Storage subsystem

• US 20090237877A1
• Filed: 05/22/2009
• Published: 09/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Sugimoto, Shuji, Sato, Masahiko, Honda, Kiyoshi
• Application Number:
  US12/453,817
• Publication Number:
  US 20090237877A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.390
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/00 Editing; Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Monitoring; Measuring tape travel
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/142 by air cooling

Abstract

The storage subsystem is connected to an external device and comprises a storage device arrangement portion, on which a plurality of storage devices is arranged, and a control device that controls communications between the plurality of storage devices arranged on the storage device arrangement portion and the external device. The storage device arrangement portion is constituted such that the plurality of storage devices is arranged upright in the directions of two dimensions.

Claims

1. A storage subsystem that is connected to an external device, comprising:

a plurality of enclosures each of which has a drawer slideable in a depth direction of a horizontal plane therein and thereout, each drawer including a plurality of slots for inserting upright therein a storage device; and

a control device that is connected to the external device, controls communications between the plurality of storage devices and the external device, and sends information to the external device to display a corresponding relationship between logical volumes and physical positions of the storage devices in each enclosure, each logical volume being a logical storage device formed on one or more of the storage devices,

wherein each of the storage devices is inserted or removed after the respective drawer is pulled out from the respective enclosure, and

wherein the plurality of storage devices includes a low-heat storage device that emits heat by consuming first electrical power and a high-heat storage device that emits heat that is of a higher temperature than the heat of the low-heat storage device by consuming second electrical power, the storage subsystem further comprises;

a cooling portion that causes a gas for cooling the storage devices arranged on the storage device arrangement portion to flow to the storage device arrangement portion, and the storage device arrangement portion is constituted such that the low-heat storage device is disposed upstream in the direction in which the gas flows and the high-heat storage device is disposed downstream in the direction in which the gas flows.

2. The storage subsystem according to claim 1, further comprising:

a slide mechanism that slides the drawer inside and outside the respective enclosure.

3. The storage subsystem according to claim 2, wherein the drawer comprises:

a first sub-arrangement portion for arranging two or more first storage devices among the plurality of storage devices; and

a second sub-arrangement portion for arranging two or more second storage devices among the plurality of storage devices, and

the slide mechanism slides the first sub-arrangement portion and the second sub-arrangement portion separately.

4. The storage subsystem according to claim 1, further comprising:

a cooling portion that causes a gas for cooling the storage devices to flow to the drawer,

wherein gas flows are formed in the depth direction as separated by the M storage device columns at equal intervals.

5. The storage subsystem according to claim 1, further comprising:

a cooling portion that causes a gas for cooling the storage devices to flow to the drawer; and

a dummy storage device disposed on a slot of the drawer so that the flow of gas is not disturbed when a number of storage devices is smaller than the maximum number of storage devices that can be arranged in the drawer.

6. The storage subsystem according to claim 1, further comprising:

a cooling portion that causes a gas for cooling the storage devices to flow to the drawer, wherein a plurality of storage devices are arranged in a matrix with M columns of storage devices in a width direction of the horizontal plane and N rows of storage devices in the depth direction, and

wherein gas flows are formed to flow through a plurality of flow paths among the M storage device columns, and the width of at least one of the flow paths is narrower downstream than upstream in the depth direction.

7. The storage subsystem according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of storage devices are arranged in a matrix with M columns of storage devices in a width direction of the horizontal plane and N rows of storage devices in the depth direction,

the drawer includes M sub-drawers each corresponding to one of the M storage device columns, and

one of the sub-drawers is selected by a user to be slide out of a respective enclosure so as to remove a damaged storage device that belongs to the selected storage device column.

8. The storage subsystem according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of storage devices includes a low-heat storage device that emits heat by consuming first electrical power and a high-heat storage device that emits heat that is of a higher temperature than the heat of the low-heat storage device by consuming second electrical power,

the storage subsystem further comprises:

a cooling portion that causes a gas for cooling the storage devices arranged on the storage device arrangement portion to flow to the storage device arrangement portion, and

the storage device arrangement portion is constituted such that the low-heat storage device is disposed upstream in the direction in which the gas flows and the high-heat storage device is disposed downstream in the direction in which the gas flows.

