Anomaly notification control in disk array
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A disk array system comprising:
- a controller, adapted to be coupled to a host computer, and controlling receiving/transferring data from/to said host computer and controlling reading/writing data;
a plurality of first disk drives, coupled to said controller, and being related to a first RAID group and storing data in accordance with controlling by said controller and each comprising a Serial ATA (SATA) interface;
a plurality of second disk drives, coupled to said controller, and being related to a second RAID group and storing data in accordance with controlling by said controller and each comprising a same type of interface other than a SATA interface, said plurality of second disk drives having an improved performance characteristic relative to said plurality of first disk drives; and
at least one third disk drive, coupled to said controller, and comprising an interface other than at least one SATA interface, said at least one third disk drive having an improved performance characteristic relative to each of said plurality of first disk drives,wherein, if said controller performs sparing of at least one of said plurality of first disk drives related to said first RAID group to said at least one third disk drive as at least one spare disk drive, said controller relates said at least one third disk drive to said first RAID group even though an interface type of said plurality of first disk drives is different from an interface type of said at least one third disk drive so that said at least one third disk drive and said plurality of first disk drives other than said at least one of said plurality of first disk drives are used to store at least data received from said host computer, whereby sparing can be effectively performed even when a spare disk drive having a SATA interface is not readily available.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
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.
-
Citations
65 Claims
-
1. A disk array system comprising:
-
a controller, adapted to be coupled to a host computer, and controlling receiving/transferring data from/to said host computer and controlling reading/writing data; a plurality of first disk drives, coupled to said controller, and being related to a first RAID group and storing data in accordance with controlling by said controller and each comprising a Serial ATA (SATA) interface; a plurality of second disk drives, coupled to said controller, and being related to a second RAID group and storing data in accordance with controlling by said controller and each comprising a same type of interface other than a SATA interface, said plurality of second disk drives having an improved performance characteristic relative to said plurality of first disk drives; and at least one third disk drive, coupled to said controller, and comprising an interface other than at least one SATA interface, said at least one third disk drive having an improved performance characteristic relative to each of said plurality of first disk drives, wherein, if said controller performs sparing of at least one of said plurality of first disk drives related to said first RAID group to said at least one third disk drive as at least one spare disk drive, said controller relates said at least one third disk drive to said first RAID group even though an interface type of said plurality of first disk drives is different from an interface type of said at least one third disk drive so that said at least one third disk drive and said plurality of first disk drives other than said at least one of said plurality of first disk drives are used to store at least data received from said host computer, whereby sparing can be effectively performed even when a spare disk drive having a SATA interface is not readily available. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. A disk array system comprising:
-
a controller, adapted to be coupled to a host computer, and controlling receiving/transferring data from/to said host computer; a plurality of first disk drives, coupled to said controller, and being related to a first RAID group and storing data by controlling performed by said controller and each comprising a same type of interface other than a Serial ATA (SATA) interface; a plurality of second disk drives, coupled to said controller, and being related to a second RAID group and storing data by controlling performed by said controller and each comprising a SATA interface, wherein said plurality of first disk drives have an improved performance characteristic relative to said plurality of second disk drives; and at least one third disk drive, coupled to said controller, and being used as at least one spare disk drive and comprising at least one SATA interface, wherein each of said plurality of first disk drives has an improved performance characteristic relative to said at least one third disk drive, wherein, if a disk drive having an interface other than a SATA interface is unavailable, said controller performs sparing of at least one of said plurality of first disk drives related to said first RAID group and is able to control use of said at least one third disk drive as said at least one spare disk drive for said at least one of said plurality of first disk drives even though an interface type of said plurality of first disk drives is different from an interface type of said at least one third disk drive so that said at least one third disk drive and said plurality of first disk drives other than said at least one of said plurality of first disk drives are used to store at least data received from said host computer, whereby sparing can be effectively performed even when said disk drive having said interface other than said SATA interface is unavailable. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
-
-
27. A disk array system comprising:
-
a controller being adapted to be coupled to a host computer; a plurality of first disk drives, coupled to said controller and related to a first RAID group, and storing data by controlling performed by said controller and each comprising a same type interface other than a Serial ATA (SATA); a plurality of second disk drives, coupled to said controller and related to a second RAID group, and storing data by controlling performed by said controller and each comprising a SATA interface, wherein said plurality of first disk drives have an improved performance characteristic relative to said plurality of second disk drives; and one or more third disk drives, coupled to said controller, and each comprising an interface other than a SATA interface, wherein said one or more third disk drives have an improved performance characteristic relative to each of said plurality of second disk drives, wherein said one or more third disk drives can be one or more spare disk drives for one or more of said plurality of second disk drives even though an interface type of said one or more third disk drives is different from an interface type of said plurality of second disk drives so that said one or more third disk drives and said plurality of second disk drives other than said one or more of said plurality of second disk drives are used to store at least data received from said host computer, whereby sparing can be effectively performed even when a spare disk drive having a SATA interface is not readily available. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
-
-
41. A disk array system comprising:
- a controller, being adapted to be coupled to a host computer, and controlling receiving/transferring data from/to said host computer;
a plurality of first disk drives, coupled to said controller and related to a RAID group, and storing data received from said host computer based on controlling by said controller and each comprising a Serial ATA (SATA) interface; and
at least one second disk drive, coupled to said controller, and being used as at least one spare disk drive and comprising at least one interface which is a different type of interface from said SATA interface, wherein said at least one second disk drive has an improved performance characteristic relative to said plurality of first disk drives;
wherein said controller performs sparing of at least one of said plurality of first disk drives and is able to control use of said at least one second disk drive as said at least one spare disk drive for said at least one of said plurality of first disk drives, whereby sparing can be effectively performed even when a spare disk drive having a SATA interface is not readily available. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
- a controller, being adapted to be coupled to a host computer, and controlling receiving/transferring data from/to said host computer;
-
53. A disk array system comprising:
a controller, being adapted to be coupled to a host computer, and controlling receiving/transferring data from/to said host computer;
a plurality of first disk drives, coupled to said controller and related to a RAID group, and storing data received from said host computer based on controlling by said controller and each comprising a first interface; and
at least one second disk drive, coupled to said controller, and being used as at least one spare disk drive and comprising at least one second interface that is a different type of interface from said first interface, wherein said at least one second disk drive has a different performance characteristic relative to each of said plurality of first disk drives;
wherein said controller performs sparing of at least one of said plurality of first disk drives and is able to control use of said at least one second disk drive as said at least one spare disk drive for said at least one of said plurality of first disk drives, whereby sparing can be effectively performed even when a spare disk drive having a first interface is not readily available.- View Dependent Claims (54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65)
Specification