Array recording system reporting completion of writing data operation prior to the completion of writing redundancy data in alternative recording units

• US 5,862,406 A
• Filed: 02/24/1997
• Issued: 01/19/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation), Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Baba, Hiroshi, Matsumoto, Toshio
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Le Hein
• Application Number:
  US08/805,221
• Time in Patent Office: 694 Days
• Field of Search: 395/837, 395/826, 395/835, 395/838, 395/839, 395/878, 395/182.04, 371/40.15, 371/40.4
• US Class Current: 710/19
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1076 Parity data used in redundant arrays of independent storages, e.g. in RAID systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2015 Redundant power supplies power supply failure G06F1/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/22 Detection or location of defective computer hardware by testing during standby operation or during idle time, e.g. start-up testing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2211/109 Sector level checksum or ECC, i.e. sector or stripe level checksum or ECC in addition to the RAID parity calculation
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 29/74 using duplex memories, i.e. using dual copies

Abstract

A recording device which improves a response time to write data by reporting to a host computer the completion of writing operation prior to the completion of writing redundancy data. Data writing command information from the host computer is stored in a command/status memory backed up by a power source in an array controller, and the completion of writing operation is reported to the host computer at the time of the completion of writing updated data prior to the completion of writing redundancy data. Redundancy data is written as a background process. If redundancy data could not be written due to any abnormality of the power source or the like, such redundancy data may be generated from the data in other disk units of the same redundancy group in accordance with writing command information stored in the command/status memory, thereby completing the writing of redundancy data.

Claims

1. A recording device comprising:

(a) a recording means having a plurality of recording sections arranged in an array for recording data;

(b) alternative recording units usable in place of said recording sections of said recording means;

(c) a control section for causing data including redundancy data to be striped and recorded in and reproduced from said recording means, and for, if a part of said recording means fails and data is reconstructed in at least one of said alternative recording units during the operation of the system causing unreconstructed data to be reconstructed at the of time access to the unreconstructed data of said faulty recording section or at the time of access to data of other recording section involved with the unreconstructed data of said faulty recording section in providing redundancy;

wherein, if the access is made for the purpose of reading out data, data transfer and completion of reading out data process are reported when the data to be read out is prepared, and a reconstruction process is performed, whereas, if said access is made for the purpose of writing data, completion of writing data process is reported at the time of the completion of writing data in recording sections other than said alternative recording units prior to the completion of writing data in said alternative recording units.