Disk array controller, its disk array control unit, and increase method of the unit

• US 6,647,461 B2
• Filed: 01/03/2003
• Issued: 11/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Kanai, Hiroki, Fujibayashi, Akira, Fujimoto, Kazuhisa, Sakurai, Wataru
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hiep T.
• Application Number:
  US10/335,899
• Publication Number:
  US 20030110355A1
• Time in Patent Office: 312 Days
• Field of Search: 711/113, 711/114, 711/148, 710/313, 710/316
• US Class Current: 711/114
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0866 for peripheral storage systems, e.g. disk cache
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0607 by facilitating the process of upgrading existing storage systems, e.g. for improving compatibility between host and storage device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/061 Improving I/O performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0613 in relation to throughput
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0635 by changing the path, e.g. traffic rerouting, path reconfiguration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0658 Controller construction arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0683 Plurality of storage devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD

Abstract

A disk array controller is made up of multiple disk array control units for implementing the data read/write operation and each having channel IF units, disk IF units, cache memory units and shared memory units. The disk array controller further includes inter connections for interconnecting the shared memory units and interconnecting the cache memory units across the border of disk array control units. Thereby alleviating the deterioration of performance due to the data transfer between the disk array control units, when the multiple disk array control units are to be operated as a single disk array controller.

Claims

1. A disk array controller comprising:

a plurality of disk array control units, each having;

one or more channel interface units having an interface with a host computer;

one or more disk interface units having an interface with disk drives; and

a memory unit for temporarily storing data which is written to or read out of said disk drives,

wherein each of said disk array control units implements a data read-write operation in response to a data read/write request from said host computer by operating on each of said channel interface units to transfer data between said interface with said host computer and said memory unit and by operating on each of said disk interface units to transfer data between said disk drives and said memory unit, and

wherein said channel interface units and disk interface units, and said memory units in said disk array control units have their connection nodes coupled through an interconnection across said disk array control units.

2. A disk array controller according to claim 1, wherein said channel interface units and disk interface units and said memory units in said multiple disk array control units are coupled through said interconnection.

3. A disk array controller according to claim 1, wherein said channel interface units and disk interface units, and said memory units in each of said multiple disk array control units are coupled for a portion within each disk array control unit through another interconnection in each disk array control unit.

4. A disk array control unit comprising:

one or more channel interface units having an interface with a host computer;

one or more disk interface units having an interface with disk drives; and

a memory unit for temporarily storing data which is written to or read out of said disk drives,

wherein said disk array control unit implements a data/write operation in response to a data read/write request from said host computer by operating on each of said channel interface units to transfer data between said interface with said host computer and said memory unit and by operating on each of said disk interface units to transfer data between said disk drives and said memory unit, and

wherein said disk array control unit having, on a connection node of each of said channel interface units and each of said disk interface units and said memory unit, a connection path for connection with another disk array control unit.

5. A disk array control unit according to claim 4, wherein said disk array control unit is built on a rack, and said connection path has a connector.

6. A disk array controller comprising:

a plurality of disk array control units, each having one or more channel interface units for interfacing with a host computer;

one or more disk interface units for interfacing with disk drives;

a memory unit for temporarily storing data which is written to or read out of said disk drives,

wherein each of said disk array control units implements a data read/write operation in response to a data read/write request from said host computer by operating on each of said channel interface units to transfer data between said interface with said host computer and said memory unit and by operating on each of said disk interface units to transfer data between said disk drives and said memory unit, and

wherein each of said disk array control units having, on connection nodes of each of said channel interface units and each of said disk interface units and said memory unit, a connection path for connection with another disk array control unit; and

a switch box which is coupled to said connection path of each of said disk array control units.

7. A disk array controller comprising:

a plurality of disk array control units, each having one or more channel interface units having an interface with a host computer;

one or more disk interface units having an interface with disk drives;

a cache memory unit for temporarily storing data which is written to or read out of said disk drives; and

a shared memory unit for storing control information of data transfer between each of said channel interface units and each of said disk interface units and said cache memory unit and control information for said disk drives,

wherein each of said disk array control units implements a data read/write operation in response to a data read/write request from said host computer by operating on each of said channel interface units to transfer data between said interface with said host computer and said cache memory unit and by operating on each of said disk interface units to transfer data between said disk drives and said cache memory unit,

wherein said channel interface units and disk interface units, and said cache memory units in said disk array control units having their connection nodes coupled through a first interconnection across said disk array control units,

wherein said channel interface units and disk interface units and said shared memory units are coupled directly for a portion within each disk array control unit, and

wherein said shared memory units in said disk array control units are coupled through a second interconnection across said disk array control units.

8. A disk array controller comprising:

a plurality of disk array control units, each having one or more channel interface units having an interface with a host computer;

one or more disk interface units having an interface with disk drives;

a cache memory unit for temporarily storing data which is written to or read out of said disk drives; and

a shared memory unit for storing control information of data transfer between each of said channel interface units and each of said disk interface units and said cache memory unit and control information for said disk drives,

wherein each of said disk array control units implements a data read/write operation in response to a data read/write request from said host computer by operating on each of said channel interface units to transfer data between said interface with said host computer and said cache memory unit and by operating on each of said disk interface units to transfer data between said disk drives and said cache memory unit,

wherein said channel interface units and disk interface units and said cache memory units in said disk array control units are coupled for a portion within each disk array control unit through a first interconnection in each disk array control unit, and said channel interface units and disk interface units and said shared memory units are coupled directly for a portion within each disk array control unit, and

wherein said cache memory units in said disk array control units are coupled through a second interconnection across said disk array control units, and said shared memory units in said disk array control units are coupled through a third interconnection across said disk array control units.