Hitachi, Ltd.

Akihisa Hirasawa

Katsuyoshi Suzuki

Hiromichi Fujisawa

Azuma Kano

Hidefumi Masuzaki

Masaaki Fujinawa

Nobuyuki Minowa

Satoshi Ito

Kenichi Tateyama

Daisuke Isobe

Yoshinori Nagaiwa

Shingo Itagaki

Nobuhiro Takahashi

An apparatus includes a controller and a plurality of disk drives. The controller has a communication control unit for accepting a data input/output request, a disk controller unit for controlling a disk drive, and a cache memory for temporarily storing data transferred between the communication control unit and the disk controller unit. The plurality of disk drives has different communication interfaces and connected to the disk controller unit to communicate with the disk controller unit.

Drive apparatus and method for controlling the same

An apparatus includes a controller and a plurality of drives. The controller has a communication control unit for accepting a data input/output request, a controller unit for controlling a drive, and a cache memory for temporarily storing data transferred between the communication control unit and the controller unit. The plurality of drives has different communication interfaces and connected to the controller unit to communicate with the controller unit.

Storage apparatus and method for controlling the same

The disk array apparatus includes a controller having a communication control unit for accepting a data input/output request, a disk controller unit for controlling a plurality of disk drives, and a cache memory for temporarily storing data transferred between the communication control unit and the disk controller unit. A plurality of cooling fans are provided for cooling the plurality of disk drives. In response to receiving a request, the controller controls the rotational speed of a first cooling fan related to a first disk drive, which is related to the request, and changes an operational mode of the first disk drive related to the request such that the rotational speed of the first cooling fan is increased before the operational mode of the first disk drive is changed.

Disk array apparatus and method for controlling the same

An apparatus which includes a controller and a plurality of disk drives. The controller has a communication control unit for accepting a data input/output request, a disk controller unit for controlling a disk drive, and a cache memory for temporarily storing data transferred between the communication control unit and the disk controller unit. The plurality of disk drives has different communication interfaces and connected to the disk controller unit to communicate with the disk controller unit.

The present invention manages disk-drive types in a storage device in which a mixture of disk drives of a plurality of types with different interfaces is stored. The storage device enclosure stores a mixture of an FC disk driveF with a fiber channel interface and a SATA disk drive with a serial interface. The SATA disk drive is connected to a fiber channel via an FC/SATA interface connection devicethat performs interface conversion. At startup and so forth, the controllerissues an inquiry to the enclosure management unit or to each of the disk drives and, based on the address allocated to each of the disk drives, or similar, automatically confirms the type of each disk drive and manages the confirmation results.

Method for managing disk drives of different types in disk array device

A partial region of an image is set as being a secret region and an ID code is put to data concerning this secret region, the data then being stored in a memory, so that, unless an ID code which is input from a keyboard is coincident with the stored ID code, the image is selectively prevented from being displayed on a CRT display, printed by a printer, or subjected to additional writing, revision, cutting on the display screen. Thus, it is possible to restrict the visual output or revision of secret portions of images and therefore possible to individually control images which need to be kept secret and those which need not.

Growing community of inventors

Odawara, Japan

Akihisa Hirasawa