Storage control apparatus, storage control system, and storage control method for failure detection and configuration of cascaded storage cabinets

• US 9,542,273 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2014
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Sakurai, Kazuko
• Primary Examiner(s): Decady, Albert
• Assistant Examiner(s): CONTINO, PAUL F
• Application Number:
  US14/458,558
• Publication Number:
  US 20150100821A1
• Time in Patent Office: 881 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0727 in a storage system, e.g. in a DASD or network based storage system drivers for digital recording or reproducing units G06F3/06; circuits for error detection or correction within digital recording or reproducing units G11B20/18; for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS], H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1092 Rebuilding, e.g. when physically replacing a failing disk
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1423 by reconfiguration of paths
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1458 Management of the backup or restore process
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1469 Backup restoration techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2082 Data synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3034 where the computing system component is a storage system, e.g. DASD based or network based digital input from or digital output to record carriers G06F3/06; digital recording or reproducing G11B20/18; for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS], H04L67/1097

Abstract

A storage control apparatus includes: a detector configured to detect a failure in one of a plurality of storages, each of a plurality of cabinets coupled in a cascade and having the plurality of storage units; a mover configured to move data in one or a plurality of first storages accommodated in a first cabinet including a failed storage having the failure detected by detector to one or a plurality of second storages accommodated in a second cabinet included in the plurality of cabinets; and a connection controller configured to control a first connection between the first cabinet and the plurality of cabinets other than the first cabinet and a second connection between the plurality of first storages in the first cabinet and the plurality of cabinets other than the first cabinet.

Claims

1. A storage control apparatus for use with a plurality of cabinets coupled in a cascade, each cabinet of the plurality of cabinets including a plurality of storages, the storage control apparatus comprising:

at least one memory configured to store a program; and

at least one processor configured to execute the program, wherein the execution of the program by the at least one processor causes the following to be performed;

detecting a failure in a respective storage of the plurality of storages included in a first cabinet of the plurality of cabinets;

moving data in at least one of the plurality of storages included in the first cabinet, and including the respective storage in which the failure was detected, to at least one of the plurality of storages included in a second cabinet of the plurality of cabinets;

rebuilding, when the plurality of storages included in the first cabinet do not include a spare storage, data included in the respective storage in which the failure was detected using parity data included in any one of the plurality of storages included in the first cabinet other than the respective storage in which the failure was detected, into corresponding storage of the plurality of storages included in the second cabinet;

controlling, in accordance with the moving and the rebuilding, a first connection between the first cabinet and the plurality of cabinets other than the first cabinet, and a second connection between the plurality of storages included in the first cabinet and the plurality of cabinets other than the first cabinet;

checking, after the moving, whether data in at least one of the plurality of storages included in the first cabinet matches data in at least one of the plurality of storages included in the second cabinet; and

when the checking indicates that the data does not match, performing mirroring of data between at least one of the plurality of storages included in the first cabinet and at least one of the plurality of storages included in the second cabinet.

2. The storage control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second cabinet is coupled in the cascade directly or indirectly to the first cabinet.

3. The storage control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controlling continues the first connection and breaks the second connection.

4. The storage control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the controlling breaks the second connection, and

the execution of the program by the at least one processor causes the following to further be performed:

after breaking the second connection, changing an access to the plurality of storages included in the first cabinet to an access to the plurality of storages included in the second cabinet.

5. The storage control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the moving moves all data in the plurality of storages included in the first cabinet to at least one of the plurality of storages included in the second cabinet.

6. The storage control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the execution of the program by the at least one processor further causes the following to be performed:

copying data in the plurality of storages included in the first cabinet, other than the respective storage in which the failure was detected, to corresponding storages of the plurality of storages included in the second cabinet.

7. The storage control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the execution of the program by the at least one processor further causes the following to be performed:

when the plurality of storages included in the first cabinet include a spare storage,

rebuilding data included in the respective storage in which the failure was detected using parity data included in one of the storages included in the first cabinet other than the respective storage in which the failure was detected, and

copying data in the spare storage into a corresponding storage of the plurality of storages included in the second cabinet.

