Anomaly notification control in disk array

• US 20060255409A1
• Filed: 07/21/2006
• Published: 11/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiki Morita
• Original Assignee: Seiki Morita
• Inventors: Morita, Seiki
• Granted Patent: US 7,457,981 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/347
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0727 in a storage system, e.g. in a DASD or network based storage system drivers for digital recording or reproducing units G06F3/06; circuits for error detection or correction within digital recording or reproducing units G11B20/18; for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS], H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/076 by exceeding a count or rate limit, e.g. word- or bit count limit
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2094 Redundant storage or storage space G06F11/2056 takes precedence

Abstract

In a storage device incorporating a plurality of kinds of disk drives with different interfaces, the controller performs sparing on a disk drive, whose errors that occur during accesses exceed a predetermined number, by swapping it with a spare disk drive that is prepared beforehand.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. A storage system, comprising:

a controller coupled to at least one information processing device and controlling to transfer data sent from said information processing device;

a plurality of first disk drives coupled to said controller and storing data transferred by said controller and implementing a first type serial interface; and

a plurality of second disk drives coupled to said controller and storing data transferred by said controller, each of said second disk drives implementing a second type serial interface, said second type serial interface being of a type different from the first type serial interface,

wherein said controller conducts a sparing process for storing data from one disk drive among said first disk drives and said second disk drives to at least one spare disk drive, if a level of errors of said one disk drive is over a threshold level, and

wherein said controller conducts a different sparing process based on whether said one disk drive is one of said first disk drives or one of said second disk drives.

3. A storage system according to claim 2, wherein said controller sends a notification, if the level of errors of said one disk drive is over a threshold level, and

wherein said controller conducts a different method of sending said notification based on whether said one disk drive is one of said first disk drives or one of said second disk drives.

4. A storage system according to claim 3, wherein said controller sends said notification by a different timing based on whether said one disk drive is one of said first disk drives or one of said second disk drives.

5. A storage system according to claim 4, wherein said first type serial interface is a Fibre Channel (FC) interface, and

wherein said second type serial interface is a Serial Advanced Technology Attached (SATA) interface.

6. A storage system according to claim 2, wherein said sparing process includes storing data stored in said one disk drive, said at least one spare disk drive, if said one disk drive is said one of said first disk drives.

7. A storage system according to claim 2, wherein said one disk drive is one of said first disk drives, and

wherein said at least one spare disk drive is at least one of said second disk drives.

8. A storage system according to claim 2, wherein said one disk drive is one of said first disk drives,

wherein at least one spare disk drive is at least one of said second disk drives,

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

wherein said second type serial interface is a Serial Advanced Technology Attached (SATA) interface.

9. A storage system according to claim 2, wherein said sparing process includes storing data, stored in said one disk drive, in a plurality of said at least one spare disk drives in parallel, if said one disk drive is one of said first disk drives.

10. A storage system according to claim 2, wherein said sparing process includes storing data, stored in said one disk drive, in a plurality of said at least one spare disk drives in serial, if said one disk drive is one of said second disk drives.

11. A storage system, comprising:

a controller coupled to at least one information processing device and controlling to transfer data sent from said information processing device,

a plurality of Fibre Channel (FC) disk drives coupled to said controller and storing data transferred by said controller; and

a plurality of Serial Advanced Technology Attached (SATA) disk drives coupled to said controller and storing data transferred by said controller,

wherein said controller conducts a sparing process for storing data from one disk drive among said FC disk drives and said SATA disk drives to at least one spare disk drive, if a level of errors of said one disk drive is over a threshold level, and

wherein said controller conducts a different sparing process based on whether said one disk drive is one of said FC disk drives or one of said SATA disk drives.

12. A storage system according to claim 11, wherein said controller sends a notification, if the level of errors of said one disk drive is over a threshold level, and

wherein said controller conducts a different method of sending said notification based on whether said one disk drive is one of said FC disk drives or one of said SATA disk drives.

13. A storage system according to claim 12, wherein said controller sends said notification by a different timing based on whether said one disk drive is one of said FC disk drives or one of said SATA disk drives.

14. A storage system according to claim 13, wherein said FC disk drives are coupled to said controller by a FC interface, and

wherein said SATA disk drives are coupled to said controller by a SATA interface.

15. A storage system according to claim 11, wherein said sparing process includes storing data, stored in said one disk drive, in said at least one spare disk drive, if said one disk drive is said one of said FC disk drives.

16. A storage system according to claim 11, wherein said one disk drive is one of said FC disk drives, and

wherein said at least one spare disk drive is at least one of said SATA disk drives.

17. A storage system according to claim 11, wherein said one disk drive is one of said FC disk drives,

wherein said at least one spare disk drive is at least one of said SATA disk drives,

wherein said FC disk drives are coupled to said controller by a FC interface, and

wherein said SATA disk drives are coupled to said controller by a SATA interface.

18. A storage system according to claim 11, wherein said sparing process includes storing data, stored in said one disk drive, in a plurality of said at least one spare disk drives in parallel, if said one disk drive is one of said FC disk drives.

19. A storage system according to claim 11, wherein said sparing process includes storing data, stored in said one disk drive, in a plurality of said at least one spare disk drives in serial, if said one disk drive is one of said second disk drives.

20. A storage system, comprising:

a controller coupled to at least one information processing device and controlling transfer of data sent from said information processing device;

a plurality of Fibre Channel (FC) disk drives coupled to said controller and storing data transferred by said controller; and

a plurality of Advanced Technology Attached (ATA) disk drives coupled to said controller and storing data transferred by said controller,

wherein said controller conducts a sparing process for storing data from one disk drive among said FC disk drives and said ATA disk drives to at least one spare disk drive, if a level of errors of said one disk drive is over a threshold level, and

wherein said controller conducts a different sparing process based on whether said one disk drive is one of said FC disk drives or one of said ATA disk drives.

21. A storage system according to claim 20, wherein said controller sends notification, if the level of errors of said one disk drive is over a threshold level, and

wherein said controller conducts a different method of sending said notification based on whether said one disk drive is one of said FC disk drives or one of said ATA disk drives.

22. A storage system according to claim 21, wherein said controller sends said notification by a different timing based on whether said one disk drive is one of said FC disk drives or one of ATA disk drives.

23. A storage system according to claim 22, wherein said FC disk drives are coupled to said controller by a FC interface, and

wherein said ATA disk drives are coupled to said controller by an ATA interface.

24. A storage system according to claim 20, wherein said sparing process includes storing data, stored in said one disk drive, in said at least one spare disk drive, if said one disk drive is said one of said FC disk drives.

25. A storage system according to claim 20, wherein said one disk drive is one of said FC disk drives, and

wherein said at least one spare disk drive is at least one of said ATA disk drives.

26. A storage system according to claim 20, wherein said one disk drive is one of said FC disk drives,

wherein at least one spare disk drive is at least one of said ATA disk drives,

wherein said FC disk drives are coupled to said controller by a FC interface, and

wherein said ATA disk drives are coupled to said controller by an ATA interface.

27. A storage system according to claim 20, wherein said sparing process includes storing data, stored in said one disk drive, in said at least one spare disk drive in parallel, if said one disk drive is one of said FC disk drives.

28. A storage system according to claim 20, wherein said sparing process includes storing data, stored in said one disk drive, in a plurality of at least one spare disk drive in serial, if said one disk drive is one of said ATA disk drives.