.

31. A system as in claim 30 wherein the first format is SCSI.

32. A system as in claim 30 wherein the first format is iSCSI.

33. A system as in claim 30 wherein the second format is ATA disk.

34. A data storage system comprising:

an enclosure;

at least one power supply providing power to a bus within the enclosure; and

a plurality of storage boards disposed within the enclosure, each storage board drawing power from the bus, each storage board comprising a plurality of storage elements controlled by a controller, each storage board further comprising a processor programmable to convert data access commands received by the storage board based on a storage standard into commands usable by the controller to access the storage elements, wherein the storage elements do not comply with the standard and wherein each board is separately programmable such that the data storage system is configurable to present the image of multiple types of storage.

35. A data storage system as in claim 34, the data storage system further comprising at least one communication board within the enclosure, each communication board in communication with at least one storage board and a communication medium external to the enclosure.

36. A storage blade comprising:

a printed circuit card insertable into a card cage;

a plurality of storage drives on the printed circuit card;

a controller on the printed circuit card, the controller having a DMA channel serving each drive; and

programmable logic on the printed circuit card, the programmable logic in communication with the controller, the programmable logic presenting a storage interface different than a physical interface of the storage drives.

37. A storage blade as in claim 36 wherein the physical interface conforms to an ATA standard.

38. A storage blade as in claim 36 wherein the presented storage interface conforms to a SCSI standard.

39. A storage blade as in claim 36 wherein the presented storage interface conforms to an iSCSI standard.

40. A storage blade as in claim 36 wherein the presented storage interface conforms to a Fibre Channel standard.

41. A method of accessing data comprising:

receiving a data request at a board, the data request conforming to a first standard;

translating the data request at the board into a second standard;

identifying at least one of a plurality of storage devices mounted on the board that will service the translated data request;

transmitting the translated data request to the at least one identified storage device; and

servicing the data request at the at least one identified storage device.

42. A method of emulating a SCSI storage device comprising:

receiving a SCSI command at a printed circuit board;

determining at least one of a plurality of ATA drives mounted on the printed circuit board which will handle the SCSI command;

converting, on the printed circuit board, the SCSI command into at least one ATA command for each determined ATA drive; and

transmitting the at least one converted command to each determined at least one ATA drive.

43. A method of presenting a plurality of storage devices to a host comprising:

constructing a plurality of boards, each board mounting a plurality of low performance storage devices, a controller for the storage devices, and programmable personality logic;

programming the personality logic to present the low performance storage devices as storage having differing characteristics than actually possessed by the low performance storage devices;

receiving a data access request at the personality logic on at least one of the plurality of boards;

converting the data access request to a format understandable by the low performance storage devices based on the personality logic programming; and

concurrently accessing the plurality of low performance storage devices on the at least one board with the converted data access request.