Storage capable of cache assignment modification

• US 20050216659A1
• Filed: 06/07/2004
• Published: 09/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Nishimoto, Akira, Mizuno, Yoichi, Matsunami, Naoto, Ogawa, Junji
• Granted Patent: US 7,136,963 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/113
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0866 for peripheral storage systems, e.g. disk cache

Abstract

To provide a storage system which enables usage of a greater volume of cache than that of a cache memory provided to a disk array control unit, including a first disk array control unit, a second disk array control unit, a plurality of disks, and a disk array control unit communication path between a first data transfer control unit and a second data transfer control unit, wherein the first data transfer control unit selectively sets either a first path through a first host input/output control unit, the first data transfer control unit, and a first disk input/output control unit, or a second path through the first host input/output control unit, the first data transfer control unit, the disk array control unit communication path, the second data transfer control unit, and a second disk input/output control unit, and then processes a data input/output request from a host

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. (canceled)

3. (canceled)

4. A storage system comprising a first disk array control unit, a second disk array control unit, and a plurality of disks,

the first disk array control unit comprising a first CPU, a first host input/output control unit that sends and receives data and control signals to/from a host connected to the storage system, a first disk input/output control unit that sends and receives data and control signals to/from the disks, and a first data transfer control unit that controls data transfer between the first host input/output control unit and the first disk input/output control unit,

the second disk array control unit comprising a second CPU, a second host input/output control unit that sends and receives data and control signals to/from the host connected to the storage system, a second disk input/output control unit that sends and receives data and control signals to/from the disks, and a second data transfer control unit that controls data transfer between the second host input/output control unit and the second disk input/output control unit,

the storage system further comprising a disk array control unit communication path connecting between the first data transfer control unit and the second data transfer control unit to communicate each other,

the first CPU selecting one of a first path through the first host input/output control unit, the first data transfer control unit, and the first disk input/output control unit, and a second path through the first host input/output control unit, the first data transfer control unit, the disk array control unit communication path, the second data transfer control unit, and the second disk input/output control unit, and

processing a data input/output request from the host using the selected path.

5. The storage system according to claim 4, wherein:

the first disk array control unit comprises a first cache memory that temporarily stores data sent and received between the first host input/output control unit and the first disk input/output control unit, and a first memory that stores a control program executed by the first CPU;

a first cache memory control unit and a first data input/output control unit comprises the first CPU executing the control program;

the second disk array control unit comprises a second cache memory that temporarily stores data sent and received between the second host input/output control unit and the second disk input/output control unit;

the first data input/output control unit analyzes a data read request received from the host connected to the first host input/output control unit;

the first cache memory control unit determines which cache memory the data relevant to the request is stored in; and

the first data transfer control unit performs the following;

when all the data relevant to the request is stored in the first cache memory, uses the first path and transfers the data from the first cache memory to the first host input/output control unit; and

when all the data relevant to the request is stored in the second cache memory, uses the second path and requests the second data transfer control unit to read the data from the second cache memory using the second path, and transfers the data transferred from the second data transfer control unit to the first host input/output control unit.

6. The storage system according to claim 5, wherein the first data transfer control unit performs the following:

when the data relevant to the request is divided and stored in both the first cache memory and the second cache memory,

uses the first path, identifies the storage location of the data relevant to the request, and obtains the relevant data; and

uses the second path, requests the second data transfer control unit to obtain data from the second cache memory, and transfers the data obtained using the first path and the data obtained using the second path to the first host input/output control unit.

7. The storage system according to claim 4, wherein:

the first disk array control unit comprises a first cache memory that temporarily stores data sent and received between the first host input/output control unit and the first data input/output control unit, and a first memory that stores a control program executed by the first CPU;

a first cache memory control unit and a first data input/output control unit comprises the first CPU executing the control program;

the second disk array control unit comprises a second cache memory that temporarily stores data sent and received between the second host input/output control unit and the second disk input/output control unit;

the first data input/output control unit analyzes a data write request received from the host connected to the first host input/output control unit;

the first cache memory control unit determines into which cache memory to write the data relevant to the request; and

the first data transfer control unit performs the following;

when the data relevant to the request can be stored in the first cache memory, and transfers the data relevant to the request into the first cache memory using the first path; and

when the data relevant to the request cannot be stored in the first cache memory and can be stored in the second cache memory, and transfers the data relevant to the request into the second cache memory using the second path.

8. The storage system according to claim 7, wherein the first data transfer control unit performs the following:

when the data relevant to the request can be stored in neither the first cache memory nor the second cache memory, and can be divided and stored in the first cache memory and the second cache memory,

transfers a portion of the data relevant to the request to the first cache memory using the first path; and

transfers the other portion of the data relevant to the request to the second cache memory using the second path.

9. The storage system according to claim 7, wherein the first cache memory control unit compares an amount of the data relevant to the request and at least one of an empty capacity in the first cache memory and an empty capacity in the second cache memory, and determines in which cache memory to store the amount of the data relevant to the request;

and

when the amount of the data relevant to the request exceeds the empty capacity in the first cache memory and is equal to or smaller than the empty capacity in the second cache memory, the first data transfer control unit transfers the data relevant to the request to the second cache memory using the second path.

10. The storage system according to claim 7, wherein:

the first cache memory control unit compares performance of the cache memories, and determines in which cache memory to store the amount of the data relevant to the request; and

when the performance of the second cache memory is superior to the performance of the first cache memory, and the amount of the data relevant to the request is equal to or smaller than the empty capacity in the second cache memory, the first data transfer control unit transfers the data transferred from the host to the second cache memory.

11. The storage system according to claim 4, wherein:

the first disk array control unit comprises a first cache memory that temporarily stores data sent and received between the first host input/output control unit and the first disk input/output control unit, and a first memory that stores area management information of a cache memory;

the second disk array control unit comprises a second cache memory that temporarily stores data sent and received between the second host input/output control unit and the second disk input/output control unit, and a second memory that stores area management information of a cache memory;

the first memory stores first cache area management information for managing an assignment of the cache memory for each disk array control unit by registering the area in the cache memory;

the second memory stores second cache area management information for managing an assignment of the cache memory for each disk array control unit by registering the area in the cache memory;

the first cache area management information and the second cache memory management information comprise an intra-cache memory 1 controller area management table for registering the area in a first cache memory, and an intra-cache memory 2 controller area management table for registering the area in a second cache memory, respectively;

a determination is made regarding which data transfer control unit can input/output data to/from the area in the first cache memory, based on which disk array control unit'"'"'s intra-cache memory 1 controller area management table the area in the first cache memory is registered in; and

a determination is made regarding which data transfer control unit can input/output the data in the area of the second cache memory, based on which disk array control unit'"'"'s intra-cache memory 2 controller area management table the area in the second cache memory is registered in.

12. The storage system according to claim 11, wherein the first memory stores management information of data stored in an area of the first cache memory that can be accessed from the first data transfer control unit, and management information of data stored in an area of the second cache memory that can be accessed from the first data transfer control unit.

13. The storage system according to claim 4, wherein:

a plurality of logical units are set on the disks;

a cache memory 2 usable LU table, in which logical units that can serve as a read source of data to be written to the second cache memory are registered, is set in the first memory; and

the first data transfer control unit controls such that data read from the logical units registered in the cache memory 2 usable LU table can be transferred to the second cache memory, and controls such that data read from the logical units not registered in the cache memory 2 usable LU table is not transferred to the second cache memory.