Abstract: Disclosed is a disk control apparatus with excellent scalability realized on the same architecture, in high quality and reliability, regardless of its scale. Each of a plurality of channel interface units and a cache memory unit as well as each of a plurality of disk interface units and the cache memory unit are connected through a switch and a data path network (solid line) in each disk control cluster. Each switch provided outside each disk control cluster is connected to the switch in each disk control cluster through the data path network. A resource management unit is provided outside each disk control cluster and the resource management unit is connected to each of the plurality of channel interface units/disk interface units, as well as to the cache memory unit in each disk control cluster. The resource management unit is also connected to each switch provided outside each disk control cluster through a resource management network (dotted line).

Abstract: To provide a storage system with a cost/performance meeting the system scale, from a small-scale to a large-scale configuration. In the storage system, protocol transformation units and data caching control units are connected to each other through an interconnection, the data caching control units are divided into plural control clusters, each of the control clusters including at least two or more data caching control units, control of a cache memory is conducted independently for each of the control clusters, and one of the plural data caching control units manages, as a single system, protocol transformation units and the plural control clusters based on management information stored in a system management information memory unit.

Abstract: A disk controller system is provided which has a plurality of disk controller clusters connected with one another. The disk controller cluster provides an in-cluster resource availability monitor for monitoring resource availability in the cluster itself. Further, an in-system resource availability monitor is provided for monitoring resource availability of said disk controller system. The monitored informations of those in-cluster resource availability monitors are collected for composing monitored information of said in-system resource availability monitor. Based on the monitored information, an interval of issuing one or more I/O jobs over two or more disk controller clusters is arranged. This makes it possible to optimize the resource distribution of the overall system in response to a user's request not only in the disk controller but also with respect to the I/O request over two or more disk controllers.

Abstract: A storage system 1 includes: plural protocol transformation units 10 that transform, to a protocol within the system, a read/write protocol of data exchanged with servers 3 or hard disk groups 2; plural cache control units 21 that include cache memory units 111 storing data read/written with the servers 3 or the hard disk groups 2 and which include the function of controlling the cache memory units 111; and an interconnection network 31 that connects the protocol transformation units 10 and the cache control units 21. In this storage system 1, the plural cache control units 21 are divided into plural control clusters 70, control of the cache memory units 111 is independent inside the control clusters, and a system management unit 60 that manages, as a single system, the plural protocol transformation units 10 and the plural control clusters 70 is connected to the interconnection network 30.

Abstract: To provide a storage system with a cost/performance meeting the system scale, from a small-scale to a large-scale configuration. In the storage system, protocol transformation units (10) and data caching control units (21) are connected to each other through an interconnection (31), the data caching control units (21) are divided into plural control clusters (70), each of the control clusters including at least two or more data caching control units (21), control of a cache memory (111) is conducted independently for each of the control clusters (70), and one of the plural data caching control units (21) manages, as a single system, protocol transformation units (10) and the plural control clusters (70) based on management information stored in a system management information memory unit (160).

Abstract: A storage system 1 includes: plural protocol transformation units 10 that transform, to a protocol within the system, a read/write protocol of data exchanged with servers 3 or hard disk groups 2; plural cache control units 21 that include cache memory units 111 storing data read/written with the servers 3 or the hard disk groups 2 and which include the function of controlling the cache memory units 111; and an interconnection network 31 that connects the protocol transformation units 10 and the cache control units 21. In this storage system 1, the plural cache control units 21 are divided into plural control clusters 70, control of the cache memory units 111 is independent inside the control clusters, and a system management unit 60 that manages, as a single system, the plural protocol transformation units 10 and the plural control clusters 70 is connected to the interconnection network 30.

