JP2009187450A - Disk array system, disk array control method, and disk array control program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a disk array system reducing power consumption of the whole system while maintaining the mirroring configuration of a disk, and a disk array control method and a program. <P>SOLUTION: When the power consumption of the system increases exceeding a specified value based on measurement data of a power consumption monitoring means 4, a power supply control means 2b in a disk controller 2 stops power supply to the disk 5 (or 6) on one side in the mirroring configuration to stop rotating operation, and a data access control means 2a substitutes data writing to a nonvolatile memory 3 for data writing to the disk 5 (or 6) during the stop of the disk 5 (or 6). <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a disk array system including a plurality of disks, a disk array control method, and a disk array control program.

  In a disk array system, mirroring (duplication) for writing the same data to a plurality of disks may be performed in order to improve reliability. In this mirroring configuration, processing is performed in which data having the same content is written to a plurality of disks and necessary data is read from any one of the disks.

  As described above, in the conventional disk array system, in order to maintain such a redundant configuration of disks and improve reliability, it is necessary to read / write data of the same capacity to two disks. In this case, a plurality of disks must be operated at all times, and the power consumption increases approximately twice as compared with the configuration of one disk, resulting in an increase in running cost.

  In view of this, in disk array systems, low power consumption is widely required, and related techniques are disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 4.

  The technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 aims to improve power consumption efficiency without degrading the performance of the disk array system. The power of some of the disks included in the disk array system is reduced according to the load state. Stopped. However, in the technique of Patent Document 1, when the RAID configuration of the disk array system is not specified and data striping is performed, each data is distributed and stored on a plurality of disks. However, it is actually difficult to stop the power of some disks. In a server or the like, disk devices are frequently accessed, so it is actually difficult to stop the power of some disks according to the load state.

  On the other hand, the related techniques disclosed in Patent Documents 2 to 4 reduce the power consumption of the entire system by using a nonvolatile memory such as a flash memory that consumes less power than a rotating disk. ing.

  A related technique disclosed in Patent Document 2 is a storage device using a nonvolatile memory and a control method thereof. The storage device described in Patent Document 2 includes a host device, a host I / F, a disk controller, a disk I / F, a disk, and a flash memory (nonvolatile memory). The disk controller is configured to use the flash memory as a disk cache for the write data from the disk. In the storage device disclosed in Patent Document 1, the state determination unit in the disk controller comprehensively determines the surrounding requirements and determines the write destination. For example, immediately after the power of the device is turned on, if the disk has not reached the specified number of revolutions or is in a stopped state, the flash memory is written, the flash memory write count and the erase count are flash Write to disk if memory is nearing end of life.

  As described above, the storage device described in Patent Document 2 uses write data stored in a hard disk when the hard disk is rotating for the purpose of low power consumption, high-speed writing / reading, and long life of a flash memory that is a semiconductor memory. The write data is sent to the flash memory when it is not rotating.

  The related technology disclosed in Patent Document 3 uses a non-volatile memory constantly like a disk cache memory, thereby stopping power to the disk while the disk is not being accessed, thereby reducing power consumption. .

  The related art disclosed in Patent Document 4 aims to reduce power consumption and improve performance by a configuration in which data is read from and written to either a nonvolatile memory or a RAID disk. Similarly to the technique of Patent Document 3 described above, the nonvolatile memory is always used in the same manner as the disk cache memory, so that power to the disk is stopped while the disk is not being accessed.

JP 2002-297320 A JP 2007-193440 A JP 2005-190187 A JP 2002-115232 A

  However, the non-volatile memory can be accessed at high speed because there is no seek time compared to the disk device, and the power consumption is small, but the price per unit memory capacity is high, so it has a large capacity compared to the disk. There are problems that it is difficult, and that the number of times of writing is limited and there is a lifetime.

  In addition, since the techniques disclosed in Patent Documents 2 and 3 are not disclosed for data redundancy, for example, when a nonvolatile memory used as a disk cache memory fails and cannot read data, Data before writing to the disc could be lost.

  The technology disclosed in Patent Document 4 considers access management and replacement for the lifetime of the nonvolatile memory, and also ensures data redundancy by adopting RAID. Considering reliability. However, since the nonvolatile memory is used as the disk cache memory, it is impossible to cope with the case where the nonvolatile memory fails and data cannot be read, and there is a possibility that the data before being written to the disk is lost.

[the purpose]
Therefore, the present invention provides a disk array system, a disk array control method, and a program that improve the above-described problems of the prior art and realize reduction of power consumption of the entire system while maintaining a disk mirroring configuration. For that purpose.

  In order to achieve the above object, the disk array system of the present invention includes a plurality of disks, an upper subsystem that requests data writing to or reading from each disk, and two data write requests from the upper subsystem. The data access control means for writing the same data to one disk and constructing a duplex configuration of the disks, and the power supply control means for controlling the supply and stop of power to each disk, as well as the rewriting of stored data A non-volatile memory capable of being provided in the data access control means, the power supply control means has a function of stopping power supply to one disk in the duplex configuration, and the data access control means is in the duplex configuration In response to a data write request when one disk is stopped, the other disk and non-volatile memory Characterized by comprising a function of writing the same data to the Li.