9. A storage subsystem that is connected to an external device, comprising:

a plurality of enclosures each of which has a drawer slideable in a depth direction of a horizontal plane therein and thereout, each drawer including a plurality of slots for inserting upright therein a storage device such that a plurality of storage devices are arranged in a matrix with M columns of storage devices in a width direction of the horizontal plane and N rows of storage devices in the depth direction;

a slide mechanism that slides the drawer inside and outside the respective enclosure;

a cooling portion that causes a gas for cooling the storage devices to flow to the drawer; and

a control device that is connected to the external device, controls communications between the plurality of storage devices and the external device, and sends information to the external device to display a corresponding relationship between logical volumes and physical positions of the storage devices in each enclosure, each logical volume being a logical storage device formed on one or more of the storage devices,

wherein each of the storage devices is inserted or removed after the respective drawer is pulled out from the respective enclosure,

gas flows are formed in the depth direction as separated by the M storage device columns at equal intervals, and

the drawer includes M sub-drawers each corresponding to one of the M storage device columns, and one of the sub-drawers is selected by a user as detected to be slide out of a respective enclosure so as to remove a damaged storage device that belongs to the selected storage device column,

wherein the plurality of storage devices includes a low-heat storage device that emits heat by consuming first electrical power and a high-heat storage device that emits heat that is of a higher temperature than the heat of the low-heat storage device by consuming second electrical power, the storage subsystem further comprises;

a cooling portion that causes a gas for cooling the storage devices arranged on the storage device arrangement portion to flow to the storage device arrangement portion, and the storage device arrangement portion is constituted such that the low-heat storage device is disposed upstream in the direction in which the gas flows and the high-heat storage device is disposed downstream in the direction in which the gas flows.

10. A storage subsystem that is connected to an external device, comprising:

a plurality of enclosures each of which has a drawer slideable in a depth direction of a horizontal plane therein and thereout, each drawer including a plurality of slots for inserting upright therein a storage device;

a control device that is connected to the external device, controls communications between the plurality of storage devices and the external device, and sends information to the external device to display a corresponding relationship between logical volumes and physical positions of the storage devices in each enclosure, each logical volume being a logical storage device formed on one or more of the storage devices, and

wherein each of the storage devices is inserted or removed after the respective drawer is pulled out from the respective enclosure; and

a cooling portion that causes a gas for cooling the storage devices to flow to the drawer,

wherein gas flows are formed in the depth direction as separated by a plurality of storage device columns at equal intervals.

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

a slide mechanism that slides the drawer inside and outside the respective enclosure.

12. The storage subsystem according to claim 11, wherein the drawer comprises:

a first sub-arrangement portion for arranging two or more first storage devices among the plurality of storage devices; and

a second sub-arrangement portion for arranging two or more second storage devices among the plurality of storage devices, and

the slide mechanism slides the first sub-arrangement portion and the second sub-arrangement portion separately.

13. The storage subsystem according to claim 10, further comprising:

a dummy storage device disposed on a slot of the drawer so that the flow of gas is not disturbed when a number of storage devices is smaller than the maximum number of storage devices that can be arranged in the drawer.

14. The storage subsystem according to claim 10, wherein a plurality of storage devices are arranged in a matrix with M columns of storage devices in a width direction of the horizontal plane and N rows of storage devices in the depth direction, and

gas flows are formed to flow through a plurality of flow paths among the M storage device columns, and the width of at least one of the flow paths is narrower downstream than upstream in the depth direction.

15. The storage subsystem according to claim 10, wherein a plurality of storage devices are arranged in a matrix with M columns of storage devices in a width direction of the horizontal plane and N rows of storage devices in the depth direction,

the drawer includes M sub-drawers each corresponding to one of the M storage device columns, and

one of the sub-drawers is selected by a user as detected to be slide out of a respective enclosure so as to remove a damaged storage device that belongs to the selected storage device column.

16. A storage subsystem that is connected to an external device, comprising:

a plurality of enclosures each of which has a drawer slideable in a depth direction of a horizontal plane therein and thereout, each drawer including a plurality of slots for inserting upright therein a storage device such that a plurality of storage devices are arranged in a matrix with M columns of storage devices in a width direction of the horizontal plane and N rows of storage devices in the depth direction;

a slide mechanism that slides the drawer inside and outside the respective enclosure;

a cooling portion that causes a gas for cooling the storage devices to flow to the drawer; and

a control device that is connected to the external device, controls communications between the plurality of storage devices and the external device, and sends information to the external device to display a corresponding relationship between logical volumes and physical positions of the storage devices in each enclosure, each logical volume being a logical storage device formed on one or more of the storage devices,

wherein each of the storage devices is inserted or removed after the respective drawer is pulled out from the respective enclosure,

gas flows are formed in the depth direction as separated by the M storage device columns at equal intervals, and

the drawer includes M sub-drawers each corresponding to one of the M storage device columns, and one of the sub-drawers is selected by a user as detected to be slide out of a respective enclosure so as to remove a damaged storage device that belongs to the selected storage device column.

