IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
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국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
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출원번호 |
US-0036749
(2001-11-08)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
- Busser, Richard W.
- Davies, Ian R.
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출원인 / 주소 |
- Chaparral Network Storage, Inc.
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대리인 / 주소 |
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
39 인용 특허 :
0 |
초록
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A network storage controller for transferring data between a host computer and a storage device, such as a redundant array of inexpensive disks (RAID), is disclosed. The network storage controller includes at least one channel interface module which is adapted to be connected to the host computer an
A network storage controller for transferring data between a host computer and a storage device, such as a redundant array of inexpensive disks (RAID), is disclosed. The network storage controller includes at least one channel interface module which is adapted to be connected to the host computer and storage device. The channel interface module is connected to a passive backplane, and selectively transfers data between the host computer and storage device and the passive backplane. The network storage controller also includes at least one controller management module, attached to the passive backplane. The controller management module communicates with the channel interface module via the passive backplane, and processes and temporarily stores data received from the host computer or storage device. In applications where redundancy is required, at least two controller management modules and at least two channel interface modules may be used. The controller management modules may mirror data between one another using the passive backplane and a shared communication path on the channel interface modules, thereby substantially avoiding the use of host or disk channels to mirror data. The channel interface modules are operable to connect the host computer or storage device to one or more controller memory modules. The controller memory modules may include a DMA engine to facilitate the transfer of mirrored data.
대표청구항
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A network storage controller for transferring data between a host computer and a storage device, such as a redundant array of inexpensive disks (RAID), is disclosed. The network storage controller includes at least one channel interface module which is adapted to be connected to the host computer an
A network storage controller for transferring data between a host computer and a storage device, such as a redundant array of inexpensive disks (RAID), is disclosed. The network storage controller includes at least one channel interface module which is adapted to be connected to the host computer and storage device. The channel interface module is connected to a passive backplane, and selectively transfers data between the host computer and storage device and the passive backplane. The network storage controller also includes at least one controller management module, attached to the passive backplane. The controller management module communicates with the channel interface module via the passive backplane, and processes and temporarily stores data received from the host computer or storage device. In applications where redundancy is required, at least two controller management modules and at least two channel interface modules may be used. The controller management modules may mirror data between one another using the passive backplane and a shared communication path on the channel interface modules, thereby substantially avoiding the use of host or disk channels to mirror data. The channel interface modules are operable to connect the host computer or storage device to one or more controller memory modules. The controller memory modules may include a DMA engine to facilitate the transfer of mirrored data. 5/425; US-4649516, 19870300, Chung et al., 395/250; US-4654655, 19870300, Kowalski, 340/825.5; US-4664502, 19870500, Kawashima et al., 365/219; US-4667313, 19870500, Pinkham et al., 365/240; US-4685089, 19870800, Patel et al., 365/233; US-4706166, 19871100, Go, 361/403; US-4719627, 19880100, Peterson et al., 371/040.2; US-4745548, 19880500, Blahut, 395/425; US-4764846, 19880800, Go, 361/388; US-4770640, 19880900, Walter, 439/069; US-4779089, 19881000, Theus, 340/825.5; US-4785394, 19881100, Fischer, 395/325; US-4789960, 19881200, Willis, 364/900; US-4796224, 19890100, Kawai et al., 365/051; US-4811202, 19890300, Schabowski, 395/325; US-4818985, 19890400, Ikeda, 340/825.5; US-4833651, 19890500, Seltzer et al., 365/189.07; US-4837682, 19890600, Culler, 395/325; US-4860198, 19890800, Takenaka, 364/200; US-4899316, 19900200, Nagami, 365/189.01; US-4933835, 19900600, Sachs et al., 364/200; US-4949301, 19900800, Joshi et al., 711/100; US-4975763, 19901200, Baudouin et al., 357/074; US-4999814, 19910300, Hashimoto, 365/222; US-5023488, 19910600, Gunning, 307/475; US-5179670, 19930100, Farmwald et al., 395/325; US-5319755, 19940600, Farmwald et al., 395/325 y device requires repeated refreshing.17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the second memory device does not require refreshing.18. An apparatus for migrating data between storage devices in a computer system having a first memory device, a second memory device and a third memory device, wherein a data block is moved from the first memory device to the second memory device in response to an anticipated time until a next access to the data block for reading or writing and wherein the data block is moved from the first memory device to the third memory device in response to an anticipated time until a next read access to the data block being different from an anticipated time until a next write access to the data block. 19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the data block is moved from the first memory device to the second memory device when the anticipated amount of time before a next read access to the data block exceeds a first predetermined threshold and an anticipated amount of time before the next write access to the data block exceeds a second predetermined threshold and wherein the data block is moved from the first memory device to the third memory device when the anticipated amount of time before the next read access to the data block does not exceed the first predetermined threshold and the anticipated amount of time before the next write operation exceeds the second predetermined threshold.20. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the data block is moved from the first memory device to the second or third memory device regardless of whether a replacement data block is available.21. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the first memory device includes random access memory (RAM).22. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the second memory device includes a magnetic disk.23. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the magnetic disk is maintained in its spinning condition.24. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the third memory device includes flash memory.25. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the first memory device requires more power to maintain the data block valid than the second memory device.26. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the first memory device requires repeated refreshing.27. The apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the second memory device does not require refreshing.28. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the third memory device has a write latency that is significantly higher than its read latency.29. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the third memory device requires significantly more power to perform a write operation than a read operation.30. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the third memory device has a write latency that is significantly higher than its read latency.31. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the third memory device requires significantly more power to perform a write operation than a read operation.32. A method of migrating data between storage devices in a computer system, comprising steps of: a. assigning a data block to a first memory device of the computer system; b. computing an anticipated amount of time before a next write access to the data block; c. removing the data block from the first memory device when the anticipated amount of time until the next write access to the data block exceeds a first threshold; d. computing an anticipated amount of time before a next read access to the data block; and e. inserting the data block into a second memory device of the computer system when the anticipated time until the next read access to the data block exceeds a second threshold; otherwise, inserting the data block into a third memory device of the computer system. 33. The method according to claim 32, wherein the third memory device has a write latency that is significantly higher than its read latency.34. The method according to claim 32, wherei n the third memory device requires significantly more power to perform a write operation than a read operation. ion; and a storage network controller for providing commands to the one or more hot spare disk drives during normal operation of the plurality of active disk drives, wherein the commands provided to the one or more hot spare disk drives produce track usage patterns similar to track usage patterns produced for the plurality of active disk drives during normal operation. 9. The storage network of claim 8, wherein the commands provided to the one or more hot spare disk drives are derived by a statistical analysis performed on commands provided to the plurality of active disk drives during normal operation.10. The storage array of claim 9, wherein the track usage patterns for the one or more hot spare drives are estimated from the logical block addresses (LBA) of read and write commands sent to the plurality of active drives.11. The storage array of claim 9, wherein a ratio of read-to-write commands provided to the one or more hot spare disk drives approximates the ratio of read-to-write commands provided to the plurality of active drives.12. The storage array of claim 8, wherein every 1 of N commands provided to the plurality of active disk drives during normal operation are also directed to the one or more hot spare disk drives.13. The storage array of claim 8, wherein the storage network controller begins providing commands to the one or more hot spare disk drives only when a set of predictive failure analysis (PFA) measurements from at least one of the plurality of active disk drives indicate that a disk drive failure is probable in the near future.14. The storage array of claim 8, wherein the storage network controller ceases to provide commands to the one or more hot spare disk drives if a predictive failure analysis (PFA) performed on the one or more hot spare drives indicates that at least one of the one or more hot spare drives is likely to fail in the near future.15. A method for improving the reliability of one or more hot spare disk drives in a storage array having a plurality of active disk drives and a storage array controller, comprising the steps of: intercepting a first set of commands issued by a storage array controller to the plurality of active disk drives; analyzing the first set of commands; and providing a second set of commands for the one or more hot spare disk drives, wherein the second set of commands emulates track usage patterns of the first set of commands issued to the plurality of active disk drives. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of analyzing the first set of commands further comprises the step of: determining track access patterns for the plurality of active disk drives by determining the logical block addresses (LBA) of the first set of commands provided to the plurality of active disk drives. 17. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of analyzing the first set of commands further comprises the step of: determining the ratio of read-to-write commands in the first set of commands provided to the plurality of active disk drives. 18. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of providing a second set of commands for the one or more hot spare disk drives further comprises: providing every 1 of N of the first set of commands as the second set of commands. 19. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of providing a second set of commands for the one or more hot spare disk drives further comprises: providing the second set of commands only when a set of predictive failure analysis (PFA) measurements from at least one of the plurality of active disk drives indicate that a disk drive failure is probable in the near future. 20. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of providing a second set of commands for the one or more hot spare disk drives further comprises: ceasing to provide the second set of commands for the one or more hot spare disk drives if a predictive failure analysis (PFA) performed on the one or more hot spare drives indicates that at least one or mo
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