US 2013/0159620 A1 · STORAGE SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING MEMORY IN STORAGE SYSTEM

Abstract

According to a storage system of a prior art adopting a cluster structure, various types of large-capacity memories were arranged to enhance the access performance, so that the system required a dedicated control circuit, and there was difficulty in realizing cost reduction and improvement of access performance simultaneously. In order to solve the problems, the present invention provides a storage system in which a group of memories is integrated to MPU memories directly coupled to MPUs in respective controller units, wherein each MPU memory is divided into a duplication information area and a non-duplication information area, and attribute information for controlling accesses thereto are provided. Further, each duplication information area is provided with a double master information area capable of referring to a first memory and a second memory and a single master information area capable of referring only to either the first memory or the second memory, and the accesses thereto are performed based on the attribute information.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A storage system comprising:

a first controller having a first processor and a first memory coupled to the first processor and having a local area for storing information accessible only from the first processor and a shared memory area having a first area and a second area;
a second controller having a second processor and a second memory coupled to the first processor and having a local area for storing information accessible only from the second processor and a shared memory area having a first area and a second area;
wherein
the first memory is coupled to the second processor;
the second memory is coupled to the first processor;
the first processor or the second processor performs duplex writing of a first control information to the first area of the first and second memories, the duplicated first control information capable of being read from both the first processor and the second processor;
and
the first processor or the second processor performs duplex writing of a second control information to the second area of the first and second memories, wherein only one of the duplicated second control information is permitted to be read from both the first processor and the second processor.

5 more elements

A method for controlling a storage system, the storage system comprising:

a first controller having a first processor and a first memory having a local area for storing information accessible only from the first processor and a shared memory area having a first area and a second area;
and
a second controller having a second processor and a second memory having a local area for storing information accessible only from the second processor and a shared memory area having a first area and a second area;
wherein the method comprises:
performing duplex writing of a first control information to the first area of the first and second memories by the first processor or the second processor;
reading either one of the duplicated first control information from both the first processor and the second processor;
performing duplex writing of a second control information to the second area of the first and second memories by the first processor or the second processor;
and
reading only one of the duplicated second control information determined in advance from the first processor or the second processor.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Storage system and method for controlling memory in storage system

Life of this patent

Storage system and method for controlling memory in storage system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims15