Disk input/output control device maintaining write data in multiple cache memory modules and method and medium thereof

• US 6,615,313 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2001
• Issued: 09/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Kubota, Hiromi, Kato, Tadaomi, Omura, Hideaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Yoo, Do Hyun
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHACE, CHRISTIAN
• Application Number:
  US09/779,845
• Publication Number:
  US 20010049768A1
• Time in Patent Office: 935 Days
• Field of Search: 711/111, 711/112, 711/113, 711/114, 711/118, 711/122, 711/141, 711/153, 711/154, 711/170, 711/171, 711/172, 711/173
• US Class Current: 711/113
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1666 where the redundant component is memory or memory area
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/20 using active fault-masking, e.g. by switching out faulty elements or by switching in spare elements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0868 Data transfer between cache memory and other subsystems, e.g. storage devices or host systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/283 Plural cache memories

Abstract

An input/output control device uses all of its cache memory effectively and allows cache memory modules to be added in increments of one. When cache memory included in the input/output control device is operating normally and the input/output control device receives a write request from a processing device, the input/output control device returns a write request completed response after writing data to cache memory as set forth in configuration information included in the input/output control device. The write data in the cache memory is then written to one or more disk devices asynchronously with the write completed response. When there is a problem with a cache memory module, the write data that was to be written to the region controlled by the cache memory module where the problem occurred is divided among the remaining cache memory modules. When adding more cache memory modules, the input/output control device writes data to the cache memory in response to a write request from a processing device based on the configuration information after the cache memory was increased and after the data was moved as set forth in the configuration information corresponding to the cache memory increase.

Claims

1. An input/output control device coupled to one or more disk devices and coupled to and receiving a write request including data from a processing device, said input/output control device comprising:

n (n>

2) cache memory modules storing the data upon receiving the write request, wherein said input/output control device transmitting to the processing device a write request complete response, and, asynchronously with transmitting the write request complete response, storing the data from the cache memory modules to the one or more disk devices, wherein the input/output control device dividing the regions of the one or more disk devices into a number of n of the cache memory modules in accordance with configuration information and setting up the configuration information to allocate sequentially primary data and secondary data of the write data, which are written out to a k^th region (k=1˜

n) of a disk device, to the k^th cache memory module, and a non-k^th cache memory module, respectively.

2. The input/output control device as in claim 1, wherein when the write request is received from the processing device, the primary data and the secondary data that are to be written to the regions of the one or more disk devices are allocated to and stored in the cache memory modules by the input/output control device before returning a write request completed response to the processing device, wherein after the primary data stored in the cache memory modules has been written out to the one or more disk devices, the secondary data is deleted from the cache memory modules.

3. The input/output control device as in claim 1, wherein:

the configuration information is set up by splitting up the regions of the one or more disk devices into the normally functioning cache memory modules m (m<

n), sequentially allocating the primary data and secondary data of the write data to be written out to the k^th region (k=1˜

m) of the disk device, to the k^th cache memory module, and to the non- k^th cache memory module as the configuration information when there is a problem with one of the cache memory modules,

when there is a problem with one of the cache memory modules, the secondary data corresponding to the primary data stored in the cache memory module affected by the problem, is immediately written out to the disk device, and

using problem operation configuration information, the data is written out to cache memory module in response to the write request from the processing device and the data is also written from the cache memory module to the disk device.

4. The input/output control device as in claim 1, wherein:

after increasing the number of cache memory modules by p, the regions on one or more disk devices are divided into the number of normally functioning cache memory modules p, and the primary data and the secondary data of the data to be written out to the k^th region (k=0˜

p) of the disk are allocated sequentially to the k^th cache memory module and the non-k^th cache memory module, respectively, and set up as configuration information, and

when the number of cache memory modules has been increased, the configuration information set up when the increase was made, is used to shift the data stored in the cache memory modules and then to write out a category to the cache memory modules in response to the write request from the processing device using the configuration information after the increase.

5. The input/output control device as in claim 2, wherein:

the configuration information is set up by splitting up the regions of the one or more disk devices into the normally functioning cache memory modules m (m<

n), sequentially allocating the primary data and secondary data of the write data to be written out to the k^th region (k=1˜

m) of the disk device, to the k^th cache memory module, and to the non- k^th cache memory module as the configuration information when there is a problem with one of the cache memory modules,

when there is a problem with one of the cache memory modules, the secondary data corresponding to the primary data stored in the cache memory module affected by the problem, is immediately written out to the disk device, and

using problem operation configuration information, the data is written out to cache memory module in response to the write request from the processing device and the data is also written from the cache memory module to the disk device.

