Storage Device System and Storage Device System Activating Method

• US 20090157856A1
• Filed: 01/02/2009
• Published: 06/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hiroshi Ogasawara, Naotaka Kobayashi, Yutaka Takata
• Original Assignee: Hiroshi Ogasawara, Naotaka Kobayashi, Yutaka Takata
• Inventors: Takata, Yutaka, Ogasawara, Hiroshi, Kobayashi, Naotaka
• Granted Patent: US 7,882,206 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/222
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 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]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A storage device system has a plurality of storage devices for storing information; a storage device control section that controls storage of information in the storage devices; and a connection unit connected to the storage device control section. Furthermore, the storage device system has a first communication control section that includes a first processor which is connected to the storage device control section via the connection unit and also connected on a first network external to the storage device system, which converts information of a first form received over the first external network into information of a second form, and which issues a request for access to the storage devices; and a second processor which accesses the storage devices via the connection unit and the storage device control section in response to the access request issued from the first processor, and which controls activation of the first processor.

Claims

1. A storage device system comprising:

a plurality of storage devices in which information is stored;

a storage device control section for controlling storage of information in said plurality of storage devices;

a connection unit connected to said storage device control section;

a first processor that is connected to an external local area network (LAN), which is external to said storage device system, and that converts data of a file access form received over said external LAN into data of a block access form;

a second processor that is connected to said storage device control section via said connection unit, that accesses said plurality of storage devices via said connection unit and said storage device control section in response to data of the block access form issued from said first processor, and that controls activation of said first processor including resetting said first processor by said second processor; and

a management terminal that is connected to the first processor and the second processor via an internal LAN,

wherein said resetting said first processor by said second processor includes stopping supplying power to said first processor, re-supplying power to said first processor and activating a Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) of said first processor,

wherein the first processor stores respective media access control (MAC) addresses, which are assigned to ports of the internal LAN, in respective communication memories,

wherein the management terminal acquires the MAC addresses assigned to the first processor from the second processor at regular intervals, until the power supply of the management terminal is turned on again,

wherein the second processor verifies whether disk drives have spun disks so as to determine whether the storage devices are usable, and detects whether the disk drives have completed spinning the disks,

wherein the first processor issues a network boot request to a network boot server implemented in the management terminal,

wherein the management terminal receives the network book request over the internal LAN, and

wherein the first processor allows the second processor to start disk booting.

2. The storage device system according to claim 19, further comprising:

a second communication control section connected on a second network external to said storage device system,

wherein said first communication control section is formed with the same circuit board as said second communication control section is.

3. The storage device system according to claim 1, wherein said first processor diagnoses the hardware thereof,

wherein said second processor issues a request for start of hardware diagnosis of said first processor to said first processor.

4. The storage device system according to claim 3, wherein said second processor issues a request for start of first processing to said first processor, and

wherein said first processor acquires first software from said management terminal in response to the first processing start request issued from said second processor.

5. The storage device system according to claim 4, wherein said first processor acquires second software from said management terminal under the control of the first software acquired from said management terminal, and writes the second software in said plurality of storage devices via said connection unit and said storage device control section.

6. The storage device system according to claim 5, wherein said second processor issues a request for start of second processing to said first processor,

wherein said first processor acquires the second software written in said plurality of storage devices via said connection unit and said storage device control section in response to the second processing start request issued from said second processor.

7. The storage device system according to claim 4, wherein both the first processing start request and second processing start request contain time instant information.

8. The storage device system according to claim 19, wherein said first communication control section includes a storage device in which third software is stored,

wherein said first processor activates the third software so as to activate said first communication control section, and waits for a request issued from said second processor.

9. The storage device system according to claim 8, further comprising:

a second communication control section that is connected on a second network external to said storage device system,

wherein said first communication control section is formed with the same circuit board as said second communication control section.

10. The storage device system according to claim 9, wherein said first processor diagnoses the hardware thereof, and

wherein said second processor issues a request for start of hardware diagnosis of said first processor to said first processor.

11. The storage device system according to claim 10, further comprising:

a management terminal connected to each of said first communication control section and said second communication control section,

wherein said second processor issues a request for start of first processing to said first processor, and

wherein said first processor acquires first software from said management terminal in response to the first processing start request issued from said second processor.

12. The storage device system according to claim 11, wherein said first processor acquires second software from said management terminal under the control of the first software acquired from said management terminal, and writes the second software in said plurality of storage devices via said connection unit and said storage device control section.

13. The storage device system according to claim 12, wherein said second processor issues a request for start of second processing to said first processor, and

wherein said first processor acquires the second software written in said plurality of storage devices via said connection unit and said storage device control section in response to the second processing start request issued from said second processor.

14. The storage device system according to claim 11, wherein both said first processing start request and said second processing start request contain time instant information.

19. The storage device according to claim 1, wherein said first and said second processors form part of a first communication control section.

15. A method of activating a storage device system, wherein the storage device system comprises a plurality of storage devices in which information is stored, a storage device control section which controls storage of information in said plurality of storage devices, a connection unit connected to said storage device control section, a first processor that is connected to an external local area network (LAN), which is external to said storage device system and that converts data of a file access form received over said LAN into data of a block access form, a second processor that is connected to said storage device control section via said connection unit, and that accesses said plurality of storage devices via said connection unit and said storage device control section in response to the data of the block access form issued from said first processor, and a management terminal that is connected to the first processor and the second processor via an internal LAN, said method comprising the steps of:

controlling, by said second processor, activation of said first processor including resetting said first processor by said second processor,

wherein said resetting said first processor by said second processor includes stopping supplying power to said first processor, re-supplying power to said first processor and activating a Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) of said first processor;

issuing, by said second processor, a request for start of hardware diagnosis of said first processor to said first processor;

performing, by said first processor, hardware diagnosis in response to the hardware diagnosis start request issued from said second processor;

storing, by the first processor, respective media access control (MAC) addresses, which are assigned to ports of the internal LAN, in respective communication memories;

acquiring, by the management terminal, the MAC addresses assigned to the first processor from the second processor at regular intervals, until the power supply of the management terminal is turned on again;

verifying, by the second processor, whether disk drives have spun disks so as to determine whether the storage devices are usable, and detecting, by the second processor, whether the disk drives have completed spinning the disks;

issuing, by the first processor, a network boot request to a network boot server implemented in the management terminal;

receiving, by the management terminal, the network book request over the internal LAN; and

allowing, by the first processor, the second processor to start disk booting.

16. The method according to claim 15, said method further comprising the steps of:

issuing, by said second processor, a request for start of first processing to said first processor; and

acquiring, by said first processor, first software from said management terminal in response to the first processing start request issued from said second processor.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

acquiring, by said first processor, second software from said management terminal under control of the first software acquired from said management terminal, and writing the second software in said plurality of storage devices via said connection unit and said storage device control section.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

issuing, by said second processor, a request for start of second processing to said first processor; and

acquiring, by said first processor, the second software written in said plurality of storage devices via said connection unit and said storage device control section in response to the second processing start request issued from said second processor.