RAID apparatus, RAID control method, and RAID control program

A RAID control method that at least duplicates identical data to store thus duplicated data, comprising:

• a step that, when an instruction of writing data is given from a host computer, writes data to a local cache of a first cache unit being one of a plurality of cache units each of which has a local cache and a mirror cache and to a mirror cache of a second cache unit being one of the cache units other than the first cache unit;
• a step that writes data of the local cache of the first cache unit to a first area of a disk unit;
• a step that writes data of the mirror cache of the second cache unit to a second area of the disk unit;
• and
• a step that, when an instruction of reading out data is given from the host computer, and data specified by the instruction is retained in the local cache and mirror cache units, the control unit judges whether or not data specified by the instruction in the local cache of the first cache unit and data specified by the instruction in the mirror cache of the second cache unit are valid based on an error detection code to output the valid data;
• a step that, when the instruction of reading out data is given from the host computer, and data specified by the instruction is not retained in the local cache and mirror cache units, the control unit judges whether or not data specified by the instruction in the first area is valid based on an error detection code, and stores the judgment that the data specified by the instruction in the first area is invalid when the specified data in the first area is invalid to make a response of abnormal termination to outside, and when a second instruction of reading out data is given from the host computer, the control unit outputs data specified by the second instruction in the second area.

A computer readable medium storing a RAID control program that makes a computer carry out a RAID control method that at least duplicates identical data to store thus duplicated data, the RAID control method comprising:

• a step that, when an instruction of writing data is given from a host computer, writes data to a local cache of a first cache unit being one of a plurality of cache units each of which has a local cache and a mirror cache and to a mirror cache of a second cache unit being one of the cache units other than the first cache unit;
• a step that writes data of the local cache of the first cache unit to a first area of a disk unit;
• a step that writes data of the mirror cache of the second cache unit to a second area of the disk unit;
• and
• a step that, when an instruction of reading out data is given from the host computer, and data specified by the instruction is retained in the local cache and mirror cache units, the control unit judges whether or not data specified by the instruction in the local cache of the first cache unit and data specified by the instruction in the mirror cache of the second cache unit are valid based on an error detection code to output the valid data;
• a step that, when the instruction of reading out data is given from the host computer, and data specified by the instruction is not retained in the local cache and mirror cache units, the control unit judges whether or not data specified by the instruction in the first area is valid based on an error detection code, and stores the judgment that the data specified by the instruction in the first area is invalid when the specified data in the first area is invalid to make a response of abnormal termination to outside, and when a second instruction of reading out data is given from the host computer, the control unit outputs data specified by the second instruction in the second area.

A RAID apparatus that at least duplicates identical data to store thus duplicated data, comprising:

• at least one disk unit that stores the data;
• a plurality of cache units, both of which has a local cache and a mirror cache to transiently store data;
• a control unit that, when an instruction of writing data is given from a host computer, writes data to a local cache of a first cache unit being one of the plural cache units and to a mirror cache of a second cache unit being one of the cache units other than the first cache unit, writes data of the local cache of the first cache unit to a first area of the disk unit and writes data of the mirror cache of the second cache unit to a second area other than the first area by using a different path;
• wherein
• when an instruction of reading out data is given from the host computer, and data specified by the instruction is retained in the local cache and mirror cache units, the control unit judges whether or not data specified by the instruction in the local cache of the first cache unit and data specified by the instruction in the mirror cache of the second cache unit are valid based on an error detection code to output the valid data;
• when an instruction of reading out data is given from the host computer, and specified data is not retained in the cache units, the control unit reads out specified data from the first area and judges whether specified data in the first area is invalid or not based on an error detection code, if specified data in the first area is invalid, reads out specified data from the second area to output valid data.