Hitachi, Ltd.

Tsutomu Koga

Hiroshi Suzuki

Tetsuya Inoue

Mitsuru Inoue

Tomokazu Yokoyama

Kenji Jin

Nobuyuki Minowa

Koji Washiya

Midori Kurokawa

Yosuke Nakayama

Tomoaki Kurihara

Yo Iwaoka

Hideyuki Ihara

Provided is a storage apparatus including a plurality of storage devices which store data, a controller which executes data input/output processing to the storage devices, and a processor which transmits/receives information with the controller, wherein the controller manages a plurality of different tag numbers by separating the tag numbers into a plurality of groups, and upon receiving a first command from the processor, assigns a tag number belonging to one group among the plurality of groups to the first command, and transfers the first command to a designated storage device, and, upon subsequently receiving an instruction for a chip reset from the processor, executes a chip reset, and, upon subsequently receiving a second command from the processor, assigns a tag number belonging to a group which is different from the group used before the chip reset to the second command, and transfers the second command to a designated storage device.

Storage apparatus and information processing program

Each transfer route includes an FE I/F out of a plurality of FE I/Fs, a BE I/F out of a plurality of BE I/Fs, at least one memory out of one or more memories, and at least one processor out of one or more processors. I/O target data is transferred via a target transfer route including an FE I/F that has received an I/O request out of a plurality of transfer routes. A processor in the target transfer route generates routing information representing a physical device included in the target transfer route, and transmits a transfer indication including the routing information to at least one of the FE I/F and BE I/F in the target transfer route. In response to the transfer indication, at least one of the FE I/F and BE I/F in the target transfer route adds, to the I/O target data, a guarantee code.

Identifying a physical device in which a fault has occurred in a storage system

A storage system comprises a storage device for storing data, a control apparatus which controls the storage device and comprises multiple communication ports, and a switch apparatus which expands the number of storage device couplings and comprises multiple communication ports. Respective multiple communication ports of the control apparatus are coupled to respective multiple communication ports of the switch apparatus, and the switch apparatus is coupled to the storage device. The control apparatus configures at least one communication port of the multiple communication ports of the control apparatus, to a dedicated communication port for outputting only a prescribed command issued when a failure is detected.

Storage system, storage control apparatus and method for failure recovery

A storage apparatus includes a drive unit device including multiple storage drives, a drive interface unit and a power supply unit, a storage controller including multiple processing units and a drive control interface unit, a recording part recording whether a relevant data input/output process was successful for each of multiple data paths, and a failure detection unit performing a process which, when one processing unit determines the data input/output process not being performed successfully, determines whether a result of the data input/output process performed by other processing units is recorded in the recording part within a predetermined period of time after an abnormality of the relevant data input/output process is recorded, and, when the first processing unit detecting the abnormality determines that the data input/output process abnormality is recorded, provides an instruction to stop the data input/output processes to the drive unit device in which the abnormality is detected.

Storage apparatus and method of detecting power failure in storage apparatus

Reduction of data processing capacity attributable to the occurrence of a failure is prevented by promptly identifying the failure location. A storage apparatus includes a plurality of expanders connected to storage media storing data sent from a host system, and a controller for controlling the expanders, wherein the controller sends a failure detection command to the plurality of expanders; the plurality of expanders store the command in their own storage units; and if one expander from among the plurality of expanders detects a failure in another expander immediately following and connected to the one expander, the one expander reads the command stored in a storage unit for the one expander and sends a response including failure detection information corresponding to the command to the controller.

System and method for failure detection by a storage expander preceding an expander experiencing a failure

An object is to provide an information processing apparatus capable of improving the availability as a system while improving the reliability of a data transfer path and a data transfer method. An information processing apparatus has a data transfer path branching in a tree structure, from a root node to a plurality of nodes while communicably coupling therebetween and transmitting serial data between the root node and the plurality of nodes, including two internode data transfer paths provided between at least a pair of nodes of the plurality of nodes, through which serial data transfer is performed; and a routing processing unit provided to each terminal nodes that are the nodes on both ends of the internode data transfer path, transfers the return data from the transmission destination node to the transmission source node by using the same internode data transfer path as the internode data transfer path used for data transfer to the transmission destination node, when each of the terminal nodes transfers data received from any of another nodes being a transmission source to any of the nodes being a transmission destination via the other terminal node.

