Input/ouput controller providing preventive maintenance information regarding a spare I/O unit

An I/O controller coupled to a master unit issuing a command, said I/O controller comprising:

• a plurality of logical devices being subordinate units, each of said logical devices comprising a plurality of data disk drives, a parity disk drive and a spare disk drive;
• a subordinate unit interface controller connected to said plurality of logical devices;
• a channel interface controller receiving said command issued from said master unit to one of the plurality of logical devices;
• a synchronous rotation controller putting said plurality of data disk drives, said parity disk drive and said spare disk drive under synchronous rotation control, via said subordinate unit interface controller;
• an operation controller controlling a read and write operation on said disk drives based on said command input from said master unit via said channel interface controller, said operation controller controlling said data disk drives and said parity disk drive if said data disk drives and said parity disk drive are normal and are found to contain no hard error or read error, and controlling at least one of other normal data disk drives and said parity disk drive and said spare disk drive if an error is found;
• a decision controller deciding normality of operation of one of said data disk drives, said parity disk drive and said spare disk drive belonging to said one of said plurality of logical devices if said operation controller is not processing a command input from said master unit via said channel interface controller;
• and
• an information storage register, operatively connected to said decision controller, temporarily storing information about an abnormality if said decision controller outputs a decision of the abnormality.

An I/O controller coupled to a master unit outputting a command, said I/O controller comprising:

• a subordinate unit interface controller;
• a plurality of logical devices connected to said subordinate unit interface controller as subordinate units, one logical device comprising a plurality of data disk drives, one parity disk drive, and one spare disk drive;
• a channel interface controller, operatively connected to said master unit and said plurality of logical devices, receiving the command output from said master unit to one of said plurality of logical devices;
• a synchronous rotation controller, operatively connected to said plurality of logical devices, and said subordinate unit interface controller, controlling synchronous rotation of said plurality of data disk drives, said parity disk drive and said spare disk drive via said subordinate unit interface controller;
• an operation controller controlling a read and write operation on said disk drives based on the command input from said master unit via said channel interface controller, said operation controller controlling said data disk drives and said parity disk drive if said data disk drives and said parity disk drive are normal and are found to contain no hard error or read error, and controlling normal ones of said data disk drives and said parity disk drive as well as said spare disk drive if an error is found;
• and
• power supply means for supplying power to each one of said data disk drives, said parity disk drive and said spare disk drive, belonging to said one of the plurality of logical devices and for continuously maintaining each of said disk drives at ready status.

An I/O controller coupled to a master unit outputting a command, said I/O controller comprising:

• subordinate units;
• a plurality of logical devices connected to said subordinate units, each one of said plurality of logical devices comprising a plurality of data disk drives, one parity disk drive, and one spare disk drive;
• a subordinate unit interface controller operatively connected to said plurality of logical devices;
• a channel interface controller, operatively connected to said master unit, receiving said command output from said master unit to one of the plurality of logical devices;
• a synchronous rotation controller, operatively connected between said channel interface controller and said plurality of logical devices, putting said parity disk drive and said spare disk drive under synchronous rotation control via said subordinate unit interface controller;
• an operation controller, operatively connected between said channel interface controller and said subordinate interface controller, controlling a read and write operation on said disk drives based on a command input from said master unit via said channel interface controller, said operation controller controlling said data disk drives and said parity disk drive if said data disk drives and said parity disk drive are normal and are found to contain no hard error or read error, and controlling normal ones of said data disk drives and said parity disk drive as well as said spare disk drive if an error is found;
• a decision controller, operatively connected between said channel interface controller and said subordinate unit interface controller, deciding normality of operation of one of said data disk drives, said parity disk drive and said spare disk drive belonging to said one of said logical devices if said operation controller is not processing a command input from said master unit via said channel interface controller;
• power supply means for supplying power to each one of said data disk drives, said parity disk drive and said spare disk drive, belonging to said one of the plurality of logical devices, and for always maintaining each said disk drive at ready status;
• and
• an information storage register, operatively connected to said decision controller and said operation controller, temporarily storing information about an abnormality if a decision of abnormality is output by said decision controller.

An array storage system receiving a command issued from a master unit and comprising:

• a plurality of data storage devices;
• a parity data storage device;
• a spare data storage device;
• a subordinate unit interface controller connected to said plurality of data storage devices, said parity data storage device, and said spare data storage device;
• a channel interface controller receiving the command;
• an operation controller controlling a read and write operation on said data storage devices based on the command input from the master unit via said channel interface controller, said operation controller controlling said plurality of data storage devices and said parity data storage device if said plurality of data storage devices and said parity data storage device are normal and are found to contain no hard error or read error, and controlling normal ones of said data storage devices and said parity data storage device as well as said spare data storage if an error is found;
• and
• power supply means for supplying power to each of said plurality of data storage devices, said parity data storage device and said spare data storage device, and for maintaining each disk drive in ready status.

