Disk array control device with two different internal connection systems

• US 7,020,731 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2003
• Issued: 03/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Tanaka, Atsushi, Fujibayashi, Akira, Fujimoto, Kazuhisa, Minowa, Nobuyuki, Kanai, Hiroki
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Tim
• Assistant Examiner(s): Knoll, Clifford
• Application Number:
  US10/436,253
• Publication Number:
  US 20030200377A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,050 Days
• Field of Search: 710/316, 710/100, 710/305, 714/6, 711/4, 711/111, 711/112, 711/114, 711148-150, 709212-215
• US Class Current: 710/305
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/084 with a shared cache
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0866 for peripheral storage systems, e.g. disk cache
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/122 where hardware performs an I/O function other than control of data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0611 in relation to response time
• 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 3/0683 Plurality of storage devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD

Abstract

A disk array control device which includes a plurality of channel interface (IF) units, a plurality of disk IF units, a cache memory unit, and a shared memory unit. The connection system between the plurality of channel IF units and plurality of disk IF units and the cache memory unit is different from the connection system between the plurality of channel IF units and plurality of disk IF units and the shared memory unit. In the invention the plurality of channel IF units and the plurality of disk IF units are connected via a selector to the cache memory unit whereas the plurality of channel IF units and the plurality of disk IF units are directly connected to the shared memory unit with no selectors.

Claims

1. A disk array control device comprising:

a plurality of channel interfaces which interface with a host computer via a network;

a plurality of disk interfaces which interface with a disk device;

a first path being able to couple each of said channel interfaces and each of said disk interfaces in one to one ratio physically; and

a second path which couples each of said channel interfaces and each of said disk interfaces in one to one ratio physically,

wherein data being read out of or written to said disk device is transferred via said first path,

wherein control information for data transmission is transferred via said second path, the control information being data transmission control information for use in transmissions between a processor included in said channel interfaces and a processor included in said disk interfaces,

wherein the control information is sent from one of the plurality of channel interfaces to one of the disk interfaces or vice versa, and

wherein bandwidth of said first path is broader than bandwidth of said second path.

2. A disk array control device comprising:

a plurality of channel interfaces which interface with a host computer via a network;

a plurality of disk interfaces which interface with a disk device;

a data network being able to couple each of said channel interfaces and each of said disk interfaces in one to one ratio physically; and

a control information network which couples each of said channel interfaces and each of said disk interfaces in one to one ratio physically,

wherein data being read out of or written to said disk device is transferred via said data network,

wherein control information for data transmission is transferred via said control information network independently of said data network, the control information being data transmission control information for use in transmissions between a processor included in said channel interfaces and a processor included in said disk interfaces, and

wherein the control information is sent from one of the plurality of channel interfaces to one of the disk interfaces or vice versa.

3. A disk array control device comprising:

a plurality of channel interfaces which interface with a host computer via a network;

a plurality of disk interfaces which interface with a disk device; and

a switch coupling said plurality of channel interfaces and said plurality of disk interfaces,

wherein control information for data transmission is transferred via said switch, the control information being data transmission control information for use in transmissions between a processor included in said channel interfaces and a processor included in said disk interfaces,

wherein the control information is sent from one of the plurality of channel interfaces to one of the disk interfaces or vice versa.

11. The disk array control device according to claim 3, wherein said switch comprises a plurality of ports, and transfers a packet received at one port to another port and outputs to an external device from said disk array control device based on address information included in said packet received at said one port.

4. A disk array control device comprising:

a plurality of channel interfaces which interface with a host computer via a network;

a plurality of disk interfaces which interface with a disk device;

a first switch coupling said plurality channel interfaces and said plurality of disk interfaces; and

a second switch coupling said channel interfaces and said disk interfaces,

wherein data being read out of or written to said disk device is transferred via said first switch,

wherein control information for data transmission is transferred via said second switch, the control information being data transmission control information for use in transmissions between a processor included in said channel interfaces and a processor included in said disk interfaces, and

wherein the control information is sent from one of the plurality of channel interfaces to one of the disk interfaces or vice versa.