8. A storage control system comprising:

a plurality of cabinets coupled in a cascade, each cabinet of the plurality of cabinets including a plurality of storages; and

a storage control apparatus that

detects a failure in a respective storage of the plurality of storages included in a first cabinet of the plurality of cabinets,

moves data in at least one of the plurality of storages included in the first cabinet, and including the respective storage in which the failure was detected, to at least one storage of the plurality of storages included in a second cabinet of the plurality of cabinets

rebuilds, when the plurality of storages included in the first cabinet do not include a spare storage, data included in the respective storage in which the failure was detected using parity data included in any one of the plurality of storages included in the first cabinet other than the respective storage in which the failure was detected, into corresponding storage of the plurality of storages included in the second cabinet,

controls, in accordance with the moving and the rebuilding, a first connection between the first cabinet and the plurality of cabinets other than the first cabinet, and a second connection between the plurality of storages included in the first cabinet and the plurality of cabinets other than the first cabinet,

checks, after the data is moved, whether data in at least one of the plurality of storages included in the first cabinet matches data in at least one of the plurality of storages included in the second cabinet, and

when the check indicates that the data does not match, performs mirroring of data between at least one of the plurality of storages included in the first cabinet and at least one of the plurality of storages included in the second cabinet.

9. The storage control system according to claim 8, wherein

the control of the second connection includes breaking the second connection,

and the storage control apparatus, after breaking the second connection, changes an access to the plurality of storages included in the first cabinet to an access to the plurality of storages included in the second cabinet.

10. The storage control system according to claim 8, wherein, when the plurality of storages included in the first cabinet include a spare storage, the storage control apparatus:

rebuilds data included in the respective storage in which the failure was detected using parity data included in one of the plurality of storages included in the first cabinet, other than the respective storage in which the failure was detected, into the spare storage, and

copies the data in the spare storage into corresponding storage of the plurality of storages included in the second cabinet.

11. A storage control method for use with a plurality of cabinets coupled in a cascade, each cabinet of the plurality of cabinets including a plurality of storages, the method comprising:

detecting, by a processor, a failure in a respective storage of the plurality of storages included in a first cabinet of the plurality of cabinets;

moving data in at least one of the plurality of storages included in the first cabinet, and including the respective storage in which the failure was detected, to at least one of the plurality of storages included in a second cabinet of the plurality of cabinets;

rebuilding, when the plurality of storages included in the first cabinet do not include a spare storage, data included in the respective storage in which the failure was detected using parity data included in any one of the plurality of storages included in the first cabinet other than the respective storage in which the failure was detected, into corresponding storage of the plurality of storages included in the second cabinet;

controlling, in accordance with the moving and the rebuilding, a first connection between the first cabinet and the plurality of cabinets other than the first cabinet, and a second connection between the storages included and the first cabinet and the plurality of cabinets other than the first cabinet;

checking, after the moving, whether data in at least one of the plurality of storages included in the first cabinet matches data in at least one of the plurality of storages included in the second cabinet; and

when the checking indicates that the data does not match, performing mirroring of data between at least one of the plurality of storages included in the first cabinet and at least one of the plurality of storages included in the second cabinet.

12. The storage control method according to claim 11, wherein

the controlling breaks the second connection, and

the method further comprises:

after breaking the second connection, changing an access to the plurality of storages included in the first cabinet to an access to the plurality of storages included in the second cabinet.

13. The storage control method according to claim 11, wherein the method further comprises, when the plurality of storages included in the first cabinet include a spare storage:

rebuilding data included in the respective storage in which the failure was detected using parity data included in one of the plurality of storages included in the first cabinet, other than the respective storage in which the failure was detected, into the spare storage, and

copying the data in the spare storage into corresponding storage of the plurality of storages included in the second cabinet.