Disk array apparatus and method for controlling the same

• US 7,587,548 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2005
• Issued: 09/08/2009
• 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): Ellis; Kevin L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bertram; Ryan
• Application Number:
  US11/056,007
• Publication Number:
  US 20050149674A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,667 Days
• Field of Search: 711/112
• US Class Current: 711/112
• 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 which 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 first housing;

a controller, in said first housing, coupled to at least one information processing device and controlling to transfer data sent from said information processing device;

a plurality of Fibre Channel (FC) disk drives, in said first housing, coupled to said controller and storing data transferred by said controller;

a second housing, outside of the first housing, and being used to expand said storage system;

a plurality of Advanced Technology Attached (ATA) disk drives, in said second housing, coupled to said controller in said first housing and storing data transferred by said controller.

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

a Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop (FC-AL) coupled to said controller and said FC disk drives,

wherein said controller includes a host interface, a cache memory and a data transfer circuit, said host interface receiving data sent from said information processing device, and said cache memory coupled to said host interface and storing data sent from said host interface, and said data transfer circuit being transferred data stored in said cache memory via said FC-AL.

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

a Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop (FC-AL) coupled to said controller in said first housing and a circuit in said second housing.

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

a data line coupled to said controller in said first housing and a circuit in said second housing, and

wherein said circuit is a port bypass switch.

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

a data line coupled to said controller in said first housing and said ATA disk drives in said second housing; and

at least one circuit, in said second housing, coupled to said data line and relaying data sent via said data line to one of said ATA disk drives, if said controller sends data to a storage region of the one of said ATA disk drive,

wherein said controller includes a host interface, a cache memory and a data transfer circuit, said host interface receiving data sent from said information processing device, and said cache memory coupled to said host interface and storing data sent from said host interface, and said data transfer circuit being transferred data stored in said cache memory via said data line.

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

a data line being used to relay data based on said FC interface and coupled to said controller in said first housing and said ATA disk drives in said second housing; and

a plurality of circuits, in said second housing, each of said circuits coupled to said data line,

wherein each of said circuits relays data sent via said data line to one of said ATA disk drives in conditions of processing to store data in said one of said ATA disk drives.

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

a data line being used to relay data based on said FC interface and coupled to said controller in said first housing and at least one converter in said second housing,

wherein said converter converts between said FC interface of said data line and an ATA interface of at least one of said ATA disk drives.

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

a data line being used to relay data of a FC interface and coupled to said controller in said first housing and a FC-ATA converting circuit in said second housing,

wherein said ATA disk drives is controlled to supply power.

9. A storage system according to claim 1,

wherein said controller includes a host interface and a cache memory, said host interface receiving data sent from said information processing device, and said cache memory coupled to said host interface and storing data sent from said host interface, and

wherein one or more storage regions of said ATA disk drives are used to store backup data.

10. A storage system according to claim 1, wherein one or more of said ATA disk drives are used to store data, the data being used as back up data.

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

a data line being used to relay data based on a FC interface and coupled to said controller in said first housing and at least one first circuit in said second housing; and

a plurality of second circuits each coupled to one of said ATA disk drives,

wherein at least one of said first circuits or said second circuits converts data between said FC interface for said data line and a interface for said ATA disk drives,

wherein at least one of said first circuits or said second circuits includes a port bypass switch, and

wherein said controller includes a host interface, a cache memory and a data transfer circuit, said host interface receiving data sent from said information processing device, and said cache memory coupled to said host interface and storing data sent from said host interface, and said data transfer circuit being transferred data stored in said cache memory to said ATA disk drives via said data line, said first circuit and said second circuit.

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

a data line being used to relay data based on a FC interface and coupled to said controller in said first housing and at least one circuit in said second housing;

wherein said circuit coupled at least one of said ATA disk drives and includes a port bypass switch.

13. A storage system, comprising:

a first housing; and

a second housing, outside of the first housing, and being used to expand said storage system;

wherein said first housing comprises;

a controller coupled to at least one information processing device and controlling to transfer of data sent from said information processing device; and

a plurality of first disk drives each implementing a Fibre Channel (FC) interface and coupled to said controller and storing data transferred by said control of said controller; and

wherein said second housing comprises;

a plurality of second disk drives each implementing a Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) interface and coupled to said controller and storing data transferred by said control of said controller.

14. A storage system according to claim 13:

wherein said controller includes a host interface and a cache memory, said host interface receiving data sent from said information processing device, and said cache memory coupled to said host interface and storing data sent from said host interface.

15. A storage system according to claim 13, further comprising:

a data line coupled to said controller and said second disk drives and being used to relay data sent from said controller to one of said second disk drives.

16. A storage system according to claim 13, further comprising:

a data line being used to relay data based on a FC interface and coupled to said controller and said second disk drives; and

at least one circuit, in said second housing, coupled to said data line and being used to relay data between said data line and said second disk drives,

wherein said circuit includes at least one port bypass switch.

