Drive apparatus and method for controlling the same

• US 8,429,342 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2012
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Suzuki, Katsuyoshi, Hirasawa, Akihisa
• Primary Examiner(s): BRADLEY, MATTHEW A
• Application Number:
  US13/466,512
• Publication Number:
  US 20120218660A1
• Time in Patent Office: 350 Days
• Field of Search: 711/112, 711/114, 710/22, 710 27- 28, 714/6.22
• US Class Current: 711/112
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0607 by facilitating the process of upgrading existing storage systems, e.g. for improving compatibility between host and storage device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0625 Power saving in storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0658 Controller construction arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0661 Format or protocol conversion arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/415 Redundant array of inexpensive disks [RAID] systems
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/002 Programmed access in sequence to a plurality of record carriers or indexed parts, e.g. tracks, thereof, e.g. for editing; transfer of record carriers from magazine G11B15/68, G11B17/10; G11B17/22
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/36 Monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing for digital recording G11B20/00 and s.gr.; for monitoring, testing or measuring of TV recorders of the type covered by H04N5/76 and subgroups, see H04N17/06
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/144 by detection, control, regulation of the temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20836 Thermal management, e.g. server temperature control
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

An apparatus includes a controller and a plurality of disk drives. The controller has a communication control unit for accepting a data input/output request, a disk controller unit for controlling a disk drive, and a cache memory for temporarily storing data transferred between the communication control unit and the disk controller unit. The plurality of disk drives has different communication interfaces and connected to the disk controller unit to communicate with the disk controller unit.

Claims

1. A storage apparatus comprising:

a casing including at least either a plurality of first drive units or a plurality of second drive units, and

another casing including a controller,

wherein each of the plurality of first drive units includes a first type drive with a first type interface and a converter which converts a communication with a second type interface into a communication with the first type interface,

each of the plurality of second drive units includes a second type drive with the second type interface,

the controller transmits data to at least one drive in one of the drive units in the casing via the communication with the second type interface, and being adapted to acquire information of at least one drive in one of the drive units included in the casing so that a software program on at least one of a plurality of computers is caused to display information indicating a type of the at least one drive in the one of the drive units included in the casing.

2. The storage apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the first type interface is a SATA interface and the second type interface is different than the SATA interface.

3. The storage apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the second type interface is a Fibre Channel interface.

4. The storage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information acquired includes information of a type of interface of

the at least one drive in the one of the drive units included in the casing.

5. The storage apparatus according to the claim 1,

wherein the casing includes either the plurality of first drive units or the plurality of second drive units.

6. The storage apparatus according to the claim 1,

wherein the controller is adapted to acquire information of a plurality of drives in the plurality of drive units in the casing so that the software program on at least one of the plurality of computers is caused to display the type of the plurality of drives in the plurality of drive units in the casing.

7. The storage apparatus according to the claim 1,

wherein the controller is adapted to manage information including an identifier of the casing, an identifier and the type of the at least one drive in the one of the drive units in the casing so that the software program on at least one of the plurality of computers is caused to display the identifier and the type of the at least one drive in the one of the drive units in the casing with the identifier of the casing.

8. The storage apparatus according to the claim 1,

wherein the controller is adapted to control a plurality of drives in the plurality of drive units in the casing according to Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks (RAID) to store the data.

9. A control method of a storage apparatus including

a casing including at least either a plurality of first drive units or a plurality of second drive units, and

another casing including a controller,

wherein each of the plurality of first drive units includes a first type drive with a first type interface and a converter which converts a communication with a second type interface into a communication with the first type interface,

each of the plurality of second drive units includes a second type drive with the second type interface,

the control method comprising:

transmitting data to at least one drive in one of the drive units in the casing via the communication with the second type interface,

acquiring information of at least one drive in one of the drive units included in the casing so that a software program on at least one of the plurality of computers is caused to display information indicating a type of the at least one drive in the one of the drive units included in the casing.

10. The control method according to claim 9,

wherein the first type interface is a SATA interface and the second type interface is different than the SATA interface.

11. The control method according to claim 9,

wherein the second type interface is a Fibre Channel interface.

12. The control method according to claim 9,

wherein the information acquired includes information of a type of interface of the at least one drive in the one of the drive units included in the casing.

13. The control method according to the claim 9,

wherein the casing includes either the plurality of first drive units or the plurality of second drive units.

14. The control method according to the claim 9, further comprising

acquiring information of a plurality of drives in the plurality of drive units in the casing so that the software program on at least one of the plurality of computers is caused to display the type of the plurality of drives in the plurality of drive units in the casing.

15. The control method according to the claim 9, further comprising

managing information including an identifier of the casing, an identifier and the type of the at least one drive in the one of the drive units in the casing so that the software program on at least one of the plurality of computers is caused to display the identifier and the type of the at least one drive in the one of the drive units in the casing with the identifier of the casing.

16. The control method according to the claim 9, further comprising

controlling a plurality of drives in the plurality of drive units in the casing according to Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks (RAID) to store the data.