Storage Apparatus and Control Method Therefor

• US 20090164720A1
• Filed: 12/16/2008
• Published: 06/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: SUZUKI, Katsuyoshi, Kano, Azuma
• Granted Patent: US 7,961,419 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/114
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/184 Mounting of motherboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/187 Mounting of fixed and removable disk drives
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/20 Cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/203 for portable computers, e.g. for laptops
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3221 of disk drive devices
• 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 3/0658 Controller construction arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/126 Arrangements for providing electrical connections, e.g. connectors, cables, switches
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/142 by air cooling
• 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

A storage apparatus comprises at least one housing A in which a storage device and a controller are provided, at least one housing B in which a storage device and a peripheral device are provided, and a transmission path for connecting the storage device and the controller of the housing A, and the storage device of the housing B to enable communication therebetween. The storage apparatus is capable of controlling operation of the storage device of the housing B according to an operating state of the storage device of the housing A through communication via the transmission path; and controlling operation of the peripheral device according to an operating state of the storage device of the housing B.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a storage apparatus,

said storage apparatus including:

at least one housing A in which a storage device and a controller are provided;

at least one housing B in which a storage device and a peripheral device are provided; and

a transmission path for connecting said storage device and said controller of said housing A, and said storage device of said housing B to enable communication therebetween;

said method comprising;

controlling operation of said storage device of said housing B according to an operating state of said storage device of said housing A through communication via said transmission path; and

controlling operation of said peripheral device according to an operating state of said storage device of said housing B.

2. A method of controlling a storage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said storage device is a disk drive.

3. A method of controlling a storage apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

controlling operation of said storage device of said housing B when operation of said storage device of said housing A is stopped; and

controlling operation of said peripheral device according to an operating state of said storage device of said housing B.

4. A method of controlling a storage apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said storage device is a disk drive.

5. A method of controlling a storage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said peripheral device is a cooling device for exhausting heat dissipated in said housing B to the outside of said housing.

6. A method of controlling a storage apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said storage device is a disk drive.

7. A method of controlling a storage apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said cooling device is a cooling fan of an air-cooling type.

8. A method of controlling a storage apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said storage device is a disk drive.

9. A method of controlling a storage apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:

controlling operation of said storage device of said housing B when operation of said storage device of said housing A is stopped; and

controlling a rotation speed of said cooling fan according to an operating state of said storage device of said housing B.

10. A method of controlling a storage apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said storage device is a disk drive.

11. A method of controlling a storage apparatus according to claim 7, wherein at least two said cooling fans are provided in said housing B;

said method further comprising;

controlling operation of said storage device of said housing B in response to a stop in operation of said storage device of said housing A; and

controlling a number of operating cooling fans among said cooling fans according to an operating state of said storage device of said housing B.

12. A method of controlling a storage apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said storage device is a disk drive.

13. A method of controlling a storage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least two said storage devices are provided in said housing B;

said method further comprising;

controlling operation of said storage devices of said housing B according to an operation state of said storage device of said housing A; and

controlling operation of said peripheral device according to an operating state of each of said storage devices of said housing B.

14. A method of controlling a storage apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said storage device is a disk drive.

15. A storage apparatus comprising:

at least one housing A in which a storage device and a controller are provided;

at least one housing B in which a storage device and a peripheral device are provided; and

a transmission path for connecting

said storage device and said controller of said housing A, and

said storage device of said housing B

to enable communication therebetween;

said storage apparatus being capable of;

controlling operation of said storage device of said housing B according to an operating state of said storage device of said housing A through communication via said transmission path; and

controlling operation of said peripheral device according to an operating state of said storage device of said housing B.