Storage system and optical module switching method for storage system

• US 8,019,217 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2008
• Issued: 09/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Aihara, Hideyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan; Hanh
• Application Number:
  US12/022,561
• Publication Number:
  US 20090110399A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,322 Days
• Field of Search: 398/1, 398/3, 398/5, 398/2, 398/4, 398/7, 398/8, 398/10, 398/12, 398/13, 398/14, 398/17, 398/19, 398/20, 398/22, 398/23, 398/24, 398/25, 398/27, 398/26, 398/33, 398/34, 398/38, 398/45, 398/48, 398/49, 398/55, 398/56, 398/57, 398/58, 398/145, 398/66, 398/59, 398/67, 398/68, 398/72, 370/244, 370/228, 370/219, 370/352, 370/231, 370/242, 370/248, 709/224, 709/223, 709/238, 709/239, 709/229, 714/5, 714/43, 714/6, 714/42, 714/44, 714/48
• US Class Current: 398/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2005 using redundant communication controllers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/201 between storage system components
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2089 Redundant storage control functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0681 Configuration of triggering conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to continue to send and receive to/from a host when a failure has occurred in a storage device interface. A storage system includes a host and a storage device connected to the host via a communication line, wherein the storage device comprises a communication controller performing data communication with the host by using optical modules, and wherein the communication controller is provided with first optical modules performing data communication with the host; a second optical module performing data communication with the host, in place of a first optical module; and a controller switching, when a failure has occurred in any of the first optical modules, the first optical module in which the failure has occurred to the second optical module.

Claims

1. A storage system comprising:

a storage device connected to a host computer via a communication line, the storage device comprising a communication controller performing data communication with the host computer by using optical modules,

wherein the communication controller is provided with;

first optical modules performing data communication with the host computer;

a second optical module performing data communication with the host computer, in place of the first optical modules; and

a controller switching, when a failure occurs in any of the first optical modules, a first optical module in which the failure occurred to the second optical module,

wherein the first optical modules and switches in the host computer correspond one-to-one with each other, and the first optical modules and the switches respectively connect via a first splitter, whereby they perform data communication, and

wherein the second optical module connects to a second splitter that connects to the respective first splitters, and performs data communication with the host computer.

2. The storage system according to claim 1, wherein the controller comprises:

a threshold value table providing each predetermined item with a threshold value for detecting whether or not a failure has occurred in a first optical module; and

a first monitor processing unit that monitors whether or not the first optical module is more than the threshold value provided for the each predetermined item,

wherein the controller judges that a failure has occurred when the first optical module is more than the threshold value provided for each predetermined item.

3. The storage system according to claim 2, wherein the controller comprises a second monitor processing unit that monitors, after switching the first optical module in which a failure has occurred to the second optical module, whether or not all the predetermined items of the first optical module in which the failure has occurred are more than the threshold value provided in the threshold value table, and

wherein the controller switches the second optical module to the first optical module in which the failure has occurred when the second monitor processing unit finds all the predetermined items of the first optical module in which the failure has occurred do not exceed the threshold value provided in the threshold value table.

4. The storage system according to claim 3, wherein the threshold value table includes:

a first threshold value table that is provided with a plurality of items for monitoring the status of the optical modules, and

a second threshold value table that is provided with a plurality of items for monitoring the communication status of the optical modules.

5. The storage system according to claim 1, wherein the communication line is a fiber cable.

6. An optical module switching method for a storage system comprising:

a storage device connected to a host computer via a communication line, the storage device comprising a communication controller performing data communication with the host computer by using optical modules,

wherein the communication controller is provided with;

first optical modules performing data communication with the host computer; and

a second optical module performing data communication with the host computer, in place of the first optical modules,

wherein the optical module switching method comprising the step of;

switching, when a failure has occurred in any of the first optical modules, the first optical module in which the failure has occurred to the second optical module,

wherein the first optical modules and switches in the host computer correspond one-to-one with each other, and the first optical modules and the switches respectively connect via a first splitter, whereby they perform data communication, and

wherein the second optical module connects to a second splitter that connects to the respective first splitters, and performs data communication with the host computer.

7. The optical module switching method for a storage system according to claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

monitoring, based on a threshold value table providing each predetermined item with a threshold value for detecting whether or not a failure has occurred in a first optical module, whether or not the first optical module is more than the threshold value provided for each predetermined item,

wherein if the first optical module is more than the threshold value provided for each predetermined item in the monitoring step, the failure is judged as having occurred during the switching step.

8. The optical module switching method for a storage system according to claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

monitoring, after switching the first optical module in which the failure has occurred to the second optical module, whether or not all the predetermined items of the first optical module in which the failure has occurred are more than the threshold value provided in the threshold value table, and

switching the second optical module to the first optical module in which the failure has occurred when the second monitor processing unit finds all the predetermined items of the first optical module in which the failure has occurred do not exceed the threshold value provided in the threshold value table.

9. The optical module switching method for a storage system according to claim 8, wherein the threshold value table includes:

a first threshold value table that is provided with a plurality of items for monitoring the status of the optical modules, and

a second threshold value table that is provided with a plurality of items for monitoring the communication status of the optical modules.