  In addition, the disk array control method of the present invention includes a power consumption monitoring step for continuously measuring the overall power consumption of a disk array system including a plurality of disks having a duplex configuration, and also monitors the power consumption. A disk drive limiting step for stopping power supply to one of the disks in the duplex configuration when the measured value in the process exceeds a preset specified value, and writing data to the stopped one of the disks A write setting switching step for setting to write to the non-volatile memory, and a simultaneous writing step for writing the same data to the other disk and the non-volatile memory while one of the disks is stopped. Features.

  Furthermore, the disk array control program of the present invention is a disk array system comprising a plurality of disks and a higher-order subsystem that requests data writing or reading to each disk. A disk duplex control function for writing the same data as a set of two disks to construct a disk duplex configuration, and a measurement value by a power consumption monitoring means for continuously measuring the power consumption of the entire disk array system A disk drive limiting function that stops power supply to one disk in a duplex configuration when a preset predetermined value is exceeded, and the other disk when one disk in a duplex configuration is stopped Let the computer execute the simultaneous write control function to write the same data to the non-volatile memory It is characterized in.

  Since the present invention is configured and functions as described above, in this manner, in the disk array system, power supply to one disk in the mirroring configuration is stopped, and data writing to the disk in the stopped state is performed to the nonvolatile memory. Since the replacement is performed by writing, the disk mirroring configuration can be maintained while reducing the power consumption of the entire system, and the power supplied to the system can be stabilized while maintaining reliability.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the disk array system 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the disk controller 2 according to the first embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the disk array system 10 of the first embodiment includes a disk 5 and a disk 6 that are hard disks for storing data, and a host that outputs a data write or read request to the disk 5 and the disk 6. The storage system includes a subsystem 1 and a disk controller 2 that writes data to or reads data from the disk 5 and the disk 6 in response to a request from the host subsystem 1 and controls power supply to the disk 5 and the disk 6. A non-volatile memory 3 such as a rewritable flash memory and a power consumption monitoring means 4 for continuously measuring the power consumption of the entire system are provided together with the disk controller 2.

  The upper subsystem 1 is a computer including a CPU, a memory, an IO Control Hub, and the like, and requests the disk controller 12 to write or read data to and from the disks 5 and 6.

  The power consumption monitoring means 4 is the power consumption of the entire system such as the power consumed according to the CPU load of the upper subsystem 1, the power consumed by the disk controller 2, and the power supplied to the disk 5 and the disk 6. A function of continuously measuring in time is provided. For example, a power meter installed in a power source is provided, and power consumption is measured at regular intervals. The power consumption monitoring unit 4 notifies the disk controller 2 that the power consumption has exceeded when the power consumption of the entire disk array system 10 exceeds a predetermined value (threshold value) set in advance. A function is provided for notifying the disk controller 2 of a decrease in power consumption when the value falls below this specified value.

  FIG. 3 is a graph showing an example of a temporal change in the measurement result by the power consumption monitoring unit 4. In the case of the measurement result as shown in FIG. 3, the power consumption monitoring unit 4 notifies the disk controller 2 that power consumption has been exceeded at time A, and notifies the disk controller 2 that power consumption has decreased at time B.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the disk controller 1 in the first embodiment performs data access in which a pair of two disks 5 and 6 is written and the same data is written to construct a dual disk (mirroring) configuration. Control means 2a and power supply control means 2b for controlling the supply and stop of power to the disk 5 and the disk 6 based on the measurement result by the power consumption monitoring means 4 are provided.

  Further, the power supply control means 2b has a function of stopping power supply to one disk 5 (or 6) in the duplex configuration when the measured value by the power consumption monitoring means 4 exceeds a preset specified value. The data access control means 2a includes the other disk 6 (or 5) and the non-volatile memory 3 in response to a data write request when one of the disks 5 (or 6) in the duplex configuration is in a stopped state. Have the function of writing the same data.

  The power supply control means 2b has a function of receiving notification of power consumption excess or power consumption reduction from the power consumption monitoring means 4, and when receiving the power consumption excess notice, one of the disks 5 (or 6) in the mirroring configuration. ) Is stopped, and the rotation operation of the disk 5 (or 6) is stopped. Thereby, when the power consumption of the system is exceeded, the power consumption can be reduced.

  Further, the power supply control means 2b has a function of starting the operation of the disk 5 (or 6) in a stopped state when receiving a notification of power consumption reduction from the power consumption monitoring means 4, and one of the disks 5 (or 6). When a failure is detected in the other disk 6 (or 5) by the data access control means 2a when is stopped, this disk 6 (or 5) is stopped and the operation of the stopped disk 5 (or 6) is performed. Starts power supply to the stopped disk 5 (or 6) when the data access control means 2a detects that the capacity of information stored in the nonvolatile memory 3 has reached the upper limit. It has the function to do.

