DISC ARRAY DEVICE

• US 20080208535A1
• Filed: 02/15/2008
• Published: 08/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: SUZUKI, RYO
• Application Number:
  US12/032,125
• Publication Number:
  US 20080208535A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/184
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/392 Determining battery ageing or deterioration, e.g. state of health
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/443 in response to temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/486 for measuring temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2200/00 Safety devices for primary or secondary batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

The present invention aims to provide a disc array device capable of efficiently managing the replacement time of a battery backup unit of the disc array device. Installed environment information and operation state information of a battery backup unit of a disc array device are acquired in the disc array device. If the installed environment is determined as not appropriate from such information, the inappropriateness of the installed environment is notified to the user. If the operation state is not appropriate, the inappropriateness of the operation state is notified to the user. Furthermore, the lifetime of the battery backup unit is predicted and the replacement period is notified to the user.

Claims

1. A disc array device comprising:

a disc unit which stores data, a disc controller which controls input/output of data between the disc unit and a high-level device, and a battery backup unit which supplies backup power to the disc unit and the disc controller;

the disc array device comprising;

an operation state detecting device which detects an operation state of the battery backup unit;

an operation reference lifetime element calculating device which calculates a lifetime element of the battery backup unit based on the operation state detected by the operation state detecting device; and

an operation reference lifetime calculating device which calculates a lifetime of the battery backup unit based on the lifetime element calculated by the operation reference lifetime element calculating device.

2. The disc array device according to claim 1, wherein an operation state abnormality detecting device which detects an abnormality of the operation state of the battery backup unit is arranged.

3. The disc array device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an installed environment detecting device which detects an installed environment of the battery backup unit;

an environment reference lifetime element calculating device which calculates a lifetime element of the battery backup unit based on the installed environment detected by the installed environment detecting device;

a lifetime calculating device which calculates the lifetime of the battery backup unit based on the lifetime element calculated by the operation reference lifetime element calculating device and the lifetime element calculated by the environment reference lifetime element calculating device; and

an interface which outputs the lifetime calculated by the lifetime calculating device to the outside.

4. The disc array device according to claim 3, wherein an operation state abnormality detecting device which detects an abnormality of the operation state of the battery backup unit and an installed environment abnormality detecting device which detects an abnormality of the installed environment of the battery backup unit are arranged.

5. The disc array device according to claim 4, wherein

the operation state abnormality detecting device detects at least a discharging interval and a discharging depth of the battery backup unit as the operation state;

the installed environment detecting device detects at least a temperature of the battery backup unit as the installed environment;

the operation state abnormality detecting device detects the abnormality of at least the discharging interval and the discharging depth of the battery backup unit as abnormality of the operation state; and

the installed environment abnormality detecting device detects abnormality related to at least the temperature of the battery backup unit as abnormality of the installed environment.

6. A disc array device comprising:

a disc unit for storing data, a disc controller for controlling input/output of data between the disc unit and a high-level device, and a battery backup unit for supplying backup power to the disc unit and the disc controller;

the disc array device comprising;

an operation state detecting means for detecting an operation state of the battery backup unit;

an operation reference lifetime element calculating means for calculating a lifetime element of the battery backup unit based on the operation state detected by the operation state detecting means; and

an operation reference lifetime calculating means for calculating a lifetime of the battery backup unit based on the lifetime element calculated by the operation reference lifetime element calculating means.

7. A battery backup drive controlling method for supplying a backup power by drive controlling a battery backup unit;

the method comprising;

detecting an operation state of the battery backup unit;

calculating a lifetime element of the battery backup unit based on the detected operation state; and

calculating a lifetime of the battery backup unit based on the calculated lifetime element.

8. The battery backup drive controlling method according to claim 7, further comprising detecting an abnormality of the operation state of the battery backup unit.

9. The battery backup drive controlling method according to claim 7, further comprising:

detecting an installed environment of the battery backup unit;

calculating a lifetime element of the battery backup unit based on the detected installed environment; and

calculating a lifetime of the battery backup unit based on the calculated lifetime element.

10. The battery backup drive controlling method according to claim 9, further comprising detecting an abnormality of the operation state of the battery backup unit, and detecting an abnormality of the installed environment of the battery backup unit.

11. The battery backup drive controlling method according to claim 9, further comprising:

detecting at least a discharging interval and a discharging depth of the battery backup unit as the operation state;

detecting at least a temperature of the battery backup unit as the installed environment;

detecting the abnormality of at least the discharging interval and the discharging depth of the battery backup unit as abnormality of the operation state; and

detecting the abnormality related to at least the temperature of the battery backup unit as abnormality of the installed environment.

12. A disc controller control program for causing a microprocessor arranged in a disc controller of a disc array device to execute functions of:

detecting an operation state of the battery backup unit;

calculating a lifetime element of the battery backup unit based on the detected operation state; and

calculating a lifetime of the battery backup unit based on the calculated lifetime element.

13. The disc controller control program according to claim 12, for causing the microprocessor to execute a function of detecting an abnormality of the operation state of the battery backup unit.

14. The disc controller control program according to claim 12, for causing the microprocessor to execute functions of:

detecting an installed environment of the battery backup unit;

calculating a lifetime element of the battery backup unit based on the detected installed environment; and

calculating a lifetime of the battery backup unit based on the calculated lifetime element.

15. The disc controller control program according to claim 14, for causing the microprocessor to execute functions of detecting an abnormality of the operation state of the battery backup unit, and detecting an abnormality of the installed environment of the battery backup unit.

16. The disc controller control program according to claim 14, for causing the microprocessor to execute functions of:

detecting at least a discharging interval and a discharging depth of the battery backup unit as the operation state;

detecting at least a temperature of the battery backup unit as the installed environment;

detecting the abnormality of at least the discharging interval and the discharging depth of the battery backup unit as abnormality of the operation state; and

detecting the abnormality related to at least the temperature of the battery backup unit as abnormality of the installed environment.