Disk array apparatus and disk array apparatus controlling method

• US 8,402,211 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2007
• Issued: 03/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Yamazaki, Takashi, Hakamata, Kazuo, Kano, Azuma
• Primary Examiner(s): BRADLEY, MATTHEW A
• Application Number:
  US11/892,622
• Publication Number:
  US 20080040543A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,034 Days
• Field of Search: 711/114, 714/6.22
• US Class Current: 711/114
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3221 of disk drive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3268 Power saving in hard disk drive
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1662 the resynchronized component or unit being a persistent storage device re-synchronization of failed mirror storage G06F11/2082; rebuild or reconstruction of parity RAID storage G06F11/1008
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2094 Redundant storage or storage space G06F11/2056 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2097 maintaining the standby controller/processing unit updated initialisation or re-synchronisation thereof G06F11/1658 and subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0625 Power saving in storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0634 by changing the state or mode of one or more devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0653 Monitoring storage devices or systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0659 Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/00 Driving, starting, stopping record carriers not specifically of filamentary or web form, or of supports therefor; Control thereof; Control of operating function ; Driving both disc and head
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

Times at which requests for a data read or data write from/to a logical volume are received are stored in memory as access times of a RAID group making up the logical volume. When a predetermined time has elapsed after the access time, a number of the hard disk drives according to the redundancy of the RAID group are set to a power saving mode. Assume there are first hard disk drives and second hard disk drives having shorter lifes and the RAID group exceeds a predetermined time after the access time. When the RAID group consists of only the first drives, a number of the first drives according to the redundancy of the RAID group are set to a power saving mode and when it consists of only the second drives, an arbitrary number of second drives are set to a power saving mode.

Claims

1. A disk array apparatus comprising:

a first controller coupled to an information processing apparatus and controlling to transfer/receive data to/from said information processing apparatus and controlling to read/write data;

a plurality of first disk drives each coupled to said first controller via a converter, each of first disk drives corresponds to a converter and stores data received via said converter, said converter performing a conversion of an interface between a Fibre Channel (FC) interface and a Serial AT Attachment (Serial ATA) interface;

a plurality of second disk drives each coupled directly without a converter to said first controller and storing data sent according to a FC interface;

a first Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks (RAID) group being formed by using said first disk drives;

a second RAID group being formed by using said second disk drives; and

at least one spare disk drive,

wherein said first controller stores data in said spare disk drive and corresponds the stored data in said spare disk to data stored in at least one of said first disk drives, if said first controller performs a first spare process, and wherein said first controller stores data in said spare disk drive and corresponds the stored data in said spare disk to data stored in at least one of said second disk drives, if said first controller performs a second spare process,

wherein said first controller also includes a power saving mode execution section which sets a number of said hard disk drives according to the redundancy of said first or second RAID group to a power saving mode, and if time from start of power saving mode exceeds a predetermined value for said first or second RAID group, said power saving mode of said hard disk drives within said first or second RAID group is cancelled.

2. A disk array apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a basic case comprising said first controller; and

an additional case comprising said first disk drives,

wherein said power saving mode execution section sets a number of said hard disk drives according to the redundancy of said first or second RAID group to a power saving mode.

3. A disk array apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said first controller includes a computer program, and said computer program include codes controlling to form said first RAID group and controlling to form said second RAID group.

4. A disk array apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said first controller comprises a first CPU and a first memory;

said first CPU forms said first RAID group and said second RAID group; and

said first memory stores first information of said first RAID group, second information of said first disk drives, third information of said second RAID group, and fourth information of said second disk drives.

5. A disk array apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said first controller comprises a first CPU and a first memory;

said first CPU forms said first RAID group and said second RAID group; and

said first memory stores first information of said first RAID group, second information of said first disk drives, third information indicating that communication interface of said first disk drives is said Serial ATA interface, fourth information of said second RAID group, fifth information of said second disk drives, and sixth information indicating that communication interface of said second disk drives is said FC interface.

6. A disk array apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said first controller automatically performs said first spare process based on error information of said at least one of said first disk drives, and

said first controller automatically performs said second spare process based on error information of said at least one of said second disk drives.

