US 2003/0193732 A1 · Disk array unit

Abstract

A disk array unit connected to a host unit to give information thereto and receive information therefrom. The disk unit includes a plurality of disk units for storing information transmitted from the host unit and a management information recording device, formed by utilizing information storage areas in the disk units, for causing information relating to a logical unit for storing information from the host unit to correspond to information relating to the units. The invention further includes a control unit, when there is no access from the host unit to the logical unit for a predetermined time, for determining the disk units corresponding to the logical unit based on information recorded in the management information recording device and performing power saving of power supply for the disk units.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A disk array unit connected to a host unit to give information thereto and receive information therefrom, said disk array unit comprising:

a plurality of magnetic disk units having a power saving mode, and said plurality of magnetic disk units forming sets;
and
a control unit having a function of associating the sets of magnetic disk units with the access from said host unit, a function of measuring time elapsing from the access from said host unit to next access, and a function of specifying one set of magnetic disk units and causing execution of a power saving mode of the specified set of magnetic disk units,
wherein if there has been no access for a predetermined time, said specified set of magnetic disk units is brought into the power saving mode.

1 more element

A disk array unit connected to a host unit to give information thereto and receive information therefrom, said disk array unit comprising:

a plurality of magnetic disk units having a power saving mode, and said plurality of magnetic disk units forming sets;
and
a control unit having a function of associating the sets of magnetic disk units with the access from said host unit, a function of measuring time elapsing from the access from said host unit to next access, a function of specifying one set of magnetic disk units and causing execution of a power saving mode of the specified set of magnetic disk units, and a function of conducting a diagnosis on magnetic disk units of said specified set,
wherein if there has been no access to a set of magnetic disk units for a predetermined time, said specified set of magnetic disk units is brought into the power saving mode, and
wherein when a predetermined time has elapsed or at a specified time, a diagnosis is conducted on said set of magnetic disk units which has been brought into the power saving mode.

2 more elements

A disk array unit connected to a host unit to give information thereto and receive information therefrom, said disk array unit comprising:

a plurality of magnetic disk units having a power saving mode, and said plurality of magnetic disk units forming sets;
and
a control unit having a function of associating the sets of magnetic disk units with the access from said host unit, a function of measuring time elapsing from the access from said host unit to next access, a function of specifying one set of magnetic disk units and causing execution of a power saving mode of the specified set of magnetic disk units, and a function of controlling a LAN or RS 232C,
wherein if there has been no access to a set of magnetic disk units for a predetermined time, specification that said set of magnetic disk units should be brought into the power saving mode is conveyed via said LAN or RS 232C.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Disk array unit

Life of this patent

Disk array unit

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims17