Disk subsystem

• US 7,047,427 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2003
• Issued: 05/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Ogawa, Masato, Suzuki, Hiroshi, Matsushige, Hiromi, Yokoyama, Tomokazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Browne, Lynne H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHEN, TSE W
• Application Number:
  US10/382,803
• Publication Number:
  US 20030200471A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,167 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 713/100
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/30 Means for acting in the event of power-supply failure or interruption, e.g. power-supply fluctuations for resetting only G06F1/24

Abstract

A power source control apparatus for a disk subsystem includes a plurality of hard disk drives (HDDs) each with two systems of fiber channel interface ports, an HDD drive section, and an HDD control logic section. The HDD drive section includes two systems of fiber channel control sections, each of which includes a fiber channel interface and a fiber channel control interface. The HDD control logic section includes two systems of HDD control logics that control read/write accesses to the HDDs. Fiber channel control signals are supplied from the HDD control logics to the fiber channel control interfaces, respectively, and the fiber channel control signals are also used to control the power source of the HDD drive section.

Claims

1. A disk system comprising:

at least one Hard Disk Drive (HDD) including a plurality of fibre channel interface ports;

A HDD drive section having a plurality of fibre channel control sections, each of the fibre channel control sections having a fibre channel interface and a fibre channel control interface;

a first power supply, in the HDD drive section, supplying power to the HDD drive section;

a HDD control logic section including a plurality of HDD control logics that each controls read/write accesses to the at least one HDD via at least one fibre channel interface and at least one of the fibre channel ports;

a second power supply, in the HDD control logic section, supplying power to the HDD control logic section;

a power source control circuit, in the HDD drive section, that controls to supply power to the HDD drive section from the first power; and

a power switch controlling to start to supply power from the second power supply according to be inputted ON,

wherein the at least one fibre channel interface corresponds to the at least one of the fibre channel interface ports,

wherein the at least one fibre channel control interface controls to connect and disconnect between the at least one fibre channel interface and the at least one of the fibre channel interface ports based on a fibre channel control signal transferred from at least one of the HDD control logics via a signal line,

wherein the at least one of the HDD control logics transfers a power control signal to the power source control circuit via the signal line,

wherein the power source control circuit picks out the power control signal from the signal line and controls to supply power based on the power control signal,

wherein the second power supply supplying power to the HDD control logic section and the power source control circuit according to be inputted ON via the power switch, and

wherein the power source control circuit controls to supply power to the HDD drive section from the first power supply in conditions which the power source control circuit is supplied power from the second power supply.

2. A disk subsystem according to claim 1, wherein a data transfer path between the at least one HDD and the HDD control logics via the fibre channel interface has a redundant structure.

3. A disk subsystem according to claim 1, wherein a data transfer path between the at least one HDD and the HDD control logics via the fibre channel interface is formed from a plurality of data transfer paths arranged in a parallel configuration.

4. A disk subsystem according to claim 1, wherein a power supply path in each of the HDD drive section and the HDD control logic section has a redundant structure.

5. A disk subsystem according to claim 1, wherein a power supply path in each of the HDD drive section and the HDD control logic section is formed from a plurality of power source paths arranged in a parallel configuration.