Storage system controlling power supply module and fan

• US 20070242385A1
• Filed: 05/01/2007
• Published: 10/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Akira Yamamoto, Takashige Iwamura, Yasunori Kaneda
• Original Assignee: Akira Yamamoto, Takashige Iwamura, Yasunori Kaneda
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Akira, Kaneda, Yasunori, Iwamura, Takashige
• Granted Patent: US 7,710,680 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 360/69
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0625 Power saving in storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0634 by changing the state or mode of one or more devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/144 by detection, control, regulation of the temperature
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

When a disk device corresponding to a logical volume is started, a disk system determines and starts a disk device and a fan to be started, while comprehensively considering heat quantity generated by the disk device to be started, the cooling capacity of the fan, and the electric power consumption of the fan or the electric power consumption of the disk device.

Claims

1. A storage system comprising:

a disk device,

a controller, coupled to the disk device, adapted to determine whether or not the disk device is to be started in response to information concerning driving the disk device;

a cooling device that cools the disk device; and

a power supply module that supplies electric power to the controller, the disk device and the cooling device.

2. The storage system according to claim 1,

wherein said information concerning driving the disk device includes information concerning starting of and stopping of the disk device, and calorific power generated by a state in which the disk device processes a request from the controller.

3. The storage system according to claim 2,

wherein said state indicates that the power supply module of the controller in the disk device is turned on, and a recording medium in the disk device has rotated.

4. The storage system according to claim 1,

wherein said information concerning driving the disk device includes cooling capacity of the cooling device, and electric power required to drive the disk device.

10. A storage system according to claim 1,

wherein the controller is adapted to create a logical volume that is a region on the basis of a storage region in the disk device,

wherein the controller is connected to a computer, and

wherein the controller is adapted to determine whether or not the disk device is to be started, when the logical volume is used by the computer.

11. A storage system according to claim 1,

wherein the controller is adapted to determine whether or not the cooling device is to be stopped, on the basis of information concerning heat quantity that is reduced by stopping the disk device.

12. A storage system according to claim 1,

wherein the cooling device is a fan,

wherein the controller is adapted to decrease the number of rotations of the fan, on the basis of the information concerning heat quantity that is reduced by stopping the disk device.

13. A storage system according to claim 1,

wherein the controller is further adapted to determine whether or not driving of the cooling device is necessary.

14. A storage system according to claim 13,

wherein, if there is any cooling device required to be driven by driving the disk device, the controller is adapted to determine whether or not the disk device and the cooling device is to be driven, on the basis of whether or not an electric power consumed by the storage system by driving the disk device and the cooling device exceeds the predetermined threshold value.

15. A storage system according to claim 14,

wherein the controller is adapted to change information concerning determination on whether or not the disk device is to be driven, on the basis of a change in the cooling capacity of the cooling device.

16. A storage system according to claim 15,

wherein the change in the cooling capacity of the cooling device is a change based on opening/closing of a cover in a housing that contains the storage system.

17. A storage system according to claim 16,

wherein the controller is adapted to determine whether or not the disk device is to be started, when the logical volume is mounted on the computer.

18. A storage system according to claim 1,

wherein the controller is adapted to determine whether or not the disk device corresponding to the logical volume is to be stopped, when the logical volume is no longer used by the computer.

19. A storage system according to claim 17,

wherein the controller is adapted to determine whether or not the disk device is to be stopped, when the logical volume is unmounted from the computer.

5. A storage system comprising:

a disk device;

a controller coupled to the disk device;

a cooling device that cools the disk device; and

a power supply module that supplies electric power to the controller, the disk device and the cooling device,

wherein the controller is adapted to determine whether or not the disk device is to be started, when an open command of a file stored in the logical volume is transmitted from the computer.

6. The storage system according to claim 5, wherein the controller is adapted to determine whether or not the disk device is to be started, when a close command of a file stored in the logical volume is transmitted from the computer.

9. The storage system according to claim 6,

wherein the threshold value is a value to be set by a user who uses the storage system.

