Disk array apparatus and method for controlling the same

• US 7,080,201 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2003
• Issued: 07/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Hirasawa, Akihisa, Suzuki, Katsuyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): GOODARZI, NASSER MOAZZAMI
• Application Number:
  US10/659,398
• Publication Number:
  US 20040236908A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,041 Days
• Field of Search: 711111-112, 711/114, 714 6- 7, 710/74
• US Class Current: 711/114
• 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 3/0625 Power saving in storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0658 Controller construction arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0661 Format or protocol conversion arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/415 Redundant array of inexpensive disks [RAID] systems
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/002 Programmed access in sequence to a plurality of record carriers or indexed parts, e.g. tracks, thereof, e.g. for editing; transfer of record carriers from magazine G11B15/68, G11B17/10; G11B17/22
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/36 Monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing for digital recording G11B20/00 and s.gr.; for monitoring, testing or measuring of TV recorders of the type covered by H04N5/76 and subgroups, see H04N17/06
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/144 by detection, control, regulation of the temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20836 Thermal management, e.g. server temperature control
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

An apparatus includes a controller and a plurality of disk drives. The controller has a communication control unit for accepting a data input/output request, a disk controller unit for controlling a disk drive, and a cache memory for temporarily storing data transferred between the communication control unit and the disk controller unit. The plurality of disk drives has different communication interfaces and connected to the disk controller unit to communicate with the disk controller unit.

Claims

1. A storage system, comprising:

a controller being coupled to at least one host computer and transferring data sent from said host computer to a plurality of storage regions;

at least one data line being coupled to said controller and being used to relay data from/to said controller based on a serial interface which is a different type from a Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) interface;

a plurality of SATA disk drives having some of said storage regions and each of said SATA disk drives having said serial interface and a converter, said converter being coupled to said data line and converting between said serial interface and said SATA interface;

a plurality of another type of disk drives having some of said storage regions and each of said another type of disk drives having said serial interface, said another type of disk drives being of a different type from said SATA disk drives;

a plurality of first disk drive units being coupled to said data line and each of said first disk drive units having one of said SATA disk drives; and

a plurality of second disk drive units each having one of said another type of disk drives.

2. A storage system according to claim 1, wherein said serial interface is a Fibre Channel (FC) interface.

3. A storage system according to claim 1:

wherein said serial interface is a Fibre Channel (FC) interface, and

said another type of disk drives do not have said converter.

4. A storage system according to claim 1:

wherein said data line is a Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop (FC-AL), and

each of said another type of disk drives does not have said converter.

5. A storage system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a housing having said first disk drive units and said second disk drive units; and

a rack having said housing and another housing, wherein said housing and said another housing are stacked in said rack;

wherein said serial interface is a Fibre Channel (FC) interface, and

each of said another type of disk drives does not have said converter.

6. A storage system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of housings having a first housing and a second housing, said first housing having said first disk drive units, and said second housing having said second disk drive units; and

a rack having said housings, wherein said first housing and said second housing are stacked in said rack;

wherein said another type of disk drives do not have said converter.

7. A storage system according to claim 1,

wherein said data line is a Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop (FC-AL).

8. A storage system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a power supply coupled to said first disk drive units by at least one power line and supplying power to said first disk drive units; and

a power controller coupled to said power supply and controlling to supply power to said first disk drive units,

wherein at least one of said first disk drive units relays a control signal sent from said controller to said power controller.

9. A storage system according to claim 1,

wherein said serial interface is a Fibre Channel (FC) interface,

wherein each of said another type of disk drives does not have said converter,

wherein one or more storage regions of said SATA disk drives form a first logical unit, said first logical unit is an object to store data sent from said host computer which is coupled to said controller,

wherein one or more storage regions of said FC disk drives form a second logical unit;

and

wherein each of said first logical unit and said second logical unit has a logical unit number.

10. A storage system according to claim 1, wherein some of said SATA disk drives are used to store data, the data are used to back up.

11. A storage system, comprising:

a controller, coupled to at least one information processing device, and transferring data sent from said information processing device;

at least one data line being coupled to said controller and being used to relay data from/to said controller according to a Fibre Channel (FC) interface;

a plurality of Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) disk drives each being bolted to said FC interface and having a converter built-in, said converter converting between a first protocol of said FC interface and a second protocol of said SATA interface;

a plurality of FC disk drives each having said FC interface;

a plurality of first disk drive units being coupled to said data line and each of said first disk drive units having one of said SATA disk drives; and

a plurality of second disk drive units each having one of said FC disk drives.

12. A storage system, comprising:

a controller, coupled to at least one information processing device, and transferring data sent from said information processing device to a plurality of storage regions;

at least one data line being coupled to said controller and being used to relay data from/to said controller by a Fibre Channel (FC) interface;

a plurality of first type disk drives having some of said storage regions and each of said first type disk drives receiving data via said FC interface and having a converter, said converter converting between a first protocol of said FC interface and a second protocol of a Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) interface;

a plurality of first type disk drive units coupled to said data line and each of said first type disk drive units having one of said first type disk drives;

a plurality of second type disk drives having some of said storage regions and each of said second type disk drives receiving data via said FC interface and not having said converter; and

a plurality of second type disk drive units each having one of said second type disk drives.