17. A storage subsystem that is connected to an external device, comprising:

a plurality of enclosures each of which has a drawer slideable in a depth direction of a horizontal plane therein and thereout, each drawer including a plurality of slots for inserting upright therein a storage device such that a plurality of storage devices are arranged in a matrix with M columns of storage devices in a width direction of the horizontal plane and N rows of storage devices in the depth direction;

a control device that is connected to the external device, controls communications between the plurality of storage devices and the external device, and sends information to the external device to display a corresponding relationship between logical volumes and physical positions of the storage devices in each enclosure, each logical volume being a logical storage device formed on one or more of the storage devices,

wherein each of the storage devices is inserted or removed after the respective drawer is pulled out from the respective enclosure, and

when one of the storage devices is damaged, the control device sends to the external device information of a corresponding relationship between a physical position of the damaged storage device in a respective enclosure and a logical volume to display the corresponding relationship; and

a cooling portion that causes a gas for cooling the storage devices to flow to the drawer,

wherein gas flows are formed in the depth direction as separated by the M storage device columns at equal intervals.

18. The storage subsystem according to claim 17, further comprising:

a slide mechanism that slides the drawer inside and outside the respective enclosure.

19. The storage subsystem according to claim 18, wherein the drawer comprises:

a first sub-arrangement portion for arranging two or more first storage devices among the plurality of storage devices; and

a second sub-arrangement portion for arranging two or more second storage devices among the plurality of storage devices, and

the slide mechanism slides the first sub-arrangement portion and the second sub-arrangement portion separately.

20. The storage subsystem according to claim 17, further comprising:

a dummy storage device disposed on a slot of the drawer so that the flow of gas is not disturbed when a number of storage devices is smaller than the maximum number of storage devices that can be arranged in the drawer.

21. The storage subsystem according to claim 17, wherein gas flows are formed to flow through a plurality of flow paths among the M storage device columns, and the width of at least one of the flow paths is narrower downstream than upstream in the depth direction.

22. The storage subsystem according to claim 17, wherein the drawer includes M sub-drawers each corresponding to one of the M storage device columns, and

one of the sub-drawers is selected by a user as detected to be slide out of a respective enclosure so as to remove a damaged storage device that belongs to the selected storage device column.

23. A storage subsystem that is connected to an external device, comprising:

a plurality of enclosures each of which has a drawer slideable in a depth direction of a horizontal plane therein and thereout, each drawer including a plurality of slots for inserting upright therein a storage device such that a plurality of storage devices are arranged in a matrix with M columns of storage devices in a width direction of the horizontal plane and N rows of storage devices in the depth direction;

a slide mechanism that slides the drawer inside and outside the respective enclosure;

a cooling portion that causes a gas for cooling the storage devices to flow to the drawer; and

a control device that is connected to the external device, controls communications between the plurality of storage devices and the external device, and sends information to the external device to display a corresponding relationship between logical volumes and physical positions of the storage devices in each enclosure, each logical volume being a logical storage device formed on one or more of the storage devices,

wherein each of the storage devices is inserted or removed after the respective drawer is pulled out from the respective enclosure,

when one of the storage devices is damaged, the control device sends to the external device information of a corresponding relationship between a physical position of the damaged storage device in a respective enclosure and a logical volume to display the corresponding relationship,

gas flows are formed in the depth direction as separated by the M storage device columns at equal intervals, and

the drawer includes M sub-drawers each corresponding to one of the M storage device columns, and one of the sub-drawers is selected by a user as detected to be slide out of a respective enclosure so as to remove a damaged storage device that belongs to the selected storage device column.

24. A storage subsystem that is connected to an external device, comprising:

a storage device arrangement portion on which a plurality of storage devices is arranged; and

a control device that controls communications between the plurality of storage devices arranged on the storage device arrangement portion and the external device,

wherein the storage device arrangement portion is constituted such that the plurality of storage devices is arranged upright in the directions of two dimensions.

25. The storage subsystem according to claim 24, further comprising:

a enclosure for housing the storage device arrangement portion; and

an arrangement portion displacement mechanism that displaces the storage device arrangement portion inside and outside the enclosure.

26. The storage subsystem according to claim 25, wherein the storage device arrangement portion comprises:

a first sub-arrangement portion for arranging two or more first storage devices among the plurality of storage devices; and

a second sub-arrangement portion for arranging two or more second storage devices among the plurality of storage devices, and

the arrangement portion displacement mechanism displaces the first sub-arrangement portion and the second sub-arrangement portion separately.

