Storage unit configuration

• US 20070101058A1
• Filed: 10/27/2005
• Published: 05/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Kinnan, Keith, Myrah, Michael, Kilcoyne, William, Corell, Brian, Lim, Eng
• Application Number:
  US11/260,051
• Publication Number:
  US 20070101058A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/114
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1076 Parity data used in redundant arrays of independent storages, e.g. in RAID systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0629 Configuration or reconfiguration of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD

Abstract

A storage unit comprising a plurality of storage devices and a user input/output (“I/O”) device coupled to the plurality of storage devices and adapted for exclusive use with the storage unit. The I/O device is used to create a Redundant Array of Independent Disks (“RAID”) configuration. The plurality of storage devices are configured in accordance with the RAID configuration.

Claims

1. A storage unit, comprising:

a plurality of storage devices; and

a user input/output (“

I/O”

) device coupled to the plurality of storage devices and adapted for exclusive use with said storage unit;

wherein the I/O device is used to create a Redundant Array of Independent Disks (“

RAID”

) configuration;

wherein the plurality of storage devices are configured in accordance with said RAID configuration.

2. The storage unit of claim 1 further comprising a storage controller coupled to the storage devices and adapted to configure the storage devices in accordance with said RAID configuration.

3. The storage unit of claim 1, wherein said RAID configuration is created or migrated by executing a command assembled using the I/O device.

4. The storage unit of claim 3, wherein the command indicates a target device, an operation intended for said target device, and a parameter to be used in association with the operation on said target device.

5. The storage unit of claim 1, wherein the I/O device is provided on an outer surface of the storage unit.

6. The storage unit of claim 1, wherein the I/O device comprises a display and a keypad.

7. The storage unit of claim 6, wherein the display is selected from the group consisting of a liquid crystal display (“

LCD”

), a plasma screen, a light emitting diode (“

LED”

) display and a touch-screen.

8. The storage unit of claim 6, wherein the keypad comprises multiple directional keys and a confirmation key.

9. The storage unit of claim 1, wherein the I/O device comprises a touch-screen display.

10. The storage unit of claim 1, wherein the storage devices are configured according to a plurality of options displayed and selected using the I/O device.

11. The storage unit of claim 1 further comprising a CPU and code executable by said CPU, said code adapted to be executed upon a user activating the I/O device and said code adapted to cause said CPU to configure the storage devices.

12. The storage unit of claim 1, wherein the I/O device is used to migrate a storage device configuration.

13. The storage unit of claim 1, wherein the I/O device displays a menu comprising a plurality of options, and wherein the I/O device comprises a keypad that is used to scroll through said plurality of options.

14. A system, comprising:

a storage unit comprising a plurality of storage devices, a controller, a keypad and a display;

wherein the controller is adapted to configure the plurality of storage devices in accordance with a pre-programmed RAID configuration selected using the keypad and display;

wherein the controller is adapted to configure the plurality of storage devices in accordance with a different RAID configuration created using the keypad and display.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the keypad and display are used to assemble a configuration command that corresponds to said different RAID configuration.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the controller configures the plurality of storage devices in accordance with said different RAID configuration by executing said configuration command.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the configuration command indicates a target device, an operation intended for said target device, and a parameter to be used in association with said operation on the target device.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the keypad and display are provided on an outer surface of the storage unit.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein said keypad comprises a directional keypad.

20. The system of claim 14 further comprising a computer coupled to said storage unit, wherein the keypad and display are used to designate one or more storage devices to which the computer has access.

21. A method implemented in a storage unit, comprising:

receiving a signal from an input/output (“

I/O”

) device directly connected to the storage unit, said signal indicative of a configuration command assembled using the I/O device for implementation in said storage unit; and

configuring said storage unit in accordance with said configuration command.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein configuring said storage unit in accordance with said configuration command comprises using a command that indicates a target device, an operation to be performed on the target device, and a parameter to be used to perform said operation.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein receiving the signal from the I/O device comprises using an I/O device including a display and a directional keypad.

24. A storage unit, comprising:

a plurality of storage devices; and

means for enabling a user to configure the plurality of storage devices by interacting directly with the storage unit;

wherein the means for enabling is used exclusively with the storage unit.

25. The storage unit of claim 24, wherein the plurality of storage devices are configured in accordance with a configuration command assembled using said means for enabling.

26. A storage medium containing code which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to:

receive a signal from an input/output (“

I/O”

) device directly connected to the storage unit, said signal indicative of a configuration command assembled using the I/O device for implementation in said storage unit; and

configure said storage unit in accordance with said configuration command.

27. The storage medium of claim 26, wherein said configuration command indicates a target device and an action to be performed on said target device.

28. The storage medium of claim 27, wherein said configuration command further indicates a parameter associated with said action.