US20070171607A1 - Disk array apparatus - Google Patents
Disk array apparatus Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20070171607A1 US20070171607A1 US11/373,164 US37316406A US2007171607A1 US 20070171607 A1 US20070171607 A1 US 20070171607A1 US 37316406 A US37316406 A US 37316406A US 2007171607 A1 US2007171607 A1 US 2007171607A1
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- storage device
- hdd
- air
- chassis
- exhaust
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Granted
Links
Images
Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H05K—PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
- H05K7/00—Constructional details common to different types of electric apparatus
- H05K7/20—Modifications to facilitate cooling, ventilating, or heating
- H05K7/20709—Modifications to facilitate cooling, ventilating, or heating for server racks or cabinets; for data centers, e.g. 19-inch computer racks
- H05K7/20718—Forced ventilation of a gaseous coolant
- H05K7/20736—Forced ventilation of a gaseous coolant within cabinets for removing heat from server blades
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
- G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
- G11B33/00—Constructional parts, details or accessories not provided for in the other groups of this subclass
- G11B33/14—Reducing influence of physical parameters, e.g. temperature change, moisture, dust
- G11B33/1406—Reducing the influence of the temperature
- G11B33/1413—Reducing the influence of the temperature by fluid cooling
- G11B33/142—Reducing the influence of the temperature by fluid cooling by air cooling
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a technology for a disk array apparatus (also referred to as storage apparatus) having a function to control a storage device such as HDD (Hard Disk Drive). More particularly, it relates to an exhaust and cooling structure thereof.
- a disk array apparatus also referred to as storage apparatus
- HDD Hard Disk Drive
- the cooling system with a high-power exhaust fan mounted in an upper part of the disk array apparatus is employed.
- the cooling structure primarily used in the conventional disk array apparatus will be described below. Air is taken through front and rear faces of a chassis, and the air is exhausted by an exhaust fan and through air holes provided in an upper part of the chassis via a central duct of the chassis, thereby air-cooling each part in the chassis. In this cooling structure, the heat generated from HDD is forcibly released by the high-power exhaust fan operated by the main power supply of the apparatus and provided in an upper part of the chassis.
- Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-178557 describes an example of a cooling structure in a disk array apparatus.
- Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2005-76584 describes the cooling utilizing a thermoelectric device in an automobile. In this technology, voltage transformation and the like are required for utilizing a thermoelectric device.
- the present invention is made in view of such problems described above, and an object of the present invention is to provide an efficient exhaust and cooling structure for solving the problems of lifetime of components (HDD and others) in a disk array apparatus. More specifically, the first object thereof is to provide a technology capable of improving the cooling efficiency and the function of the entire apparatus, and the second object thereof is to provide a technology capable of reducing the noise and power consumption of the cooling fan and the like.
- the present invention provides a technology for a disk array apparatus, in which a storage device such as HDD is connected in the form of a storage device module having a canister frame, and a function to control the storage device module is provided. Also, it is characterized by having the technological means described below.
- the following structure is provided for each unit of the storage device module.
- the storage device module is provided with thermoelectric conversion means which is disposed near the storage device and converts the heat from the storage device into electric power and cooling means using an exhaust fan automatically operated by the electric power of the thermoelectric conversion means without using the main power supply of the apparatus.
- thermoelectric conversion means a thermoelectric conversion device or element which generates power by the temperature difference between a high-temperature portion and a low-temperature portion thereof is provided
- cooling means a cooling fan connected to the thermoelectric device and an air duct which supports the cooling and exhaust of the cooling fan are provided. By the operation of the fan and the air duct, the storage device and its surrounding are air-cooled, and the air is exhausted to the outside of the storage device module.
- the exhaust and the cooling in the entire disk array apparatus can be performed by the exhaust fan operated by the main power supply of the apparatus, which is the cooling and exhaust means disposed in an upper part of the chassis, and the automatic operation of the exhaust and air blower means in each unit of the storage device module.
- the components to be cooled (disk portion and the like) are forcibly cooled.
- thermoelectric device A high-temperature portion of the thermoelectric device is disposed near a heating element of the storage device (e.g., board portion on a side face), and a low-temperature portion of the thermoelectric device is disposed at a position on a ventilation path (e.g., front face of the storage device). Also, the air duct is disposed near the components to be cooled of the storage device (e.g., disk portion).
- air holes are provided in the front and rear faces and an upper face of the chassis, and storage device boxes are provided on the front and rear sides of the chassis and a rear board is provided on the rear side of the storage device box. Furthermore, a plurality of storage device modules are detachably mounted in the storage device box and to the rear board.
- the exhaust fan operated by the main power supply of the apparatus is provided in the upper part of the chassis. Air is taken from the front and rear faces of the chassis by the operation of the exhaust fan, and the air flows through the storage device modules and is exhausted to the rear side thereof, and then exhausted to the outside of the chassis through the exhaust fan in the upper part via the dust vertically extending in the central part of the chassis.
- the temperature state near the storage devices and the data access and others to the storage devices are monitored and detected in a control board which controls the plurality of storage device modules, and the rotation of the upper exhaust fan is controlled based on the detected states. Furthermore, the plurality of storage device modules, the upper exhaust fan, the ventilation path and the like are grouped and managed based on each group, and the exhaust fan is controlled for each group.
- an efficient exhaust and cooling structure capable of solving the problem of the lifetime of the components (HDD and others) in the disk array apparatus.
- first it is possible to achieve the high cooling efficiency and cooling function in the entire apparatus.
- Second it is possible to reduce the noise and the power consumption of the fan and others.
- second it is possible to realize a simple and low-cost cooling system which can improve the degree of freedom of the design and mounting and can contribute to the downsizing of the apparatus.
- FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a disk array apparatus and an entire structure of a ventilation path seen from a side of a chassis according to a first embodiment of the present invention
- FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a structure of a HDD box seen from a front side in the disk array apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention
- FIG. 3 is an exploded diagram showing an entire structure of a HDD module in the disk array apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention
- FIG. 4 is an exploded diagram showing a part of the HDD module, especially an internal structure of a HDD and an attachment of a thermoelectric device in the disk array apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention
- FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a structure of the assembled components integrated as the HDD module in the disk array apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention
- FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the connection of the HDD module to a rear board in the disk array apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention
- FIG. 7A is a diagram showing a structure of a rear board in a conventional technology, which is used for the comparison between a rear board in the disk array apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention and that in the conventional technology;
- FIG. 7B is a diagram showing a structure of the rear board in the first embodiment of the present invention, which is used for the comparison between a rear board in the disk array apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention and that in the conventional technology;
- FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the configuration having an exhaust fan control function in a disk array apparatus according to second and third embodiments of the present invention.
- FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the grouped structure of the HDD boxes and others in the disk array apparatus according to second to fourth embodiments of the present invention.
- FIG. 10A is a diagram showing an example of a structure in which the ventilation path is divided into several paths so as to correspond to the grouped structure in the HDD box and the exhaust fan section in the disk array apparatus according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 10B is a diagram showing an example of a structure in which the ventilation path is divided into several paths so as to correspond to the grouped structure in the HDD box and the exhaust fan section in the disk array apparatus according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 1 to FIG. 10 are diagrams for describing the embodiments of the present invention.
- thermoelectric device 23 a structure in which a thermoelectric device 23 , a cooling fan 24 , an air duct 25 and others are attached to a HDD module 20 (see FIG. 3 ) will be described.
- the components including HDD 200 are cooled by the cooling fan 24 connected to the thermoelectric device 23 and an electrically-operated exhaust fan 35 (operated by main power supply of the apparatus) in an upper part of the chassis.
- the thermoelectric device 23 generates electric power by the thermoelectric conversion of the heat generated from the HDD 200 .
- the cooling fan 24 is automatically operated by the power of the thermoelectric device 23 .
- the air duct 25 supports the exhaust by the cooling fan 24 and the cooling of the predetermined parts (disk portion 202 ) of the HDD 200 .
- FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a disk array apparatus 1 and an entire structure of the ventilation path seen from side of the chassis in the first embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the structure of one unit of the HDD box 10 in the disk array apparatus 1 seen from front side.
- FIG. 3 to FIG. 6 are diagrams showing the structure of the HDD module 20 .
- FIG. 3 is an exploded diagram showing the entire structure of the HDD module 20 .