7. A disk array apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said first controller comprises a first CPU and a first memory;

said first CPU forms said first RAID group;

said first memory stores first information of said first RAID group, second information of said first disk drives, and error information of said at least one of said first disk drives; and

said first controller performs said first spare process of said at least one of said first disk drives based on said error information of said at least one of said first disk drives.

8. A disk array apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said first controller comprises a first CPU and a first memory;

said first CPU forms said first RAID group;

said first memory stores first information of said first RAID group, second information of said first disk drives, third information indicating that communication interface of said first disk drives is said Serial ATA interface, and error information of said at least one of said first disk drives, fourth information of said second RAID group, fifth information of said second disk drives, and sixth information indicating that communication interface of said second disk drives is said FC interface, and error information of said at least one of said second disk drives;

said first controller performs said first spare process of said at least one of said first disk drives based on said error information of said at least one of said first disk drives; and

said first controller performs said second spare process based on said error information of said at least one of said second disk drives.

9. A disk array apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said first controller comprises a first CPU and a first memory;

said first CPU forms said first RAID group and said second RAID group;

said first memory stores error information of said at least one of said first disk drives and error information of said at least one of said second disk drives;

said first controller performs said first spare process of said at least one of said first disk drives based on the number of errors of said at least one of said first disk drives is over a level; and

said first controller performs said second spare process based on the number of errors of said at least one of said second disk drives is over a level.

17. A disk array apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second controller coupled to at least one of said information processing apparatus and another information processing apparatus and controlling to transfer/receive data to/from said at least one of said information processing apparatus and said another information processing apparatus and controlling to read/write data;

wherein each of said first disk drives is coupled to both said first controller and said second controller,

wherein each of said second disk drives is coupled to both said first controller and said second controller,

wherein said first controller comprises a first CPU and a first memory,

wherein said second controller comprises a second CPU and a second memory,

wherein at least one of said first controller and said second controller forms said first RAID group and said second RAID group,

wherein at least one of said first memory and said second memory stores first information of said first RAID group, second information of said first disk drives, third information indicating that communication interface of said first disk drives is said Serial ATA interface, and error information of said at least one of said first disk drives, fourth information of said second RAID group, fifth information of said second disk drives, and sixth information indicating that communication interface of said second disk drives is said FC interface, and error information of said at least one of said second disk drives,

wherein said second CPU can perform said first spare process based on error information of said at least one of said first disk drives; and

wherein said second CPU can perform said second spare process based on error information of said at least one of said second disk drives.

18. A disk array apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said first controller performs said first spare process, if said at least one of said first disk drives has a failure, and

said first controller performs said second spare process if said at least one of said second disk drives has a failure.

10. A disk array apparatus comprising:

a first controller coupled to at least one of a plurality of information processing apparatuses and controlling to write data, sent from said at least one of said plurality of information processing apparatuses, according to an Fibre Channel (FC) interface;

a second controller coupled to at least one of said plurality of information processing apparatuses and controlling to write data according to said FC interface;

a plurality of first disk drives each capable of communicating according to a Serial AT Attachment (Serial ATA) interface, each of first disk drives corresponding to a converter and storing data sent via said converter, said converter receiving data sent from at least one of said first controller and said second controller according to said FC interface and sending data to one of said plurality of first disk drives according to said Serial ATA interface;

a plurality of second disk drives each capable of communicating directly without a converter according to said FC interface and storing data sent from at least one of said first controller and said second controller;

a first Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks (RAID) group being formed by using said plurality of first disk drives;

a second RAID group being formed by using said plurality of second disk drives; and

at least one spare disk drive;

wherein said first controller stores data in said spare disk drive and corresponds the stored data in said spare disk to data stored in at least one of said first disk drives, if said first controller performs a first spare process, and

wherein said first controller stores data in said spare disk drive and corresponds the stored data in said spare disk to data stored in at least one of said second disk drives, if said first controller performs a second spare process,

wherein said first controller includes a power saving mode execution section which sets a number of said hard disk drives according to the redundancy of said first or second RAID group to a power saving mode, and if time from start of power saving mode exceeds a predetermined value for said first or second RAID group, said power saving mode of said hard disk drives within said first or second RAID group is cancelled.

11. A disk array apparatus according to claim 10, wherein:

said first controller includes a computer program, and said computer program include codes controlling to form said first RAID group and controlling to form said second RAID group.

12. A disk array apparatus according to claim 10, wherein:

said first controller comprises a first CPU and a first memory;

said first CPU forms said first RAID group and said second RAID group; and

said first memory stores first information of said first RAID group, second information of said plurality of first disk drives, third information of said second RAID group and fourth information of said plurality of second disk drives.

13. A disk array apparatus according to claim 10, wherein:

said first controller comprises a first CPU and a first memory;

said first CPU forms said first RAID group and said second RAID group; and

said first memory stores first information of said first RAID group, second information of said plurality of first disk drives, third information indicating that communication interface of said plurality of first disk drives is SATA interface, fourth information of said second RAID group, fifth information of said plurality of second disk drives, and sixth information indicating that communication interface of said second disk drives is said FC interface.

14. A disk array apparatus according to claim 10, wherein:

said first controller automatically performs said first spare process based on error information of said at least one of said first disk drives, and

said first controller automatically performs said second spare process based on error information of said at least one of said second disk drives.

15. A disk array apparatus according to claim 10, wherein:

said first controller comprises a first CPU and a first memory;

said first CPU forms said first RAID group;

said first memory stores first information of said second RAID group, second information of said second disk drives, and error information of said at least one of said second disk drives; and

said first controller performs said first spare process of said at least one of said first disk drives based on said error information of said at least one of said first disk drives.

16. A disk array apparatus according to claim 10, wherein:

said first controller comprises a first CPU and a first memory;

said first CPU forms said first RAID group and said second RAID group;

said first memory stores first information of said first RAID group, second information of said first disk drives, and third information indicating that communication interface of said first disk drives is said Serial ATA interface, and error information of said at least one of said first disk drives, fourth information of said second RAID group, fifth information of said second disk drives, and sixth information indicating that communication interface of said second disk drives is said FC interface, and error information of said at least one of said second disk drives;

said first controller performs said first spare process based on said error information of said at least one of said first disk drives, said first controller performs said second spare process of said at least one of said second disk drives based on said error information of said at least one of said second disk drives.

19. A disk array apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising:

a basic case comprising said first controller; and

an additional case comprising said plurality of first disk drives.

20. A disk array apparatus according to claim 10, wherein:

said first controller comprises a first CPU and a first memory;

said first CPU forms said first RAID group and said second RAID group;

said first memory stores error information of said at least one of said plurality of first disk drives and error information of said at least one of said plurality of second disk drives;

said first controller performs said first spare process based on the number of errors of said at least one of said plurality of first disk drives is over a level; and

said first controller performs said second spare process based on the number of errors of said at least one of said plurality of second disk drives is over a level.

21. A disk array apparatus according to claim 10, wherein:

wherein each of said plurality of first disk drives is coupled to both said first controller and said second controller; and

wherein each of said plurality of second disk drives is coupled to both said first controller and said second controller.

22. A disk array apparatus according to claim 10, wherein:

wherein each of said plurality of first disk drives is coupled to both said first controller and said second controller;

wherein each of said plurality of second disk drives is coupled to both said first controller and said second controller;

wherein said first controller comprises a first CPU and a first memory;

wherein said second controller comprises a second CPU and a second memory;

wherein at least one of said first controller and said second controller forms said first RAID group and said second RAID group;

wherein at least one of said first memory and said second memory stores first information of said first RAID group, second information of said plurality of first disk drives, third information indicating that communication interface of said plurality of first disk drives is SATA interface, and error information of said at least one of said plurality of first disk drives, fourth information of said second RAID group, fifth information of said plurality of second disk drives, and sixth information indicating that communication interface of said plurality of second disk drives is FC interface, and error information of said at least one of said plurality of second disk drives;

wherein said second CPU can perform said first spare process based on error information of said at least one of said plurality of first disk drives; and

wherein said second CPU can perform said second spare process based on error information of said at least one of said plurality of second disk drives.

23. A disk array apparatus according to claim 10, wherein:

said first controller performs said first spare process, if said at least one of said plurality of first disk drives has a failure; and

said first controller performs said second spare process if said at least one of said plurality of second disk drives has a failure.

