Disk array system and method for controlling disk array system

• US 20050120264A1
• Filed: 12/30/2004
• Published: 06/02/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Azuma Kano, Ikuya Yagisawa, Takuji Ogawa
• Original Assignee: Azuma Kano, Ikuya Yagisawa, Takuji Ogawa
• Inventors: Ogawa, Takuji, Yagisawa, Ikuya, Kano, Azuma
• Granted Patent: US 7,200,074 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/6
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1076 Parity data used in redundant arrays of independent storages, e.g. in RAID systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0866 for peripheral storage systems, e.g. disk cache
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0614 Improving the reliability of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0659 Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0665 at area level, e.g. provisioning of virtual or logical volumes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/18 Error detection or correction; Testing , e.g. of drop-outs

Abstract

A disk array system having first and second housings and a controller for controlling the first and second housings. Fiber channel hard disk drives are received in the first housing, and serial ATA hard disk drives are received in the second housing. When reading data stored in a serial ATA hard disk drive in the second housing, the controller reads a plurality of pieces of data including the data to be read and parity data for the plurality of pieces of data from all the hard disk drives of an RAID group to which the hard disk drive storing the data to be read belongs. Thus, the controller examines whether the plurality of pieces of data including the data to be read are written in the hard disk drives with erroneous contents or not.

Claims

1. A storage system, comprising:

a plurality of controllers controlling transfer of data to a plurality of storage regions;

a plurality of first disk drive units having a plurality of first disk drives which have some of said storage regions, each of said first disk drives having a first interface;

a plurality of converters which perform a conversion function with respect to communications between said first interface and a second interface and said controllers, said converters having a first converter which is coupled to one of said first disk drives and a second converter which is coupled to another of said first disk drives;

a plurality of first circuits, coupled to said controllers and said first converter, each controlling communication between one of said controllers and said first converter and controlling separation of said first converter to permit transfer of data between said one of said controllers and said second converter if a failure has occurred in said first; and

a plurality of second circuits, coupled to said controllers and said second converter, each controlling communication between said one of said controllers and said second converter and controlling separation of said second converter to permit transfer of data between said one of said controllers and said first converter if a failure has occurred in said second converter.

2. A storage system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first data line coupled to said one of said controllers, one of said first circuits and one of said second circuits; and

a second data line coupled to another of said controllers, another of said first circuits and another of said second circuits.

3. A storage system according to claim 1, wherein said first converter is in one of said first disk drive units, and

wherein said second converter is in another of said first disk drive units.

4. A storage system according to claim 1, wherein said first converter is one circuit or a plurality of circuits, and

wherein said second converter is one circuit or a plurality of circuits.

5. A storage system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first data line coupled to said one of said controllers, one of said first circuits and one of said second circuits;

a second data line coupled to another of said controllers, another of said first circuits and another of said second circuits; and

a fibre channel interface used in said first data line and said second data line,

wherein said first interface is an AT Attachment (ATA) interface.

6. A storage system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first data line coupled to said one of said controllers, one of said first circuits and one of said second circuits; and

a second data line coupled to another of said controllers, another of said first circuits and another of said second circuits,

wherein said first data line is a Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop (FC-AL), and

wherein said second data line is a Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop (FC-AL).

7. A storage system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first housing having said first disk drive units; and

a plurality of third circuits coupled to said first housing and a second housing,

wherein said second housing has a plurality of second disk drive units having a plurality of second disk drives, and

wherein said third circuits perform control to establish communication between said controllers and said second housing and control to separate said second housing to permit transfer of data between said controllers and said first housing if a failure has occurred in said second housing.

8. A storage system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first data line coupled to said one of said controllers, one of said first circuits and one of said second circuits;

a second data line coupled to another of said controllers, another of said first circuits and another of said second circuits;

a first housing having said first disk drive units; and

a second housing having a plurality of second disk drive units which have a plurality of second disk drives and couple to said first data line and said second data lines,

wherein said first interface is an AT Attachment (ATA) interface, and

wherein said second disk drive units have Fibre Channel (FC) interfaces.

9. A storage system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first data line coupled to said one of said controllers, one of said first circuits and one of said second circuits;

a second data line coupled to another of said controllers, another of said first circuits and another of said second circuits;

a first housing having said first disk drive units; and

a second housing coupled to said first data line and said second data line between said controllers and said first housing and having a plurality of second disk drive units which have a plurality of second disk drives,

wherein said second disk drive units have Fibre Channel (FC) interfaces, and

wherein said first interface is an AT Attachment (ATA) interface.

10. A storage system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first data line coupled to said one of said controllers, one of said first circuits and one of said second circuits; and

a second data line coupled to another of said controllers, another of said first circuits and another of said second circuits,

wherein said first data line is a Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop (FC-AL);

wherein said second data line is a Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop (FC-AL); and

wherein said first interface is an AT Attachment (ATA) interface.