5. A disk array control device coupled to a disk device comprising:

a first interface which interfaces with an external device via a network;

a second interface which interfaces with an external device;

a first path being able to couple each of said first and said second interfaces by one to one ratio physically; and

a second path which couples each of said first interface and each of said second interface in one to one ratio physically,

wherein data being read out of or written to said disk device is transferred via said first path,

wherein control information for data transmission is transferred via said second path, the control information being data transmission control information for use in transmissions between a processor included in said channel interfaces and a processor included in said disk interfaces,

wherein the control information is sent from the first interface to the second interface or vice versa, and

wherein bandwidth of said first path is broader than bandwidth of said second path.

6. A disk array control device coupled to a disk device comprising:

a first interface which interfaces with an external device via a network;

a second interface which interfaces with an external device;

a data network which couples each of said first interface and said second interface by one to one ratio physically; and

a control information network coupling said first interface and said second interface,

wherein data being read out of or written to said disk device is transferred via said data network,

wherein control information for data transmission is transferred via said control information network independently of said data network, the control information being data transmission control information for use in transmissions between a processor included in said channel interfaces and a processor included in said disk interfaces,

wherein the control information is sent from the first interface to the second interface or vice versa.

7. A disk array control device coupled to a disk device comprising:

a first interface which interfaces with an external device via a network;

a second interface which interfaces with an external device;

a first switch coupling said first interface and said second interface; and

a second switch coupling said first interface and said second interface,

wherein data being read out of or written to said disk device is transferred via said first switch,

wherein control information for data transmission is transferred via said second switch, the control information being data transmission control information for use in transmissions between a processor included in said channel interfaces and a processor included in said disk interfaces,

wherein the control information is sent from said first interface to said second interface or vice versa.

8. A disk array control device comprising:

a plurality of channel interface units having an interface with a host computer via a network;

a plurality of disk interface units having an interface with a disk device;

a first path being able to couple said plurality of channel interface units and said plurality of disk interface units by one to one ratio physically; and

a second path which couples each of said plurality of channel interface units and each of said plurality of disk interface units in one to one ratio physically,

wherein data being read out of or written to said disk device is transferred via said first path,

wherein control information for data transmission is transferred via said second path, the control information being data transmission control information for use in transmissions between a processor included in said channel interfaces and a processor included in said disk interfaces,

wherein the control information is sent from one of the plurality of channel interface units to one of the disk interface units or vice versa, and

wherein bandwidth of said first path is broader than bandwidth of said second path.

9. A disk array control device comprising:

a plurality of channel interface units having an interface with a host computer via a network;

a plurality of disk interface units having an interface with a disk device;

a data network which couples each of said plurality of channel interface units and each of said plurality of disk interface units by one to one ratio; and

a control information network which couples each of said plurality of channel interface units and each of said plurality of disk interface units in one to one ratio physically,

wherein data being read out of or written to said disk device is transferred via said data network,

wherein control information for data transmission is transferred via said control information network independently of said data network, the control information being data transmission control information for use in transmissions between a processor included in said channel interfaces and a processor included in said disk interfaces, and

wherein the control information is sent from one of the plurality of channel interface units to one of the disk interface units or vice versa.

10. A disk array control device comprising:

a plurality of channel interface units having an interface with a host computer via a network;

a plurality of disk interface units having an interface with a disk device;

a first switch coupling said plurality of channel interface units and said plurality of disk interface units; and

a second switch coupling said plurality of channel interface units and said plurality of disk interface units,

wherein data being read out of or written to said disk device is transferred via said first switch,

wherein control information for data transmission is transferred via said second switch, the control information being data transmission control information for use in transmissions between a processor included in said channel interfaces and a processor included in said disk interfaces,

wherein the control information is sent from one of the plurality of channel interface units to one of the disk interface units or vice versa.

12. The disk array control device according to any one of claims 4, 7 and 10, wherein each of said first and second switches comprises a plurality of ports, and transfers a packet received at one port to another port and outputs to an external device from said disk array control device based on address information included in said packet received at said one port.