SAS host controller cache tracking

• US 8,689,044 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2011
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Natrajan, Balaji, Myrah, Michael G
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilson, Yolanda L
• Application Number:
  US13/298,099
• Publication Number:
  US 20130124801A1
• Time in Patent Office: 867 Days
• Field of Search: 714/6.3, 714/6.31, 714/6.32
• US Class Current: 714/6.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2025 using centralised failover control functionality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2038 with a single idle spare processing component
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2046 where the redundant components share persistent storage G06F11/2043 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2092 Techniques of failing over between control units
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0804 with main memory updating G06F12/0806 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0868 Data transfer between cache memory and other subsystems, e.g. storage devices or host systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/1032 Reliability improvement, data loss prevention, degraded operation etc
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/283 Plural cache memories

Abstract

A technique to track a host controller cache that includes receiving from a host controller a command indicating whether a cache of the host controller has data which is to be stored to a storage system. In the event that the host controller fails, perform an operation to transfer control from the host controller to another host controller based on whether the command indicates that the data of the cache was stored to the storage system.

Claims

1. A SAS expander to track host controller cache comprising:

a communications manager to receive from a host controller a command indicating whether a cache of the host controller has data to be stored to a storage system; and

a storage manager, to;

receive a signal indicating whether the host controller has failed; and

perform, if the host controller fails, an operation to transfer control from the host controller to another host controller based on whether the command indicates that the data of the cache was stored to the storage system.

2. The expander of claim 1, wherein the communications manager is further to receive a signal indicating whether the host controller has failed.

3. The expander of claim 1, wherein the operation to transfer control includes an operation to zone storage of the storage system associated with the failed host controller to the other host controller.

4. The expander of claim 1, wherein the storage manager is further to maintain a cache state table having entries including an address of a host controller and a corresponding indication of the state of a cache associated with the host controller.

5. The expander of claim 1, wherein the storage manager is further to perform a discovery operation of host controllers on a SAS fabric and maintain a cache state table having entries identifying the host controllers and corresponding state of caches associated with the host controllers.

6. The expander of claim 1, wherein the command from the host controller indicates that the data in its cache was stored to the storage system.

7. The expander of claim 1, wherein the command from the host controller indicates that the data in its cache was not stored to the storage system.

8. A method of tracking host controller cache comprising:

receiving from a host controller a command indicating whether a cache of the host controller has data which is to be stored to a storage system; and

in the event that the host controller fails, determining, based on whether the command indicates that the data of the cache was stored to the storage system, whether to automatically perform an operation to transfer control from the host controller to another host controller, wherein the operation to transfer control is determined not to be automatically performed if the command indicates that the data of the cache was not stored to the storage system.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising receiving a signal indicating whether the host controller has failed.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein performing the operation to transfer control includes performing an operation to zone storage of the storage system associated with the failed host controller to the other host controller.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising maintaining a cache state table haying entries including an address of a host controller and a corresponding indication of the state of a cache associated with the host controller.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising performing a discovery operation of host controllers on a SAS fabric and maintaining a cache state table having entries identifying the host controllers and corresponding state of caches associated with the host controllers.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the command from the host controller indicates that the data in its cache was stored to the storage system.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the command from the host controller indicates that the data in its cache was not stored to the storage system.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer executable instructions stored thereon to track host controller cache, the instructions executable by a processor to:

receive from a host controller a command indicating whether a cache of the host controller has data which is to be stored to a storage system; and

in the event that the host controller fails, determine, based on whether the command indicates that the data of the cache was stored to the storage system, whether to automatically perform an operation to transfer control from the host controller to another host controller, wherein the operation to transfer control is determined not to be automatically performed if the command indicates that the data of the cache was not stored to the storage system.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 further comprising instructions that if executed cause a processor to:

receive a signal indicating whether the host controller has failed.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 further comprising instructions that if executed cause a processor to:

perform an operation to zone storage of the storage system associated with the failed host controller to the other host controller.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 further comprising instructions that if executed cause a processor to:

maintain a cache state table haying entries including an address of a host controller and a corresponding indication of the state of a cache associated with the host controller.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 further comprising instructions that if executed cause a processor to:

perform a discovery operation of host controllers on a SAS fabric and maintain a cache state table having entries identifying the host controllers and corresponding state of caches associated with the host controllers.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 further comprising instructions that if executed cause a processor to:

receive a command from the host controller that indicates that the data in its cache was stored to the storage system.