  The data access control means 2a has a function of accepting a notice of excess power consumption or a reduction in power consumption from the power consumption monitoring means 4 via the power supply control means 2b. When the power consumption state information is set to the power excess state and a notification of power consumption reduction is received, the system power consumption state information is set to the normal state. Here, the power consumption state information of this system is configured to be held in a status flag inside the disk controller 2.

  When the data access control means 2a receives a data write or read request from the upper subsystem 1, the data access control means 2a refers to the power consumption state information. In the normal state, the same data is stored in the disks 5 and 6 for the data write request. In response to a data read request, data is read from either the disk 5 or the disk 6. By doing so, the disk controller 2 has the disk 5 and the disk 6 in a mirroring configuration.

  When the setting of the power consumption state information is an overpower state, the data access control unit 2a sets the data writing to the disk 5 (or 6) in the stopped state to be replaced with the writing to the nonvolatile memory 3. Here, the setting information on whether to write data to the disk 5 as it is to the disk 5 or to the nonvolatile memory 3 is held by a flag inside the disk controller 2. Thereby, when the setting of the power consumption state information is the power excess state, in response to the data write request, the same data is written to the other disk 6 (or 5) and the nonvolatile memory 3 in operation, and the data In response to a read request, data is read from the disk 6 (or 5), so that the mirroring configuration can be maintained while reducing power consumption.

  In addition, when the operation of the disk 5 (or 6) is started, the data access control means 2a replaces the data written in the nonvolatile memory 3 while the disk 5 (or 6) is stopped. A function of writing to the disk 5 (or 6), a function of detecting whether or not the disk 5 and the disk 6 are out of order, and a function of detecting the capacity of information stored in the nonvolatile memory 3 are provided. ing.

  As described above, in the disk array system 10 according to the first embodiment, during normal operation, the disk 5 and the disk 6 having a mirroring configuration are in an operating state, and data can be read and written at any time. The data access control means 2 a of the disk controller 2 that has received the data write request from the upper subsystem 1 writes the same data to both the disk 5 and the disk 6. As a result, the redundancy of data is maintained, and even if a trouble such as a failure occurs on one of the hard disks on either of the disk 5 and the disk 6, data can be read from the other disk, thereby reducing the risk of data loss. Has been. In response to a data read request from the upper subsystem 1, the data access control unit 2a reads data from either the hard disk 5 or the disk 6.

  When the power consumption of the entire system exceeds a predetermined value set in advance from the power measurement data obtained by the power consumption monitoring means 4, the power supply control means 2b of the disk controller 2 is connected to a hard disk on one side, for example, a disk The power supply to 5 is stopped and the rotation of the disk 5 is stopped. Thereby, the power consumption of the system can be reduced. In this state, the data access control means 2 a that has received a data write request from the upper subsystem 1 stores the write data to the stopped disk 5 in the nonvolatile memory 3. In response to a data read request from the upper subsystem 1, data is read from the disk 6.

  At this time, if the data access control means 2a detects a failure or the like of the disk 6, the power supply control means 2b stops supplying power to the disk 6, supplies power to the disk 5, and uses the disk 5 Make it ready. In addition, when the upper limit of the capacity of the nonvolatile memory 3 is reached or when the power consumption of the system becomes equal to or lower than a preset specified value, the power supply control unit 2b starts supplying power to the disk 5. When the disk 5 is ready for use, the data access control means 2a writes the write data stored in the nonvolatile memory 3 to the disk 5 and reflects it.

  As a result, the power consumption of the system can be stabilized while maintaining the disk mirroring configuration that reduces the risk of data loss. Further, the system operation in the disk mirroring configuration can be performed again in a short time without taking time for data copying again between the two hard disks.

  As described above, according to the disk array system 10 of the first embodiment, when the power consumption of the entire system temporarily increases due to an increase in CPU load or the like, the power consumption is maintained while maintaining the disk mirroring configuration. Can be reduced.

  Next, the operation of the disk array system 10 of the first embodiment will be described. Here, since the following description of the operation is an embodiment of the disk array control method of the present invention, each step of the disk array control method is shown together with a description of the corresponding operation.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the disk controller 2 when the power consumption of the entire system exceeds a specified value. First, the power consumption monitoring means 4 continuously measures the power consumption of the entire disk array system 10 (power consumption monitoring step). If the power consumption of the entire system exceeds a specified value, the power consumption A notice of excess power consumption is sent from the monitoring means 4 to the disk controller 2 (step C1 in FIG. 4). Upon receiving this notification, the power supply control means 2b stops the power supply to the disk 5 which is one side of the disk having the mirroring configuration, and safely stops the operation of the disk 5 (step C2, disk C in FIG. 4). Drive limiting step). Thereby, the power used for driving the disk can be reduced, and the power consumption of the entire system can be reduced.