27. The storage subsystem according to claim 24, wherein the storage device arrangement portion comprises a plurality of storage device slots corresponding with a plurality of storage devices respectively and is constituted to arrange a plurality of storage devices, each of which is inserted via the plurality of storage device slots;

and

each of the plurality of storage device slots is constituted to receive a storage device in an upright state vertically from above.

28. The storage subsystem according to claim 24, further comprising:

a cooling portion that causes a gas for cooling the storage devices arranged on the storage device arrangement portion to flow to the storage device arrangement portion,

wherein the storage device arrangement portion is constituted such that a plurality of storage device columns consisting of two or more storage devices that follow the direction in which the gas flows are formed and the plurality of storage device columns are at equal intervals.

29. The storage subsystem according to claim 24, wherein the plurality of storage devices includes a low-heat storage device that emits heat by consuming first electrical power and a high-heat storage device that emits heat that is of a higher temperature than the heat of the low-heat storage device by consuming second electrical power, the storage subsystem further comprises:

a cooling portion that causes a gas for cooling the storage devices arranged on the storage device arrangement portion to flow to the storage device arrangement portion, and

the storage device arrangement portion is constituted such that the low-heat storage device is disposed upstream in the direction in which the gas flows and the high-heat storage device is disposed downstream in the direction in which the gas flows.

30. The storage subsystem according to claim 24, further comprising:

a cooling portion that causes a gas for cooling the storage devices arranged on the storage device arrangement portion to flow to the storage device arrangement portion; and

a storage device dummy that is disposed on the storage device arrangement portion so that the flow of gas is not disturbed when the maximum number of storage devices that can be arranged is not arranged on the storage device arrangement portion.

31. The storage subsystem according to claim 24, further comprising:

a cooling portion that causes a gas for cooling the storage devices arranged on the storage device arrangement portion to flow to the storage device arrangement portion,

wherein the storage device arrangement portion is constituted such that a plurality of storage device columns consisting of two or more storage devices that follow the direction in which the gas flows are formed and the width of at least one storage device column among the plurality of storage device columns is narrower downstream than upstream in the direction in which the gas flows.

32. The storage subsystem according to claim 24, wherein the storage device arrangement portion is constituted such that a plurality of storage device columns consisting of two or more storage devices are formed, and the storage subsystem further comprises:

a plurality of operating portions corresponding with the plurality of storage device columns respectively, wherein the operation of an operating portion that is selected by a user from among the plurality of operating portions is detected and the user is allowed to remove a storage device that belongs to the storage device column corresponding with the selected operating portion.

33. The storage subsystem according to claim 32, further comprising:

a enclosure for housing the storage device arrangement portion; and

an arrangement portion displacement mechanism that displaces the storage device arrangement portion inside and outside the enclosure and in the directions of the two dimensions.

34. The storage subsystem according to claim 24, wherein the storage device arrangement portion comprises a plurality of arrangement positions corresponding with the plurality of storage devices respectively, and the control device comprises:

a storage region that stores control information indicating where in the plurality of arrangement positions which types of storage devices are arranged and indicating the respective states of each of the storage devices; and

a control portion that displays a GUI screen,

wherein the control portion prepares a plurality of display positions on the GUI screen corresponding with the plurality of arrangement positions respectively, displays a graphic representing an arranged storage device in each of the plurality of display positions, and displays at least one of the type and state of the storage device corresponding with the graphic on the GUI screen so that the type and/or state is associated with the graphic.

35. A storage subsystem that is connected to an external device and that possesses depth, comprising:

a storage device arrangement portion on which a plurality of storage devices is arranged upright in the directions of two dimensions that include the depth direction of the storage subsystem;

a control device that controls communications between the plurality of storage devices arranged on the storage device arrangement portion and the external device;

a cooling portion that causes a gas for cooling the storage devices arranged on the storage device arrangement portion to flow to the storage device arrangement portion;

a enclosure for housing the storage device arrangement portion, the control device and the cooling portion; and

an arrangement portion displacement mechanism that displaces the storage device arrangement portion inside and outside the enclosure and in the directions of the two dimensions,

wherein the storage device arrangement portion is constituted such that a plurality of storage device columns consisting of two or more storage devices that follow the direction in which the gas flows are formed so that the plurality of storage device columns are at equal intervals or so that the width of at least one storage device column among the plurality of storage device columns is narrower downstream than upstream in the direction in which the gas flows; and

the storage subsystem further comprises;

a plurality of operating portions corresponding with the plurality of storage device columns respectively,

wherein the operation of an operating portion that is selected by a user from among the plurality of operating portions is detected and the user is allowed to remove a storage device that belongs to the storage device column corresponding with the selected operating portion.