An array storage system receiving a command issued from a master unit and comprising:

• a plurality of data storage devices;
• a parity data storage device;
• a spare data storage device;
• a subordinate unit interface controller connected to said plurality of data storage devices, said parity data storage device, and said spare data storage device;
• a channel interface controller receiving the command;
• an operation controller controlling a read and write operation on said data storage devices based on the command input from the master unit via said channel interface controller, said operation controller controlling said plurality of data storage devices and said parity data storage device if said plurality of data storage devices and said parity data storage device are normal and are found to contain no hard error or read error, and controlling normal ones of said data storage devices and said parity data storage as well as said spare data storage if an error is found;
• and
• means for carrying out a patrol seek operation if said operation controller is not processing the command input from the master unit via said channel interface controller.

An array storage system receiving a command from a master unit and comprising;

• a plurality of data storage devices;
• a parity data storage device;
• a spare data storage device;
• a subordinate unit interface controller connected to said plurality of data storage devices, said parity data storage device, and said spare data storage device;
• a channel interface controller receiving the command;
• an operation controller controlling a read and write operation on said data storage devices based on the command input from the master unit via said channel interface controller, said operation controller controlling said plurality of data storage devices and said parity data storage device if said plurality of data storage devices and said parity data storage device are normal and are found to contain no hard error or read error, and controlling normal ones of said data storage devices and said parity data storage as well as said spare data storage device if an error is found;
• and
• means for carrying out one of a read operation and a write operation to said spare data storage device if said operation controller controls the one of the read operation and the write operation by using said plurality of data storage devices and said parity data storage device.

An I/O controller coupled to a master unit outputting a command, said I/O controller comprising:

• a subordinate interface controller;
• a plurality of logical devices connected to said subordinate interface controller as subordinate units, one logical device comprising a plurality of data disk drives and one spare disk drive, at least one of the plurality of data disk drives storing parity data;
• a channel interface controller, operatively connected to said master unit and said plurality of logical devices, receiving the command output from said master unit to one of said plurality of logical devices;
• a synchronous rotation controller, operatively connected to said plurality of logical devices, and said subordinate unit interface controller, controlling synchronous rotation of said plurality of data disk drives and said spare disk drive via said subordinate unit interface controller;
• an operation controller controlling a read and write operation on said disk drives based on the command input from said master unit via said channel interface controller, said operation controller controlling said data disk drives, including the at least one of the plurality of data disk drives storing parity data if said data disk drives, including the at least one of the plurality of data disk drives storing parity data are normal and are found to contain no hard error or read error, and controlling normal ones of said plurality of data disk drives, including the at least one of said data disk drives storing parity data as well as said spare disk drive if an error is found;
• and
• power supply means for supplying power to each one of said data disk drives, including the at least one of said data disk drives storing parity data, and said spare disk drive, belonging to said one of the plurality of logical devices and for continuously maintaining each of said disk drives at ready status.

An I/O controller coupled to a master unit issuing a command, said I/O controller comprising:

• a plurality of logical devices being subordinate units, each of said logical devices comprising a plurality of data disk drives and a spare disk drive, at least one of the plurality of data disk drives storing parity data;
• a subordinate unit interface controller connected to said plurality of logical devices;
• a channel interface controller receiving said command issued from said master unit to one of the plurality of logical devices;
• a synchronous rotation controller putting said plurality of data disk drives and said spare disk drive under synchronous rotation control, via said subordinate unit interface controller;
• an operation controller controlling a read and write operation on said disk drives based on said command input from said master unit via said channel interface controller, said operation controller controlling said data disk drives, including the at least one of the plurality of data disk drives storing parity data, if said data disk drives, including the at least one of the data disk drives storing parity data, are normal and are found to contain no hard error or read error, and controlling at least one of normal ones of said plurality of data disk drives, including the at least one of the plurality of data disk drives storing parity data, as well as said spare disk drive if an error is found;
• a decision controller deciding normality of operation of one of said data disk drives, including said at least one of the plurality of data disk drives storing parity data, and said spare disk drive belonging to said one of the plurality of logical devices if said operation controller is not processing a command input from said master unit via said channel interface controller;
• and
• an information storage register, operatively connected to said decision controller, temporarily storing information about an abnormality if said decision controller outputs a decision of the abnormality.