  Then, the data access control means 2a switches and sets data writing to the disk 5 to the nonvolatile memory 3 (step C3 in FIG. 4, write setting switching step), and the power consumption state information of the system exceeds the power. The state is set (step C4 in FIG. 4). Here, the setting information on whether to access the disk 5 as it is to the disk 5 or to the nonvolatile memory 3 is held by a flag inside the disk controller 2. Further, the system power consumption state information is configured to be held by a status flag inside the disk controller 2. In this way, the disk controller 2 temporarily reduces the power consumption of the system. Here, in the above-described content, the disk 5 is stopped. However, the disk 6 may be stopped because it is sufficient to stop one side of the disk in the mirroring configuration.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an operation at the time of data writing of the disk controller 2 in the first embodiment.

  First, when the data access control means 2a of the disk controller 2 receives a data write request from the upper subsystem 1 (step A1 in FIG. 5), it determines whether or not the power consumption of the entire system exceeds a specified value (FIG. 5). 5 step A2). Here, the determination as to whether or not the power consumption of the entire system exceeds a specified value is made based on the status flag in the disk controller 2.

  When it is determined that the power consumption of the entire system does not exceed the specified value, the data requested to be written by the higher subsystem 1 is written to both the disk 5 and the disk 6 (step A3 in FIG. 5). ). When the data writing is completed, a processing result response is transmitted to the upper subsystem 1 (step A7 in FIG. 5).

  As a result, the same data is written to both the disk 5 and the disk 6 in the mirroring configuration, and even if either the disk 5 or the disk 6 breaks down, the data can be read from the normal disk. Such a redundant configuration can reduce the risk of loss of write data.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that the power consumption of the entire system exceeds the specified value, the data access control means 2a determines whether or not the disk 6 is in a failure state (step A4 in FIG. 5). ). Here, as a configuration for determining whether or not the disk 6 is in a failure state, the data access control means 2a checks whether or not the disk 6 can be accessed and used, or the inside of the disk controller 2 It is good to comprise so that it may judge from the failure flag in.

  If it is determined that the disk 6 is not in a failure state, the data access control means 2a writes the same content data to both the nonvolatile memory 3 and the disk 6 in response to a request from the upper subsystem 1 (FIG. 5). Step A5, simultaneous writing step). When the writing process is completed, a response of the processing result is sent to the upper subsystem 1 (step A7 in FIG. 5). In this case, since the write data is held in both the nonvolatile memory 3 and the disk 6, even if the nonvolatile memory 3 or the disk 6 breaks down, the data can be read from either. Therefore, such a redundant configuration can reduce the risk of data loss.

  When it is determined that the disk 6 is in a failure state, the power supply control unit 2b stops supplying power to the disk 6 according to the determination result, and safely stops the disk 6 (step A6 in FIG. 5). Then, the power supply control means 2b restarts the power supply of the disk 5 and activates the disk 5. Subsequently, the data access control means 2a writes the data written in the nonvolatile memory 3 while the disk 5 is stopped to the disk 5. Thereby, the same data as the disk 6 in the failed state can be restored to the disk 5. Thereafter, the data access control means 2a writes the data requested to be written by the upper subsystem 1 to the disk 5 (step A7 in FIG. 5). When the write process is completed, the data access control means 2a sends a process result response to the upper subsystem 1 (step A8 in FIG. 5).

  As a result, even if the disk 6 fails, the operation can be continued without any data loss. Thereafter, the failed disk 6 is replaced in a state where operation is continued by hot plug or the like, and after the replacement, the data access control means 2a copies the data stored in the disk 5 to the new disk 6. As a result, the operation in the disk mirroring configuration becomes possible again.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the disk controller 2 in the present embodiment when reading data.

  First, when the data access control unit 2a receives a data read request from the upper subsystem 1 (step B1 in FIG. 6), the data access control unit 2a determines whether or not the power consumption of the entire system exceeds a specified value (FIG. 6). Step B2). Here, whether or not the power consumption of the entire system exceeds a specified value is determined from a status flag inside the disk controller 2.

  If it is determined that the power consumption of the entire system does not exceed the prescribed value, the data access control means 2a reads the requested data from the upper subsystem 1 from either the disk 5 or the disk 6 ( Step B3) in FIG. When the reading process is completed, the data access control means 2a sends a processing result response to the upper subsystem 1 (step B7 in FIG. 6).

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the power consumption of the entire system exceeds the specified value, the data access control means 2a determines whether or not the disk 6 is in a failure state from the state of the failure flag (step B4 in FIG. 6). ). If it is determined that the disk 6 is not in a failure state, the data requested by the upper subsystem 1 is read from the disk 6 (step B5 in FIG. 6). When the reading process ends, a response of the processing result is made to the upper subsystem 1 (step B7 in FIG. 6).

  As described above, in the disk array system 10 of the first embodiment, when the power consumption of the entire system exceeds a specified value, the disk 5 is temporarily stopped to reduce the power. The configuration can be continued and the risk of data loss can be reduced.

