Apparatus and method for storage subsystem drive movement and volume addition

• US 6,092,169 A
• Filed: 04/02/1997
• Issued: 07/18/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Compaq Computer Corporation (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Thompson, Mark J., Murthy, Purna C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hiep T.
• Application Number:
  US08/832,367
• Time in Patent Office: 1,203 Days
• Field of Search: 711/114, 711/170, 395/182.04, 395/182.05, 361/685
• US Class Current: 711/170
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2289 by configuration test
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0632 by initialisation or re-initialisation of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD

Abstract

In a computer system there is a storage subsystem and an array controller circuit controlling an array of hard drives in the storage subsystem. Upon powering the storage subsystem, the array controller automatically determines whether the hard drives have been moved to new bay locations in the storage subsystem and whether a new complete logical drive, consisting of at least one hard drive, has been added to the storage subsystem. Upon discovery of any drive movement or logical drive unit addition, the array controller automatically reconfigures each hard drive by at least updating the configuration information in accordance with the changes.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

an array controller;

a first storage subsystem, connected to said array controller, comprising a plurality of hard drives configured in a first order; and

said array controller adapted to determine whether said hard drives have been rearranged into a second order within said first storage subsystem, said array controller further adapted to automatically reconfigure said hard drives into said second order and to determine whether the hard drives associated with a logical drive are positioned in non-ascending order in said storage subsystem, said array controller providing repositioning information to a user prescribing other positions for the hard drives so that they will be in an ascending order.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said first order comprises at least a first logical drive unit, and wherein said array controller is further adapted to determine whether a second logical drive unit has been added to said storage subsystem, said array controller further adapted to automatically reconfigure the hard drives in said first logical drive unit and said second logical drive unit to incorporate said second logical drive unit.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of hard drives comprises a reserved storage portion for storing at least configuration information.

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of hard drives are rearranged when a power source is removed from at least one of said storage subsystem and said array controller.

5. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said array controller is connected to a server.

6. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said array controller is connected to a personal computer.

7. A computer system comprising:

an array controller circuit; and

a first storage subsystem, connected to said array controller circuit, comprising a plurality of hard drives configured in a first order, said first order including at least one logical drive unit;

said array controller circuit adapted to determine whether a new logical drive unit has been added to said storage subsystem thereby creating a second order, said first array controller circuit further determining whether said plurality of hard drives, which include said at least one logical drive unit, are positioned in an ascending order in the first storage subsystem'"'"'s bay positions, if said plurality of hard drives are not in an ascending order, said array controller prescribes a movement of said plurality of hard drive so that they are in an ascending order;

said array controller circuit further adapted to automatically reconfigure said at least one logical drive unit and said new logical unit into said second order, said new logical unit comprising at least one hard drive.

8. The computer system of claim 7, wherein said array controller circuit is further adapted to determine whether said plurality of hard drives and said at least one hard drive have been shuffled.

9. The computer system of claim 7, wherein each of said plurality of hard drives and said at least one hard drive have a reserved data portion which can be reconfigured by said array controller circuit.

10. The computer system of claim 7, wherein said array controller circuit is connected to at least one of a server and a personal computer.

11. The computer system of claim 7, wherein said array controller circuit is adapted to determine whether a new logical drive unit has been added after power has been removed from said array controller circuit and then returned to said array controller circuit.

12. A computer system comprising:

a first storage device;

a second storage device connected to the first storage device;

a third storage device connected to the second storage device, wherein the first storage device, the second storage device, and the third storage device are initially arranged in a first configuration and wherein the first storage device, the second storage device, and the third storage device can be arranged in a second configuration;

an array controller connected to each of the first storage device, the second storage device, and the third storage device; and

an array controller memory for storing array controller instructions, the array controller instructions configured to cause the array controller to;

determine whether the first storage device, the second storage device, and the third storage device are in a second configuration, the second configuration being different from the first configuration;

responsive to the determination that the first storage device, the second storage device, and the third storage device are arranged in a second configuration, determine whether the first storage device, the second storage device, and the third storage device are arranged in an ascending configuration;

responsive to the determination that the first storage device, the second storage device, and the third storage device are in other than an ascending configuration, generate an error indication; and

transmit the generated error indication to a user, whereby the user can be notified of an error condition.

13. The storage system of claim 12, wherein the array controller instructions are configured to cause the array controller to:

calculate repositioning information for the first storage device, the second storage device, and the third storage device;

wherein the generated error indication includes the calculated repositioning information and wherein the calculated repositioning information provides a configuration for the first storage device, the second storage device, and the third storage device such that the first storage device, the second storage device, and the third storage device are positionable in an ascending configuration based upon the calculated repositioning information.