11. A storage system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first data line coupled to said one of said controllers, one of said first circuits and one of said second circuits;

a second data line coupled to another of said controllers, another of said first circuits and another of said second circuits;

a first housing having said first disk drive units; and

a second housing coupled to said first data line and said second data line between said controllers and said first housing and having a plurality of second disk drive units which have a plurality of second disk drives,

wherein said first data line is a Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop (FC-AL),

wherein said second data line is a Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop (FC- AL),

wherein said first interface is an AT Attachment (ATA) interface,

wherein said second disk drive units have Fibre Channel (FC) interfaces,

wherein some of said first disk drives are comprising a Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) group, and

wherein some of said second disk drives are comprising an another RAID group.

12. A storage system according to claim 1, wherein said first interface is an AT Attachment (ATA) interface;

and

wherein some of said first disk drives are used to store data, the data are used to back up.

13. A storage system, comprising:

a plurality of controllers controlling transfer of data to a plurality of storage regions;

a plurality of first disk drive units having a plurality of first disk drives which have some of said storage regions and each have a first interface;

a plurality of converters converting, which perform a conversion function with respect to communications between said controllers and said first interface and a second interface, and having a first converter which is coupled to one of said first disk drives and a second converter which is coupled to another of said first disk drives;

a plurality of first circuits, coupled to said controllers and said first converter, each controlling coupling of said first converter to permit relay of data sent from one of said controllers; and

a plurality of second circuits, coupled to said controllers and said second converter, each controlling coupling of said second converter to permit relay of data sent from one of said controllers.

14. A storage system according to claim 13, further comprising:

a first data line coupled to said one of said controllers, one of said first circuits and one of said second circuits; and

a second data line coupled to another of said controllers, another of said first circuits and another of said second circuits.

15. A storage system according to claim 13, wherein said first converter is in one of said first disk drive units, and

wherein said second converter is in another of said first disk drive units.

16. A storage system according to claim 13, wherein said first converter is one circuit or a plurality of circuits, and

wherein said second converter is one circuit or a plurality of circuits.

17. A storage system according to claim 13, further comprising:

a first data line coupled to said one of said controllers, one of said first circuits and one of said second circuits;

a second data line coupled to another of said controllers, another of said first circuits and another of said second circuits; and

a fibre channel interface used in said first data line and said second data line,

wherein said first interface is an AT Attachment (ATA) interface.

18. A storage system according to claim 13, further comprising:

a first data line coupled to said one of said controllers, one of said first circuits and one of said second circuits; and

a second data line coupled to another of said controllers, another of said first circuits and another of said second circuits,

wherein said first data line is a Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop (FC-AL), and

wherein said second data line is a Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop (FC-AL).

19. A storage system according to claim 13, further comprising:

a first housing having said first disk drive units; and

a plurality of third circuits coupled to said first housing and a second housing,

wherein said second housing has a plurality of second disk drive units having a plurality of second disk drives, and

wherein said third circuit perform control to establish communication between said controllers and said second housing and to separate said second housing to permit transfer of data between said controllers and said first housing if a failure has occurred in said second housing.

20. A storage system according to claim 13, further comprising:

a first data line coupled to said one of said controllers, one of said first circuits and one of said second circuits;

a second data line coupled to another of said controllers, another of said first circuits and another of said second circuits;

a first housing having said first disk drive units; and

a second housing having a plurality of second disk drive units which have a plurality of second disk drives and couple to said first data line and said second data lines,

wherein said first interface is an AT Attachment (ATA) interface, and

wherein said second disk drive units have Fibre Channel (FC) interfaces.

21. A storage system according to claim 13, further comprising:

a first data line coupled to said one of said controllers, one of said first circuits and one of said second circuits;

a second data line coupled to another of said controllers, another of said first circuits and another of said second circuits;

a first housing having said first disk drive units; and

a second housing coupled to said first data line and said second data line between said controllers and said first housing and having a plurality of second disk drive units which have a plurality of second disk drives,

wherein said second disk drive units have Fibre Channel (FC) interfaces, and

wherein said first interface is an AT Attachment (ATA) interface.

22. A storage system according to claim 13, further comprising:

a first data line coupled to said one of said controllers, one of said first circuits and one of said second circuits; and

a second data line coupled to another of said controllers, another of said first circuits and another of said second circuits,

wherein said first data line is a Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop (FC-AL),

wherein said second data line is a Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop (FC-AL), and

wherein said first interface is an AT Attachment (ATA) interface.

23. A storage system according to claim 13, further comprising:

a first data line coupled to said one of said controllers, one of said first circuits and one of said second circuits;

a second data line coupled to another of said controllers, another of said first circuits and another of said second circuits;

a first housing having said first disk drive units; and

a second housing coupled to said first data line and said second data line between said controllers and said first housing and having a plurality of second disk drive units which have a plurality of second disk drives,

wherein said first data line is a Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop (FC-AL),

wherein said second data line is a Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop (FC-AL),

wherein said first interface is an ATA (AT Attachment) interface,

wherein said second disk drive units have Fibre Channel (FC) interfaces,

wherein some of said first disk drives are comprising a Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) group, and

wherein some of said second disk drives are comprising an another RAID group.