Abstract: A disk controller has a channel adapter having a connection interface to a host computer or a disk drive; a memory adapter for temporarily storing data to be transferred between the host computer and disk drive; a processor adapter for controlling operations of the channel adapter and memory adapter; and a switch adapter for configuring an inner network by interconnecting the channel adapter, memory adapter and processor adapter, wherein the channel adapter, memory adapter, processor adapter and switch adapter each include a DMA controller for performing a communication protocol control of the inner network; and packet multiplex communication is performed among the DMA controllers provided in the adapters. The disk controller can realize a high transfer efficiency and a low cost while retaining a high reliability. A storage system includes an interface unit having an interface with a server or hard drives, a memory unit, a processor unit, and an interconnection.

Abstract: The present invention provides a reliable and high-speed data transfer method that achieves a high transfer efficiency and a high application processing efficiency concurrently and a disk control unit (disk controller) using such a method. In reliable data transfer in which, when data is transferred from an initiator to a target, the data received by the target is checked for validity by using an error check code attached to the data, a transfer status indicating whether the data is valid is returned from the target to the initiator, and, if a transfer error occurring during the data transfer is detected by the transfer status, the initiator retries to transfer the data to the target, a data transfer method for logical records that are units of data transfer between the initiator and the target is disclosed.

Abstract: This invention enables a disk subsystem that employs the FC-AL connection to grasp the operation status of each disk drive, quickly locate a disk drive that has failed, and promptly carry out blocking processing. In a disk subsystem including plural drive enclosures which store disk drives, and a disk controller which controls transfer of data stored in the disk drives between the drive enclosures and a host computer. The drive enclosures each comprise a backend switch which is connected to the disk drives and to the disk controller, the backend switch comprises a status monitoring port through which operation status of switch ports of the backend switch is outputted, and the disk controller monitors a fault of the switch ports through the status monitoring port.

Abstract: This invention provides a high-availability disk control device and a failure recovery processing method thereof. In one embodiment, a disk control device comprises a plurality of host interface modules configured to interface with a computer; a plurality of disk interface modules configured to interface with a storage device; a plurality of cache memory modules configured to temporarily store data read from or written to the storage device; and a switch network connecting the various modules. Each of the host interface modules is configured to execute data transfers between the computer and the cache memory modules, and each of the disk interface modules is configured to execute data transfers between the storage device and the cache memory modules. Each of the various modules includes identification information providing unique identification within the switch network.

Abstract: To provide a storage system with a cost/performance meeting the system scale, from a small-scale to a large-scale configuration. In the storage system, protocol transformation units (10) and data caching control units (21) are connected to each other through an interconnection (31), the data caching control units (21) are divided into plural control clusters (70), each of the control clusters including at least two or more data caching control units (21), control of a cache memory (111) is conducted independently for each of the control clusters (70), and one of the plural data caching control units (21) manages, as a single system, protocol transformation units (10) and the plural control clusters (70) based on management information stored in a system management information memory unit (160).

Abstract: The storage system is configured to expand from small to large configurations at a reasonable cost with performance decided approximately to a target system scale. The storage system has a plurality of protocol transformation units, each used for transforming a protocol to be exchanged with the server or disk drives, and a plurality of data caching control units, each having a cache memory unit for storing data and a function for controlling the cache memory unit. The plurality of data cashing control units are divided into a plurality of control clusters while the cache memory unit is controlled only in its corresponding control cluster independently and the system management unit is connected to an interconnection, such that the system management unit manages the plurality of protocol transformation units and the plurality of control clusters are managed integrally as one system.

Abstract: Disclosed is a disk control apparatus with excellent scalability realized on the same architecture, in high quality and reliability, regardless of its scale. Each of a plurality of channel interface units and a cache memory unit as well as each of a plurality of disk interface units and the cache memory unit are connected through a switch and a data path network (solid line) in each disk control cluster. Each switch provided outside each disk control cluster is connected to the switch in each disk control cluster through the data path network. A resource management unit is provided outside each disk control cluster and the resource management unit is connected to each of the plurality of channel interface units/disk interface units, as well as to the cache memory unit in each disk control cluster. The resource management unit is also connected to each switch provided outside each disk control cluster through a resource management network (dotted line).

