Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Computer-to-computer data routing – Least weight routing
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-30
2004-09-28
Harvey, Jack B. (Department: 2142)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Computer-to-computer data routing
Least weight routing
C709S225000, C709S226000, C714S002000, C714S004110, C714S006130, C714S006130, C714S006130, C714S014000, C713S001000, C710S302000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06799224
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a “plug and play”, high speed, microcomputer based, Fibre Channel compatible and fault tolerant mass storage information server system. In particular, the present invention relates to a device and method for providing an enterprise-wide information server system which incorporates a dual loop arbitrated, Fibre Channel capable, multiple-fault tolerant, hot-swappable disk array requiring no host computer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Efforts have been made in the past to provide a mass storage file server capable of delivering information throughout an enterprise with high speed data throughput, scalable data storage capability in a convenient, easily configurable enclosure using well known, industry standard operating software. However, such systems have typically experienced many shortcomings and problems associated with the inability of presently available computer and communications hardware to sustain performance and survive failure of component devices. Such shortcomings have included the lack of capability to allow for scalability to accommodate increased storage requirements without the need to completely power down information server system to facilitate installation of additional disk storage devices or communications capability. One of the solutions presently available requires that the entire information server system be taken off-line and powered down before any additional disk storage devices can be added to the disk storage array. This and other comparable or more capable server systems require a significant amount of system administrator personnel time and server system resources to facilitate system maintenance for expansion of storage space, repair, and routine maintenance such as optimization and system health monitoring.
Other problems existing in the presently available information server systems include a general inability of the present technology to provide continuous information server capability after some predetermined number of failures have occurred in the server system. Some prior art information server systems have provided a limited fault tolerance capability. Such systems typically employ a disk array server which incorporates extra disk space substantially in excess of that needed by the enterprise serviced by the information server system. The extra disk space is incorporated into such systems with the addition of additional physical disk storage devices which are configured with a particular logical disk drive configuration tailored to meet the storage, fault tolerance and server requirements of the user.
To accomplish a desired level of fault tolerance, the disk array subsystem is configured with various types of operating system software to create duplicate and multiple copies of the data stored on the information server system across various different combinations of the physical and logical disk drives. Any of a large array of fault tolerant disk array architectures are typically employed including, for example, various implementations of what is known the trade as the redundant array of independent disks or “RAID” topologies and protocols. Upon detection of a complete or partial failure of a particular disk storage device, the operating system software program notifies the server of the failure, marks the portion of the disk which failed or logically removes the completely failed disk storage device from the disk array. Next, the operating system typically reallocates the remaining available physical disk space into a modified configuration of logical disk drives.
The operating system then reconstructs new duplicate, multiple copies of the data stored on the server system within the constraints of the newly reduced amount of free disk space. The server system also alerts the server system administrator that a failure has occurred so that corrective action may be taken.
Depending on the exact nature of the failure, the necessary corrective action can include removal and replacement of the completely or partially failed disk storage device. The remove and replace system maintenance operation requires, in many systems, that the entire server system be taken off-line and powered down before the physical replacement operation can be performed. Some information server systems permit removal and replacement of the defective disk storage device while the server system remains on-line and powered on. This process is commonly referred to by the trade as “hot-swapping” of devices. Such systems, however, require considerable hands-on intervention of the system administrator personnel to manually manipulate the hardware interfaces and operating system software for purposes of physically and logically reintegrating the newly replaced disk device into the disk array subsystem. Also, the systems capable of hot-swapping, experience severe degradation of performance resulting from the process of taking corrective action.
The process of logical reintegration requires a significant portion of the server system central processing unit and memory resources. These resources are needed to accomplish the reallocation of the newly available free disk space into the logical disk configuration of the server and the redistribution of the multiple, duplicate copies of the information stored on the server across the new and remaining physical and logical disk drives. This need for server system resources, although temporary, results in a severe decrease in the performance of the information server system.
Thus, users of presently available information server technology have generally two types of information server system options available. The first type of server system is completely unavailable for the duration of the system maintenance operation. The second type of system is, in effect, unavailable to the users due to the seriously degraded performance experienced by the information server system during the system maintenance operation. The following U.S. Patents, which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety, appear to disclose various types and components of the above described information server systems: U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,402,428; 5,471,099; 5,479,653; 5,502,836; 5,517,632; 5,518,418; 5,522,031; 5,530,831; 5,544,339; 5,548,712; 5,615,352; 5,651,132; 5,659,677; 5,664,119; 5,666,337; 5,680,538; 5,694,581; and 5,701,406.
As a result of the problems and shortcomings of the technology incorporated into the presently available information server systems, users are left without a satisfactory server system which is capable of, among other features, continuous uninterrupted availability, nondegraded performance and simplified, quick and easy storage space expansion, reconfiguration, repair and routine maintenance. None of the previous devices have adequately met these needs. Thus, it is apparent that a need exists for an system which not only reduces or eliminates the shortcomings and problems associated with the currently available information server systems and related technology, but also which provides an efficient and cost-effective solution to such concerns.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is an information server system with a “plug and play”, scalable, modular, fault tolerant, multi-loop, hot swappable architecture incorporating a central processing unit, a storage device controller connected to the central processing unit for controlling at least one storage device array and a communications interface system connected to the central processing unit for communicating with other systems. More particularly, the invention represents a plug and play storage system for information storage and retrieval applications and incorporates an on board computer server for the storage system, thus eliminating the requirement for resources from a host computer. The computer controls and communicates with a storage device controller and a communications interface with other systems external to the storage system. The storage device operates via a high speed interface
Fulwider Patton Lee & Utecht LLP
Harvey Jack B.
Le Hien
Quad Research
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