Storage subsystem

• US 20060048001A1
• Filed: 10/19/2004
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Sato, Masahiko, Honda, Kiyoshi, Sugimoto, Shuji
• Granted Patent: US 7,359,186 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/7
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/00 Editing; Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Monitoring; Measuring tape travel
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/142 by air cooling

Abstract

The storage subsystem is connected to an external device and comprises a storage device arrangement portion, on which a plurality of storage devices is arranged, and a control device that controls communications between the plurality of storage devices arranged on the storage device arrangement portion and the external device. The storage device arrangement portion is constituted such that the plurality of storage devices is arranged upright in the directions of two dimensions.

Claims

1. A storage subsystem that is connected to an external device, comprising:

a storage device arrangement portion on which a plurality of storage devices is arranged; and

a control device that controls communications between the plurality of storage devices arranged on the storage device arrangement portion and the external device,

wherein the storage device arrangement portion is constituted such that the plurality of storage devices is arranged upright in the directions of two dimensions.

2. The storage subsystem according to claim 1, further comprising:

a enclosure for housing the storage device arrangement portion; and

an arrangement portion displacement mechanism that displaces the storage device arrangement portion inside and outside the enclosure.

3. The storage subsystem according to claim 2, wherein the storage device arrangement portion comprises:

a first sub-arrangement portion for arranging two or more first storage devices among the plurality of storage devices; and

a second sub-arrangement portion for arranging two or more second storage devices among the plurality of storage devices, and

the arrangement portion displacement mechanism displaces the first sub-arrangement portion and the second sub-arrangement portion separately.

4. The storage subsystem according to claim 1, wherein the storage device arrangement portion comprises a plurality of storage device slots corresponding with a plurality of storage devices respectively and is constituted to arrange a plurality of storage devices, each of which is inserted via the plurality of storage device slots;

and

each of the plurality of storage device slots is constituted to receive a storage device in an upright state vertically from above.

5. The storage subsystem according to claim 1, further comprising:

a cooling portion that causes a gas for cooling the storage devices arranged on the storage device arrangement portion to flow to the storage device arrangement portion,

wherein the storage device arrangement portion is constituted such that a plurality of storage device columns consisting of two or more storage devices that follow the direction in which the gas flows are formed and the plurality of storage device columns are at equal intervals.

6. The storage subsystem according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of storage devices includes a low-heat storage device that emits heat by consuming first electrical power and a high-heat storage device that emits heat that is of a higher temperature than the heat of the low-heat storage device by consuming second electrical power,

the storage subsystem further comprises:

a cooling portion that causes a gas for cooling the storage devices arranged on the storage device arrangement portion to flow to the storage device arrangement portion, and

the storage device arrangement portion is constituted such that the low-heat storage device is disposed upstream in the direction in which the gas flows and the high-heat storage device is disposed downstream in the direction in which the gas flows.

7. The storage subsystem according to claim 1, further comprising:

a cooling portion that causes a gas for cooling the storage devices arranged on the storage device arrangement portion to flow to the storage device arrangement portion; and

a storage device dummy that is disposed on the storage device arrangement portion so that the flow of gas is not disturbed when the maximum number of storage devices that can be arranged is not arranged on the storage device arrangement portion.

8. The storage subsystem according to claim 1, further comprising:

a cooling portion that causes a gas for cooling the storage devices arranged on the storage device arrangement portion to flow to the storage device arrangement portion,

wherein the storage device arrangement portion is constituted such that a plurality of storage device columns consisting of two or more storage devices that follow the direction in which the gas flows are formed and the width of at least one storage device column among the plurality of storage device columns is narrower downstream than upstream in the direction in which the gas flows.

9. The storage subsystem according to claim 1, wherein the storage device arrangement portion is constituted such that a plurality of storage device columns consisting of two or more storage devices are formed, and

the storage subsystem further comprises:

a plurality of operating portions corresponding with the plurality of storage device columns respectively, wherein the operation of an operating portion that is selected by a user from among the plurality of operating portions is detected and the user is allowed to remove a storage device that belongs to the storage device column corresponding with the selected operating portion.

10. The storage subsystem according to claim 9, further comprising:

a enclosure for housing the storage device arrangement portion; and

an arrangement portion displacement mechanism that displaces the storage device arrangement portion inside and outside the enclosure and in the directions of the two dimensions.

11. The storage subsystem according to claim 1, wherein the storage device arrangement portion comprises a plurality of arrangement positions corresponding with the plurality of storage devices respectively, and

the control device comprises:

a storage region that stores control information indicating where in the plurality of arrangement positions which types of storage devices are arranged and indicating the respective states of each of the storage devices; and

a control portion that displays a GUI screen,

wherein the control portion prepares a plurality of display positions on the GUI screen corresponding with the plurality of arrangement positions respectively, displays a graphic representing an arranged storage device in each of the plurality of display positions, and displays at least one of the type and state of the storage device corresponding with the graphic on the GUI screen so that the type and/or state is associated with the graphic.

12. A storage subsystem that is connected to an external device and that possesses depth, comprising:

a storage device arrangement portion on which a plurality of storage devices is arranged upright in the directions of two dimensions that include the depth direction of the storage subsystem;

a control device that controls communications between the plurality of storage devices arranged on the storage device arrangement portion and the external device;

a cooling portion that causes a gas for cooling the storage devices arranged on the storage device arrangement portion to flow to the storage device arrangement portion;

a enclosure for housing the storage device arrangement portion, the control device and the cooling portion; and

an arrangement portion displacement mechanism that displaces the storage device arrangement portion inside and outside the enclosure and in the directions of the two dimensions,

wherein the storage device arrangement portion is constituted such that a plurality of storage device columns consisting of two or more storage devices that follow the direction in which the gas flows are formed so that the plurality of storage device columns are at equal intervals or so that the width of at least one storage device column among the plurality of storage device columns is narrower downstream than upstream in the direction in which the gas flows; and

the storage subsystem further comprises;

a plurality of operating portions corresponding with the plurality of storage device columns respectively,

wherein the operation of an operating portion that is selected by a user from among the plurality of operating portions is detected and the user is allowed to remove a storage device that belongs to the storage device column corresponding with the selected operating portion.