Disk array apparatus and method for controlling the same

• US 20050149673A1
• Filed: 02/14/2005
• Published: 07/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Akihisa Hirasawa, Katsuyoshi Suzuki
• Original Assignee: Akihisa Hirasawa, Katsuyoshi Suzuki
• Inventors: Hirasawa, Akihisa, Suzuki, Katsuyoshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,461,203 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/114
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0607 by facilitating the process of upgrading existing storage systems, e.g. for improving compatibility between host and storage device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0625 Power saving in storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0658 Controller construction arrangements
• 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 2220/415 Redundant array of inexpensive disks [RAID] systems
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/002 Programmed access in sequence to a plurality of record carriers or indexed parts, e.g. tracks, thereof, e.g. for editing; transfer of record carriers from magazine G11B15/68, G11B17/10; G11B17/22
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/36 Monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing for digital recording G11B20/00 and s.gr.; for monitoring, testing or measuring of TV recorders of the type covered by H04N5/76 and subgroups, see H04N17/06
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/144 by detection, control, regulation of the temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20836 Thermal management, e.g. server temperature control
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

An apparatus includes a controller and a plurality of disk drives. The controller has a communication control unit for accepting a data input/output request, a disk controller unit for controlling a disk drive, and a cache memory for temporarily storing data transferred between the communication control unit and the disk controller unit. The plurality of disk drives has different communication interfaces and connected to the disk controller unit to communicate with the disk controller unit.

Claims

1. A storage system, comprising:

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

a data line, having a first type interface, coupled to said controller and relaying data from/to said controller;

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

a plurality of circuits, each circuit couples one of said first type disk drive units to said data line, said circuits controlling relay of data between said data line and said first type disk drive units, and controlling to separate one of said first type disk drive units and relay of data between said controller and said first type disk drive units without said one of said first type disk drive units if said one of said first type disk drive units has a failure; and

a converter coupled to said data line and converting said first type interface and said second type interface.

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

a plurality of converters, each being said converter and corresponding to one of said first type disk drive units.

3. A storage system according to claim 1, wherein said first type interface is a fibre channel interface, and

wherein said second type interface is an AT Attachment (ATA) interface.

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

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

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

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

wherein said first type interface is a fibre channel interface.

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

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

wherein said data line is a Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop (FC-AL) and is coupled to said second type disk drive units.

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

a second type disk drive unit having a second disk drive which have some of said storage regions and having said first type interface;

a housing having said first type disk drive units and said second type disk drive unit; and

a rack having said housing and an another housing, one of said housing and said another housing being laid on another of said housing and said another housing.

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

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

a plurality of housings having a first housing and a second housing, said first housing having said first type disk drive units, and said second housing having said second type disk drive units; and

a rack having said housings, one of said housings being laid on another of said housings.

9. A storage system according to claim 1, wherein said data line is a Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop (FC-AL).

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

a plurality of converters, each being said converter and corresponding to one of said first type disk drive units,

wherein each of said converters is installed in one of said first disk drives.

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

a plurality of converters, each being said converter and corresponding to one of said first type disk drive units; and

wherein each of said converters is installed outside of one of said first disk drives and in the one of said first type disk drive units.

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

a power supply coupled to said first type disk drive units by at least one of power lines and supplying power to said first type disk drive units; and

a power controller coupled to said power supply and controlling to supply power to said first type disk drive units,

wherein one of said first type disk drive units relays a control signal sent from said controller to said power controller.

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

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

wherein said first type interface is a Fibre Channel (FC) interface,

wherein said second type interface is an AT Attachment (ATA) interface,

wherein some of said first type disk drives form a first logical unit, and said first logical unit is an object to store data sent from an host computer which is coupled to said controller,

wherein some of said second type disk drives form a second logical unit, and

wherein each of said first logical unit and said second logical unit has a logical unit number.

14. A storage system according to claim 1, wherein said second type interface is an AT Attachment (ATA) interface, and

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

15. A storage system, comprising:

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

a data line, having a first type interface, and coupled to said controller and relaying data from/to said controller;

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

a plurality of circuits, each coupled one of said first type disk drive units to said data line, controlling to couple one of said first type disk drive units to said data line in conditions of relaying data in said data line; and

a plurality of converters each coupled to one of said circuits and converting said first type interface and said second type interface and each converters corresponding to one of said first type disk drive units.

16. A storage system according to claim 15, wherein said first type interface is a fibre channel interface, and

wherein said second type interface is an AT Attachment (ATA) interface.

17. A storage system according to claim 15, further comprising:

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

18. A storage system according to claim 15, further comprising:

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

wherein said first type interface is a fibre channel interface.

19. A storage system according to claim 15, further comprising:

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

wherein said data line is a Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop (FC-AL) and is coupled to said second type disk drive units.

20. A storage system according to claim 15, further comprising:

a second type disk drive unit having a second disk drive which have some of said storage regions and having said first type interface;

a housing having said first type disk drive units and said second type disk drive unit; and

a rack having said housing and an another housing, one of said housing and said another housing being laid on another of said housing and said another housing.

21. A storage system according to claim 15, further comprising:

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

a plurality of housings having a first housing and a second housing, said first housing having said first type disk drive units, and said second housing having said second type disk drive units; and

a rack having said housings, one of said housings being laid on another of said housings.

22. A storage system according to claim 15, wherein said data line is a Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop (FC-AL).

23. A storage system according to claim 15, further comprising:

a plurality of converters, each being said converter, each corresponding to one of said first type disk drive units,

wherein each of said converters is installed in one of said first disk drives.

24. A storage system according to claim 15, wherein a plurality of converters, each being said converter, each corresponding to one of said first type disk drive units, and

wherein each of said converters is installed outside of one of said first disk drives and in the one of said first type disk drive units.

25. A storage system according to claim 15, further comprising:

a power supply coupled to said first type disk drive units by at least one of power lines and supplying power to said first type disk drive units; and

a power controller coupled to said power supply and controlling to supply power to said first type disk drive units,

wherein one of said first type disk drive units relays a control signal sent from said controller to said power controller.

26. A storage system according to claim 15, further comprising:

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

wherein said first type interface is a Fibre Channel (FC) interface,

wherein said second type interface is an AT Attachment (ATA) interface,

wherein some of said first type disk drives form a first logical unit, said first logical unit is an object to store data sent from an host computer which is coupled to said controller,

wherein some of said second type disk drives form a second logical unit, and

wherein each of said first logical unit and said second logical unit has a logical unit number.

27. A storage system according to claim 15, wherein said second type interface is an AT Attachment (ATA) interface, and

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

28. A storage system, comprising:

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

a data line having a first type interface and coupled to said controller and relaying data from/to said controller;

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

a plurality of circuits, each coupled one of said first type disk drive units to said data line, controlling to couple one of said first type disk drive units to said data line in conditions of processing to store data in the other of said first type disk drive units coupled to said data line; and

a plurality of converters each coupled to one of said circuits and converting said first type interface and said second type interface and each converters corresponding to one of said first type disk drive units.