Data storage system and storage managing method

• US 5,838,891 A
• Filed: 03/06/1996
• Issued: 11/17/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubushi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Ito, Kazuo, Mizuno, Masahiro, Ogawa, Akira, Baba, Hiroshi, Matsumoto, Toshio, Yamamoto, Hitoshi, Ito, Kazuhiko, Ogura, Shiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoliel, Jr., Robert W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, DIEU MINH T
• Application Number:
  US08/611,783
• Time in Patent Office: 986 Days
• Field of Search: 395/182.03, 395/182.04, 395/182.09, 395/183.18, 395/183.19, 395/183.2, 395/427, 395/441, 364/DIG. 1, 364/238.4, 371/21.1, 371/40.1
• US Class Current: 714/5.11
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/201 between storage system components
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2089 Redundant storage control functionality
• 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 11/3058 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring environmental properties or parameters of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring of power, currents, temperature, humidity, position, vibrations thermal management in cooling arrangements of a computing system G06F1/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/325 by lamps or LED's
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/327 Alarm or error message display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3485 for I/O devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0601 Interfaces specially adapted for storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0673 Single storage device

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a data storage system that reduces a load of a data bus for connecting a HOST system with the data storage system. The data storage system includes a disk manager connected to the HOST system by a SCSI BUS, connected to a disk control unit by an RS PORT and connected to disk enclosures and a fan unit by a Serial BUS. The disk manager monitors operation of the disk control unit and disk enclosures and transmits results to the HOST system. In addition, control commands of the HOST system to the disk enclosures are executed via the disk manager.

Claims

1. A data storage system for coupling to a host system, the data storage system comprising:

(a) a storage unit for storing data having a first interface for coupling to the host system and having a second interface which is different and independent from the first interface;

(b) a storage manager that manages the storage unit having a first interface for coupling to the host system to communicate with the host system and a second interface coupled to the second interface of the storage unit for communicating with the storage unit;

wherein the storage unit includes a plurality of storage enclosures to store data and a storage control unit to control the plurality of storage enclosures, each storage enclosure of the plurality of storage enclosures being coupled to the storage manager through the second interface of the storage unit, and the storage control unit being coupled to the first interface of the storage unit.

2. The data storage system of claim 1 wherein the storage manager monitors an operating condition of each storage enclosure and collects operating information from each storage enclosure and controls the operation of each storage enclosure.

3. The data storage system of claim 2, wherein each of the storage enclosures has an indicator to indicate the operating condition and the storage manager controls an indication of the indicator.

4. The data storage system of claim 2, wherein the storage control unit is a Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks (RAID) controller.

5. The data storage system of claim 2, wherein each of the storage enclosures has a disk drive to store data.

6. The data storage system of claim 5, wherein the storage manager controls a synchronization of a disk rotation of the disk drive.

7. The data storage system of claim 1 wherein the data storage system further includes a storage chassis having substantially similar shaped slots arranged at least in one dimensional direction, wherein each of the storage enclosures and the storage manager has substantially a same shape such that each of the storage enclosures and the storage manager may be mounted in any of the slots.

8. The data storage system of claim 7, wherein the storage chassis has a back plane accessible from each slot, and wherein the back plane has a signal line to couple the second interface of the storage unit to each of the storage enclosures and to the second interface of the storage manager.

9. The data storage system of claim 8, wherein the data storage system further includes a fan for cooling coupled to the second interface of the storage manager through the second interface of the storage unit.

10. The data storage system of claim 9, wherein the storage chassis further includes a slot to mount the fan, and wherein the back plane has a signal line to couple the fan to the second interface of the storage unit.

11. The data storage system of claim 10, wherein the storage manager has a temperature sensor to detect a temperature in the storage chassis and wherein the storage manager controls rotation of the fan.

12. The data storage system of claim 4, wherein each of the storage manager and the storage control unit further includes a third interface and wherein the third interface of the storage manager is coupled to the third interface of the storage control unit.

13. The data storage system of claim 12, wherein the storage manager monitors an operating condition of the storage control unit, collects operating information from the storage control unit and controls the operation of the storage control unit.

14. The data storage system of claim 13, wherein the storage manager has a non-volatile memory to record the operating information collected by the storage manager.

15. The data storage system of claim 14, wherein the storage manager has an indicator and an input part whereby direct access to the storage manager is provided to a user.

16. The data storage system of claim 1 wherein the first interface of the storage manager and the storage unit is a Small Computer System Interface (SCSI).

17. The data storage system of claim 16, wherein the storage manager and the storage control unit are identified by the host system by using a SCSI-ID.

18. The data storage system of claim 10, wherein the second interface of the storage manager and the storage unit is a serial interface.

19. The data storage system of claim 13, wherein the third interface of the storage manager and the storage unit is a serial interface.

20. A storage managing method of a system having a host system coupled to a data storage system, the data storage system having a storage unit and a storage manager, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) transferring data between the storage unit and the host system through a first communication path coupled to the storage unit, the storage manager and the host system;

(b) transferring managing information between the storage manager and the host system through the first communication path;

(c) monitoring and controlling operation of the storage unit by the storage manager through a second communication path coupled to the storage unit and the storage manager, the second communication path being different and independent from the first communication path;

wherein the storage unit has a plurality of storage enclosures and wherein the step of monitoring and controlling operation of the storage unit further includes step of communicating with each of the plurality of storage enclosures through the second communication path and collecting information from each of the storage enclosures.

21. The storage managing method of claim 20, wherein the storage unit has a storage control unit coupled to the storage manager through a third communication path, and the storage managing method further includes the step of exchanging control information between the storage manager and the storage control unit through the third communication path.

22. A data storage system for providing data storage for a host system, the data storage system comprising:

a storage unit that stores data of the host system;

a storage manager that monitors and controls data storage in the storage unit;

first means for transferring data between the host system, the storage unit and the storage manager;

second means for transferring data between the storage unit and the storage manager, the data transferred by the second means being related to management information of the storage unit; and

third means for transferring data between the storage manager and the storage unit, the data transferred by the third means being related to status and control information of the storage unit;

wherein each of the first means, the second means, and the third means transfers data independent from, and without interfering with data transmission on, each of the other of the first means, the second means and the third means.