Recording device having alternative recording units operated in three different conditions depending on activities in maintaining diagnosis mechanism and recording sections

• US 5,878,203 A
• Filed: 01/24/1997
• Issued: 03/02/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Baba, Hiroshi, Matsumoto, Toshio
• Primary Examiner(s): Palys, Joseph E.
• Application Number:
  US08/788,989
• Time in Patent Office: 767 Days
• Field of Search: 395/182.04, 395/182.03, 395/182.05, 395/182.07, 395/441, 395/439, 395/440, 395/460, 395/482, 395/486, 395/182.13, 395/182.14, 371/40.11, 371/40.14, 371/40.15, 711/162, 711/161, 711/112, 711/113, 711/114, 711/154
• US Class Current: 714/6.21
• 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:

an interface section for providing an interface with a main unit such as a host computer so as to receive a data recording request having a command portion and first data;

a recording means for recording data;

a redundancy providing means for providing redundancy data for the first data;

command means for storing the command portion the command means having a non-volatile memory for holding the command portion so the command portion can be used after a system abnormality occurs; and

a control section for causing the recording means to record the first data in accordance with the command portion, said control section being adapted to report to said main unit a completion of the data recording request by way of said interface section and having means for causing the redundancy data to be recorded in the recording means after the completion is reported to said main unit.

2. The recording device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the command means stores the command portion and internal process states of said recording means such that if an abnormality occurs in said recording means, the control section is operated according to the the command portion and internal process states stored in said non-volatile memory.

3. The recording device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said non-volatile memory is a RAM that receives power from a secondary power source such as a battery.

4. The recording device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said recording means includes a plurality of recording sections arranged in an array for recording data, and wherein said control section includes means for causing the first data to be recorded in said recording means in accordance with the command portion stored in said non-volatile memory.

5. The recording device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said recording means includes a plurality of recording sections arranged in an array for recording data, and wherein said control section includes means for causing the first data to be striped and recorded in at least two of said plurality of recording sections, said control section further including means for determining recording sections to record the first data on the basis of a number of the recording sections in which striped data area already recorded.

6. A recording device, comprising:

means for receiving a data recording request from a main unit, the data recording request having a command portion and first data;

a recording means for recording data;

a redundancy providing means for providing redundancy data for the first data;

command means for non-volatilely storing the command portion such that the command portion is recoverable in the event of a system abnormality;

means for causing the recording means to record the first data and in response thereto provide a completion indication to the main unit; and

means for receiving the command portion from the command means and in response thereto causing the recording means to record the redundancy data after the completion indication is reported to the main unit.

7. A recording device, comprising:

means for receiving a data recording request from a main unit the data recording request having a command portion and first data;

a recording means for recording data;

command means for non-volatilely storing the command portion such that the command portion is recoverable in the event of a system abnormality;

a cache for storing the first data non-volatilely;

means for reporting a completion to the main unit upon storing the command portion in the command means and the first data in the cache; and

means for causing the first data stored in the cache to be recorded in the recording means in accordance with the command portion stored in the command means subsequent to the completion being reported by the means for reporting.