Abstract: A disk controller has a channel adapter having a connection interface to a host computer or a disk drive; a memory adapter for temporarily storing data to be transferred between the host computer and disk drive; a processor adapter for controlling operations of the channel adapter and memory adapter; and a switch adapter for configuring an inner network by interconnecting the channel adapter, memory adapter and processor adapter, wherein the channel adapter, memory adapter, processor adapter and switch adapter each include a DMA controller for performing a communication protocol control of the inner network; and packet multiplex communication is performed among the DMA controllers provided in the adapters. The disk controller can realize a high transfer efficiency and a low cost while retaining a high reliability.

Abstract: A storage system is comprised of an interface unit 10 which has an interface with a server 3 or hard drives 2, a memory unit 21 which has a cache memory module 126 for storing data to be read from/written to the server 3 or the hard drives 2 and a control information memory module 127 for storing control information of the system, a processor unit 81 which has a microprocessor for controlling the read/write of data between the server 3 and the hard drives 2, and an interconnection 31, wherein the interface unit 10, memory unit 21 and processor unit 81 are interconnected with the interconnection 31.

Abstract: A storage system is comprised of an interface unit 10 which has an interface with a server 3 or hard drives 2, a memory unit 21 which has a cache memory module 126 for storing data to be read from/written to the server 3 or the hard drives 2 and a control information memory module 127 for storing control information of the system, a processor unit 81 which has a microprocessor for controlling the read/write of data between the server 3 and the hard drives 2, and an interconnection 31, wherein the interface unit 10, memory unit 21 and processor unit 81 are interconnected with the interconnection 31.

Abstract: The present invention provides a reliable and high-speed data transfer method that achieves a high transfer efficiency and a high application processing efficiency concurrently and a disk control unit (disk controller) using such a method. In reliable data transfer in which, when data is transferred from an initiator to a target, the data received by the target is checked for validity by using an error check code attached to the data, a transfer status indicating whether the data is valid is returned from the target to the initiator, and, if a transfer error occurring during the data transfer is detected by the transfer status, the initiator retries to transfer the data to the target, a data transfer method for logical records that are units of data transfer between the initiator and the target is disclosed.

Abstract: A storage system 1 includes: plural protocol transformation units 10 that transform, to a protocol within the system, a read/write protocol of data exchanged with servers 3 or hard disk groups 2; plural cache control units 21 that include cache memory units 111 storing data read/written with the servers 3 or the hard disk groups 2 and which include the function of controlling the cache memory units 111; and an interconnection network 31 that connects the protocol transformation units 10 and the cache control units 21. In this storage system 1, the plural cache control units 21 are divided into plural control clusters 70, control of the cache memory units 111 is independent inside the control clusters, and a system management unit 60 that manages, as a single system, the plural protocol transformation units 10 and the plural control clusters 70 is connected to the interconnection network 30.

Abstract: Disclosed is a disk control apparatus with excellent scalability realized on the same architecture, in high quality and reliability, regardless of its scale. Each of a plurality of channel interface units and a cache memory unit as well as each of a plurality of disk interface units and the cache memory unit are connected through a switch and a data path network (solid line) in each disk control cluster. Each switch provided outside each disk control cluster is connected to the switch in each disk control cluster through the data path network. A resource management unit is provided outside each disk control cluster and the resource management unit is connected to each of the plurality of channel interface units/disk interface units, as well as to the cache memory unit in each disk control cluster. The resource management unit is also connected to each switch provided outside each disk control cluster through a resource management network (dotted line).

Abstract: This invention provides a high-availability disk control device and a failure recovery processing method thereof. In one embodiment, a disk control device comprises a plurality of host interface modules configured to interface with a computer; a plurality of disk interface modules configured to interface with a storage device; a plurality of cache memory modules configured to temporarily store data read from or written to the storage device; and a switch network connecting the various modules. Each of the host interface modules is configured to execute data transfers between the computer and the cache memory modules, and each of the disk interface modules is configured to execute data transfers between the storage device and the cache memory modules. Each of the various modules includes identification information providing unique identification within the switch network.