Transmission monitoring and controlling apparatus and a transmission monitoring and controlling method

• US 5,901,280 A
• Filed: 02/19/1997
• Issued: 05/04/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/1996
• 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, Mizuno, Masahiro, Yamamoto, Hitoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoliel, Jr., Robert W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Iqbal, Nadeem
• Application Number:
  US08/808,968
• Time in Patent Office: 804 Days
• Field of Search: 395/182.04, 395/182.02, 395/182.03, 395/182.13, 395/183.01, 395/183.15, 395/183.18, 395/184.01, 395/200.11-21, 395/441 , 395/182.06, 395/182.11, 395/183.07, 395/183.19, 371/37.7, 371/40.15, 364/550
• US Class Current: 714/6.22
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/327 Alarm or error message display

Abstract

A transmission monitoring and controlling apparatus is provided between a first system and a second system. The transmission monitoring and controlling apparatus monitors information transmitted through a Fibre Channel. Then, a back controller analyzes the monitored information and stores the information in a controlling memory based on the analysis. For example, when the first system writes data on the second system, the back controller stores the data in the controlling memory. Therefore, even if a failure has occurred in the second system, the transmission monitoring and controlling apparatus is able to read the data from the controlling memory and send the data to the first system instead of to the second system.

Claims

1. A transmission monitoring and controlling apparatus for monitoring and controlling a network connecting a first system and a second system, the apparatus comprising:

a first monitor for monitoring information, including data read commands and data write commands, transmitted from a first system to a second system through a network;

a second monitor for monitoring information, including device failure information, transmitted from the second system;

a controlling memory connected between the first and second systems in the network for maintaining a back-up copy of data stored in the second system;

a back controller for generating information to be sent to the first and second systems in response to information detected by the first and second monitors, the back controller comprising;

a processing controller for analyzing the information monitored by the first and second monitors, wherein, when the first system transmits a data read command to read data from a failed device in the second system, the processing controller retrieves a back-up copy from the controlling memory and transmits the back-up copy to the first system, thereby replacing the failed device; and

first and second switches for receiving the information generated by the back controller and information transmitted by the first and second systems, for switching to output to the first and second systems one of the information transmitted and the information generated.

2. The transmission monitoring and controlling apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the back controller comprises a first and second receiving controllers for receiving information transmitted in the network from the first and second monitors,

the controlling memory stores the information received by the first and second receiving controllers,

the processing controller analyzes the information received by the first and second receiving controllers and generates information sent to one of the first system and the second system in response to information stored in the controlling memory, and

the transmission monitoring and controlling apparatus further comprises first and second transmitting controllers for outputting the information generated by the processing controller to the first and second switches.

3. The transmission monitoring and controlling apparatus of claim 2, wherein the processing controller retrieves information stored in the controlling memory and generates information for operating one of the first system and the second system based on the information retrieved from the controlling memory.

4. The transmission monitoring and controlling apparatus of claim 3, wherein

at least one of the first system and the second system comprises a data memory for storing information, and

the processing controller retrieves information stored in the controlling memory and generates a command for storing the information retrieved from the controlling memory in the data memory.

5. The transmission monitoring and controlling apparatus of claim 4, wherein

the processing controller checks vacancy of lines of the network in response to the information transmitted in the network and monitored by the monitor, and, when there is a vacancy, the processing controller retrieves information stored in the controlling memory and generates the command.

6. The transmission monitoring and controlling apparatus of claim 4, wherein the data memory has a RAID (Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks) configuration for storing redundant data.

7. The transmission monitoring and controlling apparatus of claim 6, wherein the processing controller stores, in the controlling memory, location information indicating a location for writing information in the data memory having the RAID configuration, and updates redundant data in response to the location information stored in the controlling memory when the location information is written in the data memory having RAID configuration.

8. The transmission monitoring and controlling apparatus of claim 6, wherein the processing controller stores, in the controlling memory, the information for writing and redundant data updating information indicating which redundant data updating has been completed when the information stored is information for writing in the data memory having the RAID configuration.

9. The transmission monitoring and controlling apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processing controller retrieves the redundant data updating information stored in the controlling memory, generates redundant data based on the redundant data updating information, and generates a command to store the redundant data generated by the processing controller, in the data memory having the RAID configuration, when the monitor monitors the information transmitted in the network, checks vacancy of the lines in the network and finds a vacancy.