- FIG. 4 is an exploded diagram showing the internal structure of the HDD 200 and the attachment of the thermoelectric device 23 as a part of the structure of the HDD module 20 .
- FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the structure of the assembled components integrated as the HDD module 20 .
- FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the connection of the HDD module 20 to a rear board 80 .
- FIG. 7 is a diagram for comparing the structure of the rear board 80 of the disk array apparatus 1 with that of the conventional technology.
- the apparatus 1 has units each 30 composed of the HDD boxes (disk box) 10 , upper exhaust fans 35 , a lower power supply unit 40 and others in a frame (rack) 50 .
- the chassis of the apparatus 1 is basically formed of a frame 50 with an almost rectangular parallelepiped shape, in which the HDD boxes 10 can be stored.
- the frame 50 has areas for air hole and openings which form the ventilation path of the entire apparatus 1 in its front face ( 50 a ), rear face ( 50 b ) and upper face ( 50 c ). Also, doors provided with a filter and the like are provided in the front and rear faces ( 50 a and 50 b ) of the frame 50 .
- the apparatus 1 can mount a plurality of HDD boxes 10 .
- Four HDD boxes 10 are vertically mounted respectively on the front and rear face sides ( 50 a and 50 b ) in the apparatus 1 .
- a plurality of HDD modules 20 can be stored and connected in each of the HDD boxes 10 .
- the HDD box 10 supplies electric power from the power supply unit 40 to the HDD modules 20 stored therein.
- Two HDD boxes 10 are disposed on the front and rear face sides ( 50 a and 50 b ) in the chassis, with the rear faces (exhaust face) thereof being opposite to each other and keeping some distance (serving as ventilation path and space) therebetween. These two HDD box 10 form a unit 30 .
- Four units 30 are mounted in four stages in the chassis.
- a power supply section ( 140 ) of the apparatus 1 is provided in a lower part of the apparatus, that is, below the lowermost unit 30 .
- the power supply section ( 140 ) has a plurality of power supply units 40 .
- the power supply unit 40 has an AC/DC power supply portion, a battery, and others. The DC power is supplied from the power supply unit 40 to each of the HDD boxes 10 , the rear board 80 , the upper exhaust fans 35 and others.
- a central duct 31 is formed in the center of the apparatus 1 . More specifically, the spaces between the HDD boxes 10 in the units 30 in each of the four stages are connected to form the central duct 31 which serves as a central ventilation and exhaust path (vertical direction) and a space of the apparatus 1 .
- the central duct 31 is connected to ventilation paths (horizontal direction) extending from the HDD boxes 10 provided on the front and rear face sides ( 50 a and 50 b ) and to an upper exhaust fan section ( 150 ).
- a plurality of exhaust fans 35 for example, total of eight fans 35 are provided as the exhaust fan section ( 150 ).
- the plurality of exhaust fans 35 are provided at the position close to the upper surfaces of the two HDD boxes 10 and the end of the central duct 31 over the entire upper face ( 50 c ) of the chassis.
- the exhaust holes ( 32 ) and the openings are formed in the upper face ( 50 c ).
- Air is taken from the front and rear faces ( 50 a and 50 b ) of the chassis by the normal operation of the exhaust fans 35 (a and b).
- the air passes through heating elements such as the HDD modules 20 in the HDD boxes 10 to the central duct 31 , and flows upward in the central duct 31 (c).
- the air is exhausted to the outside of the chassis through the exhaust fans 35 and the exhaust holes ( 32 ) in the upper part of the chassis (d). In this manner, the components in the chassis are air-cooled.
- Cooling fans 24 which utilize the heat from the HDD 200 and are not operated by the main power supply of the apparatus are provided for the HDD module 20 . Therefore, in broad terms, the exhaust and the cooling are performed by the combination of the automatic operation in each of the HDD modules 20 and the operation of the exhaust fans 35 in the upper part of the chassis in the entire apparatus 1 .
- a total of 32 HDD modules 20 can be detachably mounted and connected in the two upper and lower stages of the HDD box 10 from the front face (intake surface) thereof in units of the HDD module 20 .
- a control board (HDD control board) 60 (different from the control system of the apparatus (DKC)) which controls the HDD modules 20 can be stored and connected in the HDD box 10 .
- DKC control system of the apparatus
- four control boards 60 each of which controls eight HDD modules 20 and corresponds to the FSW described later are mounted and connected as the control board 60 in the region between the upper and lower stages.
- a rear board 80 (also referred to as HDD platter) is provided in the rear face of the HDD box 10 .
- the HDD modules 20 and others are electrically connected to the rear board 80 .
- the electric power is supplied from the power supply section ( 140 ) of the apparatus to the HDD modules 20 and the control boards 60 via the rear board 80 .
- air is taken and ventilated from the front face to the rear face of the HDD box 10 through each of the HDD modules 20 , and the air reaches the central duct 31 through the rear board 80 in the rear face of the HDD box 10 . Then, the air flows into the upward flow in the central duct 31 .
- holes or openings for ventilation are formed in the front face of each HDD module 20 .
- the structure in which the space between the HDD modules in the lateral direction forms a part of the intake surface is also preferable.
- the structure using the space between the HDD modules 20 in the lateral direction is the design in consideration of the arrangement in which a plurality of HDD modules 20 including such components as the thermoelectric device 23 and the air duct 25 are disposed next to each other.
- the exterior of the HDD module 20 is designed so as to correspond to the mechanism provided in the HDD box 10 for inserting and holding the HDD module 20 .
- the HDD box 10 has a structure such as a guide rail for inserting the HDD module 20 therein, and the exterior of the HDD module 20 has a structure which engages with the guide rail or the like.
- the HDD module 20 when detaching the HDD module 20 , the HDD module 20 is inserted from the corresponding position of the front face of the HDD box 10 and moved horizontally along the guide rail or the like, and then, an I/F connector 203 of the HDD 200 and a corresponding connector 81 of the rear board 80 are jointed in the back to connect the HDD module 20 to the HDD box 10 .
- a handle 26 of the HDD module 20 is pulled from the corresponding position of the front face of the HDD box 10 to withdraw the HDD module 20 along the guide rail or the like, thereby disconnecting the HDD module 20 .
- a user can selectively mount the HDD modules 20 provided with cooling fans and the conventional modules not provided with them according to need. Accordingly, the cooling performance of the entire apparatus can be selected and adjusted in accordance with the required performance.
- the connector 81 corresponding to the I/F connector 203 of the HDD 200 and two exhaust holes (air hole) 82 corresponding to the ventilation surface of the air duct 25 are provided for each HDD module 20 in the rear board 80 .
- the number and the shape of the exhaust holes 82 are not limited to these and various modifications can be made therein.
- the HDD module 20 is connected (installed) to the system of the apparatus 1 . Furthermore, boards and units other than the control board 60 are also connected to the rear board 80 via connectors. The modules and the boards are mutually connected and the power is supplied therebetween through the wirings in the rear board 80 .
- the HDD module 20 is connected to an upper control system or a host computer via the wirings in the rear board 80 .
- the control system mentioned here is a DKC (disk controller) which controls the HDD 200 group and has the RAID control function.
- the host computer is a computer which accesses the disk array apparatus 1 to use the storage area of the HDD 200 .
- the HDD modules 20 are the main (primary) objects to be cooled.
- the operating environmental temperature is different in a board portion 201 and a disk portion 202 of the HDD 200 , and that of the board portion 201 is higher than that of the disk portion 202 . More specifically, it is desired to sufficiently cool the disk portion 202 (especially spindle motor portion) when used.
- the operating environmental temperature mentioned here is the desired temperature in the environment where the object components are to be used or the temperature in which the normal operation thereof is ensured.
- the operating environmental temperature of the disk array apparatus 1 is the constant temperature retained in the computer room, for example, 25 to 30° C.
- the disk portion 202 of the HDD module 20 having a low operating environmental temperature is the main object to be cooled by the cooling fan 24 provided in the HDD module 20 .
- the thermoelectric conversion device 23 particularly uses the heat generated from the board portion 201 .
- air of about 2.0 m/s flows around the transportable magnetic device (HDD and module thereof), and the cooling fan 24 with the air volume of about 2.0 m/s is mounted also in the first embodiment. The air cooling is performed by the combination of the cooling fan 24 and the exhaust fan 35 .
