Anomaly notification control in disk array

• US 7,475,283 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2007
• Issued: 01/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Morita, Seiki
• Primary Examiner(s): Lohn; Joshua A
• Application Number:
  US11/717,020
• Publication Number:
  US 20070168709A1
• Time in Patent Office: 665 Days
• Field of Search: 714/6, 714/7, 719/325
• US Class Current: 714/6.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0727 in a storage system, e.g. in a DASD or network based storage system drivers for digital recording or reproducing units G06F3/06; circuits for error detection or correction within digital recording or reproducing units G11B20/18; for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS], H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/076 by exceeding a count or rate limit, e.g. word- or bit count limit
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2094 Redundant storage or storage space G06F11/2056 takes precedence

Abstract

In a storage device incorporating a plurality of kinds of disk drives with different interfaces, the controller performs sparing on a disk drive, whose errors that occur during accesses exceed a predetermined number, by swapping it with a spare disk drive that is prepared beforehand.

Claims

1. A disk array system comprising:

a controller, coupled to a host computer, and receiving/transferring data from/to said host computer;

wherein said controller conducts a sparing process selected from at least four sparing processes, said at least four sparing processes including;

a first sparing process storing data, corresponding to data stored in at least one of a plurality of first disk drives, in at least one spare disk drive using at least one second disk drive, said first disk drives coupled to said controller and storing data received from said host computer in accordance with controlling of said controller and each comprising a Fibre Channel (FC) interface, said second disk drive coupled to said controller and comprising a FC interface,

a second sparing process storing data, corresponding to data stored in at least one of said first disk drives, in at least one spare disk drive using at least one third disk drive, said third disk drive coupled to said controller and comprising a Serial ATA (SATA) interface,

a third sparing process storing data, corresponding to data stored in at least one of a plurality of fourth disk drives, in at least one spare disk drive using said second disk drive, said fourth disk drives coupled to said controller and storing data received from said host computer in accordance with controlling of said controller and each comprising a SATA interface, and

a fourth sparing process storing data, corresponding to data stored in at least one of said fourth disk drives, in at least one spare disk drive using said third disk drive.

2. A disk array system according to claim 1, wherein in said third sparing process, said controller performs storing data, corresponding to data stored in said at least one of said fourth disk drives, in said at least one spare disk drive using said second disk drive based on error information of said at least one of said fourth disk drives.

3. A disk array system according to claim 1, wherein in said third sparing process, said controller stores data, corresponding to data stored in said at least one of said fourth disk drives, in said at least one spare disk drive using said second disk drive based on whether a number of errors is over a predetermined level, at least one of said errors occurring at a timing that said controller reads/writes data from/to said at least one of said fourth disk drives.

4. A disk array system according to claim 1, wherein said controller stores information of a drive type of each of said first disk drives, said second disk drive, said third disk drive and said fourth disk drives.

5. A disk array system according to claim 1, wherein said controller stores information that said third disk drive is at least one spare disk drive.

6. A disk array system according to claim 1, wherein said controller stores first information indicating that said third disk drive is at least one spare disk drive and second information indicating that a drive type of said third disk drive is a SATA disk drive.

7. A disk array system according to claim 1, wherein in said third sparing process, said controller controls to perform storing data, corresponding to data stored in said at least one of said fourth disk drives, in said at least one spare disk drive using said second disk drive, if said at least one of said fourth disk drives indicates a sign of implementing a failure.

8. A disk array system according to claim 1 wherein said fourth disk drives form a RAID group before performing storing data, corresponding to data stored in said at least one of said fourth disk drives, in said at least one spare disk drive using said second disk drive;

and

in said third sparing process, said at least one spare disk drive using said second disk drive is related to said RAID group, if said data, corresponding to data stored in said at least one of said fourth disk drives, are stored in said at least one spare disk drive using said second disk drive.

9. A disk array system according to claim 1, wherein said controller forms a RAID group by using said fourth disk drives before said at least one of said fourth disk drives indicates a sign of implementing a failure;

and

in said third sparing process, said controller relates said at least one spare disk drive using said second disk drive to said RAID group, if said at least one of said fourth disk drives indicates a sign of implementing a failure.

10. A disk array system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one of said fourth disk drives and another one of said fourth disk drives form a RAID group before conducting said third sparing process selected by said controller;

in said third sparing process, said at least one spare disk drive using said second disk drive is related to said RAID group, if said third sparing process selected by said controller is conducted; and

at least one new fourth disk drive and said another one of said fourth disk drives form said RAID group, if said at least one of said fourth disk drives is replaced to said at least one new fourth disk drive.

11. A disk array system according to claim 1, wherein said controller forms a RAID group by using said at least one of said fourth disk drives and another one of said fourth disk drives before said at least one of said fourth disk drives has a status of a failure;

in said third sparing process, said controller relates said at least one spare disk drive using said second disk drive to said RAID group, if said at least one of said fourth disk drives has said status of said failure; and

said controller form said RAID group by using at least one new fourth disk drive and said of said fourth disk drives, if said at least one of said fourth disk drives is replaced to said at least one new fourth disk drive.

12. A disk array system according to claim 1, wherein in said third sparing process, said controller controls to automatically perform storing data, corresponding to data stored in said at least one of said fourth disk drives, in said at least one spare disk drive using said second disk drive while said disk array system operates.

13. A disk array system comprising:

a controller coupled to a host computer and receiving/transferring data from/to said host computer;

wherein said controller conducts a selected sparing process among at least four sparing processes, said at least four sparing processes including;

a first sparing process storing data, stored in one or more of a plurality of first disk drives, in one or more spare storage areas using a storage area of one or more second disk drives, said plurality of first disk drives coupled to said controller and storing data received from said host computer in accordance with controlling of said controller and each comprising a Fibre Channel (FC) interface, said one or more second disk drives each comprising a FC interface,

a second sparing process storing data, stored in said one or more of said plurality of first disk drives, in one or more spare storage areas using storage a area of one or more third disk drives, said one or more third disk drives each comprising a Serial ATA (SATA) interface,

a third sparing process storing data, stored in one or more of a plurality of fourth disk drives, in one or more spare storage area using storage area of said one ore more second disk drives, said plurality of fourth disk drives coupled to said controller and storing data received from said host computer in accordance with controlling of said controller and each comprising a SATA interface, and

a fourth sparing process storing data, stored in said one or more of said plurality of fourth disk drives, in one or more spare storage areas using a storage of said one or more third disk drives.

14. A disk array system comprising:

a controller coupled to a host computer and controlling to receiving/transferring data from/to said host computer;

wherein said controller can conduct four sparing processes including;

a first sparing process storing data stored in at least one of a plurality of first disk drives, in at least one spare storage area using a storage area of at least one second disk drive, said plurailty of first disk drives coupled to said controller and storing data received from said host computer by controlling of said controller and each comprising a Fibre Channel (FC) interface, said second disk drive comprising a FC interface,

a second sparing process storing data stored in at least one of said plurality of first disk drives, in at least one spare storage area using a storage area of at least one third disk drive, said third disk drive comprising a Serial ATA (SATA) interface,

a third sparing process storing data, stored in at least one of a plurality of fourth disk drives, in at least one spare storage area using a storage area of at least one fifth disk drives, said plurality of fourth disk drives coupled to said controller and storing data received from said host computer by controlling of said controller and each comprising a SATA interface, said fifth disk drive comprising a FC interface, and

a fourth sparing process storing data, stored in at least one of said plurality of fourth disk drives, in at least one spare storage area using a storage area of at least one sixth disk drive, said sixth disk drive comprising a SATA interface.

15. A computer program stored on a computer readable storage medium and implemented in a controller of a disk array system coupled to a host computer, said computer program comprising:

code controlling conducting a selected sparing process among at least four sparing processes, said at least four sparing processes including;

a first sparing process storing data, stored in at least one of a plurality of first disk drives, in at least one spare disk drive using at least one second disk drive, said plurality of first disk drives storing data received from said host computer and each comprising a Fibre Channel (FC) interface, said second disk drive comprising a FC interface,

a second sparing process storing data, stored in at least one of said plurality of first disk drives, in at least one spare disk drive using at least one third disk drive, said third disk drive comprising a Serial ATA (SATA) interface,

a third sparing process storing data, stored in at least one of a plurality of fourth disk drives, in at least one spare disk drive using said second disk drive, said plurality of fourth disk drives storing data received from said host computer and each comprising a SATA interface, and

a fourth sparing process storing data, stored in at least one of said plurality of fourth disk drives, in at least one spare disk drive using said third disk drive.

16. A computer program stored on a computer readabie storage medium and implemented in a controller of a disk array system coupled to a host computer, said computer program comprising:

code conducting a sparing process selected from at least four sparing processes, said at least four sparing processes including;

a first sparing process storing data, stored in at least one of a plurality of first disk drives, in at least one spare storage area using a storage area of at least one second disk drive, said plurality of first disk drives coupled to said controller and storing data received from said host computer in accordance with controlling of said controller and each comprising a Fibre Channel (FC) interface, said second disk drive comprising a FC interface,

a second sparing process storing data, stored in at least one of said plurality of first disk drives, in at least one spare storage area using a storage area of at least one third disk drive, said third disk drive comprising a Serial ATA (SATA) interface,

a third sparing process storing data, stored in at least one of a plurality of fourth disk drives, in at least one spare storage area using a storage area of at least one fifth disk drive, said plurality of fourth disk drives coupled to said controller and storing data received from said host computer in accordance with controlling of

said controller and each comprising a SATA interface, said fifth disk drive comprising a FC interface, and

a fourth sparing process storing data, stored in at least one of said plurality of fourth disk drives, in at least one spare storage area using a storage area of at least one sixth disk drive, said sixth disk drive comprising a SATA interface.