US 8,572,430 B2Granted

Storage apparatus and method of cooling storage apparatus

AssigneeHitachi, Ltd.

InventorsToshikatsu Nakamura, Mitsuhide Sato, Nobuhiro Yokoyama

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Abstract

Provided is a storage apparatus for providing a logical storage area as a data storage area to an external apparatus, comprising: a physical storage medium for creating the logical storage area; first and second storage control modules each of which is communicatively coupled to the physical storage medium to control data input/output processing between the external apparatus and the logical storage area; and first and second power supply modules each of which supplies power to the physical storage medium and the first and second storage control modules and includes a blower for generating a cooling airflow to cool down the physical storage medium and the first and second storage control modules, wherein the blower of the first power supply module generates a first cooling airflow which flows through the physical storage medium, the first storage control module, and the first power supply module, the blower of the second power supply module generates a second cooling airflow which flows through the physical storage medium, the second storage control module, and the second power supply module, and in a case where the first power supply module is removed from the storage apparatus, the blower of the second power supply module generates a third cooling airflow which flows through the physical storage medium, the first storage control module, and the second power supply module as a replacement for the first cooling airflow.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A storage apparatus for providing a logical storage area as a data storage area to an external apparatus, comprising:

a physical storage medium for creating the logical storage area;
first and second storage control modules each of which is communicatively coupled to the physical storage medium to control data input/output processing between the external apparatus and the logical storage area;
and
first and second power supply modules each of which supplies power to the physical storage medium and the first and second storage control modules and includes a blower for generating a cooling airflow to cool down the physical storage medium and the first and second storage control modules, wherein
the blower of the first power supply module generates a first cooling airflow which flows through the physical storage medium, the first storage control module, and the first power supply module,
the blower of the second power supply module generates a second cooling airflow which flows through the physical storage medium, the second storage control module, and the second power supply module, and
in a case where the first power supply module is removed from the storage apparatus, the blower of the second power supply module generates a third cooling airflow which flows through the physical storage medium, the first storage control module, and the second power supply module as a replacement for the first cooling airflow,
wherein:
a first vent is provided on a first partitioning plate between the first storage control module and the second storage control module,
a second vent is provided on a second partitioning plate between the first storage control module and the first power supply module, wherein the second vent is provided with a shutter for opening and closing the second vent,
a third vent is provided on a third partitioning plate between the second storage control module and the second power supply module, and
the path of the first cooling airflow changes to the path of the third cooling airflow by closing the second vent by the shutter.

9 more elements

A method of cooling a storage apparatus including, for providing a logical storage area as a data storage area to an external apparatus,

a physical storage medium for creating the logical storage area,
first and second storage control modules each of which is communicatively coupled to the physical storage medium to control data input/output processing between the external apparatus and the logical storage area, and
first and second power supply modules each of which supplies power to the physical storage medium and the first and second storage control modules and includes a blower for generating a cooling airflow to cool down the physical storage medium and the first and second storage control modules,
the method comprising:
causing the blower of the first power supply module to generate a first cooling airflow which flows through the physical storage medium, the first storage control module, and the first power supply module;
causing the blower of the second power supply module to generate a second cooling airflow which flows through the physical storage medium, the second storage control module, and the second power supply module;
and
in a case where the first power supply module is removed from the storage apparatus, causing the blower of the second power supply module to generate a third cooling airflow which flows through the physical storage medium, the first storage control module, and the second power supply module as a replacement for the first cooling airflow,
wherein:
a first vent is provided on a first partitioning plate between the first storage control module and the second storage control module,
a second vent is provided on a second partitioning plate between the first storage control module and the first power supply module, wherein the second vent is provided with a shutter for opening and closing the second vent,
a third vent is provided on a third partitioning plate between the second storage control module and the second power supply module, and
the path of the first cooling airflow changes to the path of the third cooling airflow by closing the second vent by the shutter.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/381,041Filed 24 Nov 2011
Published: US 2013/0139000 A130 May 2013
Granted: 29 Oct 2013
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

G11B 33/142
By fluid cooling: by air cooling
H05K 7/20727
Forced ventilation of a gaseous coolant: within server blades for removing heat from heat source
G06F 3/0614
Specifically adapted to achieve a particular effect: improving the reliability of storage systems
G06F 3/0658
Vertical data movement, i.e. input-output transfer; data movement between one or more hosts and one or more storage devices: controller…