6. The input/output control device as in claim 2, wherein:

after increasing the number of cache memory modules by p, the regions on one or more disk devices are divided into the number of normally functioning cache memory modules p, and the primary data and the secondary data of the data to be written out to the k^th region (k=0˜

p) of the disk are allocated sequentially to the k^th cache memory module and the non-k^th cache memory module, respectively, and set up as configuration information, and

when the number of cache memory modules has been increased, the configuration information set up when the increase was made, is used to shift the data stored in the cache memory modules and then to write out a category to the cache memory modules in response to the write request from the processing device using the configuration information after the increase.

7. The input/output control device as in claim 3, wherein:

after increasing the number of cache memory modules by p, the regions on one or more disk devices are divided into the number of normally functioning cache memory modules p, and the primary data and the secondary data of the data to be written out to the k^th region (k=0˜

p) of the disk are allocated sequentially to the k^th cache memory module and the non-k^th cache memory module, respectively, and set up as configuration information, and

when the number of cache memory modules has been increased, the configuration information set up when the increase was made, is used to shift the data stored in the cache memory modules and then to write out a category to the cache memory modules in response to the write request from the processing device using the configuration information after the increase.

8. The input/output control device as in claim 1, further comprising a configuration information management module storing the configuration information.

9. The input/output control device as in claim 1, wherein when the write request is received from the processing device, the primary data and the secondary data that are to be written to the regions of the one or more disk devices are allocated to and stored in the cache memory modules before the input/output control device before returning a write request completed response to the processing device, wherein after the primary data stored in the cache memory modules has been written out to the one or more disk devices, the secondary data is deleted from the cache memory modules.

10. The input/output control device as in claim 1, wherein:

the configuration information is set up by splitting up the regions of the one or more disk devices into the normally functioning cache memory modules m (m<

n), sequentially allocating the primary data and secondary data of the write data to be written out to the k^th region (k=1˜

m) of the disk device, to the k^th cache memory module, and to the non- k^th cache memory module as the configuration information when there is a problem with one of the cache memory modules.

11. The input/output control device as in claim 1, wherein:

when there is a problem with one of the cache memory modules, the secondary data corresponding to the primary data stored in the cache memory module affected by the problem, is immediately written out to the disk device, and

using problem operation configuration information, the data is written out to cache memory module in response to the write request from the processing device and the data is also written from the cache memory module to the disk device.

12. The input/output control device as in claim 1, wherein:

after increasing the number of cache memory modules by p, the regions on one or more disk devices are divided into the number of normally functioning cache memory modules p, and the primary data and the secondary data of the data to be written out to the k^th region (k=0˜

p) of the disk are allocated sequentially to the k^th cache memory module and the non-k^th cache memory module, respectively, and set up as configuration information.

13. The input/output control device as in claim 12, wherein when the number of cache memory modules has been increased, the configuration information set up when the increase was made, is used to shift the data stored in the cache memory modules and then to write out a category to the cache memory modules in response to the write request from the processing device using the configuration information after the increase.

14. The input/output control device as in claim 1, wherein the input/output control device comprises a RAID control device.

15. An apparatus comprising:

one or more disk devices;

a server transmitting a write request including data to be stored in the one or more disk devices; and

a control device, coupled to the disk devices and to the server and receiving the write request, comprising;

n (n>

2) cache memory modules storing the data upon receiving the write request, wherein said input/output control device transmitting to the processing device a write request complete response, and, asynchronously with transmitting the write request complete response, storing the data from the cache memory modules to the one or more disk devices, wherein the input/output control device dividing the regions of the one or more disk devices into a number of n of the cache memory modules in accordance with configuration information and modifying the configuration information to allocate sequentially primary data and secondary data of the write data, which are written out to a k^th region (k=1˜

n) of a disk device, to the k^th cache memory module, and a non-k^th cache memory module, respectively.

16. The apparatus as in claim 15, wherein the control device comprises an input/output control device.

17. The apparatus as in claim 15, wherein the one or more disk devices are provided in a RAID configuration and the control device comprises a RAID control device.