- the HDD module 20 has an integrated structure obtained by attaching various components to the HDD 200 to be a main component thereof. Also, as shown in FIG. 6 , the HDD module 20 has an exterior with an almost rectangular parallelepiped shape composed of the frame 21 , the air duct 25 and the handle 26 , and it is mounted in the space with a corresponding shape in the HDD box 10 .
- the HDD module 200 of the HDD module 20 has the I/F connector 203 on the rear side as shown in FIG. 5 and is connected to the connector 81 at a corresponding position on the rear board 80 (shown partly).
- the connector 81 and exhaust holes 82 are formed as a set in the rear board 80 , and the rear board 80 corresponds to the ventilation surface of the air duct 25 .
- two exhaust holes 82 are provided for one HDD module 20 .
- a temperature sensor 83 and the like for detecting the temperature can be provided near the exhaust hole 82 (described later).
- the HDD module 20 includes, from the back side (left side of the HDD module 20 ) to the front side (right side of the HDD module 20 ), the frame (canister frame) 21 , a bracket (mounting fitting) 22 , the thermoelectric device (also referred to as thermoelectric conversion device) 23 , the HDD 200 , the cooling fan 24 , and the air duct 25 .
- the HDD module 20 also includes, from the front side of the HDD module 20 , the handle 26 , a cooling fin 27 , a base portion of the frame 21 , a front portion of the thermoelectric device 23 , a front portion of the air duct 25 , the cooling fan 24 , the HDD 200 and others.
- the cooling fan 24 is disposed between the front portion of the thermoelectric device 23 and the front face of the HDD 200 .
- the cooling fin 27 is disposed so as to be contained in the handle 26 .
- the cooling fan 24 is stored in the front portion of the air duct 25 .
- the HDD 200 is mainly composed of a board portion (also referred to as control device) 201 and a disk portion 202 .
- the board portion 201 is fixed to the disk portion 202 by screws.
- the HDD 200 has an almost rectangular parallelepiped shape, the HDD having other shape is also available. In such a case, the frame 21 and others have the shape corresponding to it.
- Circuit IC and others for controlling the drive of the disk portion 202 are mounted in the board portion 201 .
- the disk portion 202 has hardware such as the spindle motor for driving the magnetic disk.
- the operating environmental temperature of the disk portion 202 (especially spindle motor thereof) is, for example, “the operating environmental temperature of the disk array apparatus+12° C”.
- the board portion 201 has the operating environmental temperature of, for example, 100° C. or lower.
- the HDD 200 is attached to or provided near the thermoelectric device 23 .
- the bracket 22 is attached to the frame 21
- the thermoelectric device 23 is attached to the bracket 22 .
- the front portion (low-temperature portion 231 ) of the thermoelectric device 23 , the front portion of the frame 21 , and the cooling fin 27 are fixed by screws.
- the front portion (low-temperature portion 231 ) of the thermoelectric device 23 is cooled by the incoming external air (room temperature: 25 to 30° C. ) and temperature thereof is reduced.
- the temperature of the side portion (high-temperature portion 232 ) of the thermoelectric device 23 is increased by the heat absorption from the board portion 201 .
- thermoelectric device 23 It is necessary to electrically connect the thermoelectric device 23 and the cooling fan 24 .
- connection structure for example, conductive wires extend from two ( ⁇ ) terminals of the thermoelectric device 23 to form a connector, and the connector and a connector of the cooling fan 24 are connected.
- the electric power generated by the temperature difference between the low-temperature portion 231 and the high-temperature portion 232 of the thermoelectric device 23 is supplied to the cooling fan 24 via the above-mentioned terminals.
- the cooling fan 24 is automatically operated by this power supply.
- thermoelectric device 23 when the temperature difference in the thermoelectric device 23 is large (when heat generated from the HDD 200 is high), the air flow from the cooling fan 24 is increased by that much. Also, when the temperature difference is little (when heat generated from HDD 200 is low), the air flow is automatically stopped. In comparison with the case where the ventilation fans operated by the main power supply of the apparatus and provided in each of the HDDs are uniformly operated to send air, the efficient cooling in accordance with the heating state of the HDDs 200 can be performed.
- the thermoelectric device 23 has a low-temperature portion (front portion) 231 and a high-temperature portion (side portion) 232 therein, and is made of a material which generates an electric power by the temperature difference.
- the phenomenon that the temperature difference between the two portions ( 231 and 232 ) causes the potential difference to generate electrons is utilized for the self power generation (thermoelectric conversion).
- the thermoelectric device 23 is made of, for example, La (lanthanum)-Fe (iron)-Sb (antimony) series alloy.
- the high-temperature portion 232 is disposed on the side face of the board portion 201 of the HDD module 20
- the low-temperature portion 231 is disposed on the front face of the HDD module 20
- the side portion of the air duct 25 is disposed on the side face of the disk portion 202 of the HDD module 20 .
- the low-temperature portion 231 of the thermoelectric device 23 is cooled by the air taken from the front side of the HDD module 20 and the temperature thereof is decreased. Simultaneously, the high-temperature portion 232 of the thermoelectric device 23 absorbs heat from circuit IC components of the board portion 201 of the HDD module 20 or the cover of the HDD 200 (part provided between the board portion 201 and the thermoelectric device 23 ) and the temperature thereof is increased.
- the thermoelectric device 23 has a L shape composed of two plates (to be the low-temperature portion 231 and the high-temperature portion 232 , respectively) in the present embodiment.
- the shape is not limited to this, and various modified shapes can be used as long as the portions having relatively high and low temperatures can be secured.
- the front face (low-temperature portion 231 ) is modified to have a bent shape instead of a flat shape so as to increase the area thereof, the power generation efficiency can be increased.
- the bracket 22 has a function to attach the HDD 200 and the frame 21 and to protect the board surface. However, it is not always necessary to provide the bracket 22 , and the bracket 22 can be integrated with the frame 21 .
- the handle 26 has a function to support the insertion and removal operation of the HDD module 20 . However, it is not always necessary to provide the handle 26 , and the handle 26 can be integrated with the frame 21 .
- the cooling fin 27 is a heat conductive component (radiation member), and it mainly supports the cooling of the low-temperature portion 231 (front face) of the thermoelectric device 23 . However, it is not always necessary to provide the cooling fin 27 .
- the ventilation path in the HDD module 20 will be described with reference to FIG. 5 .
- the external air is taken from the front side of the HDD module 20 by the operation of the exhaust fans 35 in the upper part of the chassis.
- the air is taken through the handle 26 , the cooling fin 27 , the front portion of the frame 21 , and the front portion ( 231 ) of the thermoelectric device 23 (a).
- the low-temperature portion 231 of the thermoelectric device 23 provided near the cooling fin 27 and the front portion of frame 21 is cooled.
- the wind by this intake air is directed from the interior of the air duct 25 to the rear side by using the operation of the cooling fan 24 in the air duct 25 .
- partitions 25 b are provided in the air duct 25 so that two ventilation paths corresponding to the position and the shape of the two exhaust holes 82 of the rear board 80 are formed.
- the exhaust efficiency is improved.
- the clearance (length L) between the air duct 25 and the rear board 80 in the state where the HDD module 20 is attached in the HDD box 10 and to the rear board 80 is reduced as short as possible.
- the components along the ventilation path that is, the handle 26 , the cooling fin 27 , the frame 21 , the thermoelectric device 23 , and the air duct 25 have air holes or openings for passing air from the front face of the HDD module 20 to the cooling fan 24 on their front sides.
- the handle 26 has a long hole 26 a
- the air duct 25 has a long hole 25 a.
- openings are formed in the front portion of the frame 21 and in the front portion (low-temperature portion 231 ) of the thermoelectric device 23 .
- the air holes (not shown) are formed between a plurality of fins.
- the reliability and the cooling efficiency of the present disk array apparatus 1 will be described. Under the condition that the external temperature (room temperature) of the apparatus 1 is constant, the case where the exhaust fan 35 in the upper part of the apparatus 1 is stopped due to some trouble is assumed. In such a case, the heat generated from the HDD 200 and the temperature of the HDD 200 are increased. However, if the external temperature is constant, the temperature difference occurs between the external temperature and the HDD 200 . Therefore, based on the temperature difference, the more efficient cooling than usual by the self power generation can be performed by the thermoelectric device 23 and the cooling fan built in the HDD module 20 . Accordingly, even when the exhaust fan 35 is stopped, the decrease in the cooling efficiency in the entire disk array apparatus 1 can be suppressed.
