Disk array system, disk array method, and computer product

• US 20080140931A1
• Filed: 09/27/2007
• Published: 06/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Otaka, Atsuhiro, Satou, Hidetoshi, Nakamura, Daiya
• Application Number:
  US11/905,142
• Publication Number:
  US 20080140931A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/114
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0613 in relation to throughput
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0626 Reducing size or complexity of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0635 by changing the path, e.g. traffic rerouting, path reconfiguration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0659 Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD

Abstract

A disk enclosure issues various small computer system interface (SCSI) commands to hard disk drives (HDDs), and acquires and stores therein disk detail data on all the HDDs. A disk controller is connected to the disk enclosure via an exclusive SCSI cable and the disk controller issues the SCSI command for requesting the disk detail data in batch. Upon receiving the SCSI command, the disk enclosure returns the disk detail data on all the HDDs in batch, in response to the SCSI command.

Claims

1. A disk array system comprising:

a disk enclosure that houses a plurality of disk devices; and

a disk controller that controls reading of data from and writing of data to the disk devices, wherein the disk controller and the disk enclosure communicate with each other via a first communication path,

the disk enclosure includes

an acquiring unit that issues a first command to each of the disk devices, and receives disk detail data from each of the disk devices in response to the first command via a first communication path;

a storage unit that stores therein the disk detail data; and

a returning unit that returns the disk detail data stored in the storage unit in batch in response to a second command received from the disk controller, and

the disk controller including a command issuing unit that issues the second command to the disk enclosure.

2. The disk array system according to claim 1, wherein

the disk enclosure further includes a communication unit that communicates with the disk controller via a second communication path, and

the returning unit returns the disk detail data via the second communication path.

3. The disk array system according to claim 1, wherein the disk controller further includes an individual command issuing unit that issues a third command to one of the disk devices for requesting the disk detail data.

4. The disk array system according to claim 1, wherein

the acquiring unit acquires at least one support transfer rate from each of the disk devices,

the disk enclosure further includes

a selecting unit that selects a greatest-common support transfer rate out of the support transfer rates of the disk devices;

and

a first setting unit that sets a transfer rate between the disk enclosure and each of the disk devices to the greatest-common support transfer rate,

the returning unit returns the greatest-common support transfer rate to the disk controller in response to the second command that is issued by the disk controller, and

the disk controller further includes a second setting unit that sets a transfer rate between the disk controller and the disk enclosure to the greatest-common support transfer rate received from the returning unit.

5. The disk array system according to claim 4, wherein

the disk enclosure further includes a communication unit that communicates with the disk controller via a second communication path, and

the returning unit returns the greatest common divisor to the disk controller via the second communication path.

6. A disk array system comprising:

a disk enclosure that houses a plurality of disk devices; and

a disk controller that controls reading of data from and writing of data to the disk devices, wherein the disk controller and the disk enclosure communicate with each other by using various small computer system interface (SCSI) commands via a first communication path,

the disk enclosure includes

an acquiring unit that issues a first SCSI command to each of the disk devices, and receives disk detail data from each of the disk devices in response to the first SCSI command;

a storage unit that stores therein the disk detail data; and

a returning unit that returns the disk detail data in batch in response to a second SCSI command received from the disk controller, and

the disk controller including a command issuing unit that issues the second SCSI command to the disk enclosure.

7. The disk array system according to claim 6, wherein

the disk enclosure further includes a communication unit that communicates with the disk controller via a second communication path, and

the returning unit returns the disk detail data via the second communication path.

8. The disk array system according to claim 6, wherein the disk controller further includes an individual command issuing unit that issues a third SCSI command to one of the disk devices for requesting the disk detail data.

9. The disk array system according to claim 6, wherein

the acquiring unit acquires a support transfer rate from each of the disk devices,

the disk enclosure further includes

a selecting unit that selects a greatest-common support transfer rate out of the support transfer rates of the disk devices;

and

a first setting unit that sets a transfer rate between the disk enclosure and each of the disk devices to the greatest-common support transfer rate,

the returning unit returns the greatest-common support transfer rate to the disk controller in response to the second SCSI command that is issued by the disk controller, and

the disk controller further includes a second setting unit that sets a transfer rate between the disk controller and the disk enclosure to greatest-common support transfer rate received from the returning unit.

10. The disk array system according to claim 9, wherein

the disk enclosure further includes a communication unit that communicates with the disk controller via a second communication path, and

the returning unit returns the greatest common divisor to the disk controller via the second communication path.

11. A computer-readable recording medium that stores therein a computer program that causes a disk enclosure and a disk controller to function as a computer, the disk enclosure housing a plurality of disk devices, and the disk controller controlling reading of data from and writing of data to the disk devices, wherein the disk controller and the disk enclosure communicate with each other via a first communication path,

the computer program causing the disk enclosure to execute

issuing a first command to each of the disk devices, and receiving disk detail data from each of the disk devices in response to the first command via a first communication path;

storing the disk detail data in a storage unit; and

returning the disk detail data stored in the storage unit in batch in response to a second command received from the disk controller, and

the computer program causing the disk controller execute issuing the second command to the disk enclosure.

12. A method of controlling a disk enclosure and a disk controller, the disk enclosure housing a plurality of disk devices, and the disk controller controlling reading of data from and writing of data to the disk devices, wherein the disk controller and the disk enclosure communicate with each other via a first communication path, wherein

the disk enclosure performs

issuing a first command to each of the disk devices, and receiving disk detail data from each of the disk devices in response to the first command via a first communication path;

storing the disk detail data in a storage unit; and

returning the disk detail data stored in the storage unit in batch in response to a second command received from the disk controller, and

the disk controller performs issuing the second command to the disk enclosure.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein

the disk enclosure further performs communication with the disk controller via a second communication path, and

the returning includes returning the disk detail data via the second communication path.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the disk controller further performs issuing a third command to one of the disk devices for requesting the disk detail data.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein

the acquiring includes acquiring at least one support transfer rate from each of the disk devices,

the disk enclosure further performs

selecting a greatest-common support transfer rate out of the support transfer rates of the disk devices;

and

setting a transfer rate between the disk enclosure and each of the disk devices to the greatest-common support transfer rate,

the returning includes returning the greatest-common support transfer rate to the disk controller in response to the second command that is issued by the disk controller, and

the disk controller further performs setting a transfer rate between the disk controller and the disk enclosure to the greatest-common support transfer rate received from the returning unit.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein

the disk enclosure further performs communication with the disk controller via a second communication path, and

the returning includes returning the greatest common divisor to the disk controller via the second communication path.