US 7,461,245 B2 · Storage subsystem and storage controller

Abstract

A storage subsystem and a storage controller adapted to take advantage of high data transfer rates of fiber channels while offering enhanced reliability and availability and capable of connecting with a plurality of host computers having multiple different interfaces. A loop is provided to serve as a common loop channel having fiber channel interfaces. Host interface controllers (HIFC) connected to host computers having different interfaces permit conversion between the fiber channel interface and a different interface as needed. Control processors, shared by the host interface controllers, each reference FCAL (fiber channel arbitrated loop) management information to capture a frame having an address of the processor in question from among the frames passing through the loop. I/O processing is then carried out by the controller in accordance with a range of logical unit numbers (LUN) set in the captured frame.

Claims8

Dependent claims

A storage controller for controlling transfer of input/output data to/from a plurality of storage devices in response to input/output requests received from a plurality of host computers, said storage controller comprising:

a plurality of first interface circuits, each of which is to be coupled to one of said host computers, for receiving said input/output requests from said host computers;
at least one control processor which processes said input/output requests to read data from or write data to said storage devices;
a plurality of second interface circuits, each of which is to be coupled to said control processor and each of said storage devices;
and
a first fibre channel loop for transmitting data between said first interface circuits and said control processor,
wherein said plurality of second interface circuits are each coupled to said storage devices via one of a plurality of second fibre channel loops, each of said second fibre channel loops forms a transmission path, between said second interface circuits and said storage devices, different from the transmission path between each of the other second interface circuit and the storage devices.

3 more elements

a plurality of interface circuits, each of which is to be coupled to one of said host computers;
at least one control processor which processes said input/output requests to read data from or write data to said storage devices;
a fibre channel loop interposed between said interface circuits and said control processor so as to serve as a channel through which data is transferred therebetween;
and
a plurality of fibre channel interfaces, each of which is interposed between said control processor and said storage devices so as to serve as a channel through which read/write data is transferred therebetween,
wherein each fibre channel interface forms a looped transmission path, between the control processor and the storage devices, different from the other looped transmission paths between the control processor and the storage devices,
wherein said looped transmission path is a Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop (FC-AL).

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Storage subsystem and storage controller

Life of this patent

Storage subsystem and storage controller

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims8