Disk subsystem

• US 8,234,437 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2010
• Issued: 07/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Aruga, Kazuhisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Portka, Gary
• Application Number:
  US12/892,341
• Publication Number:
  US 20110016257A1
• Time in Patent Office: 672 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 710/316
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4022 using switching circuits, e.g. switching matrix, connection or expansion network G06F13/4009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/061 Improving I/O performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0613 in relation to throughput
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0655 Vertical data movement, i.e. input-output transfer; data movement between one or more hosts and one or more storage devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0661 Format or protocol conversion arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD

Abstract

The storage system includes a plurality of disk drives; a plurality of disk array controllers, each disk array controller controlling Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) processes on said disk drives; and a plurality of switches external of said disk array controllers. The switches are coupled to the disk array controllers and to the disk drives, whereby each of the disk drives is coupled to each of the disk array controllers via the switches. Connections between disk array controllers and disk drives can be made independently via the switches.

Claims

1. A storage system comprising:

a plurality of disk drives;

a plurality of disk array controllers, each disk array controller controlling Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) processes on said disk drives; and

a plurality of switches external of said disk array controllers, said switches being coupled to said disk array controllers and to said disk drives,

wherein

a first disk drive of said disk drives is coupled to a first disk array controller of said disk array controllers via a first switch of said switches and is coupled to a second disk array controller of said disk array controllers via a second switch of said switches,

a second disk drive of said disk drives is coupled to said first disk array controller via said first switch and is coupled to said second disk array controller via said second switch,

said first switch performs path switching among paths, each of which is coupled to one disk drive of said disk drives, when said first switch receives information related to one destination disk drive, so that data is transferred between one of said disk array controllers and said one destination disk drive of said disk drives via said first switch,

said second switch performs path switching among paths, each of which is coupled to one disk drive of said disk drives, when said second switch receives information related to another destination disk drive, so that data is transferred between one of said disk array controllers and said another destination disk drive of said disk drives via said second switch, and a data transfer between said one of said disk array controllers and said one destination disk drive via said first switch is performed separately from a data transfer between said another one of said disk array controllers and said another destination disk drive via said second switch.

2. The storage system according to claim 1, wherein said information related to said one destination disk drive identifies said one destination disk drive and is received from said one of said disk array controllers.

3. The storage system according to claim 1, wherein said information related to said one destination disk drive an ID number of said one destination disk drive.

4. A storage system comprising:

a plurality of disk drives;

a plurality of disk array controllers coupled to a host computer, each of said disk array controllers controlling Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) processes on said disk drives; and

a plurality of switches external of said disk array controllers,

wherein

a first disk drive of said disk drives is coupled to a first disk array controller of said disk array controllers via a first switch of said switches and is coupled to a second disk array controller of said disk array controllers via a second switch of said switches,

a second disk drive of said disk drives is coupled to said first disk array controller via said first switch and is coupled to said second disk array controller via said second switch,

said first switch performs path switching among paths, each of which is coupled to one disk drive of said disk drives, when said first switch receives information related to one destination disk drive, so that a first data transfer of data received from said host computer between one of said disk array controllers and said one destination disk drive of said disk drives is performed,

said second switch of said switches performs path switching among paths, each of which is coupled to one disk drive of said disk drives, when said second switch receives information related to another destination disk drive, so that a second data transfer of data received from said host computer between another one of said disk array controllers and said another destination disk drive of said disk drives is performed, and

said first data transfer is performed separately from said second data transfer.

5. The storage system according to claim 4, wherein said information related to said one destination disk drive is information identifying said one destination disk drive.

6. The storage system according to claim 4, wherein said information related to said one destination disk drive is an ID number of said one destination disk drive.

7. A storage system comprising:

a plurality of disk drives;

first second disk array controllers, each of said first and second disk array controllers being adapted to control Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) processes on each of said disk drives;

a first switch, external of said first and second disk array controllers, being coupled to said first disk array controller and to said disk drives;

a second switch, external of said first and second disk array controllers, being coupled to said second disk array controller and to said disk drives;

wherein

said first switch performs path switching among paths, each of which is coupled to one disk drive of said disk drives, when said first switch receives information related to one destination disk drive, so that data is transferred between said first disk array controller and said one destination disk drive of said disk drives via said first switch,

said second switch performs path switching among paths, each of which is coupled to one disk drive of said disk drives, when said second switch receives information related to another destination disk drive, so that data is transferred between said second disk array controller and said another destination disk drive of said disk drives via said second switch controller, and

wherein a data transfer between said first disk array controller and said one destination disk drive via said first switch is performed separately from a data transfer between said second disk array controller and said another destination disk drive via said second switch.

8. The storage system according to claim 7, wherein said information related to said one destination disk drive is sent from said first disk array controller to said first switch and identifies said one destination disk drive.

9. The storage system according to claim 7, wherein said information related to said one destination disk drive is an ID number of said one destination disk drive.

10. A storage system comprising:

a plurality of disk drives;

a disk array controller being adapted to control Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) processes on said disk drives;

a plurality of switches external of said disk array controller, said switches being coupled to said disk array controller and to said disk drives, wherein

a first disk drive of said disk drives is coupled to said disk array controller via a first switch of said switches and is coupled to said disk array controller via a second switch of said switches,

a second disk drive of said disk drives is coupled to said disk array controller via said first switch and is coupled to said disk array controller via said second switch,

said first switch performs path switching among paths, each of which is coupled to one disk drive of said disk drives, when said first switch receives information related to one destination disk drive so that a first data transfer of data received from said host computer between said disk array controller and said one destination disk drive of said disk drives is performed,

said second switch performs path switching among paths, each of which is coupled to one disk drive of said disk drives, when said second switch receives information related to another destination disk drive so that a second data transfer of data received from said host computer between said disk array controller and said another destination disk drive of said disk drives is performed, and

said first data transfer is performed separately from said second data transfer.

11. The storage system according to claim 10:

wherein said information related to said one destination disk drive is received from said disk array controller and identifies said one destination disk drive.

12. The storage system according to claim 10:

wherein said information related to said one destination disk drive is an ID number of said one destination disk drive.

13. A storage system comprising:

a plurality of disk drives;

at least one disk array controller being adapted to control Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) processes on said plurality of disk drives; and

a plurality of switches, external of said at least one disk array controller, being coupled to said at least one disk array controller and to said disk drives,

wherein

a first disk drive of said disk drives is coupled to said at least one disk array controller via a first switch of said switches and is coupled to said at least one disk array controller via a second switch of said switches,

a second disk drive of said disk drives is coupled to said at least one disk array controller via said first switch and is coupled to said at least one disk array controller via said second switch,

each of said switches is able to individually perform path switching among paths, each of which is coupled to one disk drive of said disk drives, when each of said switches receives information related to one selected disk drive, so that data is transferred between said at least one disk array controller and said one selected disk drive of said disk drives via each of said switches,

and said first switch of said switches is able to transfer data received from said at least one disk array controller to said one selected disk drive separately from another data transfer between said at least one disk array controller and another selected disk drive of said disk drives, said another data transfer performed via said second switch.

14. The storage system according to claim 13:

wherein said information related to said one selected destination disk drive is received from said at least one disk array controller and identifies said one selected disk drive.

15. The storage system according to claim 13:

wherein said information related to said one selected destination disk drive is an ID number of said one selected disk drive to one of said switches for transferring data to said one selected disk drive.

16. The storage system according to claim 13:

wherein one of said disk drive groups stores a plurality of data and a parity data related to said data.

17. A storage system comprising:

a plurality of disk drives;

a plurality of disk array controllers, each disk array controller controlling Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) processes on said disk drives; and

a plurality of switches external of said disk array controllers, wherein

a first disk drive of said disk drives is coupled to a first disk array controller of said disk array controllers via a first switch of said switches and is coupled to a second disk array controller of said disk array controllers via a second switch of said switches,

a second disk drive of said disk drives is coupled to said first disk array controller via said first switch and is coupled to said second disk array controller via said second switch,

each of said switches when receiving information related to one destination disk drive, performs path switching among paths, each of which is coupled to one disk drive of said disk drives, based on said received information, so that data is transferred between one of said disk array controllers and said one destination disk drive of said disk drives via each of said switches.

18. The storage system according to claim 17, wherein said information related to said one destination disk drive identifies said destination disk drive and is received from said one of said disk array controllers.

19. The storage system according to claim 17, wherein said information related to said one destination disk drive is an ID number of said destination disk drive.

20. A storage system comprising:

a plurality of disk drives;

first and second disk array controllers, each of said first and second disk array controllers being adapted to control Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) processes on each of said disk drives;

a first switch, external of said first and second disk array controllers, being coupled to said first disk array controller and to said disk drives;

a second switch, external of said first and second disk array controllers, being coupled to said second disk array controller and to said disk drives;

wherein;

said first switch performs path switching among paths, each of which is coupled to one disk drive of said disk drives, when said first switch receives information related to one destination disk drive, and said first disk array controller performs a first data transfer to said one destination disk drive of said disk drives via said first switch,

said second switch performs path switching among paths, each of which is coupled to one disk drive of said disk drives, when said second switch receives information related to another destination disk drive, and said second disk array controller performs a second data transfer to said another destination disk drive of said disk drives via said second switch,

wherein said first data transfer is performed separately from said second data transfer.

21. The storage system according to claim 20, wherein said information related to said one destination disk drive is sent from said first disk array controller to said first switch and identifies said one destination disk drive.

22. The storage system according to claim 20, wherein said information related to said one destination disk drive is an ID number of said one destination disk drive.

23. A storage system comprising:

a plurality of disk drives;

a plurality of disk array controllers, each disk array controller controlling Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) processes on said disk drives; and

a plurality of switches external of said disk array controllers,

wherein

a first disk drive of said disk drives is coupled to a first disk array controller of said disk array controllers via a first switch of said switches and is coupled to a second disk array controller of said disk array controllers via a second switch of said switches,

a second disk drive of said disk drives is coupled to said first disk array controller via said first switch and is coupled to said second disk array controller via said second switch,

each of said switches, when receiving information related to one destination disk drives, performs path switching among paths, each of which is coupled to one disk drive of said disk drives, based on said received information, and one of disk array controllers performs a data transfer to said one destination disk drive of said disk drives via each of said switches.