Information processing apparatus and data transfer method

One or more switches are interposed between a controller portion and a storage device. When transmission of a command to a certain storage device fails, a command is transmitted starting from an upstream side to a downstream side of a path between the controller portion and the switch to which the certain storage device is connected, and when command transmission fails while transmitting a command from a kswitch (k is an integer of 0 or more) which is connected to a (k+1)switch and is one level upstream of the (k+1)switch or from any port of the controller portion, it is determined that a failure has occurred in a power source that supplies power to the (k+1)switch.

Storage system that finds occurrence of power source failure

A storage controller that can maintain its performance and reduce power consumption and thereby realize large capacity and low power consumption, and a method for controlling such a storage controller are provided. The storage controller includes a plurality of nonvolatile memory modules having a plurality of nonvolatile memory chips for storing data from a host computer, and a nonvolatile memory control unit for controlling data input to and output from the host computer by controlling a power source for the nonvolatile memory modules. When reading or writing data from or to a designated nonvolatile memory module at a specified time in response to a data read/write request from the host computer, the nonvolatile memory control unit controls the power source for only the designated nonvolatile memory module to be turned on.

Storage controller and method for controlling the same

A storage controller and a method for controlling a storage controller, including a plurality of nonvolatile memory modules having a plurality of nonvolatile memory chips for storing data from a host computer and a nonvolatile memory control unit for controlling data input to and output from the host computer by controlling a power source for the nonvolatile memory modules. The nonvolatile memory control unit, when reading or writing data from or to a designated nonvolatile memory module at a specified time in response to a data read/write request from the host computer, controls the power source for only the designated nonvolatile memory module to be turned on that can maintain its performance and reduce power consumption and thereby realize large capacity and low power consumption.

A backplane has signal connectors for connecting signals of logical boards connected to an upper level of the backplane; signal connectors for connecting signals of logical boards connected to a lower level of the backplane; power source connectors for supplying power to the logical boards connected to the upper level of the backplane; and power source connectors for supplying power to the logical boards connected to the lower level of the backplane. Some power source connectors are formed at one end of the backplane and the other power source connectors are formed at the other end of the backplane.

Storage controller

Provided is a storage subsystem capable of inhibiting the deterioration in system performance to a minimum while improving reliability and availability. This storage subsystem includes a first controller for controlling multiple drive units connected via multiple first switch devices, and a second controller for controlling the multiple drive units connected via multiple second switch devices associated with the multiple first switch devices. This storage subsystem also includes a connection path that mutually connects the multiple first switch devices and the corresponding multiple second switch devices. When the storage [sub]system detects the occurrence of a failure, it identifies the fault site in the connection path, and changes the connection configuration of the switch device so as to circumvent the fault site.

Storage subsystem and control method thereof

The invention proposes a storage apparatus and conversion board that can increase the number of hard disk drive heads in a given, limited space for installation of disk units in the storage apparatus, and can consequently improve data read/write performance. A storage apparatus has a plurality of first disk units of a specific size, each removable, and a controller that controls data read/write from/to the first disk units, and the storage apparatus includes: external connectors, each provided in corresponding positions where the first disk units are installed, and physically and electrically connected with the first disk units installed in a specific state; and a removable conversion unit provided in one or more of the external connectors, and used for installing, in the position where one or more of the first disk units are to be installed, a larger number of second disk units, each smaller in physical size, than the one or more first disk units.

Storage apparatus and conversion board for increasing the number of hard disk drive heads in a given, limited space

There are provided a cache region that stores write data from a host device, storage media, a data storage region for the storage media, and a comparison unit. A first comparison object is generated for N items of write data on the cache region and the N items of write data are transferred to the data storage region. Write data is read from a designated address of the data storage region and this write data is written to the storage media. When N items of write data have been read, a second comparison object is generated in respect of the write data. The comparison unit compares the first comparison object and the second comparison object, and if the result of the comparison is a mismatch, the N items of write data on the cache region are again transferred to the data storage region.

Growing community of inventors

Matsuda, Japan

Tsutomu Koga