24. A storage system according to claim 13, wherein said first interface is an AT Attachment (ATA) interface, and

wherein some of said first disk drives are used to store data, the data are used to back up.

25. A storage system, comprising:

a plurality of controllers controlling transfer of data to a plurality of storage regions;

a plurality of first disk drive units having a plurality of first disk drives which have some of said storage regions, and each having a first interface;

a plurality of converters, which perform a conversion function with respect to communications between said controllers and said first interface and a second interface, and having a first converter which is coupled to one of said first disk drives and a second converter which is coupled to another of said first disk drives;

a plurality of first circuits, coupled to said controllers and said first converter, each controlling coupling of said first converter to permit storing of data in said another of said first disk drives; and

a plurality of second circuits, coupled to said controllers and said second converter, each controlling coupling of said second converter to permit storing of data in said one of said first disk drives.

26. A storage system according to claim 25, further comprising:

a first data line coupled to said one of said controllers, one of said first circuits and one of said second circuits; and

a second data line coupled to another of said controllers, another of said first circuits and another of said second circuits.

27. A storage system according to claim 25, wherein said first converter is in one of said first disk drive units, and

wherein said second converter is in another of said first disk drive units.

28. A storage system according to claim 25, wherein said first converter is one circuit or a plurality of circuits, and

wherein said second converter is one circuit or a plurality of circuits.

29. A storage system according to claim 25, further comprising:

a first data line coupled to said one of said controllers, one of said first circuits and one of said second circuits;

a second data line coupled to another of said controllers, another of said first circuits and another of said second circuits; and

a fibre channel interface used in said first data line and said second data line,

wherein said first interface is an AT Attachment (ATA) interface.

30. A storage system according to claim 25, further comprising:

a first data line coupled to said one of said controllers, one of said first circuits and one of said second circuits; and

a second data line coupled to another of said controllers, another of said first circuits and another of said second circuits,

wherein said first data line is a Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop (FC-AL), and

wherein said second data line is a Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop (FC-AL).

31. A storage system according to claim 25, further comprising:

a first housing having said first disk drive units; and

a plurality of third circuits coupled to said first housing and a second housing,

wherein said second housing has a plurality of second disk drive units having a plurality of second disk drives, and

wherein said third circuits perform control to establish communication between said controllers and said second housing and to separate said second housing to permit transfer of data between said controllers and said first housing if a failure has occurred in said second housing.

32. A storage system according to claim 25, further comprising:

a first data line coupled to said one of said controllers, one of said first circuits and one of said second circuits;

a second data line coupled to another of said controllers, another of said first circuits and another of said second circuits;

a first housing having said first disk drive units; and

a second housing having a plurality of second disk drive units which have a plurality of second disk drives and couple to said first data line and said second data lines,

wherein said first interface is an AT Attachment (ATA) interface, and

wherein said second disk drive units have Fibre Channel (FC) interfaces.

33. A storage system according to claim 25, further comprising:

a first data line coupled to said one of said controllers, one of said first circuits and one of said second circuits;

a second data line coupled to another of said controllers, another of said first circuits and another of said second circuits;

a first housing having said first disk drive units; and

a second housing coupled to said first data line and said second data line between said controllers and said first housing and having a plurality of second disk drive units which have a plurality of second disk drives,

wherein said second disk drive units have Fibre Channel (FC) interfaces; and

wherein said first interface is an AT Attachment (ATA) interface.

34. A storage system according to claim 25, further comprising:

a first data line coupled to said one of said controllers, one of said first circuits and one of said second circuits; and

a second data line coupled to another of said controllers, another of said first circuits and another of said second circuits,

wherein said first data line is a Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop (FC-AL),

wherein said second data line is a Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop (FC-AL), and

wherein said first interface is an AT Attachment (ATA) interface.

35. A storage system according to claim 25, further comprising:

a first data line coupled to said one of said controllers, one of said first circuits and one of said second circuits;

a second data line coupled to another of said controllers, another of said first circuits and another of said second circuits;

a first housing having said first disk drive units; and

a second housing coupled to said first data line and said second data line between said controllers and said first housing and having a plurality of second disk drive units which have a plurality of second disk drives,

wherein said first data line is a Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop (FC-AL),

wherein said second data line is a Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop (FC-AL),

wherein said first interface is an AT Attachment (ATA) interface,

wherein said second disk drive units have Fibre Channel (FC) interfaces,

wherein some of said first disk drives are comprising a Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) group, and

wherein some of said second disk drives are comprising an another RAID group.

36. A storage system according to claim 25, wherein said first interface is an AT Attachment (ATA) interface;

and

wherein some of said first disk drives are used to store data, the data are used to back up.