18. A method comprising:

storing in n (n>

2) cache memory modules of an input/output control device data received in a write request from a processing device;

transmitting by the input/output control device to the processing device a write request complete response, and, asynchronously with transmitting the write request complete response, storing the data from the cache memory modules to one or more disk devices;

dividing by the input/output processing device the regions of the one or more disk devices into a number of n of the cache memory modules in accordance with configuration information; and

setting up by the input/output control device the configuration information to allocate sequentially primary data and secondary data of the write data, which are written out to a k^th region (k=1˜

n) of a disk device, to the k^th cache memory module, and a non-k^th cache memory module, respectively.

19. The method as in claim 18, further comprising:

when the write request is received from the processing device, allocating to and storing in the cache memory modules by the input/output processing device the primary data and the secondary data that are to be written to the regions of the one or more disk devices before returning a write request completed response to the processing device; and

deleting the secondary data from the cache memory modules after the primary data stored in the cache memory modules has been written out to the one or more disk devices.

20. The method as in claim 18, further comprising:

setting up the configuration information by splitting up the regions of the one or more disk devices into the normally functioning cache memory modules m (m<

n), sequentially allocating the primary data and secondary data of the write data to be written out to the k^th region (k=1˜

m) of the disk device, to the k^th cache memory module, and to the non- k^th cache memory module as the configuration information when there is a problem with one of the cache memory modules,

immediately writing out to the disk device when there is a problem with one of the cache memory modules, the secondary data corresponding to the primary data stored in the cache memory module affected by the problem, and

using problem operation configuration information, writing the data out to cache memory module in response to the write request from the processing device and writing the data from the cache memory module to the disk device.

21. The method as in claim 18, wherein:

after increasing the number of cache memory modules by p, dividing the regions on one or more disk devices into the number of normally functioning cache memory modules p, and allocating and setting up as configuration information the primary data and the secondary data of the data to be written out to the k^th region (k=0˜

p) of the disk sequentially to the k^th cache memory module and the non-k^th cache memory module, respectively, and

when the number of cache memory modules has been increased, using the configuration information set up when the increase was made to shift the data stored in the cache memory modules and then to write out a category to the cache memory modules in response to the write request from the processing device using the configuration information after the increase.

22. A computer-readable medium storing a program which when executed by a computer, causes the computer to execute the processes comprising:

storing in n (n>

2) cache memory modules of an input/output control device data received in a write request from a processing device;

transmitting by the input/output control device to the processing device a write request complete response, and, asynchronously with transmitting the write request complete response, storing the data from the cache memory modules to one or more disk devices;

dividing by the input/output processing device the regions of the one or more disk devices into a number of n of the cache memory modules in accordance with configuration information; and

modifying by the input/output control device the configuration information to allocate sequentially primary data and secondary data of the write data, which are written out to a k^th region (k=1˜

n) of a disk device, to the k^th cache memory module, and a non-k^th cache memory module, respectively.

23. The computer-readable medium as in claim 22, further comprising:

when the write request is received from the processing device, allocating to and storing in the cache memory modules by the input/output processing device the primary data and the secondary data that are to be written to the regions of the one or more disk devices before returning a write request completed response to the processing device; and

deleting the secondary data from the cache memory modules after the primary data stored in the cache memory modules has been written out to the one or more disk devices.

24. The computer-readable medium as in claim 22, further comprising:

setting up the configuration information by splitting up the regions of the one or more disk devices into the normally functioning cache memory modules m (m<

n), sequentially allocating the primary data and secondary data of the write data to be written out to the k^th region (k=1˜

m) of the disk device, to the k^th cache memory module, and to the non- k^th cache memory module as the configuration information when there is a problem with one of the cache memory modules,

immediately writing out to the disk device when there is a problem with one of the cache memory modules, the secondary data corresponding to the primary data stored in the cache memory module affected by the problem, and

using problem operation configuration information, writing the data out to cache memory module in response to the write request from the processing device and writing the data from the cache memory module to the disk device.

25. The computer-readable medium as in claim 22, wherein:

after increasing the number of cache memory modules by p, dividing the regions on one or more disk devices into the number of normally functioning cache memory modules p, and allocating and setting up as configuration information the primary data and the secondary data of the data to be written out to the k^th region (k=0˜

p) of the disk sequentially to the k^th cache memory module and the non-k^th cache memory module, respectively, and

when the number of cache memory modules has been increased, using the configuration information set up when the increase was made to shift the data stored in the cache memory modules and then to write out a category to the cache memory modules in response to the write request from the processing device using the configuration information after the increase.