24. A controller adaptive to be implemented in a disk array apparatus, said controller comprising:

at least one first port adaptive to receive data from an information processing apparatus; and

at least one second port adaptive to be coupled to a plurality of first disk drives, a plurality of second disk drives and at least one spare disk drive;

wherein each of said first disk drives corresponds to a converter and storing data received via said converter, said converter converting communication according to Fibre Channel (FC) interface into communication according to Serial AT Attachment (SATA) interface;

wherein each of said second disk drives stores data received according to FC interface;

wherein said controller forms a first Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks (RAID) group by using said first disk drives;

wherein said controller forms a second RAID group by using said second disk drives;

wherein said controller stores data in said spare disk drive and corresponds the stored data in said spare disk to data stored in at least one of said first disk drives, if said first controller performs a first spare process,

wherein said controller stores data in said spare disk drive and corresponds the stored data in said spare disk to data stored in at least one of said second disk drives, if said first controller performs a second spare process, and

wherein said controller includes a power saving mode execution section which sets a number of said disk drives according to the redundancy of said first or second RAID group to a power saving mode, and if time from start of power saving mode exceeds a predetermined value for said first or second RAID group, said power saving mode of said disk drives within said first or second RAID group is cancelled.

25. A controller according to claim 24, wherein:

said controller is included in a basic case; and

said first disk drives are included in an additional case.

26. A controller according to claim 24, wherein:

said controller comprising a computer program, said computer program comprising code controlling to form said first RAID group and controlling to form said second RAID group.

27. A controller according to claim 24, wherein:

said controller comprises a first CPU and a first memory;

said first CPU forms said first RAID group and said second RAID group;

and said first memory stores first information of said first RAID group, second information of said first disk drives, third information of said second RAID group and fourth information of said second disk drives.

28. A controller according to claim 24, wherein:

said controller comprises a first CPU and a first memory;

said first CPU forms said first RAID group and said second RAID group; and

said first memory stores first information of said first RAID group, second information of said first disk drives, third information indicating that communication interface of said first disk drives is SATA interface, fourth information of said second RAID group, fifth information of said second disk drives, and sixth information indicating that communication interface of said second disk drives is FC interface.

29. A controller according to claim 24, wherein:

said controller automatically performs said first spare process based on error information of said at least one of said first disk drives; and

said controller automatically performs said second spare process based on error information of said at least one of said second disk drives.

30. A controller according to claim 24, wherein:

said controller comprises a first CPU and a first memory;

said first CPU forms said first RAID group;

said first memory stores first information of said first RAID group, second information of said first disk drives, and error information of said at least one of said first disk drives;

and said controller performs said first spare process of said at least one of said first disk drives based on error information of said at least one of said first disk drives.

31. A controller according to claim 24, wherein:

said controller comprises a first CPU and a first memory;

said first CPU forms said first RAID group and said second RAID group;

said first memory stores first information of said first RAID group, second information of said first disk drives, third information indicating that communication interface of said first disk drives is SATA interface, and error information of said at least one of said first disk drives, fourth information of said second RAID group, fifth information of said second disk drives, and sixth information indicating that communication interface of said second disk drives is FC interface, and error information of said at least one of said second disk drives;

said controller performs said first spare process based on error information of said at least one of said first disk drives; and

said controller performs said second spare process based on error information of said at least one of said second disk drives.

32. A controller according to claim 24, wherein:

said controller comprises a first CPU and a first memory;

said first CPU forms said first RAID group and said second RAID group;

said first memory stores error information of said at least one of said first disk drives and error information of said at least one of said second disk drives;

said controller performs said first spare process based on the number of errors of said at least one of said first disk drives is over a level; and

said controller performs said second spare process based on the number of errors of said at least one of said second disk drives is over a level.

33. A controller according to claim 24, wherein:

said disk array apparatus is adaptive to implement another controller controlling to receive data from said at least one of said information processing apparatus;

each of said first disk drives is coupled to both said controller and said another controller; and

each of said second disk drives is coupled to both said controller and said another controller.

34. A controller according to claim 24, wherein:

said controller performs said first spare process, if said at least one of said first disk drives has a failure; and

said controller performs said second spare process if said at least one of said second disk drives has a failure.

