Storage apparatus having plural controller including interconnected memories

• US 6,985,989 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2003
• Issued: 01/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Fujibayashi, Akira, Fujimoto, Kazuhisa, Kanai, Hiroki, Sakurai, Wataru
• Primary Examiner(s): Ray, Gopal C.
• Application Number:
  US10/643,973
• Publication Number:
  US 20040034737A1
• Time in Patent Office: 874 Days
• Field of Search: 710/313, 710/316, 710/104, 710/74, 710/1, 710/305, 714/3, 714/7, 709/229, 709/232, 709/253, 711112-114, 711/147, 711/148, 711/130
• US Class Current: 710/305
• 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 storage apparatus system comprising:

a plurality of controllers; and

a plurality of disk drives connected to said controllers,

wherein each of said controllers comprises;

a first interface connected to a computer,

a second interface connected to said disk drives, and

a first memory connected to said first and second interfaces, and

wherein said first memory of said controller is interconnected to other first memories of the other controllers by a first communication line, and

wherein said first memory temporarily stores data which is written to or read from said disk drives via said first and second interfaces in response to an access request from said computer.

2. The storage apparatus system according to claim 1, wherein each of said controllers further comprises:

a second memory connected to said first and second interfaces, and

wherein said second memory of said controller is interconnected to other second memories of the other controllers by a second communication line.

3. The storage apparatus system according to claim 2, wherein each of said first memories is a cache memory, and each of said second memories is a shared memory for storing control information.

4. The storage apparatus system according to claim 3, wherein said second memories are connected through switches to said first and second interfaces.

5. The storage apparatus system according to claim 4, wherein each of said first and second communication lines is composed of switches.

6. The storage apparatus system according to claim 5, wherein said first communication line is the same as said second communication line.