Electrical computers and digital data processing systems: input/ – Input/output data processing – Input/output access regulation
Reexamination Certificate
2001-07-25
2004-05-11
Elamin, Abdelmoniem (Department: 2182)
Electrical computers and digital data processing systems: input/
Input/output data processing
Input/output access regulation
C709S224000, C370S229000, C370S351000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06735646
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a computer system using a disk controller of a disk array for storing data into a plurality of disk devices and an operating service thereof.
Currently, a data center or the like handling a large volume of data introduces various storage devices such as a large disk array connected to a mainframe as well as a small and medium disk array connected to a tape backup device or an open system servers, and stores information in each of the devices. At present, it is hard to say that the stored information is organically strongly linked to the respective devices. Thus, active has been a movement to introduce a concept SAN (Storage Area Network), and to connect various storage devices through the network, thereby managing information. A large data center has used a large disk array to build a storage system which has high reliability, high performance and high functionality. With SAN, a larger storage system than ever is being built in addition to a small and medium disk array.
On the other hand, in the future, a small and medium disk array will be required to have high performance and high reliability. A current disk array will need scalably supporting from a small storage system such as SOHO to a large storage system such as a bank, and also a service capable of operating this effectively.
A prior art disk array centers on a disk controller as shown in FIG.
1
. The disk controller has a plurality of channel interface (hereinafter, channel IF) parts
103
for executing data transfer between a host computer
101
and a disk controller
109
, a plurality of disk interface (hereinafter, disk IF) parts
104
for executing data transfer between a magnetic disk device
102
and the disk controller
109
, a common memory part
107
for storing data read and written between the channel IF and the disk channel IF, and a cache memory part
108
for storing control information on the disk array controller
109
(for example, control information on data transfer between the channel IF part
103
and the common memory part
107
). The channel IF part
103
, the disk IF part
104
and the common memory part
107
are connected by a mutual connecting network
105
. The channel IF part
103
, the disk IF part
104
, and the common memory part
108
are also connected by a mutual connecting network
106
. The mutual connecting network herein means all connection means such as a switch, loop, and bus. Herein, the numeral
412
denotes an SVP (Supervise Processor) part and, as described later, collects information on the access number per each channel path number of information transmission between the host computer
101
and the disk controller
109
.
When one disk controller is formed by such a construction, scalability is a form of adding a component to its minimum construction as a basic device, i.e., of sequentially adding an optional component for extension. In other words, its minimum construction needs to have an extension mechanism for adding an optional component up to its maximum construction, and its small construction is also provided with a mechanism required for extension. They are unnecessary mechanisms when operated by its basic construction. The device cost can be inevitably relatively high for its basic construction. Further, to meet speeding up of a host computer and improvement in connectivity (an increase in the number of connectable host interfaces), it is also necessary to respond to speeding up of the connection mechanism for the extension components and improvement in extensionality (an increase in the number of the extendable components). The cost is increased, so that there is a high possibility that the cost may be relatively high for its basic construction.
With respect to this, as shown in the overview of
FIG. 2
, an SAN (Storage Area Network) environment using a disk array makes a system construction efficient. Host computers
101
are connected through a common mutual connecting network
210
to a disk controller
109
. The disk controller has a plurality of channel IF parts
103
, a plurality of disk IF parts
104
, a plurality of common memory parts
107
, and a plurality of cache memory parts
108
, which are connected to mutual connecting networks
105
and
106
, respectively. The disk IF part is connected to a plurality of disk devices
102
. The disk controller
109
and the disk device
102
connected thereto function as a disk array. The common mutual connecting network
210
can connect many kinds of storage devices, and can also connect a magnetic tape memory
212
. Specifically, there are considered every kind of network such as a fiber channel switch, loop and LAN. In such a form, for example, tens of or hundreds of small disk array devices are connected to from an aggregate of a large number of logical volumes, which can show the system to an upper class host computer. It is possible to realize a large volume equal to that of a prior art large disk array with high availability and high reliability as well as high function such as logical volume copy between the disk controllers, as shown by a path
211
in the drawing. However, there is the problem that the small disk array device does not pursue high availability and high reliability of the large disk array. On the other hand, there is a merit in cost because of the aggregate of inexpensive small disk arrays. Also herein, the numeral
412
denotes an SVP (Supervise Processor) part, which collects information on the access number per each channel path number of information transmission between the host computer
101
and the disk controller
109
.
As shown in
FIG. 3
, as a similar construction, a unit disk controller
309
functions as a disk array by consisting of a disk controller provided with a mutual connecting networks
105
and
106
to connect a channel IF part
103
and a disk IF part
104
for connecting host computers
101
and disk devices
102
, respectively, a common memory part
107
, and a cache memory part
108
, and is smaller than the disk controller shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2
. A plurality of the unit disk controllers can be connected by a common mutual connecting network
310
so as to construct a disk array functioning as a disk controller
315
on the whole. In this case, the unit disk controller is about ¼ to ½ times the prior art disk controller and is mounted in a compact manner. The cost can be thus low. Further, the common mutual connecting network
310
as its center part has a minimum band required. The cost of the entire device can be reduced. Also herein, the numeral
412
denotes an SVP (Supervise Processor) part, which collects information on the access number per each channel path number of information transmission between the host computer
101
and the disk controller
315
, more strictly, all the unit disk controllers
309
.
There can be a system integrating the system construction shown in
FIGS. 2 and 3
, although the illustration thereof is omitted. In other words, the host computers
101
in
FIG. 3
are connected by the common mutual connecting network
210
shown in FIG.
2
. The host computer not through the unit disk controller directly connected to itself can access a unit disk controller directly connected to other host computer. Consequently, it is unnecessary to pass through the mutual connecting network between the unit disk controllers, whereby access can be improved.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The unit disk controllers of the small construction functioning as a disk array device are connected by the mutual connecting network so as to realize scalability up to the large construction. It is thus unnecessary to previously construct the mechanism for extension in the device, thereby reducing the initial cost. In view of the relation between the host computer and the disk, the path of the mutual connecting network between the controllers may be unbalanced, so that this may inhibit the efficient operation of the system. Naturally, one solution is that a band necessary for the mutual conn
Fujibayashi Akira
Fujimoto Kazuhisa
Kanai Hiroki
A. Marquez, Esq. Juan Carlos
Elamin Abdelmoniem
Fisher Esq. Stanley P.
Hitachi , Ltd.
Reed Smith LLP
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