Apparatus and method for mirroring data between nonvolatile memory and a hard disk drive

• US 8,082,389 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2009
• Issued: 12/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Fujibayashi, Akira, Nakamura, Shuji, Fujimoto, Kazuhisa
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, THAN VINH
• Application Number:
  US12/649,804
• Publication Number:
  US 20100106903A1
• Time in Patent Office: 720 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 711/112
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3221 of disk drive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3225 of memory devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2071 using a plurality of controllers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0625 Power saving in storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0635 by changing the path, e.g. traffic rerouting, path reconfiguration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/065 Replication mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0685 Hybrid storage combining heterogeneous device types, e.g. hierarchical storage, hybrid arrays
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

This storage apparatus that provides to a host computer a logical device for storing data sent from the host computer includes a nonvolatile memory for storing the data, a disk-shaped memory device for storing the data, and a controller for controlling the nonvolatile memory and the disk-shaped memory device. The controller redundantly configures the logical device with the nonvolatile memory and the disk-shaped memory device.

Claims

1. A storage apparatus that provides to a host computer a logical device for storing data sent from said host computer, comprising:

a nonvolatile memory for storing said data;

a hard disk drive (HDD) for storing said data;

a controller for controlling said nonvolatile memory and said HDD,

wherein said controller configures said logical device with a first logical volume corresponding to said nonvolatile memory and a second logical volume corresponding to said HDD, in which said first logical volume is a primary volume and said second logical volume is a secondary volume,

wherein said controller controls to manage a power mode of said HDD and an operating time of said HDD in power on mode, and

wherein if said controller receives an access request to said logical device from said host computer, said controller controls to read/write data from/to said first logical volume, power on of said HDD and asynchronously copy data from said first logical volume to said second logical volume at a predetermined time period; and

a memory that stores first information including at least one of a total number of power on/off of said HDD and a total operating time of said HDD,

wherein said controller controls said power mode of said HDD based on said first information, so that said HDD is able to be used for a long time of duration of use.

2. The storage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said controller controls to power off of said HDD after said asynchronous copy.

3. The storage apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a memory that stores second information including at least one of a total write count of said nonvolatile memory, a total erase count of said nonvolatile memory, a number of defective blocks of said nonvolatile memory, and average erase time of said nonvolatile memory,

wherein said controller determines whether at least one value of said second information exceeds a predetermined threshold.

4. The storage apparatus according to claim 3, wherein if said controller determines said at least one value of said second information exceeds said predetermined threshold, said controller controls to increase an operation time of said HDD.

5. A control method of a storage apparatus that provides to a host computer a logical device for storing data sent from said host computer, comprising:

configuring said logical device with a first logical volume corresponding to a nonvolatile memory and a second logical volume corresponding to a hard disk drive (HDD) by a controller, in which said first logical volume is a primary volume and said second logical volume is a secondary volume;

controlling to manage a power mode of said HDD and an operating time of said HDD in power on mode,

wherein if an access request to said logical device from said host computer is received, controlling, by said controller, to read/write data from/to said first logical volume, power on of said HDD and asynchronously copy data from said first logical volume to said second logical volume at a predetermined time period;

storing, by a memory, that stores a first information including at least one of a total number of power on/off of said HDD and a total operating time of said HDD, HDD; and

controlling, by wherein said controller, controls said power mode of said HDD based on said first information, so that said HDD is able to be used for a long time of duration of use.

6. The control method according to claim 5, controlling, by said controller, to power off said HDD after said asynchronous copy.

7. The control method according to claim 5, further comprising:

storing, by a memory, a second information including at least one of a total write count of said nonvolatile memory, a total erase count of said nonvolatile memory, a number of defective blocks of said nonvolatile memory, and average erase time of said nonvolatile memory; and

determining, by said controller, whether at least one value of said second information exceeds a predetermined threshold.

8. The control method according to claim 7, further comprising:

if said controller determines said at least one value of said second information exceeds said predetermined threshold, controlling, by said controller, to increase an operation time of said HDD.