METHOD FOR ADOPTING AN ORPHAN I/O PORT IN A REDUNDANT STORAGE CONTROLLER

• US 20060282701A1
• Filed: 08/22/2006
• Published: 12/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dot Hill Systems Corporation (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Dot Hill Systems Corporation (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Davies, Ian Robert, Pecone, Victor Key
• Granted Patent: US 7,558,897 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/6
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2005 using redundant communication controllers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2033 switching over of hardware resources
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2092 Techniques of failing over between control units

Abstract

A method for adopting an orphaned I/O port of a storage controller is disclosed. The storage controller has first and second redundant field-replaceable units (FRU) for processing I/O requests and a third FRU having at least one I/O port for receiving the I/O requests from host computers coupled to it. Initially the first FRU processes the I/O requests received by the I/O port and the third FRU routes to the first FRU interrupt requests generated by the I/O port in response to receiving the I/O requests. Subsequently, the second FRU determines that the first FRU has failed and is no longer processing I/O requests received by the I/O port, and configures the third FRU to route the interrupt requests from the I/O port to the second FRU rather than the first FRU, in response to the determining that the first FRU has failed.

Claims

1. A method for adopting an orphaned I/O port of a storage controller, the storage controller having first and second redundant field-replaceable units (FRU) for processing I/O requests, and a third FRU having at least one I/O port for receiving the I/O requests from host computers coupled thereto, wherein initially the first FRU is configured to process the I/O requests received by the I/O port, wherein the third FRU is initially configured to route to the first FRU interrupt requests generated by the I/O port in response to receiving the I/O requests, the method comprising:

determining, by the second FRU, that the first FRU has failed and is no longer processing I/O requests received by the I/O port; and

configuring the third FRU to route the interrupt requests from the I/O port to the second FRU rather than the first FRU, in response to said determining that the first FRU has failed.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

processing, by the second FRU, in response to the interrupt requests, the I/O requests received by the I/O port, after said configuring the third FRU to route the interrupt requests to the second FRU.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving user input, prior to said determining, specifying whether to adopt the orphaned I/O port; and

said configuring the third FRU to route the interrupt requests from the I/O port to the second FRU rather than the first FRU only if the user input specifies to adopt the orphaned I/O port.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

preventing, by the second FRU, the first FRU from processing the I/O requests, in response to said determining, by the second FRU, that the first FRU has failed.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

resetting, by the second FRU, the I/O port, in response to said determining, by the second FRU, that the first FRU has failed.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

programming, by the second FRU, the I/O port with a unique ID for communicating with the host computers, after said resetting the I/O port.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving, by the second FRU from the first FRU, the unique ID, prior to said detecting, wherein said first FRU initially programmed the I/O port with the unique ID.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

diagnosing, by the second FRU, the I/O port to determine whether the I/O port is functioning properly, in response to said determining, by the second FRU, that the first FRU has failed; and

said configuring the third FRU to route the interrupt requests from the I/O port to the second FRU rather than the first FRU only if the I/O port is functioning properly.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said configuring comprises programming a bridge circuit of the third FRU to route the interrupt requests from the I/O port to the second FRU rather than the first FRU.