Storage apparatus and control method therefor

• US 6,950,263 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2003
• Issued: 09/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Suzuki, Katsuyoshi, Kano, Azuma
• Primary Examiner(s): Sniezek, Andrew L.
• Application Number:
  US10/461,292
• Publication Number:
  US 20040036995A1
• Time in Patent Office: 837 Days
• Field of Search: 369/47.1, 369/59.1, 369/59.14, 360/69, 360/71, 711/114, 711/113, 710/100, 710/8, 713/300, 713/324, 713/310, 713/320, 361/685, 361/687, 361/688, 361/679, 361/695
• US Class Current: 360/69
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/184 Mounting of motherboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/187 Mounting of fixed and removable disk drives
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/20 Cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/203 for portable computers, e.g. for laptops
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3221 of disk drive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0625 Power saving in storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0634 by changing the state or mode of one or more devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0658 Controller construction arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/126 Arrangements for providing electrical connections, e.g. connectors, cables, switches
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/142 by air cooling
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/144 by detection, control, regulation of the temperature
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A storage apparatus comprises at least one housing A in which a storage device and a controller are provided, at least one housing B in which a storage device and a peripheral device are provided, and a transmission path for connecting the storage device and the controller of the housing A, and the storage device of the housing B to enable communication therebetween. The storage apparatus is capable of controlling operation of the storage device of the housing B according to an operating state of the storage device of the housing A through communication via the transmission path; and controlling operation of the peripheral device according to an operating state of the storage device of the housing B.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a storage apparatus, said storage apparatus including at least one housing A in which a storage device and a controller are provided;

at least one housing B in which another storage device and a peripheral device are provided; and

a transmission path connecting said storage device and said controller of said housing A, and said storage device of said housing B to enable communication therebetween;

said method comprising;

controlling operation of said storage device of said housing B to produce an operating state of said storage device of said housing B according to an operating state of said storage device of said housing A through communication via said transmission path; and

controlling operation of said peripheral device according to the operating state of said storage device of said housing B which is produced by said controlling operation according to the operating state of said storage device of said housing A.

2. A method of controlling a storage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said storage devices is a disk drive.

3. A method of controlling a storage apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

controlling operation of said storage device of said housing B when operation of said storage device of said housing A is stopped; and

controlling operation of said peripheral device according to an operating state of said storage device of said housing B.

4. A method of controlling a storage apparatus according to claim 3, wherein at least one of said storage devices is a disk drive.

5. A method of controlling a storage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said peripheral device is a cooling device for exhausting heat dissipated in said housing B to the outside of said housing.

6. A method of controlling a storage apparatus according to claim 5, wherein at least one of said storage devices is a disk drive.

7. A method of controlling a storage apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said cooling device is a cooling fan of an air-cooling type.

8. A method of controlling a storage apparatus according to claim 7, wherein at least one of said storage devices is a disk drive.

9. A method of controlling a storage apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:

controlling operation of said storage device of said housing B when operation of said storage device of said housing A is stopped; and

controlling a rotation speed of said cooling fan according to an operating state of said storage device of said housing B.

10. A method of controlling a storage apparatus according to claim 9, wherein at least one of said storage devices is a disk drive.

11. A method of controlling a storage apparatus according to claim 7, wherein at least two said cooling fans are provided in said housing B;

said method further comprising;

controlling operation of said storage device of said housing B in response to a stop in operation of said storage device of said housing A; and

controlling a number of operating cooling fans among said cooling fans according to an operating state of said storage device of said housing B.

12. A method of controlling a storage apparatus according to claim 11, wherein at least one of said storage devices is a disk drive.

13. A method of controlling a storage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least two said storage devices are provided in said housing B;

said method further comprising;

controlling operation of said storage devices of said housing B according to an operation state of said storage device of said housing A; and

controlling operation of said peripheral device according to an operating state of each of said storage devices of said housing B.

14. A method of controlling a storage apparatus according to claim 13, wherein at least one of said storage devices is a disk drive.