  Further, when it is determined that the disk 6 is in a failure state, the power supply control means 2b stops power supply to the disk 6 according to the determination result, and safely stops the disk 6 (step B6 in FIG. 6). ). Then, the power supply to the disk 5 is resumed, and the disk 5 is activated. Subsequently, the data access control means 2a writes the data written in the nonvolatile memory 3 to the disk 5 while the disk 5 is stopped. Thereby, the same data as the disk 6 in the failed state can be restored to the disk 5. Thereafter, the data access control means 2a reads the data requested to be read from the upper subsystem 1 from the disk 5 (step B7 in FIG. 6). When the reading process is completed, the data access control means 2a sends a processing result response to the upper subsystem 1 (step B8 in FIG. 6).

  Thus, even if the disk 6 fails, the operation can be continued without any data loss. Thereafter, the failed disk 6 is replaced in a state where operation is continued by hot plug or the like, and after the replacement, the data access control means 2a copies the data stored in the disk 5 to the new disk 6. In this manner, the operation in the disk mirroring configuration can be performed again.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the disk controller 2 when the power consumption of the entire system returns to a specified value or less.

  When the power consumption of the entire system returns within the specified value range, the power consumption monitoring means 4 sends a notice of power consumption reduction to the power supply control means 2b (step D1 in FIG. 7). Upon receiving this notification, the power supply control means 2b resumes the supply power to the disk 5 in the stopped state on one side of the disk having the mirroring configuration, resumes the rotation operation of the disk 5, and makes the disk 5 usable. (Step D2, drive restriction releasing step in FIG. 7). Then, the data access control means 2a writes the write data stored in the non-volatile memory 3 to the disk 5 (disk recovery process), and sets the write to the non-volatile memory 3 by switching to the disk 5 (FIG. 7). Step D3, resetting step). Here, the setting whether to access the disk 5 as it is to the disk 5 or the nonvolatile memory 3 is configured to be held by a flag inside the disk controller 2. Then, the power excess state setting in the power consumption state information held in the status flag is canceled (step D4 in FIG. 7).

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of the disk controller 2 when it is detected that the used capacity of the nonvolatile memory 3 has exceeded a specified value, or the number of times of writing and erasing has exceeded the specified number of times.

  The data access control means 2a in the disk controller 2 always detects the storage capacity of the nonvolatile memory 3, the number of times of writing, and the number of times of erasure when using the nonvolatile memory 3 in response to a read / write request of the upper subsystem 1. We are monitoring. As a result, when it is detected that the used capacity of the nonvolatile memory 3 exceeds the specified value, or the number of times of writing and erasing exceeds the specified number of times (step E1 in FIG. 8), the power supply control that receives the detection result The means 2b restarts the power supplied to the disk 5 which is one side of the disk having a mirroring configuration. As a result, when the rotation of the disk 5 resumes, the data access control means 2a writes the write data stored in the nonvolatile memory 3 to the disk 5.

  Then, the disk 5 is returned to the usable state (step E2 in FIG. 8), and the data access control means 2a performs switching setting so that writing to the nonvolatile memory 3 is performed on the disk 5 (step E3 in FIG. 8). Here, the setting information on whether to access the disk 5 as it is to the disk 5 or to the nonvolatile memory 3 is held by a flag held in the disk controller 2.

  Further, when the number of times of writing and erasing of the nonvolatile memory 3 exceeds the specified number of times, the data access control means 2a disables the nonvolatile memory 3 to perform maintenance replacement ( Step E4 in FIG. Then, the power excess state setting of the power consumption state information held in the status flag inside the disk controller 2 is canceled. As a result, the disk controller 2 enters a normal operation state (step E5 in FIG. 8).

  When the nonvolatile memory 3 is in an unusable state, the data access control means 2a sets the status flag even if the power consumption monitoring means 4 notifies the power consumption monitoring means 4 until maintenance / replacement of the nonvolatile memory 3 is performed. Set so that the power is not exceeded.

  As described above, the disk array system 10 according to the first embodiment includes a plurality of disks 5 and 6, an upper subsystem 1 that requests data writing or reading to the disks 5 and 6, and the upper subsystem 1. In response to the data write request, the data access control means 2a for writing the same data to the two disks and constructing a dual disk configuration, and the power supply control for controlling the supply and stop of power to the disks 5 and 6 A non-volatile memory 3 capable of rewriting stored data and provided in the data access control means 2a. The power supply control means 2b is connected to one disk 5 (or 6) in a duplex configuration. The data access control means 2a has a function of stopping power supply, and the data access control means 2a has one disk 5 ( Others 6) has a function of writing the same data to the other disk 6 to the data write request when the stopped state (or 5) non-volatile memory 3.

  As a result, the disk mirroring configuration can be maintained while reducing the power consumption of the entire system.