13. A storage system according to claim 12 wherein:

each of said first type disk drives is a first type FC disk drive, and

each of said second type disk drives is a second type FC disk drive.

14. A storage system according to claim 12 wherein:

said data line is a Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop (FC-AL).

15. A storage system according to claim 12, further comprising:

a housing having said first type disk drive units and said second type disk drive units; and

a rack having said housing and another housing, wherein said housing and said another housing are stacked in said rack.

16. A storage system according to claim 12, further comprising:

a plurality of housings having a first housing and a second housing, said first housing having said first type disk drive units, and said second housing having said second type disk drive units; and

a rack having said housings, wherein said first housing and said second housing are stacked in said rack.

17. A storage system according to claim 12, further comprising:

a power supply coupled to said first type disk drive units by at least one power line and supplying power to said first type disk drive units; and

a power controller coupled to said power supply and controlling to supply power to said first type disk drive units,

wherein at least one of said first type disk drive units relays a control signal sent from said controller to said power controller.

18. A storage system according to claim 12 wherein:

one or more storage regions of said first type disk drives form a first logical unit, said first logical unit is an object to store data sent from said information processing device which is coupled to said controller,

one or more storage regions of said second type disk drives form a second logical unit; and

each of said first logical unit and said second logical unit has a logical unit number.

19. A storage system according to claim 12, wherein:

some of said first type disk drives are used to store data, the data are used to back up.

20. A storage system, comprising:

a controller, coupled to at least one information processing device, and storing data sent from said information processing device in a plurality of storage regions;

at least one data line being coupled to said controller and being used to relay data from/to said controller by a serial interface which is a different type from a Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) interface;

a plurality of SATA disk drives having some of said storage regions and each of said SATA disk drives receiving data via said serial interface and having a converters built-in, said converter converting between said serial interface and said SATA interface;

a plurality of first disk drive units coupled to said data line and each of said first disk drive units having one of said SATA disk drives;

a plurality of another type of disk drives each receiving data via said serial interface and not having said converter; and

a plurality of second disk drive units each having one of said another type of disk drives.

21. A storage system, comprising:

a controller, coupled to at least one information processing device, and transferring data sent from said information processing devices to a plurality of storage regions;

at least one data line being coupled to said controller and being used to relay data from said controller to said storage regions by a Fibre Channel (FC) interface;

a plurality of first type disk drives having some of said storage regions and each of said first type disk drives having said FC interface and each of said first type disk drives having installed therein a converter, said converter converting between said FC interface and an Advanced Technology Attachment (ATA) interface;

a plurality of first type disk drive units coupled to said data line and each of said first type disk drive units having one of said first type disk drives;

a plurality of second type disk drives having some of said storage regions and each of said second type disk drives having said FC interface, said another type of disk drives being different type from said first type disk drives;

a plurality of second type disk drive units each having one of said second type disk drives.

22. A storage system, comprising:

a controller, coupled to at least one information processing device, and transferring data sent from said information processing devices;

at least one line being coupled to said controller and being used to relay data from/to said controller by a Fibre Channel (FC) interface;

a plurality of first type disk drives storing data sent from said controller, wherein each of said first type disk drives can interpret a first protocol of said FC interface and a second protocol of a serial interface, which is different type from said FC interface;

a plurality of first type disk drive units coupled to said line, wherein each of said first type disk drive units having one of said first type disk drives;

a plurality of second type disk drives storing data sent from said controller, wherein each of said second type disk drives can interpret said first protocol and does not interpret said second protocol; and

a plurality of second type disk drive units each having one of said second type disk drives.

23. A storage system according to claim 22 wherein:

each of said first type disk drives is a first type FC disk drive, and

each of said second type disk drives is a second type FC disk drive.

24. A storage system according to claim 22 wherein:

said line is a Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop (FC-AL).

25. A storage system according to claim 22, further comprising:

a housing having said first type disk drive units and said second type disk drive units; and

a rack having said housing and another housing, wherein said housing and said another housing are stacked in said rack.

26. A storage system according to claim 22, further comprising:

a plurality of housings having a first housing and a second housing, said first housing having said first type disk drive units, and said second housing having said second type disk drive units; and

a rack having said housings, wherein said first housing and said second housing are stacked in said rack.

27. A storage system according to claim 22, further comprising:

a power supply coupled to said first type disk drive units by at least one power line and supplying power to said first type disk drive units; and

a power controller coupled to said power supply and controlling to supply power to said first type disk drive units,

wherein at least one of said first type disk drive units relays a control signal sent from said controller to said power controller.

28. A storage system according to claim 22 wherein:

one or more storage regions of said first type disk drives form a first logical unit, said first logical unit is an object to store data sent from said information processing device which is coupled to said controller,

one or more storage regions of said second type disk drives form a second logical unit; and

each of said first logical unit and said second logical unit has a logical unit number.

29. A storage system according to claim 22, wherein:

some of said first type disk drives are used to store data, the data are used to back up.