7. A storage system comprising:

a disk device;

a controller coupled to the disk device;

a cooling device that cools the disk device; and

a power supply module that supplies electric power to the controller, the disk device and the cooling device,

wherein the controller is adapted to determine whether or not the disk device is to be started, on the basis of whether or not an electric power consumed by the storage system by driving the disk device exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

8. The storage system according to claim 7,

wherein the threshold value is the maximum electric power of the power supply module.

20. A method of operating a storage system which includes a disk device, a controller, coupled to the disk device, a cooling device that cools the disk device, and a power supply module that supplies electric power to the controller, the disk device and the cooling device, said method comprising the controller operating to carry out the step of determining whether or not the disk device is to be started in response to information concerning driving the disk device.

21. The method according to claim 20,

wherein said information concerning driving the disk device includes information concerning starting of and stopping of the disk device, and calorific power generated by a state in which the disk device processes a request from the controller.

22. The method according to claim 21,

wherein said state indicates that the power supply module of the controller in the disk device is turned on, and a recording medium in the disk device has rotated.

23. The method according to claim 20, wherein said information concerning driving the disk devices includes cooling capacity of the cooling device, and electric power required to drive the disk device.

24. A method of operating a storage system including:

a disk device;

a controller coupled to the disk device;

a cooling device that cools the disk device; and

a power supply module that supplies electric power to the controller, the disk device and the cooling device,

wherein said method comprises the controller operating to carry out the step of determining whether or not the disk device is to be started, when an open command of a file stored in the logical volume is transmitted from the computer.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the controller carries out the step of determining whether or not the disk device is to be started, when a close command of a file stored in the logical volume is transmitted from the computer.

28. The method according to claim 25,

wherein the threshold value is a value to be set by a user who uses the storage system.

26. A method of operating a storage system comprising:

a disk device;

a controller coupled to the disk device;

a cooling device that cools the disk device; and

a power supply module that supplies electric power to the controller, the disk device and the cooling device,

wherein said method comprises the controller operating to carry out the step of determining whether or not the disk device is to be started, on the basis of whether or not an electric power consumed by the storage system by driving the disk device exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

27. The method according to claim 26,

wherein the threshold value is the maximum electric power of the power supply module.

29. A computer programmable medium for use with a storage system that includes:

a disk device,

a controller, coupled to the disk device,

a cooling device that cools the disk device; and

a power supply module that supplies electric power to the controller, the disk device and the cooling device,

wherein said computer programmable medium is adapted to determine whether or not the disk device is to be started in response to information concerning driving the disk device.

30. The computer programmable medium according to claim 29,

wherein said information concerning driving the disk device includes information concerning starting of and stopping of the disk device, and calorific power generated by a state in which the disk device processes a request from the controller.

31. The computer programmable medium according to claim 30,

wherein said state indicates that the power supply module of the controller in the disk device is turned on, and a recording medium in the disk device has rotated.

32. The computer programmable medium according to claim 29, wherein said information concerning driving the disk device includes cooling capacity of the cooling device, and electric power required to drive the disk device.

33. A computer programmable medium for a storage system including:

a disk device;

a controller coupled to the disk device;

a cooling device that cools the disk device; and

a power supply module that supplies electric power to the controller, the disk device and the cooling device,

wherein the computer programmable medium is adapted to determine whether or not the disk device is to be started, when an open command of a file stored in the logical volume is transmitted from the computer.

34. The computer programmable medium according to claim 33, wherein the controller is adapted to determine whether or not the disk device is to be started, when a close command of a file stored in the logical volume is transmitted from the computer.

37. The computer programmable medium according to claim 34,

wherein the threshold value is a value to be set by a user who uses the storage system.

35. A computer programmable medium for a storage system including:

a disk device;

a controller coupled to the disk device;

a cooling device that cools the disk device; and

a power supply module that supplies electric power to the controller, the disk device and the cooling device,

wherein the computer programmable medium is adapted to determine whether or not the disk device is to be started, on the basis of whether or not an electric power consumed by the storage system by driving the disk device exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

36. The computer programmable medium according to claim 35,

wherein the threshold value is the maximum electric power of the power supply module.