An array storage system receiving a command from a master unit and comprising:

• a plurality of data storage devices, at least one of the plurality of data storage devices storing parity data;
• a spare data storage device;
• a subordinate unit interface controller connected to said plurality of data storage devices and said spare data storage device;
• a channel interface controller receiving the command;
• an operation controller controlling a read and write operation on said data storage devices based on the command input from the master unit via said channel interface controller, said operation controller controlling said plurality of data storage devices, including the at least one of the plurality of data storage devices storing parity data, if said plurality of data storage devices, including the at least one of the plurality of data storage devices storing parity data, are normal and are found to contain no hard error or read error, and controlling normal ones of said plurality of data storage devices, including the at least one of the plurality of data storage devices storing parity data, as well as said spare data storage device if an error is found;
• and
• means for carrying out one of a read operation and a write operation to said spare data storage device if said operation controller controls the one of the read operation and the write operation by using said plurality of data storage devices.

An I/O controller coupled to a master unit outputting a command, said I/O controller comprising:

• subordinate units;
• a plurality of logical devices connected to said subordinate units, each one of said plurality of logical devices comprising;
• a plurality of data disk drives, and
• one spare disk drive, wherein at least one of the plurality of data disk drives storing parity data;
• a subordinate unit interface controller operatively connected to said plurality of logical devices;
• a channel interface controller, operatively connected to said master unit, receiving said command output from said master unit to one of the plurality of logical devices;
• a synchronous rotation controller, operatively connected between said channel interface controller and said plurality of logical devices, putting said at least one of the plurality of data disk drives storing parity data and said spare disk drive under synchronous rotation control via said subordinate unit interface controller;
• an operation controller, operatively connected between said channel interface controller and said subordinate interface controller, controlling a read and write operation on said disk drives based on a command input from said master unit via said channel interface controller, said operation controller controlling said data disk drives, including said at least one of the plurality of data disk drives storing parity data, if said data disk drives, including said at least one of the data disk drives storing parity data, are normal and are found to contain no hard error or read error, and controlling normal ones of said plurality of data disk drives, including the at least one of said data disk drives storing parity data as well as said spare disk drive if an error is found;
• a decision controller, operatively connected between said channel interface controller and said subordinate unit interface controller, deciding normality of operation of one of said data disk drives, including said at least one of the plurality of data disk drives storing parity data, and said spare disk drive belonging to said one of said plurality of logical devices if said operation controller is not processing a command input from said master unit via said channel interface controller;
• power supply means for supplying power to each one of said data disk drives, including said at least one of said data disk drives storing parity data, and said spare disk drive, belonging to said one of said plurality of logical devices, and for always maintaining each said disk drive at ready status;
• and
• an information storage register, operatively connected to said decision controller and said operation controller, temporarily storing information about an abnormality if a decision of abnormality is output by said decision controller.

An array storage system receiving a command issued from a master unit and comprising:

• a plurality of data storage devices, at least one of the plurality of data storage devices storing parity data;
• a spare data storage device;
• a subordinate unit interface controller connected to said plurality of data storage devices and said spare data storage device;
• a channel interface controller receiving the command;
• an operation controller controlling a read and write operation on said data storage devices based on the command input from the master unit via said channel interface controller, said operation controller controlling said plurality of data storage devices if said plurality of data storage devices, including the at least one of the plurality of data storage devices storing parity data, are normal and are found to contain no hard error or read error, and controlling normal ones of said plurality of data storage devices, including the at least one of the plurality of data storage devices storing parity data, as well as said spare data storage if an error is found;
• and
• power supply means for supplying power to each of said plurality of data storage devices and said spare data storage device, and for maintaining each disk drive in ready status.

An array storage system receiving a command issued from a master unit and comprising:

• a plurality of data storage devices, at least one of the plurality of data storage devices storing parity data;
• a spare data storage device;
• a subordinate unit interface controller connected to said plurality of data storage devices and said spare data storage device;
• a channel interface controller receiving the command;
• an operation controller controlling a read and write operation on said data storage devices based on the command input from the master unit via said channel interface controller, said operation controller controlling said plurality of data storage devices, including the at least one of the plurality of data storage devices storing parity data, if said plurality of data storage devices, including the at least one of the plurality of data storage devices storing parity data, are normal and are found to contain no hard error or read error, and controlling normal ones of said plurality of data storage devices, including the at least one of the plurality of data storage devices storing parity data, as well as said spare data storage if an error is found;
• and
• means for carrying out a patrol seek operation if said operation controller is not processing the command input from the master unit via said channel interface controller.