35. A computer program stored on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and implemented in a controller, said controller adaptive to be implemented in a disk array apparatus and adaptive to be coupled to an information processing apparatus, said computer program comprising:

a module for forming a first Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks (RAID) group by using a plurality of first disk drives, said first disk drives each corresponding to a converter and storing data received via said converter, said converter performing a conversion of a protocol between FC protocol and Serial ATA (SATA) protocol;

a module for forming a second RAID group by using a plurality of second disk drives, said second disk drives each storing data received directly without said converter according to FC protocol;

a module for storing data in a spare disk drive and corresponding the stored data in said spare disk to data stored in at least one of said first disk drives, if a first spare process is performed; and

a module for storing data in said spare disk drive and corresponding the stored data in said spare disk to data stored in at least one of said second disk drives, if a second spare process is performed,

a module for controlling said power saving mode to be cancelled for said hard disk drives within said first or second RAID group if time from start of power saving mode exceeds a predetermined value for said first or second RAID group,

wherein said controller is included in a basic case.

36. A computer program according to claim 35, further comprising:

a module for executing a power saving mode to a number of said hard disk drives according to the redundancy of said first or second RAID group; and

said first disk drives are included in an additional case.

37. A computer program according to claim 35, wherein:

said controller comprises a first CPU and a first memory; and

said first memory stores first information of said first RAID group, second information of said first disk drives, third information of said second RAID group and fourth information of said second disk drives.

38. A computer program according to claim 35, wherein:

said controller comprises a first CPU and a first memory; and

said first memory stores first information of said first RAID group, second information of said first disk drives, third information indicating that communication protocol of said first disk drives is SATA protocol, fourth information of said second RAID group, fifth information of said second disk drives, and sixth information indicating that communication protocol of said second disk drives is FC protocol.

39. A computer program according to claim 35, further comprising:

a module for storing data corresponding to data stored in at least one of said first disk drives in said first spare disk drive, for automatically performing said first spare process based on error information of said at least one of said first disk drives; and

a module for storing data corresponding to data stored in at least one of said second disk drives in said second spare disk drive, for automatically performing said second spare process based on error information of said at least one of said second disk drives.

40. A computer program according to claim 35, wherein:

said controller comprises a first CPU and a first memory;

said first memory stores first information of said first RAID group, second information of said first disk drives, and error information of said at least one of said first disk drives; and

said program further comprising a module for storing data corresponding to data stored in at least one of said first disk drives in said first spare disk drive, for performing said first spare process of said at least one of said first disk drives based on error information of said at least one of said first disk drives.

41. A computer program according to claim 35, wherein:

said controller comprises a first CPU and a first memory;

said first memory stores first information of said first RAID group, second information of said first disk drives, third information indicating that communication protocol of said first disk drives is SATA protocol, and error information of said at least one of said first disk drives, fourth information of said second RAID group, fifth information of said second disk drives, and sixth information indicating that communication protocol of said second disk drives is FC protocol, and error information of said at least one of said second disk drives;

said program further comprising a module for storing data corresponding to data stored in at least one of said first disk drives in said first spare disk drive, for performing said first spare process based on error information of said at least one of said first disk drives; and

a module for storing data corresponding to data stored in at least one of said second disk drives in said second spare disk drive, for performing said second spare process based on error information of said at least one of said second disk drives.

42. A computer program according to claim 35, wherein:

said controller comprises a first CPU and a first memory;

said first memory stores error information of said at least one of said first disk drives and error information of said at least one of said second disk drives;

said program further comprising a module for storing data corresponding to data stored in at least one of said first disk drives in said first spare disk drive, for performing said first spare process based on the number of errors of said at least one of said first disk drives is over a level;

and a module for storing data corresponding to data stored in at least one of said second disk drives in said second spare disk drive, for performing said second spare process based on the number of errors of said at least one of said second disk drives is over a level.

43. A computer program according to claim 35, wherein:

said disk array apparatus is adaptive to implement another controller coupled to said information processing apparatus;

each of said first disk drives is coupled to both said controller and said another controller; and

each of said second disk drives is coupled to both said controller and said another controller.

44. A computer program according to claim 35, further comprising

a module for storing data corresponding to data stored in at least one of said first disk drives in said first spare disk drive, controls to perform said first spare process, if said at least one of said first disk drives has a failure;

and

a module for storing data corresponding to data stored in at least one of said second disk drives in said second spare disk drive, for performing said second spare process if said at least one of said second disk drives has a failure.