15. A storage apparatus comprising:

at least one housing A in which a storage device and a controller are provided;

at least one housing B in which another storage device and a peripheral device are provided;

a transmission path connecting said storage device and said controller of said housing A, and said storage device of said housing B to enable communication therebetween; and

a controller configured to control operation of said storage device of said housing B to produce an operating state of said storage device of said housing B according to an operating state of said storage device of said housing A through communication via said transmission path; and

control operation of said peripheral device according to an operating state of said storage device of said housing B which is produced by said controlling operation according to the operating state of said storage device of said housing A.

16. A storage apparatus according to claim 15 wherein at least one of said storage devices is a disk drive.

17. A storage apparatus according to claim 15 wherein said controller is configured to control operation of said storage device of said housing B when operation of said storage device of said housing A is stopped, and control operation of said peripheral device according to an operating state of said storage device of said housing B.

18. A storage apparatus according to claim 15 wherein said peripheral device is a cooling device for exhausting heat dissipated in said housing B to the outside of said housing.

19. A storage apparatus according to claim 15 wherein said cooling device is a cooling fan of an air-cooling type.

20. A storage apparatus according to claim 15 wherein said controller is configured to control operation of said storage device of said housing B according to an operation state of said storage device of said housing A, and control operation of said peripheral device according to an operating state of said storage device of said housing B.

21. A method of controlling a storage apparatus, said storage apparatus including at least one housing A in which a storage device and a controller are provided;

at least one housing B in which another storage device and a peripheral device are provided; and

a transmission path connecting said storage device and said controller of said housing A, and said storage device of said housing B to enable communication therebetween;

said method comprising;

controlling operation of said storage device of said housing B according to an operating state of said storage device of said housing A through communication via said transmission path;

controlling operation of said peripheral device according to an operating state of said storage device of said housing B;

controlling operation of said storage device of said housing B when operation of said storage device of said housing A is stopped; and

controlling operation of said peripheral device according to an operating state of said storage device of said housing B.

22. A method of controlling a storage apparatus according to claim 21, wherein at least one of said storage devices is a disk drive.

23. A method of controlling a storage apparatus, said storage apparatus including at least one housing A in which a storage device and a controller are provided;

at least one housing B in which another storage device and a peripheral device are provided; and

a transmission path connecting said storage device and said controller of said housing A, and said storage device of said housing B to enable communication therebetween;

said method comprising;

controlling operation of said storage device of said housing B according to an operating state of said storage device of said housing A through communication via said transmission path;

controlling operation of said peripheral device according to an operating state of said storage device of said housing B, wherein said peripheral device is a cooling fan of an air-cooling type for exhausting heat dissipated in said housing B to the outside of said housing;

controlling operation of said storage device of said housing B when operation of said storage device of said housing A is stopped; and

controlling a rotation speed of said cooling fan according to an operating state of said storage device of said housing B.

24. A method of controlling a storage apparatus according to claim 23, wherein at least one of said storage devices is a disk drive.

25. A method of controlling a storage apparatus, said storage apparatus including at least one housing A in which a storage device and a controller are provided;

at least one housing B in which another storage device and a peripheral device are provided; and

a transmission path connecting said storage device and said controller of said housing A, and said storage device of said housing B to enable communication therebetween;

said method comprising;

controlling operation of said storage device of said housing B according to an operating state of said storage device of said housing A through communication via said transmission path;

controlling operation of said peripheral device according to an operating state of said storage device of said housing B, wherein said peripheral device comprises at least two cooling fans of an air-cooling type for exhausting heat dissipated in said housing B to the outside of said housing;

controlling operation of said storage device of said housing B in response to a stop in operation of said storage device of said housing A; and

controlling a number of operating cooling fans among said cooling fans according to an operating state of said storage device of said housing B.

26. A method of controlling a storage apparatus according to claim 25, wherein at least one of said storage devices is a disk drive.

27. A storage apparatus comprising:

at least one housing A in which a storage device and a controller are provided;

at least one housing B in which another storage device and a peripheral device are provided;

a transmission path connecting said storage device and said controller of said housing A, and said storage device of said housing B to enable communication therebetween; and

a controller configured to control operation of said storage device of said housing B according to an operating state of said storage device of said housing A through communication via said transmission path; and

control operation of said peripheral device according to an operating state of said storage device of said housing B;

wherein said controller is configured to control operation of said storage device of said housing B when operation of said storage device of said housing A is stopped, and control operation of said peripheral device according to an operating state of said storage device of said housing B.