High-density storage systems using hierarchical interconnect

• US 20050055501A1
• Filed: 09/08/2004
• Published: 03/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: COPAN Systems, Inc. (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Inventors: Guha, Aloke, Santilli, Chris T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,484,050 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/112
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0613 in relation to throughput
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0625 Power saving in storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0635 by changing the path, e.g. traffic rerouting, path reconfiguration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0658 Controller construction arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0683 Plurality of storage devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0685 Hybrid storage combining heterogeneous device types, e.g. hierarchical storage, hybrid arrays
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A system and method for coupling a host to a drive in a high-capacity data storage system are disclosed. The data storage system comprises a number of drives arranged in a hierarchical manner. A control system is provided for controlling input/output of data and managing control signals. The control system comprises a hierarchy of controllers and switches. The control system receives a request for a drive from a host and couples the host to the requested drive through the hierarchy of controllers.

Claims

1. An apparatus for coupling a host to a drive in a data storage system, the data storage system comprising a plurality of drives, the apparatus comprising:

a first tier controller, the first tier controller receiving a request from the host to couple to the drive; and

at least one second tier controller, the second tier controller coupling the drive to the host through the first tier controller.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first tier controller operates in a first tier storage enclosure.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first tier controller further comprises:

a host interface, the host interface connecting the host to the first tier controller.

a first tier switch, the first tier switch connected to one or more second tier controllers; and

a first tier interface, the first tier interface connected to one or more second tier controllers through the first tier switch.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second tier controller operates in a second tier storage enclosure.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second tier controller further comprises:

a second tier interface, the second tier interface connected to the first tier interface.

a second tier switch, the second tier switch connected to one or more drives.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a third tier controller is selectively coupled to the second tier controller and to the disk drive.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the third tier controller further comprises a third tier switch, the third tier switch coupling the host to the disk drive through the first tier controller and the second tier controller.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a data protection controller, the data protection controller protecting data from being lost.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the data protection controller further comprises a memory.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the data protection controller further comprises a processor.

11. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the data protection controller includes a RAID controller.

12. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the data protection controller is included in the first tier controller.

13. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the data protection controller is included in the second tier controller.

14. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the data protection controller is included in the third tier controller.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the host is coupled to multiple drives at the same time.

16. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein multiple hosts are coupled to one or more drives.

17. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a drive includes a tape drive.

18. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a drive includes a hard disk drive.

19. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of drives provides data requested by the host.

20. A data storage system, the data storage system receiving requests to store and retrieve data from hosts, the data storage system comprising:

one or more data storage units, the data storage units comprising a plurality of drives arranged in a hierarchical manner; and

a storage controller, the storage controller coupling a host to a drive requested by the host for a read or a write operation through a hierarchy of storage controllers.

21. The data storage system according to claim 20, wherein each data storage unit further comprises:

a first tier rack storage enclosure;

one or more second tier shelf storage enclosures, wherein each shelf storage enclosure is included in the rack storage enclosure; and

one or more third tier canister storage enclosures, wherein each canister storage enclosure is included in a shelf, each canister comprising one or more drives.

22. The data storage system according to claim 20, wherein the storage controller further comprises:

a first tier controller, the first tier controller comprising a first tier switch;

one or more second tier controllers, each second tier controller comprising a second tier switch; and

one or more third tier controller, each third tier controller comprising a third tier switch.

a RAID controller for data protection, the RAID controller further comprising;

a memory; and

a RAID processor.

23. A method for coupling a host device to a drive in a data storage system, the data storage system comprising one or more drives, a first tier controller and at least one second tier controller, the method comprising:

the first tier controller receiving a request from the host to couple to a drive;

identifying a second tier controller associated with the drive; and

connecting the host to the drive through the first tier controller and the second tier controller.

24. The method according to claim 23 further comprising:

sending inquiry data to provide vendor identification information.

25. The method according to claim 23, wherein the request is received for a read operation.

26. The method according to claim 24 further comprising:

determining whether the requested data is present in a cache memory.

27. The method according to claim 25, wherein the request is received for a write operation.

28. The method according to claim 27 further comprising:

determining storage units having sufficient storage volume and input/output capacity.

29. The method according to claim 27 further comprising:

determining optimal data organization scheme.

30. The method according to claim 27, wherein connecting the host to the drive further comprises:

writing data on to the selected drive using determined data organization scheme; and

returning completion status to the host.

31. The method according to claim 23, wherein the host is coupled to more than one drive at the same time.

32. The method according to claim 24, wherein the inquiry data sent to provide vendor identification information is encoded in a command format.

33. The method according to claim 32 wherein the command format comprises a data field for identifying a magnetic type storage peripheral device connected to the storage controller

34. The method according to claim 32 wherein the command format comprises a data field for ascertaining whether a magnetic type storage peripheral device is removable.

35. The method according to claim 32 wherein the command format comprises a data field for ascertaining whether the storage controller uses hierarchical addressing.

36. The method according to claim 32 wherein the command format comprises a data field for providing vendor'"'"'s name encoded in ASCII format.

37. The method according to claim 32 wherein the command format comprises a data field for indicating product revision level

38. The method according to claim 32 wherein the command format comprises a data field for identifying controller serial number.

39. The method according to claim 32 wherein the command format comprises a data field for storing a copyright notice encoded in ASCII format.