Method and apparatus utilizing shock sensors on storage devices

• US 8,159,779 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2009
• Issued: 04/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dot Hill Systems Corporation (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Dot Hill Systems Corporation (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Morris, Charles Powell, Ashmore, Paul Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): CAO, ALLEN T
• Application Number:
  US12/489,655
• Publication Number:
  US 20100321818A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,029 Days
• Field of Search: 360/97.02, 369/180, 720/632
• US Class Current: 360/97.02
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/042 due to external shock or vibration

Abstract

A data storage system with a controller that receives shock data from a shock detection sensor and methods utilizing such a controller are provided. The data storage system controller receives information or signals regarding shock events from a shock sensor, enabling the data storage system controller to take remedial action. The particular remedial action taken may be dependent on the severity of the detected shock event. The data storage system controller may receive information regarding shock events from shock sensors provided separately from the data storage system controller, allowing the data storage system controller to take remedial action that is tailored to the locale of a shock event.

Claims

1. A storage system, comprising:

a controller, the controller including;

a processor, the processor running a storage system algorithm;

at least a first primary storage device;

a shock sensor, the shock sensor generating an output in response to a shock to a component of the storage system; and

a vibration detection algorithm, wherein the output of the shock sensor is provided to the vibration detection algorithm, and wherein in response to determining that the shock exhibits at least a first predetermined characteristic, the controller alters an operation related to the first primary storage device.

2. The storage system of claim 1, wherein the shock sensor is included in the first primary storage device.

3. The storage system of claim 1, wherein the vibration detection algorithm is running on the controller processor.

4. The storage system of claim 1, further comprising:

a host device, the host device including a host system processor, wherein the vibration detection algorithm is running on the host system processor.

5. The storage system of claim 1, wherein the shock sensor includes a piezoelectric transducer.

6. The storage system of claim 5, further comprising an analog to digital converter, wherein an analog output from the piezoelectric transducer is converted to a digital signal by the analog to digital converter, and wherein the digital signal is then provided as an input to the processor and the vibration detection algorithm.

7. The storage system of claim 2, wherein the first primary storage device includes a hard disk drive.

8. The storage system of claim 1, further comprising:

a first system enclosure, wherein the controller, the first primary storage device, and the shock sensor are located within the first system enclosure.

9. The storage system of claim 1, further comprising:

a first system enclosure, wherein the controller is located within the first system enclosure; and

a second system enclosure, wherein the first primary storage device and the shock sensor are located within the second system enclosure.

10. The storage system of claim 1, further comprising:

a first system enclosure, wherein the controller and the shock sensor are located within the first system enclosure; and

a second system enclosure, wherein the first primary storage device is located within the second system enclosure.

11. The storage system of claim 1, further comprising:

at least a first secondary storage device, wherein the first secondary storage device comprises a solid state storage device, and wherein altering an operation of the storage system includes diverting data directed to the first primary storage device to the first secondary storage device.

12. A method for detecting shock in a data storage system, comprising:

providing a data storage system controller, wherein the data storage system controller includes a processor running a data storage algorithm;

providing a first data storage device, wherein the first data storage device is sensitive to at least a shock event of a first type;

providing a shock sensor;

in response to a shock event, the shock sensor generating an output signal;

providing the output signal to an analog to digital converter to obtain a digital shock event signal; and

in response to the shock detection algorithm determining that the shock event is a shock event of a first type, the data storage algorithm initiating an alternate data storage process.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the shock sensor is provided as part of at least the first primary data storage device, and wherein the shock detection algorithm is running on the data storage system controller.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the alternate data storage process includes instructing a host to delay sending data to the data storage system.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the first data storage device is a first primary data storage device, the method further comprising:

providing a first secondary data storage device, wherein the alternate data storage process includes diverting data initially directed to the first data storage device to the first secondary data storage device.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the first secondary data storage device includes a solid state storage device.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the data storage system includes a plurality of data storage devices, wherein the first data storage device is one of the plurality of data storage devices, wherein the data storage system controller is a redundant array of independent disks controller, and wherein the plurality of data storage devices are hard disk drives.

18. A data storage method, comprising:

providing a plurality of storage devices;

providing a data storage controller, wherein the data storage controller controls a flow of data to and from the plurality of storage devices;

providing a shock sensor;

providing a shock detection algorithm;

in response to the shock sensor detecting a shock event, generating a signal that is provided to the shock detection algorithm; and

in response to the shock detection signal, the shock detection algorithm characterizing the shock event and in response to the shock event exceeding a threshold parameter, the shock detection algorithm causing an alternate data storage scheme to be implemented by the data storage controller.

19. The data storage method of claim 18, wherein the shock sensor is provided as part of at least one of the plurality of storage devices, and wherein the shock detection algorithm is running on a processor of the data storage controller.

20. The data storage method of claim 18, wherein the shock sensor is provided as part of a least one of the plurality of storage devices, and wherein the shock detection algorithm is running on a processor of a host system in communication with the data storage controller.