- the automatic cooling and exhaust support in accordance with the heat generated from the HDD 200 are performed by the thermoelectric device 23 , the cooling fan 24 , and the air duct 25 provided for each HDD module 20 . Accordingly, different from the conventional technology, it is not necessary to forcibly exhaust the heat generated from the HDD 200 disposed relatively apart from the exhaust fan in the upper part of the chassis. In other words, in the present embodiment, the necessity of using a high-power (high-output) exhaust fan as the exhaust fan 35 in the upper part of the chassis is reduced.
- the cooling and exhaust structure in which the portion to be cooled is limited to the disk portion 202 by using the air duct 25 is newly employed. Accordingly, the disk portion 202 for which the cooling is especially required can be forcibly cooled.
- the conventional technology for cooling the circuit IC (board) by the mounted fans in a standard personal computer is well-known.
- the exhaust fan is directly attached to the HDD to cool it.
- power supply means for the exhaust fan has to be installed.
- various problems, for example, increase in both the power consumption and the cost will occur.
- the electric power required for the cooling is supplied by the self generation of the thermoelectric device 23 , and the installation of power supply connector and others for the power supply from the apparatus is not necessary.
- the efficiency loss is relatively large and there is a room for improvement of the efficiency in the conventional technology.
- the loss can be solved by the installation of the cooling fan 24 .
- FIG. 7A and FIG. 7B are diagram of the examples of the mounting structure of the rear board 80 , showing the effect described above.
- FIG. 7A is a diagram showing the conventional structure in which the power supply connector for the power supply to the fan is provided
- FIG. 7B is a diagram showing the structure according to the first embodiment, in which it is not necessary to provide the power supply connector.
- a rear board 700 (shown partly) has a connector 701 , a PS (power supply) connector 702 , a exhaust hole 703 , and a signal wiring pattern 704 formed at corresponding positions of each HDD module.
- the connector 701 is connected to an I/F connector on the side of the HDD module.
- the PS connector 702 is connected to a PS connector on the side of the HDD module.
- the signal wiring pattern 704 is, for example, the signal wiring pattern between the corresponding connectors 701 in the upper and lower stages of the HDD box, and the signal wiring pattern 704 is bent so as to avoid the PS connector 702 .
- a large space is required, which leads to the size increase of the apparatus.
- a rear board 80 (shown partly) has a connector 81 connected to the I/F connector 203 , the exhaust hole 82 corresponding to the air duct 25 , and a signal wiring pattern 84 formed at corresponding positions of each HDD module 20 .
- the signal wiring pattern 84 is, for example, the signal wiring pattern between the corresponding connectors 81 in the upper and lower stages of the HDD box 10 , and the signal wiring pattern 84 is linearly laid because the PS connector 702 and the like are not provided.
- other components can be mounted instead of the PS connector 702 , and the signal wiring pattern 84 is short, readily laid and simplified.
- FIG. 8 shows the configuration of the disk array apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment, in which an exhaust fan control function is provided.
- FIG. 9 shows an example of the grouped structure in the HDD boxes 10 and others.
- the control system (DKC) of the disk array apparatus 1 does not have to perform the particular control (software process) for the above-described cooling structure, and the effects can be achieved automatically.
- the second embodiment has the basic structure similar to that of the first embodiment, and the control (software process) for the above-described cooling structure is performed.
- the function to control the exhaust fan section ( 150 ) in the upper part of the apparatus based on the temperature state of the HDD 200 (HDD module 20 ) is provided.
- the control function corresponding to the grouped structure is provided.
- the control function for the exhaust fan 35 is provided so as to deal with the case where the cooling by the cooling fan 24 built in the HDD module 20 cannot be performed due to the unstable power supply and the case where the cooling fan 24 is stopped due to the trouble.
- the atmospheric temperature around the HDD module 20 is increased.
- the temperature sensor (or thermostat) 83 is provided on the ventilation path and near the HDD module 20 , in particular, near the exhaust holes 82 of the rear board 80 , and the atmospheric temperature of the HDD module 20 is detected by the temperature sensor 83 . Then, the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 83 is compared with a threshold value in a predetermined control processor.
- the voltage applied to the exhaust fan 35 placed at the position corresponding to the concerned HDD module 20 of the upper exhaust fan section ( 150 ) is varied so as to increase the rotation speed of the fan. With such a control, the degradation of the cooling function for the HDD module 20 can be compensated.
- the temperature sensor 83 is connected to a control board 60 (FSW).
- the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 83 is compared with a threshold value and checked in the control board 60 , and it is determined whether the exhaust fan 35 is controlled or not.
- the structure is formed so that the voltage or the rotation speed of the upper exhaust fan 35 can be controlled by the control board 60 .
- the threshold value is, for example, “operating environmental temperature+12° C.>.
- the structure in which the exhaust fans 35 can be selectively controlled is more effective when a plurality of exhaust fans 35 are mounted in the exhaust fan section ( 150 ). More specifically, the exhaust fan 35 corresponding to the location at which the HDD module 20 (or a group including it) having the trouble of the temperature state is mounted is selected and controlled.
- a plurality of HDD modules 20 , the control boards 60 (FSW), and the exhaust fans 35 are grouped, and the apparatus 1 is controlled based on the groups.
- groups G# 1 to G# 4 are shown, and the control of the exhaust fan 35 is performed in each of the groups.
- the upper exhaust fan section ( 150 ) and underlying one HDD box 10 on the front and rear faces ( 50 a and 50 b ) of the apparatus are shown as an example. The same is equally true of other HDD boxes 10 .
- one group is composed of a plurality of (eight) HDD modules 20 , the control boards 60 , and the exhaust fans 35 .
- the air taken from the front side of the eight HDDs 200 is exhausted mainly by the corresponding exhaust fan 35 (FAN# 1 ) in the group G# 1 through the central duct 31 . Therefore, in the corresponding control board 60 (FSW# 1 ), when the degradation of the cooling function is detected based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 83 disposed so as to correspond to the group G# 1 , the control for increasing the rotation speed of the corresponding exhaust fan 35 (FAN# 1 ) is performed.
- the disk array apparatus 1 has a structure in which the DKC 110 which is the control system of the apparatus and the DKU (disk unit) 130 corresponding to the unit 30 are connected. Further, a SVP (service processor) 190 for maintenance and management is connected to the DKC 110 via the internal LAN 180 . Also, the apparatus 1 has the exhaust fan section 150 including a plurality of exhaust fans (FAN) 35 and a power supply section 140 including a plurality of power supply units (PS) 40 . In each of the groups (G# 1 , G# 2 , . . . ), the exhaust fan 35 and the HDD 200 (HDD module 20 ) group are operated by the power supply of the corresponding power supply module 40 .
- the exhaust fan 35 and the HDD 200 (HDD module 20 ) group are operated by the power supply of the corresponding power supply module 40 .
- the DKC 110 has processors for each function such as a CHA 111 , a DKA 112 , a CM 113 , a SM 114 , a SW 115 and others.
- the CHA 111 has a communication I/F (for example, FC (fiber channel)-I/F) and a control function to external devices such as a host computer.
- the DKA 112 has a communication I/F (for example, FC-I/F) and a control function to the HDD 200 .
- the DKA 112 is connected to a plurality of control boards (FSW) 60 and can control the control boards 60 .
- the CM 113 is a common cache memory, in which the data and others to the HDD 200 are stored.
- the SM 114 is a common memory, in which control information, configuration management information and others are stored.
- the SVP 190 is a computer, which has a maintenance and management function of the disk array apparatus 1 to perform the configuration management and the failure management. Also, an operator can perform the various maintenance and management processes by operating the SVP 190 .
- the DKC 110 can have various mounting structures.
- the DKC 110 can have a structure that board modules corresponding to respective processors are stored and connected in a box (logic box). More specifically, it is possible to dispose the logic box or the board module instead of the HDD box 10 at the position thereof in the chassis.
- the DKC 110 is not the primary object to be cooled in this cooling structure, the detail description of the structure thereof is omitted.
- the control board 60 controls a plurality of (for example, eight) HDDs 200 .
- the control board 60 is provided with a program 61 for this control and executes the program to control the above-mentioned exhaust fan 35 through the software process.
