Storage subsystem having plural storage systems and storage selector for selecting one of the storage systems to process an access request
AssigneeHitachi, Ltd.
InventorsKiyoshi Honda, Masatoshi Nishina
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A storage subsystem of a control type holding redundant data wherein an access request from an upper-level device on a file basis is processed cooperatively by a plurality of storage systems forming the storage subsystem. To this end, each of the storage systems forming the storage subsystem has an element for processing the access request from the upper-level device on a file basis and updating the redundant data involved by the access request. Further, the storage system has an element for holding positional information on a recording medium for each file to be stored in its own and access history information, and rearranging storage areas under arbitrary conditions.
Claims24
A storage subsystem including a storage controller and a plurality of storage systems, said storage controller comprising:
- a storage selector for selecting one of the storage systems which processes an access request of a file unit received from an external device;
- and
- a unit for transmitting said access request of the file unit to the storage system selected by said storage selector,
- said storage system comprising:
- a main controller for controlling said storage system;
- and
- a media section for storing data therein,
- wherein said main controller analyzes said received access request of the file unit and executes operation according to said analysis;
- wherein, when said access request is a read request of data stored in said media section, said main controller converts the data of a block unit stored in said media section into data of a file unit and outputs the file unit data to said storage controller;
- and
- wherein, when said access request is a writing request of data received from said external device, said main controller converts data of a file unit received from said external device into data of a block unit and stores the block unit data in said media section.
A storage subsystem including a storage controller and a plurality of storage systems, said storage controller comprising:
- a storage selector for selecting one of the storage systems which processes an access request of a file unit received from an external device;
- and
- a unit for transmitting said access request of the file unit to the storage system selected by said storage selector,
- said storage system comprising:
- a main controller for controlling said storage system;
- and
- a media section for storing data therein,
- wherein said main controller analyzes said received access request of the file unit and executes operation according to said analysis;
- wherein, when an access request of a file unit was issued to the storage system where a fault took place, said storage controller has means for detecting said faulty storage system using said storage selector management information and means for transmitting said access request to the storage system having redundant data of said faulty storage system, and wherein said main controller in the storage system having said redundant data has means for transmitting data corresponding to the file to be accessed to the other storage system forming said storage subsystem according to said access request to the storage system having said redundant data, means for restoring the data as the target of the access stored in said faulty storage system using said transmitted data and said redundant data possessed by the storage system having the redundant data, and means for shaping said restored data into said data of the file unit.
A storage subsystem connected to an external device and having a plurality of storage systems, each of said plurality of storage systems comprising:
- a main controller for controlling said storage system;
- and
- a media section for storing data therein, wherein at least one of said plurality of storage systems comprises a storage selector for selecting one of the storage systems to process an access request of a file unit received from said external device and transmitting said access request of the file unit to the selected storage systems, and said main controller analyzes said access request received and executes operation based on said analysis;
- and
- wherein said main controller includes:
- means for judging whether said access request is a read request of the data stored in said media section or a write request of the data transmitted from said external device;
- means, when said judgment means judges that said access request is a read request, for shaping the block unit data stored in said media section into data of a file unit;
- and
- means, when said main controller judges that said access request is a write request, for shaping the data of the file unit received from said upper-level device into data of a block unit.
A storage system comprising:
- an interface for communicating with an external device;
- a media section for storing data on a block basis;
- media control for controlling an access to said media section;
- and
- main controller for analyzing an access request of a file unit received from said external device via said interface, converting it to block unit processing and accessing said media section under control of said media control.
A storage system comprising:
- an interface for communicating with an external device;
- a media section for storing data therein;
- a media control for controlling an access to said media section;
- a judger for judging whether or not the storage system for processing an access request of a file unit received from the external device via said interface is its own storage system;
- and
- a main controller for analyzing said access request of the file unit to be processed by its own storage system and accessing said media section under control of said media control.
A storage subsystem connected to an external device and including a storage system with a set of two storage devices both having identical data stored therein, wherein said storage system comprising:
- a storage selector for selecting the storage system to which an access request of a file unit received from said external device is to be transmitted;
- a main controller for controlling said storage system;
- a media section for storing data;
- means for transmitting said access request to the storage system selected by said storage selector;
- means for analyzing said transmitted access request by said main controller;
- and
- means for executing operation based on said access request according to said analysis result.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.