  Further, when the disk controller 2 increases the power consumption exceeding a specified value due to an increase in CPU load or the like based on the measurement data of the power consumption monitoring means 4, the disk 5 (or 6) on one side in the mirroring configuration Since the rotation operation is stopped and the writing to the disk 5 (or 6) is replaced with the writing to the nonvolatile memory 3, the disk mirroring configuration is maintained with respect to the temporary increase in power consumption of the entire system. It becomes possible to reduce power consumption.

  In addition, since data is written to the nonvolatile memory 3 only when the power consumption of the entire system is temporarily increased, the lifetime of the nonvolatile memory 3 is longer than that of the related art that always uses the nonvolatile memory as a cache. Becomes longer.

  By temporarily reducing the power consumption of the system, it becomes possible to reduce the difference between the normal power consumption and the maximum power consumption of the entire system and reduce fluctuations in power consumption. It can contribute to stability.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a disk array system according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  The disk array system of the second embodiment has the same configuration as that of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, but the power supply control means 2b in the second embodiment is the same as the disk controller 2 of the first embodiment. In addition to the same function, the power supply to the disk 5 (or 6) on one side in the mirroring configuration is stopped when the system is started to reduce power consumption, and one disk 5 ( Alternatively, a function for starting the power supply to 6) is provided.

  FIG. 9 is a graph showing an example of the measurement result of the power consumption monitoring means 4 at the time of system startup in the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 9, generally, startup power is required at the time of system startup. In order to reduce this startup power peak, the power supply control means 2b in the second embodiment is Sometimes only the disk 6 (or 5) on one side in the mirroring configuration is activated (startup disk drive restriction process). By doing in this way, the starting power of a system can be reduced.

  The operation of the disk controller 2 when a data read request is generated when only the rotation of the disk 6 (or 5) is activated is the same as when the power consumption of the operation shown in FIG. 4 exceeds a specified value. is there. That is, the data access control means 2a determines whether or not the disk 6 (or 5) is in a failure state (step B4 in FIG. 4). If it is not in the failure state, the data access control means 2a reads the data requested by the upper subsystem 1 from the disk 6 (or 5) (step B5 in FIG. 4). When the reading process is completed, the data access control means 2a sends a processing result response to the upper subsystem 1 (step B7 in FIG. 4).

  The operation of the disk controller 2 when a data write request is generated is the same as when the power consumption of the operation shown in FIG. 3 exceeds a specified value. That is, the data access control means 2a determines whether or not the disk 6 (or 5) is in a failure state (step A4 in FIG. 3). If it is not in the failure state, the data access control means 2a writes the data requested by the upper subsystem 1 to both the nonvolatile memory 3 and the disk 6 (or 5) (step A5 in FIG. 3). When the writing process is completed, the data access control means 2a sends a processing result response to the upper subsystem 1 (step A7 in FIG. 3). Thus, even if the disk 5 (or 6) is stopped, the redundant configuration can be continued and the system can be started.

  Then, by shifting a certain time from the system startup, providing a time difference, and starting the rotation of the other disk 5 (or 6), it is possible to reduce the temporary power peak that occurs at the time of system startup. It becomes possible.

  As described above, generally, starting power is required at the time of starting the system. However, in the second embodiment, the peak of the starting power is reduced, and the power capacity equipment of the machine room where the system is installed is reduced. Mitigation is possible. That is, it is reduced that the breaker falls when the peak power generated when the system starts up exceeds the power capacity prepared in the machine room.

[Third Embodiment]
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the disk array system of the third embodiment. As shown in FIG. 10, the third embodiment includes a disk array system 100 and a disk array system 200. The disk array system 100 and the disk array system 200 are installed in the same power supply source, and each has the same configuration as the disk system 10 of the first embodiment described above. The power consumption monitoring means 14 in the disk array system 100 and the power consumption monitoring means 24 in the disk array system 200 are connected to each other, and the power consumption monitoring means 14 and the power consumption monitoring means 24 are mutually independent. It has a function of monitoring the power consumption of both the system and other systems.

  As described above, the third embodiment connects the power consumption monitoring means of a plurality of disk array systems installed in the same power supply source, that is, the same circuit breaker (distribution panel) to each other and cooperates with each other. By performing the processing, it is possible to reduce a temporary increase in power consumption of the entire plurality of systems and to keep the power below a certain value.

  The disk array system 100 includes a disk 15 and a disk 16 that are hard disks, a host subsystem 11 that is a computer including a CPU, a memory, an IO control hub, and the like. 16 includes a disk controller 12 that performs control such as reading and writing of data with respect to 16, a nonvolatile memory 13, and power consumption monitoring means 14 that measures power consumption of the entire disk array system 100.

  Similar to the disk system 10 of the first embodiment described above, the disk controller 12 includes data access control means and power supply control means. When a data write or read request is received from the upper subsystem 11, the request is received. In response to the data, the disk 15 and the disk 16 are accessed and processed to respond, and the power supply to the disk 15 and the disk 16 is controlled according to the measurement result by the power consumption monitoring means 14.