- the process corresponding to the control function to the exhaust fan section ( 150 ) is performed. More specifically, the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 83 is compared with a threshold value and checked, and it is determined whether the exhaust fan 35 at a corresponding position is controlled or not, and then, the rotation speed or the like of the fan is controlled based on the determination.
- the direct control of the target exhaust fan 35 or the control of the input voltage to the target exhaust fan 35 from the corresponding PS 40 is carried out.
- the efficient cooling function in accordance with the temperature state of the HDDs 200 can be performed.
- the third embodiment basically has the structure similar to that shown in FIG. 8 , and the control function for the upper exhaust fan 35 in consideration of the data access to the HDD 200 is provided. Furthermore, the control function corresponding to the grouped structure can be provided also in the third embodiment.
- the temperature around the HDD 200 is increased by 0.5 to 1° C. by a unit data access such as the disk R/W access to the HDD 200 of the HDD module 20 .
- the data access to the HDD 200 is monitored and detected by a predetermined control processor, and the rotation speed of the exhaust fan 35 corresponding to the location of the corresponding HDD module 20 is controlled to compensate the cooling by the cooling fan 24 built in the HDD module 20 .
- the access to the HDD 200 is monitored and detected in the control board 60 .
- a predetermined HDD 200 and the group thereof in the DKU 130 are accessed (disk read (R)/write (W) access and the like) from a host computer or the like connected to the DKC 110 via the CHA 111 , the SW 115 and the DKA 112 in the DKC 110 and the control board 60 (a).
- the access to the group G# 1 is shown as an example. In the control board 60 , such an access is monitored and detected (b).
- the voltage of the corresponding exhaust fan 35 in the group is varied by the control board 60 based on the period and the number of times of the data access so as to slightly increase the rotation speed of the fan (c).
- the efficient cooling function in accordance with the data access state to the HDD 200 can be realized.
- FIG. 10 shows an example of a structure in which the ventilation path is divided into several paths so as to correspond to the grouped structure in the disk array apparatus 1 according to the fourth embodiment.
- the RAID group (group to be a unit of the RAID control) can be configured and set for the physical HDD 200 group.
- the control function to the exhaust fan 35 is provided, and also, the control for the exhaust fan 35 and the RAID group of the HDD 200 are correlated in the management and control thereof.
- the ventilation path is divided so as to correspond to the RAID groups in consideration of the ventilation path in the entire apparatus 1 .
- FIG. 9 the configuration information of the HDD 200 groups of the groups G# 1 to G# 4 is set and managed so as to correspond to the RAID groups.
- FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 corresponds to each other in group configuration.
- FIG. 10A is a diagram of a chassis seen from an upper face ( 50 c ) of the chassis
- FIG. 10B is a diagram of the chassis seen from a side thereof.
- a rectangular area on the upper face ( 50 c ) of the chassis is divided into eight areas corresponding to eight ventilation fans 35
- an area corresponding to the central duct 31 is divided into eight areas by partitions 91 . More specifically, eight ventilation paths for each of the groups are provided.
- the partition 91 extends in the vertical direction and divides the area in the central duct 31 into 8 areas so as to separate the groups (G# 1 to G# 4 ). In other words, the entire ventilation path is divided into several paths. Arrows in FIG. 10B represent the ventilation paths.
- the exhaust fans 35 provided in the exhaust fan section ( 150 ) can be optionally provided so as to correspond to the above-described structure in which the ventilation path is divided. More specifically, the number of exhaust fans 35 to be mounted can be increased and decreased according to need such as required function. When only a required number of exhaust fans 35 are mounted based on the mounting in units of groups, the power consumption and the cost can be reduced.
- the arrows a and b represent the direction in which the additional exhaust fans 35 and corresponding groups are provided, and the groups are additionally provided in the order of G# 1 , G# 2 . . . from the front and rear sides of the HDD box 10 .
- a mechanism such as a shutter can be provided to the place where the exhaust fan 35 is not mounted so as to shut the space.
- the fourth embodiment owing to the structure in which the ventilation path is divided into several paths so as to correspond to the grouped structure, the low-cost and efficient cooling function can be realized.
- the HDD module 20 and the HDD box 10 are main objects to be cooled.
- the object to be cooled is not limited to them.
- components having a similar heating element such as modules constituting the control system (DKC 110 ) can be cooled in the same manner.
- storage device other than the HDD 200 can be employed as the storage devices to be mounted in the disk array apparatus 1 , and the structure of the storage device modules having the cooling fan 24 built therein is modified in accordance with the structure of the storage device to be mounted.
- the fans operated by the main power supply of the apparatus are disposed only in the upper part of the chassis in the embodiments described above.
- the fans can be additionally disposed in other parts of the chassis, for example, on the rear side of the HDD box 10 and in the middle of the central duct 31 so as to enhance the cooling performance.
- the exhaust fan 35 is controlled by the control board 60 (FSW) in front of the HDD 200 group.
- FSW control board 60
- the present invention can be applied to a disk array apparatus having heating elements such as HDDs and requiring a cooling structure.
Abstract
Description
- The present application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. JP 2005-377138 filed on Dec. 28, 2005, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference into this application.
- The present invention relates to a technology for a disk array apparatus (also referred to as storage apparatus) having a function to control a storage device such as HDD (Hard Disk Drive). More particularly, it relates to an exhaust and cooling structure thereof.
- In a recent large-scale disk array apparatus, the density growth and the performance improvement associated with the space-saving have been developing. Accordingly, in order to solve the problem of the lifetime of a magnetic disk or the like due to the heat generated by the components themselves, the cooling system with a high-power exhaust fan mounted in an upper part of the disk array apparatus is employed.
- The cooling structure primarily used in the conventional disk array apparatus will be described below. Air is taken through front and rear faces of a chassis, and the air is exhausted by an exhaust fan and through air holes provided in an upper part of the chassis via a central duct of the chassis, thereby air-cooling each part in the chassis. In this cooling structure, the heat generated from HDD is forcibly released by the high-power exhaust fan operated by the main power supply of the apparatus and provided in an upper part of the chassis.
- Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-178557 describes an example of a cooling structure in a disk array apparatus.
- Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2005-76584 describes the cooling utilizing a thermoelectric device in an automobile. In this technology, voltage transformation and the like are required for utilizing a thermoelectric device.
- In the conventional technologies, the problems of the lifetime of the HDD and others and the performance degradation of hardware occur due to the increase in heat generation resulting from the density growth and the performance improvement. Furthermore, there are also the problems of noise generated by the cooling system using the high-power exhaust fan and increase in power consumption due to the high power.
- The present invention is made in view of such problems described above, and an object of the present invention is to provide an efficient exhaust and cooling structure for solving the problems of lifetime of components (HDD and others) in a disk array apparatus. More specifically, the first object thereof is to provide a technology capable of improving the cooling efficiency and the function of the entire apparatus, and the second object thereof is to provide a technology capable of reducing the noise and power consumption of the cooling fan and the like.
- The typical ones of the inventions disclosed in this application will be briefly described as follows. In order to achieve the objects described above, the present invention provides a technology for a disk array apparatus, in which a storage device such as HDD is connected in the form of a storage device module having a canister frame, and a function to control the storage device module is provided. Also, it is characterized by having the technological means described below.
- In the disk array apparatus of the present invention, as a highly efficient cooling structure utilizing the heat generation and exhaust heat from a storage device such as HDD which is to be both the heating element and the component to be cooled, the following structure is provided for each unit of the storage device module. The storage device module is provided with thermoelectric conversion means which is disposed near the storage device and converts the heat from the storage device into electric power and cooling means using an exhaust fan automatically operated by the electric power of the thermoelectric conversion means without using the main power supply of the apparatus.
- In particular, as the thermoelectric conversion means, a thermoelectric conversion device or element which generates power by the temperature difference between a high-temperature portion and a low-temperature portion thereof is provided, and as the cooling means, a cooling fan connected to the thermoelectric device and an air duct which supports the cooling and exhaust of the cooling fan are provided. By the operation of the fan and the air duct, the storage device and its surrounding are air-cooled, and the air is exhausted to the outside of the storage device module.
- Also, the exhaust and the cooling in the entire disk array apparatus can be performed by the exhaust fan operated by the main power supply of the apparatus, which is the cooling and exhaust means disposed in an upper part of the chassis, and the automatic operation of the exhaust and air blower means in each unit of the storage device module. The components to be cooled (disk portion and the like) are forcibly cooled.
