Storage apparatus and storage apparatus power supply failure management method

• US 7,581,137 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2006
• Issued: 08/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Nakamura, Shin, Nagaya, Hidehiro, Okada, Naoki
• Primary Examiner(s): DUNCAN, MARC M
• Application Number:
  US11/473,032
• Publication Number:
  US 20070260918A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,159 Days
• Field of Search: 714/22, 714/24
• US Class Current: 714/24
• 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 storage apparatus according to the present invention can store information related to a power supply abnormality after shutting down the principal functions of a data processing board when a power supply abnormality occurs in a data processing board. A power supply controller of a data processing board mounted in the storage apparatus monitors the operational status of DC/DC power supplies mounted to the data processing board, on the basis of detection signals from a voltage detection circuit. When a power supply abnormality is detected, the power supply controller immediately shuts down the operation of all the DC/DC power supplies. Shutting down the DC/DC power supplies also shuts down the principal functionality of the data processing board. Then, after storing information related to the power supply abnormality in memory, the power supply controller shuts down the auxiliary power supply. The information stored in memory can be transmitted to a management apparatus by way of an intermediary apparatus, which is another data processing board or the like.

Claims

1. The storage apparatus, which provides a storage region to a host machine, said storage apparatus comprising at least one data processing board, wherein

said data processing board comprises:

at least one power supply part, which supplies power to a load;

a detection part, which detects the operating state of said power supply part, and outputs a signal;

at least one or more power supply control part, which controls the operation of said power supply part based on a signal from said detection part;

a storage part for storing monitoring results; and

an auxiliary power supply part for enabling writing information into said storage cart even when the operation of said power supply part has been shut down, and wherein;

said power supply control part is constituted so as to monitor the operating state of said power supply part, store the results of monitoring in said storage part, and shut down the operation of said power supply Part when a failure is detected in said power supply part; and

said power supply control part monitors the operating state of said power supply part at regular intervals, and stores the results of monitoring in said storage part.

2. The storage apparatus, which provides a storage region to a host machine, said storage apparatus comprising at least one data processing board, wherein

said data processing board comprises:

at least one power supply part, which supplies power to a load;

a detection part, which detects the operating state of said cower supply part, and outputs a signal;

at least one or more power supply control part, which controls the operation of said power supply part based on a signal from said detection part;

a storage part for storing monitoring results; and

an auxiliary power supply part for enabling writing information into said storage part even when the operation of said power supply part has been shut down, and wherein

said power supply control part is constituted so as to monitor the operating state of said power supply part, store the results of monitoring in said storage part, and shut down the operation of said power supply part when a failure is detected in said power supply part; and

said power supply control part, upon detecting the occurrence of a failure of said power supply part, shuts down the operation of said auxiliary power supply after storing the monitoring results at the time the occurrence of the failure has been detected in said storage part.

3. A storage system having a storage apparatus, which controls the exchange of data between a host machine and a storage device, and a management apparatus, which is connected to the storage apparatus, wherein

(1) said storage apparatus comprises a first data processing board and a second data processing board for respectively processing the exchange of data between said host machine and/or said storage device;

(2) said first data processing board and said second data processing board are communicatively interconnected, and are respectively constituted comprising a first board, and a plurality of second boards integrally disposed on said first board;

(3) said first board is constituted comprising;

a data transmission circuit for carrying out data transmission;

a plurality of first power supply parts for supplying power to said data transmission circuit;

a first voltage detection part, which detects the respective output voltages of said first power supply parts, and outputs a signal;

a first power supply control part, which controls the operations of said respective first power supply parts based on a signal from said first voltage detection part;

a storage part; and

an interface part for outputting information stored in said storage part,

(4) said each second board is constituted comprising;

a microprocessor circuit;

a plurality of second power supply parts for supplying power to said microprocessor circuit;

a second voltage detection part, which detects respective output voltages of said second power supply parts, and outputs a signal; and

a second power supply control part, which controls the operation of said respective second power supply parts based on signals from said second voltage detection part,

(5) said first power supply control part, under prescribed circumstances, stores results of monitoring the operating states of said respective first power supply parts in said storage part, and

said second power supply control part, under said prescribed circumstances, stores results of monitoring the operating states of said respective second power supply parts in said storage part,

(6) said microprocessor circuit of said first data processing board and said microprocessor circuit of said second data processing board can respectively access said storage part of said first data processing board and said storage part of said second data processing board, and can output said monitoring results stored in said storage parts to said management apparatus, and

(7) said microprocessor circuit of said first data processing board and said microprocessor circuit of said second data processing board can acquire only a portion of information of said monitoring results stored in said storage part.