System and Method for Mapping a Logical Drive Status to a Physical Drive Status for Multiple Storage Drives Having Different Storage Technologies within a Server

• US 20120151112A1
• Filed: 12/09/2010
• Published: 06/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Paul, Indrani, Loffink, John S., Lambert, Timothy M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,583,847 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/304
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3034 where the computing system component is a storage system, e.g. DASD based or network based digital input from or digital output to record carriers G06F3/06; digital recording or reproducing G11B20/18; 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], H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/00 Interconnection of, or transfer of information or other signals between, memories, input/output devices or central processing units interface circuits for specific input/output devices G06F3/00 ; multiprogram control therefor G06F9/46; multiprocessor systems G06F15/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4072 Drivers or receivers G06F13/4086 takes precedence; for multistate logic circuits H03K19/0002
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2213/0028 Serial attached SCSI [SAS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2213/0032 Serial ATA [SATA]

Abstract

An information handling system includes a cable, a backplane, and a processor. The cable is connected to a storage controller of the information handling system. The backplane is configured to connect a drive to the information handling system. The processor is in communication with the cable and with the backplane. The processor is configured to detect a presence of the drive, to output a pulse in response to the detection of the presence of the drive, to determine a first storage technology of the drive in response to the output pulse, to determine a second storage technology of the storage controller, to determine whether there is a misconfiguration between the first storage technology and the second storage technology, and to generate a notification when the misconfiguration is determined.

Claims

1. An information handling system comprising:

a cable connected to a storage controller of the information handling system;

a backplane configured to connect a drive to the information handling system; and

a processor in communication with the cable and with the backplane, the processor configured to detect a presence of the drive, to output a pulse in response to the detection of the presence of the drive, to determine a first storage technology of the drive in response to the output pulse, to determine a second storage technology of the storage controller, to determine whether there is a misconfiguration between the first storage technology and the second storage technology, and to generate a notification when the misconfiguration is determined.

2. The information handling system of claim 1 further comprising:

a light emitted diode connected to the processor, wherein the light emitting diode is lit up in response to a misconfiguration between the backplane cable and the drive.

3. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein first storage technology is detected out-of-band.

4. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the second storage technology of the storage controller is selected from a group consisting of serial advanced technology attachment and serial attached small computer system interface.

5. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the first storage technology of the drive is selected from a group consisting of a serial advanced technology attachment drive and a serial attached small computer system interface drive.

6. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the presence of the drive is detected upon initialization of the information handling system.

7. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the presence of the drive is detected upon a connection of the drive to the information handling system via a hot-plug connection.

8. An information handling system comprising:

a cable connected to a storage controller of the information handling system;

a backplane configured to connect a drive to the information handling system;

an out-of-band drive connector interface in communication the drive, the out-of-band drive connector interface configured to detect a presence of the drive; and

a processor in communication with the cable, with the backplane, and with the out-of-band drive connector interface, the processor configured to output a pulse in response to the detection of the presence of the drive, to determine a first storage technology of the drive in response to the output pulse, to determine a second storage technology of the storage controller, to determine whether there is a misconfiguration between the first storage technology and the second storage technology, and to generate a notification when the misconfiguration is determined.

9. The information handling system of claim 8 further comprising:

a light emitted diode connected to the processor, wherein the light emitting diode blinks in response to a misconfiguration between the backplane cable and the drive.

10. The information handling system of claim 8 wherein the second storage technology of the storage controller is selected from a group consisting of serial advanced technology attachment and serial attached small computer system interface.

11. The information handling system of claim 8 wherein the first storage technology of the drive is selected from a group consisting of a serial advanced technology attachment drive, and a serial attached small computer system interface drive.

12. The information handling system of claim 8 wherein the presence of the drive is detected upon initialization of the information handling system.

13. The information handling system of claim 8 wherein the presence of the drive is detected upon a connection of the drive to the information handling system via a hot-plug connection.

14. A method comprising:

detecting an initialization of an information handling system or an insertion of a drive into a drive slot of the information handling system;

detecting a first storage technology of a storage controller connected to a cable of the drive slot;

determining whether the first storage technology of the storage controller is serial advanced technology attachment; and

when the first storage technology of the storage controller is serial advanced technology attachment;

outputting a high voltage pulse from a first terminal of a processor;

determining a first voltage at a second terminal of the processor;

when the first voltage is the high voltage, sending a first indication that a second storage technology of the drive is a serial advanced technology attachment drive to a board management controller in response to a request from the board management controller, and setting a mask register of a board management controller firmware as a valid slot; and

when the first voltage is the low voltage, sending a second indication that the second storage technology of the drive is a serial attached small computer system interface drive in the board management controller in response to the request from the board management controller, setting the mask register of the board management controller firmware as an invalid slot, detecting a misconfiguration of storage technologies between the first storage technology of the storage controller and the second storage technology of the drive, and outputting a misconfiguration LED pattern.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

when the first storage technology of the storage controller is not serial advanced technology attachment;

outputting the high voltage pulse from the first terminal;

determining a second voltage at the second terminal;

sending the first indication that the second storage technology of the drive is the serial advanced technology attachment drive in the board management controller when the second voltage is a high voltage and in response to the request from the board management controller; and

sending the second indication that the second storage technology of the drive is the serial attached small computer system interface drive in the board management controller when the second voltage is the high voltage and in response to a request from the board management controller.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

lighting up a light emitting diode when the second storage technology of the drive is the serial attached small computer system interface drive.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the second storage technology of the drive is determined out-of-band.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the cable provides the storage controller with communication to the drive inserted into the information handling system.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein the drive is a hot-plug drive.