- A high-temperature portion of the thermoelectric device is disposed near a heating element of the storage device (e.g., board portion on a side face), and a low-temperature portion of the thermoelectric device is disposed at a position on a ventilation path (e.g., front face of the storage device). Also, the air duct is disposed near the components to be cooled of the storage device (e.g., disk portion).
- In the present disk array apparatus, air holes are provided in the front and rear faces and an upper face of the chassis, and storage device boxes are provided on the front and rear sides of the chassis and a rear board is provided on the rear side of the storage device box. Furthermore, a plurality of storage device modules are detachably mounted in the storage device box and to the rear board. The exhaust fan operated by the main power supply of the apparatus is provided in the upper part of the chassis. Air is taken from the front and rear faces of the chassis by the operation of the exhaust fan, and the air flows through the storage device modules and is exhausted to the rear side thereof, and then exhausted to the outside of the chassis through the exhaust fan in the upper part via the dust vertically extending in the central part of the chassis.
- Also, in the present disk array apparatus, the temperature state near the storage devices and the data access and others to the storage devices are monitored and detected in a control board which controls the plurality of storage device modules, and the rotation of the upper exhaust fan is controlled based on the detected states. Furthermore, the plurality of storage device modules, the upper exhaust fan, the ventilation path and the like are grouped and managed based on each group, and the exhaust fan is controlled for each group.
- The effects obtained by typical aspects of the present invention will be briefly described below. According to the present invention, an efficient exhaust and cooling structure capable of solving the problem of the lifetime of the components (HDD and others) in the disk array apparatus can be provided. In particular, first, it is possible to achieve the high cooling efficiency and cooling function in the entire apparatus. Second, it is possible to reduce the noise and the power consumption of the fan and others. Furthermore, it is possible to realize a simple and low-cost cooling system which can improve the degree of freedom of the design and mounting and can contribute to the downsizing of the apparatus.
-
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a disk array apparatus and an entire structure of a ventilation path seen from a side of a chassis according to a first embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a structure of a HDD box seen from a front side in the disk array apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 3 is an exploded diagram showing an entire structure of a HDD module in the disk array apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 4 is an exploded diagram showing a part of the HDD module, especially an internal structure of a HDD and an attachment of a thermoelectric device in the disk array apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a structure of the assembled components integrated as the HDD module in the disk array apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the connection of the HDD module to a rear board in the disk array apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 7A is a diagram showing a structure of a rear board in a conventional technology, which is used for the comparison between a rear board in the disk array apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention and that in the conventional technology; -
FIG. 7B is a diagram showing a structure of the rear board in the first embodiment of the present invention, which is used for the comparison between a rear board in the disk array apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention and that in the conventional technology; -
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the configuration having an exhaust fan control function in a disk array apparatus according to second and third embodiments of the present invention; -
FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the grouped structure of the HDD boxes and others in the disk array apparatus according to second to fourth embodiments of the present invention; -
FIG. 10A is a diagram showing an example of a structure in which the ventilation path is divided into several paths so as to correspond to the grouped structure in the HDD box and the exhaust fan section in the disk array apparatus according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention; and -
FIG. 10B is a diagram showing an example of a structure in which the ventilation path is divided into several paths so as to correspond to the grouped structure in the HDD box and the exhaust fan section in the disk array apparatus according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. - Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that components having the same function are denoted by the same reference symbols throughout the drawings for describing the embodiment, and the repetitive description thereof will be omitted.
FIG. 1 toFIG. 10 are diagrams for describing the embodiments of the present invention. - In the first embodiment, in brief, a structure in which a
thermoelectric device 23, acooling fan 24, anair duct 25 and others are attached to a HDD module 20 (seeFIG. 3 ) will be described. Thecomponents including HDD 200 are cooled by the coolingfan 24 connected to thethermoelectric device 23 and an electrically-operated exhaust fan 35 (operated by main power supply of the apparatus) in an upper part of the chassis. Thethermoelectric device 23 generates electric power by the thermoelectric conversion of the heat generated from theHDD 200. The coolingfan 24 is automatically operated by the power of thethermoelectric device 23. Theair duct 25 supports the exhaust by the coolingfan 24 and the cooling of the predetermined parts (disk portion 202) of theHDD 200. -
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing adisk array apparatus 1 and an entire structure of the ventilation path seen from side of the chassis in the first embodiment of the present invention.FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the structure of one unit of theHDD box 10 in thedisk array apparatus 1 seen from front side.FIG. 3 toFIG. 6 are diagrams showing the structure of theHDD module 20.FIG. 3 is an exploded diagram showing the entire structure of theHDD module 20.FIG. 4 is an exploded diagram showing the internal structure of theHDD 200 and the attachment of thethermoelectric device 23 as a part of the structure of theHDD module 20.FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the structure of the assembled components integrated as theHDD module 20.FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the connection of theHDD module 20 to arear board 80.FIG. 7 is a diagram for comparing the structure of therear board 80 of thedisk array apparatus 1 with that of the conventional technology. - <Basic Structure of the Apparatus>
- The basic structure of the
disk array apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference toFIG. 1 andFIG. 2 . Theapparatus 1 has units each 30 composed of the HDD boxes (disk box) 10,upper exhaust fans 35, a lowerpower supply unit 40 and others in a frame (rack) 50. The chassis of theapparatus 1 is basically formed of aframe 50 with an almost rectangular parallelepiped shape, in which theHDD boxes 10 can be stored. Theframe 50 has areas for air hole and openings which form the ventilation path of theentire apparatus 1 in its front face (50 a), rear face (50 b) and upper face (50 c). Also, doors provided with a filter and the like are provided in the front and rear faces (50 a and 50 b) of theframe 50. - The
apparatus 1 can mount a plurality ofHDD boxes 10. FourHDD boxes 10 are vertically mounted respectively on the front and rear face sides (50 a and 50 b) in theapparatus 1. A plurality ofHDD modules 20 can be stored and connected in each of theHDD boxes 10. TheHDD box 10 supplies electric power from thepower supply unit 40 to theHDD modules 20 stored therein. TwoHDD boxes 10 are disposed on the front and rear face sides (50 a and 50 b) in the chassis, with the rear faces (exhaust face) thereof being opposite to each other and keeping some distance (serving as ventilation path and space) therebetween. These twoHDD box 10 form aunit 30. Fourunits 30 are mounted in four stages in the chassis. - A power supply section (140) of the
apparatus 1 is provided in a lower part of the apparatus, that is, below thelowermost unit 30. The power supply section (140) has a plurality ofpower supply units 40. Thepower supply unit 40 has an AC/DC power supply portion, a battery, and others. The DC power is supplied from thepower supply unit 40 to each of theHDD boxes 10, therear board 80, theupper exhaust fans 35 and others. - <Entire Ventilation Path>
- As shown in
FIG. 1 , acentral duct 31 is formed in the center of theapparatus 1. More specifically, the spaces between theHDD boxes 10 in theunits 30 in each of the four stages are connected to form thecentral duct 31 which serves as a central ventilation and exhaust path (vertical direction) and a space of theapparatus 1. Thecentral duct 31 is connected to ventilation paths (horizontal direction) extending from theHDD boxes 10 provided on the front and rear face sides (50 a and 50 b) and to an upper exhaust fan section (150). - In the upper part of the chassis, that is, on the
uppermost unit 30, a plurality ofexhaust fans 35, for example, total of eightfans 35 are provided as the exhaust fan section (150). The plurality ofexhaust fans 35 are provided at the position close to the upper surfaces of the twoHDD boxes 10 and the end of thecentral duct 31 over the entire upper face (50 c) of the chassis. The exhaust holes (32) and the openings are formed in the upper face (50 c). - The entire ventilation and exhaust path of the