  Here, the plurality of disks 15 and disks 16 operate under the disk controller 12, and these disks 15 and disks 16 have a mirroring configuration. That is, the disk controller 12 writes the same data to the disk 15 and the disk 16, and when reading data, reads the necessary data from either the disk 15 or the disk 16.

  Similar to the disk array system 100, the disk array system 200 includes a disk 25 and a disk 26 that are hard disks, a host subsystem 21 that is a computer including a CPU, a memory, an IO control hub, and the like, and a disk 25 and a disk 26. A disk controller 22 that controls reading and writing of data to and from the disks 25 and 26 in a mirroring configuration, a nonvolatile memory 23, and a power consumption monitoring unit 24 that measures the power consumption of the entire disk array system 200. Has been.

  Similar to the disk system 10 of the first embodiment described above, the disk controller 22 includes data access control means and power supply control means. When a data write or read request is received from the upper subsystem 21, the request is received. In response to the data, the disk 25 and the disk 26 are accessed and processed to respond, and the power supply to the disk 25 and the disk 26 is controlled according to the measurement result by the power consumption monitoring means 24.

  Here, the disk 25 and the disk 26 operate under the disk controller 22 and have a mirroring configuration. That is, the disk controller 22 writes the same data to the disk 25 and the disk 26 for data writing, and reads the necessary data from either the disk 25 or the disk 26 for data reading.

  FIG. 11A is a diagram illustrating an example of a temporal change in power consumption measurement data that is a measurement result of the power consumption monitoring unit 14, and FIG. 11B is a measurement result of the power consumption monitoring unit 24. It is a figure which shows an example of the time change of power consumption measurement data. As shown in FIG. 11, when the changes in the power consumption of the disk array system 100 and the disk array system 200 are in an opposite phase relationship, the power value that combines the power consumption of the disk array system 100 and the disk array system 200 Can be kept constant. Therefore, in this case, the power consumption monitoring unit 14 and the power consumption monitoring unit 24 do not notify the disk controller 12 and the disk controller 22 that the power consumption has been exceeded.

  However, when the change in the power consumption of the disk array system 100 and the change in the power consumption of the disk array system 200 are in the same phase relationship, the combined power consumption of the disk array system 100 and the disk array system 200 Becomes a huge value. Therefore, in this case, the power consumption monitoring unit 14 and the power consumption monitoring unit 24 issue other power suppression instructions such as reduction of the CPU load of the disk controller 12 and the disk controller 22. However, when it is difficult to reduce the CPU load or the like, the disk controller 12 and the disk controller 22 are notified of excess power consumption, and the disk controller 12 and the disk controller 22 are connected to one side of the hard disk, for example, the disk 15 or the disk The power supply to 25 is stopped and the operation is stopped.

  Here, in the above, the third embodiment is configured by the disk array system 100 and the disk array system 200. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the disk array system 100, the disk array system 200, the disk array system 300, ..., it may be composed of a plurality of disk array systems such as disk array system N, and power consumption monitoring means in each system are connected to each other, and each power consumption monitoring means monitors changes in power consumption of the entire system. You may comprise.

  As described above, in the third embodiment, the power consumption monitoring units in the plurality of disk array systems are connected to each other, and the associated operation is performed, thereby temporarily increasing the power consumption of the entire system. It is possible to reduce and keep power consumption below a certain value. As a result, it is possible to optimize the power design in the machine room while minimizing the fluctuation range of the power consumption between the disk array systems installed in the machine room.

  Here, the disk controller 2, the disk controller 12, and the disk controller 22 in the first to third embodiments described above may be configured such that the function content is programmed and executed by a computer.

  Further, the first to third embodiments described above can be applied to a computer system that wants to maintain a redundant state of data by using a disk as a mirroring configuration, and a plurality of such systems are installed and managed and operated in a machine room. It can be applied to a computer system such as a data center. In addition, it is possible to optimize the power design by suppressing the increase in power at the time of system start-up and temporary power consumption and leveling the power consumption, thereby reducing the investment in the power equipment in the machine room It can also be applied to uses such as suppressing power consumption, saving electricity charges, and reducing CO2 emissions.

1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a disk array system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing a configuration of a disk controller in the embodiment disclosed in FIG. 1. It is a graph which shows an example of the time change of the power consumption of the whole system in embodiment disclosed in FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an operation of a disk controller in the embodiment disclosed in FIG. 1. 6 is a flowchart showing another operation of the disk controller in the embodiment disclosed in FIG. 1. 6 is a flowchart showing another operation of the disk controller in the embodiment disclosed in FIG. 1. 6 is a flowchart showing another operation of the disk controller in the embodiment disclosed in FIG. 1. 6 is a flowchart showing another operation of the disk controller in the embodiment disclosed in FIG. 1. It is a graph which shows an example of the time change of the power consumption at the time of system starting of 2nd Embodiment in this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the disk array system of 3rd Embodiment in this invention. It is a graph which shows an example of the time change of the power consumption of each system in embodiment disclosed in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

