Method and apparatus for virtual load regions in storage system controllers

• US 7,743,224 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2006
• Issued: 06/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dot Hill Systems Corporation (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Dot Hill Systems Corporation (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Wang, Yuanru Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, HETUL B
• Application Number:
  US11/326,800
• Publication Number:
  US 20070162708A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,628 Days
• Field of Search: 711/168
• US Class Current: 711/154
• 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 3/0632 by initialisation or re-initialisation of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for facilitating the management of multiple controller code versions for implementing operational aspects of storage system controllers are provided. In particular, multiple versions of storage controller code are loaded into the physical memory of a storage controller. The logical region in which a particular controller code version is loaded may be designated in metadata as a primary, secondary or other region. The controller code that is associated with a logical version designated as the primary region is selected by the storage controller for execution upon a storage controller reboot. Accordingly, time consuming copy operations are not required in order to switch between different versions of storage controller code.

Claims

1. A method for managing storage controller code, comprising:

storing a first version of storage controller code in a first region of storage controller memory associated with a first storage controller;

storing a second version of storage controller code in a second region of said storage controller memory associated with said first storage controller;

maintaining region management information in storage controller memory, wherein said region management information is not stored in said first or second regions of said storage controller memory;

determining from information included in one of the first and second versions of storage controller code that said first or second version of storage controller code is to be designated said primary version, wherein said determining comprises said first storage controller reading said first and second versions of storage controller code;

in response to determining from said information included in one of the first and second versions of storage controller code that said first or second version of storage controller code is to be designated said primary version, designating in said region management information said primary version of storage controller code;

in response to said determining said primary version, executing said primary version to control at least aspects of operation of said first storage controller, wherein at said time of executing said first version of storage controller code is stored in said first region of said storage controller memory and said second version of storage controller code is stored in said second region of said storage controller memory;

detecting a failure in operation of said first storage controller while executing said primary version of said storage controller code;

in response to said detecting a failure of operation of said first storage controller while executing said primary version of said storage controller code;

a) stopping execution of said primary version of said storage controller code;

b) designating in said region management information the other of the first or second version of storage controller code originally designated as the primary version of storage controller code and removing a designation in said region management information of said first or second version of storage controller code originally designated as the primary version; and

c) after designating in said region management information said other of the first or second version of storage controller code originally designated as the primary version, executing said other of the first or second version of storage controller code originally designated as the primary version, wherein between said stopping execution of said primary version of storage controller code and executing said other of the first or second version of storage controller code originally designated as the primary version no copying of storage controller code is performed.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to said executing said primary version of storage controller code, reading, from information included in one of said first and second versions of storage controller code, a designation of one of said first or second versions of said storage controller code as the primary version,

wherein said designating in said region management information said one of first or second regions of storage controller memory as containing the primary version of said storage controller code is performed in response to said reading from information included in said first and second versions of storage controller code a designation of said first or second versions of storage controller code as the primary version.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

reading, from said information included in said first version of storage controller code, an instruction to reboot and start said first version of storage controller code as soon as said storing of said first version of storage controller code in said first region of storage controller memory is complete.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

prior to said storing a first version of storage controller code in said first region of storage controller memory, executing said second version of storage controller code to control at least aspects of operation of said first storage controller.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining that said first version of storage controller code is less desirable than said second version of storage controller code;

in response to said determining that said first version of storage controller code is less desirable than said second version of storage controller code, designating in said region management information said second region of storage controller memory as containing the primary version of said storage controller code and removing a designation in said region management information of said first region of storage controller memory as containing the primary version of said storage controller code.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein said storing said first version of storage controller code comprises downloading said first version of storage controller code to said storage controller from a location remote from said storage controller.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein said designating in said region management information said other of the first or second version of storage controller code originally designated as the primary version of said storage controller code comprises removing a designation in said region management information of said first or second version of storage controller code originally designated as the primary version of said storage controller code.

8. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

prior to said storing a first version of storage controller code in said first region of storage controller memory, executing said third version of storage controller code to control at least aspects of operation of said first storage controller;

determining that said first version of storage controller code is less desirable than said second version of storage controller code;

in response to said determining that said first version of storage controller code is less desirable than said second version of storage controller code, designating in said region management information said second region of storage controller memory as containing the primary version of said storage controller code and removing a designation in said region management information of said first region of storage controller memory as containing the primary version of said storage controller code.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said storage controller code comprises

a number of storage controller code components, including at least one of a controller loader code component, a controller application code component, a controller field programmable gate array component, a complex programmable logic device code component, a power supply firmware code component, an embedded loop switch or fabric switch firmware code component, a management loader code component, and a management controller code component.

10. A data storage system controller, comprising:

memory, including;

a first version of storage controller code loaded into a first region of said memory;

a second version of storage controller code loaded into a second region of said memory, wherein said first version of storage controller code is different than said second version of storage controller code; and

region management information, wherein said region management information is not stored in first or second regions of said memory; and

a processor, wherein said processor executes a said first version of storage controller code from said first region of said memory in response to a designation included in one of said first and second versions of storage controller code and maintained in said region management information of said first region of said memory as containing a primary version of said storage controller code, wherein said processor reads said designation in said first and second versions of storage controller code and writes said designation to said region management information, wherein said processor executes said second version of said storage controller code from said second region of said memory in response to a designation maintained in said region management information of said second region of said memory as containing a primary version of said storage controller code without requiring a copying operation, and wherein said processor switches between execution of said first version of storage controller code and said second version of storage controller code without copying code from one region to another.

11. The controller of claim 10, wherein said memory comprises:

volatile memory, wherein said volatile memory includes said first and second regions of said memory; and

non-volatile memory, wherein said non-volatile memory includes said region management information.

12. The controller of claim 10, further comprising:

an interface, wherein at least said second version of said storage controller code is loaded into said second region of memory across said interface.

13. The controller of claim 10, wherein a user selection of one of said first and second versions of controller code as a primary version of said controller code determines said designation maintained in said region management information of said one of said first and second regions of said memory as containing a primary version of said storage controller code.

14. The controller of claim 10, wherein said first version of storage controller code is designated as said primary version of storage controller code and is executed from said first region of memory,

wherein said after executing said first version of storage controller code for a period of time said second version of storage controller code is loaded into said second region of memory, wherein said second version of storage controller code includes information for changing said designation maintained in said region management information of said primary version of storage controller code from said first version to said second version;

wherein after said loading said second version of storage controller code said second version of storage controller code is executed from said second region of memory, and

wherein said first version of storage controller code remains loaded in said first region of memory but is not executed.

15. The controller of claim 10, wherein said controller stops execution of said second controller code from said second region of memory and resumes execution of said first controller code from said first region of memory in response to a user command reselecting said first controller code as a primary version of said controller code.

16. A data storage system, comprising:

means for controlling data input/output operations, including;

means for storing instructions for execution, including at least a first region containing a first set of execution instructions, and a second region containing a second set of execution instructions, wherein said first set of execution instructions are different than said second set of execution instructions;

means for storing management information, wherein one of said first and second sets of execution instructions includes information designating one of said first and second sets of instructions as a primary set of execution instructions, wherein said means for storing management information are different than said means for storing instructions for execution, wherein said means for storing management information reads said information designating said one of said first and second sets of instructions as a primary set of execution instructions;

means for executing instructions, wherein one of said first and second sets of execution instructions designated as said primary set of execution instructions is executed from a corresponding one of said first and second regions of said memory, wherein said set of execution instructions that is designated as primary and that is executed does not need to be copied to said means for storing after execution of said first set of execution instructions.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

means for administering;

wherein said means for controlling data input/output operations further comprises;

means for interfacing, wherein at least said second set of execution instructions is received from said means for administering.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein said means for storing management information comprises non-volatile memory means.

19. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

means for hosting data;

means for storing data in communication with said means for controlling data input/output operations, wherein data is written to and read from said means for storing data by said means for hosting data through said means for controlling data input/output.