CONTROLLER BASED SHOCK DETECTION FOR STORAGE SYSTEMS

• US 20100322053A1
• Filed: 06/23/2009
• Published: 12/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dot Hill Systems Corporation (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Dot Hill Systems Corporation (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Morris, Charles Powell, Ashmore, Paul Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 8,132,196 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 369/53.42
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/042 due to external shock or vibration
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2516 Hard disks
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/45 Hierarchical combination of record carriers, e.g. HDD for fast access, optical discs for long term storage or tapes for backup
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/60 Solid state media details of solid state memory devices G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/36 Monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing for digital recording G11B20/00 and s.gr.; for monitoring, testing or measuring of TV recorders of the type covered by H04N5/76 and subgroups, see H04N17/06

Abstract

A data storage system controller having a shock detection sensor and methods utilizing such a controller are provided. The data storage system controller receives information or signals regarding shock events from the associated shock sensor, enabling the data storage system controller to take remedial action. The particular remedial action taken may be dependent on the severity of the detected shock event. The data storage system controller may also receive information regarding shock events from shock sensors provided separately from the data storage system controller, allowing the data storage system controller to take remedial action that is tailored to the locale of a shock event.

Claims

1. A storage system, comprising:

at least a first primary data storage device, wherein operation of the first primary data storage device is sensitive to shocks; and

a controller, the controller including;

a processor, the processor running a vibration detection algorithm; and

a shock sensor, wherein the shock sensor generates an output in response to a shock to the controller, wherein the output of the shock sensor is provided to the vibration detection algorithm, and wherein in response to detecting a shock exhibiting at least a first 10 predetermined characteristic, the controller alters an operation related to the first primary storage device.

2. The storage system of claim 1, wherein the shock sensor of the controller includes a piezoelectric transducer.

3. The storage system of claim 2, wherein the controller further includes an analog to digital converter, wherein an analog output from the piezoelectric transducer is converted to a digital signal by the analog to digital converter, and wherein the digital signal is then provided as an input to the processor and the vibration detection algorithm.

4. The storage system of claim 2, wherein the controller further includes a first circuit board, and wherein the piezoelectric transducer is mounted to the first circuit board.

5. The storage system of claim 4, wherein the processor is mounted to the first circuit board.

6. The storage system of claim 1, wherein the first primary data storage device includes a hard disk drive.

7. The storage system of claim 1, wherein the first primary data storage device includes an optical storage device.

8. The storage system of claim 1, further comprising:

a first system enclosure, wherein the first primary data storage device and the controller are located within the first system enclosure.

9. The storage system of claim 1, further comprising:

a first system enclosure, wherein the controller is located within the first system enclosure; and

a second system enclosure, wherein the first primary data storage device is located within the second system enclosure.

10. The storage system of claim 1, further comprising:

at least a first secondary data storage device, wherein the first secondary data storage device comprises a solid state storage device.

11. The storage system of claim 8, further comprising:

at least a first secondary data storage device, wherein the first secondary data storage device comprises a solid state storage device, and wherein the first secondary data storage device is located within the first system enclosure.

12. A method for detecting shock in a data storage system, comprising:

providing a data storage system controller, wherein the data storage system controller includes a processor running a shock detection algorithm and a shock sensor;

providing a first data storage device, wherein the first data storage device is sensitive to at least a shock event of a first type;

in response to a shock event, the shock sensor generating an output signal;

providing the output signal to the shock detection algorithm; and

in response to the shock detection algorithm determining that the shock event is a shock event of a first type, initiating an alternate data storage process.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the alternate data storage process includes instructing a host to delay sending data to the data storage system.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the first data storage device is a first primary data storage device, the method further comprising:

providing a first secondary data storage device, wherein the alternate data storage process includes diverting data initially directed to the first data storage device to the first secondary data storage device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first secondary data storage device includes a solid state storage device.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the data storage system includes a plurality of data storage devices, wherein the first data storage device is one of the plurality of data storage devices, wherein the data storage system controller is a redundant array of independent disks controller, and wherein the plurality of data storage devices are hard disk drives.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the controller is in a first enclosure, and wherein the plurality of data storage devices are in a second enclosure.

18. A data storage method, comprising:

providing a plurality of storage devices;

providing a data storage controller having a shock sensor and a shock detection algorithm, wherein the data storage controller controls a flow of data to and from the plurality of storage devices;

in response to the shock sensor of the data storage controller detecting a shock event, generating a signal that is provided to the shock detection algorithm; and

in response to the shock detection signal, the shock detection algorithm characterizing the shock event and in response to the shock event exceeding a threshold parameter, the shock detection algorithm causing an alternate data storage scheme to be implemented by the data storage controller.

19. The data storage method of claim 18, further comprising:

providing a solid state storage device, wherein the alternate data storage scheme includes diverting data for the plurality of storage devices to the solid state storage device.

20. The data storage method of claim 19, wherein the plurality of storage devices and the data storage controller are contained within a first enclosure.