17. A storage system according to claim 13, further comprising:

a data line coupled to said controller in said first housing and coupled to a plurality of second disk drives via at least one circuit in said second housing,

wherein said controller includes a host interface, a cache memory and a data transfer circuit, said host interface receiving data sent from said information processing device, and said cache memory coupled to said host interface and storing data sent from said host interface, and said data transfer circuit being transferred data stored in said cache memory via said data line, and

wherein said circuit is used to relay data sent via said data line to one of said second disk drives.

18. A storage system according to claim 13, further comprising:

a data line coupled to said controller in said first housing and coupled to said second disk drives via at least one circuit in said second housing, and

wherein said circuit is used to relay data to one of said second disk drives in conditions of processing to store data in said one of said second disk drives.

19. A storage system according to claim 13, further comprising:

a data line being used to relay data based on a FC interface and coupled to said controller in said first housing and coupled to said second disk drives via at least one converter in said second housing,

wherein said converter converts between said FC interface for said data line and said SATA interface for at least one of said second disk drives.

20. A storage system according to claim 13, further comprising:

a data line coupled to said controller and said second disk drives,

wherein said second disk drives are controlled to supply power.

21. A storage system according to claim 13,

wherein said controller includes a host interface, a cache memory and a data transfer circuit, said host interface receiving data sent from said information processing device, and said cache memory coupled to said host interface and storing data sent from said host interface, and said data transfer circuit being transferred data stored in said cache memory, and

wherein one or more storage regions of said second disk drives are used to store backup data.

22. A storage system according to claim 13, wherein one or more of said second disk drives are used to store data, the data being used as back up data.

23. A storage system according to claim 13, further comprising:

a data line coupled to said controller in said first housing and coupled to said second disk drives via at least one circuit in said second housing,

wherein said circuit includes a port bypass switch.

24. A storage system according to claim 13, further comprising:

a data line coupled to said controller in said first housing and coupled to said second disk drives via at least one circuit,

wherein said controller includes a host interface, a cache memory and a data transfer circuit, said host interface receiving data sent from said information processing device, and said cache memory coupled to said host interface and storing data sent from said host interface, and said data transfer circuit being transferred data stored in said cache memory via said data line.

25. A storage system, comprising:

a first housing;

a controller, in said first housing, coupled to at least one information processing device and controlling to transfer of data sent from said information processing device, said controller includes a host interface and a cache memory, said host interface receiving data sent from said information processing device, and said cache memory coupled to said host interface and storing data sent from said host interface;

a plurality of first disk drives, in said first housing, coupled to said controller and storing data transferred by said controller and implementing a serial interface, said serial interface is different type a Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) interface,

a second housing, outside of the first housing, and being used to expand a storage capacity of said storage system; and

a plurality of second disk drives, in said second housing, coupled to said controller in said first housing and storing data transferred by said controller and implementing a SATA interface,

wherein said controller includes a host interface and a cache memory, said host interface receiving data sent from said information processing device, and said cache memory coupled to said host interface and storing data sent from said host interface.

26. A storage system, comprising:

a first housing; and

a controller being arranged in said first housing and coupled to at least one information processing device and controlling to transfer of data sent from said information processing devices, said controller includes a host interface and a cache memory, said host interface receiving data sent from said information processing device, and said cache memory coupled to said host interface and storing data sent from said host interface;

a plurality of first disk drives being arranged in said first housing and coupled to said controller and storing data transferred by said controller and implementing a serial interface, said serial interface being different type from a Advanced Technology Attached (ATA) interface;

a second housing, outside of the first housing, and being used to expand a storage capacity of said storage system; and

a plurality of ATA disk drives being arranged in said second housing and coupled to said controller and storing data transferred by said controller.

27. A storage system, comprising:

a first housing;

a controller, in said first housing, coupled to at least one information processing device and controlling to transfer of data sent from said information processing device, said controller includes a host interface and a cache memory, said host interface receiving data sent from said information processing device, and said cache memory coupled to said host interface and storing data sent from said host interface;

a plurality of Fibre Channel (FC) disk drives, in said first housing, coupled to said controller and storing data transferred based on control by said controller;

a second housing outside of the first housing; and

a plurality of Advanced Technology Attached (ATA) disk drives, in said second housing, coupled to said controller and storing data transferred based on control by said controller.

28. A storage system, comprising:

a first housing; and

a second housing outside of the first housing;

wherein said first housing comprises;

a controller coupled to at least one information processing device and controlling to transfer of data sent from said information processing device, said controller includes a host interface and a cache memory, said host interface receiving data sent from said information processing device, and said cache memory coupled to said host interface and storing data sent from said host interface; and

a plurality of Fibre Channel (FC) disk drives coupled to said controller and storing data transferred by said controller; and

wherein said second housing comprises;

a plurality of Advanced Technology Attached (ATA) disk drives coupled to said controller and storing data transferred by said controller.