45. A computer program stored on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and implemented in a controller, said controller adaptive to be implemented in a disk array apparatus and adaptive to be coupled to an information processing apparatus, said computer program comprising:

a module for forming a first Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks (RAID) group by using a plurality of first disk drives and controlling to form a second RAID group by using a plurality of second disk drives, said first disk drives each corresponding to a converter and storing data received via said converter, said converter converting between FC interface and Serial ATA (SATA) interface, said second disk drives each storing data received according to FC interface;

a module for storing data in a spare disk drive and corresponding the stored data in said spare disk to data stored in at least one of said first disk drives, if a first spare process is performed, and for storing data in said spare disk drive and corresponding the stored data in said spare disk to data stored in at least one of said second disk drives, if a second spare process is performed,

a module for executing a power saving mode to a number of said hard disk drives according to the redundancy of said first or second RAID group; and

a module for controlling said power saving mode to be cancelled for said hard disk drives within said first or second RAID group if time from start of power saving mode exceeds a predetermined value for said first or second RAID group.

46. A computer program according to claim 45, wherein:

said controller is included in a basic case; and

said first disk drives are included in an additional case.

47. A computer program according to claim 45, wherein:

said controller comprises a first CPU and a first memory; and

said first memory stores first information of said first RAID group, second information of said first disk drives, third information of said second RAID group and fourth information of said second disk drives.

48. A computer program according to claim 45, wherein:

said controller comprises a first CPU and a first memory; and

said first memory stores first information of said first RAID group, second information of said first disk drives, third information indicating that communication interface of said first disk drives is SATA interface, fourth information of said second RAID group, fifth information of said second disk drives, and sixth information indicating that communication interface of said second disk drives is FC interface.

49. A computer program according to claim 45, further comprising

a module for storing data corresponding to data stored in at least one of said first disk drives in said first spare disk drive and controlling to store data corresponding to data stored in at least one of said second disk drives in said second spare disk drive, for automatically performing said first spare process based on error information of said at least one of said first disk drives, and for automatically performing said second spare process based on error information of said at least one of said second disk drives.

50. A computer program according to claim 45, wherein:

said controller comprises a first CPU and a first memory;

said first memory stores first information of said first RAID group, second information of said first disk drives, and error information of said at least one of said first disk drives; and

said program further comprising a module for storing data corresponding to data stored in at least one of said first disk drives in said first spare disk drive and controlling to store data corresponding to data stored in at least one of said second disk drives in said second spare disk drive, for performing said first spare process of said at least one of said first disk drives based on error information of said at least one of said first disk drives.

51. A computer program according to claim 45, wherein:

said controller comprises a first CPU and a first memory;

said first memory stores first information of said first RAID group, second information of said first disk drives, third information indicating that communication interface of said first disk drives is SATA interface, and error information of said at least one of said first disk drives, fourth information of said second RAID group, fifth information of said second disk drives, and sixth information indicating that communication interface of said second disk drives is FC interface, and error information of said at least one of said second disk drives;

said program further comprising a module for storing data corresponding to data stored in at least one of said first disk drives in said first spare disk drive and controlling to store data corresponding to data stored in at least one of said second disk drives in said second spare disk drive, for performing said first spare process based on error information of said at least one of said first disk drives, and for performing said second spare process based on error information of said at least one of said second disk drives.

52. A computer program according to claim 45, wherein:

said controller comprises a first CPU and a first memory;

said first memory stores error information of said at least one of said first disk drives and error information of said at least one of said second disk drives;

said program further comprising a module for storing data corresponding to data stored in at least one of said first disk drives in said first spare disk drive and controlling to store data corresponding to data stored in at least one of said second disk drives in said second spare disk drive, for performing said first spare process based on the number of errors of said at least one of said first disk drives is over a level, and for performing said second spare process based on the number of errors of said at least one of said second disk drives is over a level.

53. A computer program according to claim 45, wherein:

said disk array apparatus is adaptive to implement another controller coupled to said information processing apparatus;

each of said first disk drives is coupled to both said controller and said another controller; and

each of said second disk drives is coupled to both said controller and said another controller.

54. A computer program according to claim 45, further comprising

a module for storing data corresponding to data stored in at least one of said first disk drives in said first spare disk drive and controlling to store data corresponding to data stored in at least one of said second disk drives in said second spare disk drive, for performing said first spare process, if said at least one of said first disk drives has a failure, and for performing said second spare process if said at least one of said second disk drives has a failure.