10. The transmission monitoring and controlling apparatus of claim 6, wherein

the data memory having the RAID configuration comprises a plurality of magnetic disks, and

the processing controller accesses a normally operating magnetic disk of the data memory, obtains the redundant data for regenerating information, and transmits regenerated information to one of the first system and the second system, when a failure has occurred in at least one of the magnetic disks.

12. The transmission monitoring and controlling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the network is an optical LAN (Local Area Network).

13. The transmission monitoring and controlling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the network is a Fibre Channel.

14. The transmission monitoring and controlling apparatus of claim 2, wherein

the back controller comprises first and second converters for converting eight bit information to ten bit information and for converting ten bit information to eight bit information,

the information transmitted in the network is ten bit information, and

when the first and second converters receive ten bit information from the first and second receiving controllers, the first and second converters convert the ten bit information to eight bit information and send the information to the processing controller, and when the first and second converters receive eight bit information from the processing controller, the converters convert the eight bit information to ten bit information and send the ten bit information to the first and second transmission controllers.

20. The transmission monitoring and controlling apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processing controller changes an origin port ID of the back-up copy retrieved from the controlling memory to an ID of the failed device.

11. A transmission monitoring and controlling apparatus for monitoring and controlling a network connecting a first system and a second system, the apparatus comprising:

a monitor for monitoring information transmitted in a network;

a back controller for generating information sent to the network in response to information detected by the monitor; and

a switch receiving the information generated by the back controller and information transmitted in the network, for switching to output to the network one of the information transmitted and the information generated, wherein;

the back controller comprises a receiving controller for receiving the information transmitted in the network from the monitor, the transmission monitoring and controlling apparatus further comprises a controlling memory for storing the information received by the receiving controller, and

the back controller comprises a processing controller for analyzing the information received by the receiving controller and generates information sent to one of the first system and the second system in response to information stored in the controlling memory and a transmitting controller for outputting information generated by the processing controller to the switch,

the processing controller retrieves information stored in the controlling memory and generates information for operating one of the first system and the second system based on the information retrieved from the controlling memory,

at least one of the first system and the second system comprises a data memory for storing information,

the processing controller generates a command for storing in the data memory information retrieved from the controlling memory, and

the processing controller checks vacancy of lines of the network in response to the information transmitted in the network and monitored by the monitor and when there is a vacancy, the processing controller generates the command, and

the controlling memory stores information stored in the data memory as redundant data.

15. A transmission monitoring and controlling method, wherein a network connecting a first system and a second system is monitored and controlled, the method comprising:

monitoring information, including data read commands and data write commands, transmitted from a first system to a second system through a network;

monitoring information, including device failure information, transmitted from the second system;

storing data in the second system;

maintaining a back-up copy of the data stored in the second system in a controlling memory connected to the first and second systems through the network;

receiving the information monitored, generating information based on the information received, and sending to the network the information generated based on the received information, wherein, when a data read command to read data from a failed device in the second system is received from the first system, retrieving a back-up copy from the controlling memory and transmitting the back-up copy to the first system, thereby replacing the failed device; and

switching so that one of the information generated based on the received information generated and the information transmitted on the network is outputted to the network.

16. The transmission monitoring and controlling method of claim 15, comprising:

storing the information generated based on the received information; and

retrieving the information stored in the storing step and operating one of the first system and the second system in response to the information retrieved.

17. The transmission monitoring and controlling method of claim 15, comprising checking vacancy of lines in the network based on the information transmitted in the network.

18. The transmission monitoring and controlling method of claim 15, wherein at least one of the first system and the second system comprises a memory having a RAID configuration for storing redundant data, the method comprising:

storing location information for writing including a location for writing information in the memory having the RAID configuration; and

updating the redundant data based on the location information for writing.

19. The transmission monitoring and controlling method of claim 18, comprising:

storing redundant data updating information indicating which redundant data has been updated in the memory having the RAID configuration; and

retrieving the redundant data updating information, generating redundant data based on the retrieved redundant data updating information, and generating a command to store the generated redundant data in the memory having the RAID configuration.

21. The transmission monitoring and controlling method of claim 15 wherein transmitting the back-up copy retrieved from the controlling memory to the first system includes changing an origin port ID of the back-up copy to an ID of the failed device.