1, 11, 21 Host subsystem 2, 12, 22 Disk controller 2a Data access control means 2b Power supply control means 3, 13, 23 Non-volatile memory 4, 14, 24 Power consumption monitoring means 5, 6, 15, 16, 25,26 disk 10,100,200 disk array system

Claims (12)

A plurality of disks for storing data, an upper subsystem that requests data writing or reading to each disk, and the same data is written to two disks in response to a data writing request from the upper subsystem. In a disk array system comprising data access control means for constructing a duplex configuration,
Power consumption monitoring means for continuously measuring the power consumption of the entire system, and power supply control means for controlling the supply and stop of power to each disk based on the measurement result by the power consumption monitoring means A nonvolatile memory capable of rewriting stored data is provided in the data access control means,
The power supply control means has a function of stopping power supply to one of the disks in the duplex configuration when a measured value by the power consumption monitoring means exceeds a preset specified value,
The data access control means has a function of writing the same data to the other disk and the non-volatile memory in response to the data write request when one disk in the duplex configuration is in a stopped state. A disk array system characterized by The disk array system according to claim 1, wherein
The power supply control means has a function of starting power supply to the disk in the stopped state when a measured value by the power consumption monitoring means falls below the specified value,
The disk array system, wherein the data access control means has a function of writing data stored in the non-volatile memory to the disk when the stopped disk starts operation. The disk array system according to claim 2, wherein
The power supply control means has a function of stopping power supply to one of the disks in the duplex configuration at the time of system startup, and starting power supply to the disk after a predetermined time has elapsed since the system startup. A disk array system characterized by that. The disk array system according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The power consumption monitoring means has a function of continuously detecting the power consumption of the other system by connecting to another similar disk array system installed in the same power supply source as the own system,
The power supply control means stops power supply to one of the disks in the duplex configuration when a change in power consumption between the own system and another system measured by the power consumption monitoring means is in phase. A disk array system characterized by having the function of:
In addition to providing a power consumption monitoring process for continuously measuring the overall power consumption of a disk array system having a plurality of disks in a duplex configuration,
A disk drive limiting step of stopping power supply to one of the disks in the duplex configuration when a measured value in the power consumption monitoring step exceeds a preset specified value;
A write setting switching step for setting the data writing to the one of the stopped disks to be written to a nonvolatile memory;
A disk array control method comprising: a simultaneous writing step of writing the same data to the other disk and the nonvolatile memory while the one disk is in a stopped state. In the disk array control method according to claim 5,
After the simultaneous writing step, when the measured value in the power consumption monitoring step falls below the specified value, a drive restriction releasing step for starting power supply to the stopped disk;
A disk recovery step of writing the data stored in the nonvolatile memory to the disk released from the stop state;
A disk array control method comprising: a resetting step of switching and setting data writing to the nonvolatile memory to writing to a disk recovered from the stopped state. The disk array control method according to claim 6, wherein:
A startup disk drive restriction step is provided in which power supply to one of the disks in the duplex configuration is stopped at the time of system startup, and power supply to this disk is started after a lapse of a certain time from system startup. A disk array control method. The disk array control method according to any one of claims 5 to 7,
In the power consumption monitoring step, the power consumption of the entire system is measured and the power consumption of another similar system installed in the same power supply source as the system is measured.
In the disk drive restriction step, power supply to one disk in the duplex configuration is stopped when the change in power consumption between the own system and another system measured in the power consumption monitoring step is in the same phase. And a disk array control method.
In a disk array system comprising a plurality of disks and an upper subsystem that requests data writing or reading to each disk,
A disk duplication control function for writing the same data as a set of two disks in response to the data write request and constructing a duplication configuration of the disks;
A disk that stops power supply to one of the disks in the duplex configuration when the measured value by the power consumption monitoring means that continuously measures the power consumption of the entire disk array system exceeds a preset specified value Drive limit function,
A simultaneous writing control function for writing the same data to the other disk and the nonvolatile memory when one disk in the duplex configuration is in a stopped state;
A program for controlling a disk array. In the disk array control program according to claim 9,
A drive restriction release function for starting power supply to the stopped disk when the power consumption of the entire system falls below the specified value;
A disk recovery function for writing data stored in the nonvolatile memory to the disk when the stopped disk starts operating;
For executing a disk array control program. In the disk array control program according to claim 10,
Causes the computer to execute a startup disk drive restriction function that stops power supply to one of the disks in the duplex configuration at the time of system startup and starts power supply to the disk after a predetermined time has elapsed since system startup. A disk array control program characterized by the above. In the disk array control program according to any one of claims 9 to 11,
The disk drive limiting function is configured so that a change in power consumption of the entire system and a power consumption change of another similar system installed in the same power supply source as the system are in phase with each other in the duplex configuration. The disk array control program has a function of stopping power supply to the disk.

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