disk array apparatus 1 will be described below. Air is taken from the front and rear faces (50 a and 50 b) of the chassis by the normal operation of the exhaust fans 35 (a and b). The air passes through heating elements such as theHDD modules 20 in theHDD boxes 10 to thecentral duct 31, and flows upward in the central duct 31 (c). Then, the air is exhausted to the outside of the chassis through theexhaust fans 35 and the exhaust holes (32) in the upper part of the chassis (d). In this manner, the components in the chassis are air-cooled. - Cooling
fans 24 which utilize the heat from theHDD 200 and are not operated by the main power supply of the apparatus are provided for theHDD module 20. Therefore, in broad terms, the exhaust and the cooling are performed by the combination of the automatic operation in each of theHDD modules 20 and the operation of theexhaust fans 35 in the upper part of the chassis in theentire apparatus 1. - <HDD Box and Rear Boards>
- As shown in
FIG. 2 , a total of 32HDD modules 20 can be detachably mounted and connected in the two upper and lower stages of theHDD box 10 from the front face (intake surface) thereof in units of theHDD module 20. Also, in addition to theHDD modules 20, a control board (HDD control board) 60 (different from the control system of the apparatus (DKC)) which controls theHDD modules 20 can be stored and connected in theHDD box 10. In the present embodiment, fourcontrol boards 60 each of which controls eightHDD modules 20 and corresponds to the FSW described later are mounted and connected as thecontrol board 60 in the region between the upper and lower stages. - A rear board 80 (also referred to as HDD platter) is provided in the rear face of the
HDD box 10. TheHDD modules 20 and others are electrically connected to therear board 80. The electric power is supplied from the power supply section (140) of the apparatus to theHDD modules 20 and thecontrol boards 60 via therear board 80. - As schematically shown by the arrows on the right side of
FIG. 2 , air is taken and ventilated from the front face to the rear face of theHDD box 10 through each of theHDD modules 20, and the air reaches thecentral duct 31 through therear board 80 in the rear face of theHDD box 10. Then, the air flows into the upward flow in thecentral duct 31. - In the present embodiment, holes or openings for ventilation are formed in the front face of each
HDD module 20. Alternatively, the structure in which the space between the HDD modules in the lateral direction forms a part of the intake surface is also preferable. The structure using the space between theHDD modules 20 in the lateral direction is the design in consideration of the arrangement in which a plurality ofHDD modules 20 including such components as thethermoelectric device 23 and theair duct 25 are disposed next to each other. - The exterior of the
HDD module 20, especially the upper and lower parts thereof, is designed so as to correspond to the mechanism provided in theHDD box 10 for inserting and holding theHDD module 20. For example, theHDD box 10 has a structure such as a guide rail for inserting theHDD module 20 therein, and the exterior of theHDD module 20 has a structure which engages with the guide rail or the like. Accordingly, when detaching theHDD module 20, theHDD module 20 is inserted from the corresponding position of the front face of theHDD box 10 and moved horizontally along the guide rail or the like, and then, an I/F connector 203 of theHDD 200 and a correspondingconnector 81 of therear board 80 are jointed in the back to connect theHDD module 20 to theHDD box 10. Similarly, when removing theHDD module 20, ahandle 26 of theHDD module 20 is pulled from the corresponding position of the front face of theHDD box 10 to withdraw theHDD module 20 along the guide rail or the like, thereby disconnecting theHDD module 20. - As storage device modules to be mounted (connected) in the
HDD box 10, a user can selectively mount theHDD modules 20 provided with cooling fans and the conventional modules not provided with them according to need. Accordingly, the cooling performance of the entire apparatus can be selected and adjusted in accordance with the required performance. - As shown in
FIG. 6 , theconnector 81 corresponding to the I/F connector 203 of theHDD 200 and two exhaust holes (air hole) 82 corresponding to the ventilation surface of theair duct 25 are provided for eachHDD module 20 in therear board 80. The number and the shape of the exhaust holes 82 are not limited to these and various modifications can be made therein. - When the I/
F connector 203 of theHDD 200 and theconnector 81 are connected, theHDD module 20 is connected (installed) to the system of theapparatus 1. Furthermore, boards and units other than thecontrol board 60 are also connected to therear board 80 via connectors. The modules and the boards are mutually connected and the power is supplied therebetween through the wirings in therear board 80. TheHDD module 20 is connected to an upper control system or a host computer via the wirings in therear board 80. The control system mentioned here is a DKC (disk controller) which controls theHDD 200 group and has the RAID control function. Also, the host computer is a computer which accesses thedisk array apparatus 1 to use the storage area of theHDD 200. - <Policy of Cooling>
- The policy of the cooling in the cooling structure of the
disk array apparatus 1 will be described below. Of the various components in the chassis, theHDD modules 20 are the main (primary) objects to be cooled. The operating environmental temperature is different in aboard portion 201 and adisk portion 202 of theHDD 200, and that of theboard portion 201 is higher than that of thedisk portion 202. More specifically, it is desired to sufficiently cool the disk portion 202 (especially spindle motor portion) when used. The operating environmental temperature mentioned here is the desired temperature in the environment where the object components are to be used or the temperature in which the normal operation thereof is ensured. For example, the operating environmental temperature of thedisk array apparatus 1 is the constant temperature retained in the computer room, for example, 25 to 30° C. - Therefore, in the first embodiment, the
disk portion 202 of theHDD module 20 having a low operating environmental temperature is the main object to be cooled by the coolingfan 24 provided in theHDD module 20. Also, thethermoelectric conversion device 23 particularly uses the heat generated from theboard portion 201. In the conventional apparatus, air of about 2.0 m/s flows around the transportable magnetic device (HDD and module thereof), and the coolingfan 24 with the air volume of about 2.0 m/s is mounted also in the first embodiment. The air cooling is performed by the combination of the coolingfan 24 and theexhaust fan 35. - <HDD Module>
- As shown in
FIG. 3 , theHDD module 20 has an integrated structure obtained by attaching various components to theHDD 200 to be a main component thereof. Also, as shown inFIG. 6 , theHDD module 20 has an exterior with an almost rectangular parallelepiped shape composed of theframe 21, theair duct 25 and thehandle 26, and it is mounted in the space with a corresponding shape in theHDD box 10. TheHDD module 200 of theHDD module 20 has the I/F connector 203 on the rear side as shown inFIG. 5 and is connected to theconnector 81 at a corresponding position on the rear board 80 (shown partly). Theconnector 81 andexhaust holes 82 are formed as a set in therear board 80, and therear board 80 corresponds to the ventilation surface of theair duct 25. In the present embodiment, twoexhaust holes 82 are provided for oneHDD module 20. Also, atemperature sensor 83 and the like for detecting the temperature can be provided near the exhaust hole 82 (described later). - In
FIG. 3 , theHDD module 20 includes, from the back side (left side of the HDD module 20) to the front side (right side of the HDD module 20), the frame (canister frame) 21, a bracket (mounting fitting) 22, the thermoelectric device (also referred to as thermoelectric conversion device) 23, theHDD 200, the coolingfan 24, and theair duct 25. Also, theHDD module 20 also includes, from the front side of theHDD module 20, thehandle 26, a coolingfin 27, a base portion of theframe 21, a front portion of thethermoelectric device 23, a front portion of theair duct 25, the coolingfan 24, theHDD 200 and others. The coolingfan 24 is disposed between the front portion of thethermoelectric device 23 and the front face of theHDD 200. The coolingfin 27 is disposed so as to be contained in thehandle 26. The coolingfan 24 is stored in the front portion of theair duct 25. - In
FIG. 4 , theHDD 200 is mainly composed of a board portion (also referred to as control device) 201 and adisk portion 202. Theboard portion 201 is fixed to thedisk portion 202 by screws. In the present embodiment, although theHDD 200 has an almost rectangular parallelepiped shape, the HDD having other shape is also available. In such a case, theframe 21 and others have the shape corresponding to it. - Circuit IC and others for controlling the drive of the
disk portion 202 are mounted in theboard portion 201. Thedisk portion 202 has hardware such as the spindle motor for driving the magnetic disk. - The operating environmental temperature of the disk portion 202 (especially spindle motor thereof) is, for example, “the operating environmental temperature of the disk array apparatus+12° C”. The
board portion 201 has the operating environmental temperature of, for example, 100° C. or lower. - The
HDD 200 is attached to or provided near thethermoelectric device 23. Thebracket 22 is attached to theframe 21, and thethermoelectric device 23 is attached to thebracket 22. The front portion (low-temperature portion 231) of thethermoelectric device 23, the front portion of theframe 21, and the coolingfin 27 are fixed by screws. The front portion (low-temperature portion 231) of thethermoelectric device 23 is cooled by the incoming external air (room temperature: 25 to 30° C. ) and temperature thereof is reduced. On the other hand, the temperature of the side portion (high-temperature portion 232) of thethermoelectric device 23 is increased by the heat absorption from theboard portion 201. - It is necessary to electrically connect the
thermoelectric device 23 and the coolingfan 24. In this connection structure, for example, conductive wires extend from two (±) terminals of thethermoelectric device 23 to form a connector, and the connector and a connector of the coolingfan 24 are connected. The electric power generated by the temperature difference between the low-temperature portion 231 and the high-temperature portion 232 of thethermoelectric device 23 is supplied to the coolingfan 24 via the above-mentioned terminals. The coolingfan 24 is automatically operated by this power supply. - More specifically, when the temperature difference in the
thermoelectric device 23 is large (when heat generated from theHDD 200 is high), the air flow from the coolingfan 24 is increased by that much. Also, when the temperature difference is little (when heat generated fromHDD 200 is low), the air flow is automatically stopped. In comparison with the case where the ventilation fans operated by the main power supply of the apparatus and provided in each of the HDDs are uniformly operated to send air, the efficient cooling in accordance with the heating state of theHDDs 200 can be performed. - In
FIG. 4 , thethermoelectric device 23 has a low-temperature portion (front portion) 231 and a high-temperature portion (side portion) 232 therein, and is made of a material which generates an electric power by the temperature difference. In thethermoelectric device 23, the phenomenon that the temperature difference between the two portions (231 and 232) causes the potential difference to generate electrons is utilized for the self power generation (thermoelectric conversion). Thethermoelectric device 23 is made of, for example, La (lanthanum)-Fe (iron)-Sb (antimony) series alloy. - In the present embodiment, according to the policy of cooling described above, the high-
temperature portion 232 is disposed on the side face of theboard portion 201 of theHDD module 20, and the low-temperature portion 231 is disposed on the front face of theHDD module 20. Also, the side portion of theair duct 25 is disposed on the side face of thedisk portion 202 of theHDD module 20. - The low-
temperature portion 231 of thethermoelectric device 23 is cooled by the air taken from the front side of theHDD module 20 and the temperature thereof is decreased. Simultaneously, the high-temperature portion 232 of thethermoelectric device 23 absorbs heat from circuit IC components of theboard portion 201 of theHDD module 20 or the cover of the HDD 200 (part provided between theboard portion 201 and the thermoelectric device 23) and the temperature thereof is increased. - The
thermoelectric device 23 has a L shape composed of two plates (to be the low-temperature portion 231 and the high-temperature portion 232, respectively) in the present embodiment. However, the shape is not limited to this, and various modified shapes can be used as long as the portions having relatively high and low temperatures can be secured. For example, when the front face (low-temperature portion 231) is modified to have a bent shape instead of a flat shape so as to increase the area thereof, the power generation efficiency can be increased. - The
bracket 22 has a function to attach theHDD 200 and theframe 21 and to protect the board surface. However, it is not always necessary to provide thebracket 22, and thebracket 22 can be integrated with theframe 21. Thehandle 26 has a function to support the insertion and removal operation of theHDD module 20. However, it is not always necessary to provide thehandle 26, and thehandle 26 can be integrated with theframe 21. The coolingfin 27 is a heat conductive component (radiation member), and it mainly supports the cooling of the low-temperature portion 231 (front face) of thethermoelectric device 23. However, it is not always necessary to provide the coolingfin 27. - The ventilation path in the
HDD module 20 will be described with reference toFIG. 5 . Basically, the external air is taken from the front side of theHDD module 20 by the operation of theexhaust fans 35 in the upper part of the chassis. First, the air is taken through thehandle 26, the coolingfin 27, the front portion of theframe 21, and the front portion (231) of the thermoelectric device 23 (a). By doing so, the low-temperature portion 231 of thethermoelectric device 23 provided near the coolingfin 27 and the front portion offrame 21 is cooled. The wind by this intake air is directed from the interior of theair duct 25 to the rear side by using the operation of the coolingfan 24 in theair duct 25. By doing so, especially thedisk portion 202 of theHDD 200 is cooled (b). Thereafter, the air is exhausted to thecentral duct 31 through the exhaust hole of theair duct 25 and theexhaust hole 82 of therear board 80, and then exhausted toward theupper exhaust fan 35 through the central duct 31 (c). - Also, in the present embodiment, as shown by the dashed lines,
partitions 25 b are provided in theair duct 25 so that two ventilation paths corresponding to the position and the shape of the twoexhaust holes 82 of therear board 80 are formed. By doing so, the exhaust efficiency is improved. Also, the clearance (length L) between theair duct 25 and therear board 80 in the state where theHDD module 20 is attached in theHDD box 10 and to therear board 80 is reduced as short as possible. By doing so, since the amount of the exhaust air from the coolingfan 24 left in theHDD box 10 is reduced, the exhaust efficiency to the outside of the HDD box 10 (to the central duct 31) can be improved. - The components along the ventilation path, that is, the
handle 26, the coolingfin 27, theframe 21, thethermoelectric device 23, and theair duct 25 have air holes or openings for passing air from the front face of theHDD module 20 to the coolingfan 24 on their front sides. For example, thehandle 26 has along hole 26 a, and theair duct 25 has along hole 25 a. Also, inFIG. 4 , openings are formed in the front portion of theframe 21 and in the front portion (low-temperature portion 231) of thethermoelectric device 23. Also, in the coolingfin 27, the air holes (not shown) are formed between a plurality of fins. - The reliability and the cooling efficiency of the present
disk array apparatus 1 will be described. Under the condition that the external temperature (room temperature) of theapparatus 1 is constant, the case where theexhaust fan 35 in the upper part of theapparatus 1 is stopped due to some trouble is assumed. In such a case, the heat generated from theHDD 200 and the temperature of theHDD 200 are increased. However, if the external temperature is constant, the temperature difference occurs between the external temperature and theHDD 200. Therefore, based on the temperature difference, the more efficient cooling than usual by the self power generation can be performed by thethermoelectric device 23 and the cooling fan built in theHDD module 20. Accordingly, even when theexhaust fan 35 is stopped, the decrease in the cooling efficiency in the entiredisk array apparatus 1 can be suppressed. - <Effect>
- According to the first embodiment, the automatic cooling and exhaust support in accordance with the heat generated from the
HDD 200 are performed by thethermoelectric device 23, the coolingfan 24, and theair duct 25 provided for eachHDD module 20. Accordingly, different from the conventional technology, it is not necessary to forcibly exhaust the heat generated from theHDD 200 disposed relatively apart from the exhaust fan in the upper part of the chassis. In other words, in the present embodiment, the necessity of using a high-power (high-output) exhaust fan as theexhaust fan 35 in the upper part of the chassis is reduced. - Also, as the cooling structure using the
thermoelectric device 23, the cooling and exhaust structure in which the portion to be cooled is limited to thedisk portion 202 by using theair duct 25 is newly employed. Accordingly, thedisk portion 202 for which the cooling is especially required can be forcibly cooled. - In addition, the conventional technology for cooling the circuit IC (board) by the mounted fans in a standard personal computer is well-known. In the disk array apparatus, since the operating environmental temperature of the HDD has to be lowered by its nature, the exhaust fan is directly attached to the HDD to cool it. In such a structure, power supply means for the exhaust fan has to be installed. As a result, various problems, for example, increase in both the power consumption and the cost will occur. Meanwhile, in the present embodiment, the electric power required for the cooling is supplied by the self generation of the
thermoelectric device 23, and the installation of power supply connector and others for the power supply from the apparatus is not necessary. - In particular, in the curved part of the ventilation path, that is, in the part where the air flows upward from the back of the
HDD boxes 10 on the front and rear faces (50 a and 50 b) through thecentral duct 31, the efficiency loss is relatively large and there is a room for improvement of the efficiency in the conventional technology. However, in the present embodiment, the loss can be solved by the installation of the coolingfan 24. - Consequently, it is possible to achieve both the highly efficient cooling and the reduction in noise and power consumption of the fan operation in the overall apparatus. In addition, owing to the low-cost cooling structure and the removal of the power supply connector and others, the structure of the apparatus can be simplified.
- <Degree of Freedom of Design and Mounting>
- The simplification of the structure of the apparatus as an effect of the present embodiment, in other words, the high degree of freedom of the design and mounting will be described as a supplementary explanation. In the case where the structure in which a conventional fan operated by the main power supply of the apparatus is provided to the HDD module is assumed as one solution, a power supply connector for the power supply from the apparatus has to be provided for the HDD module and the rear board. In such a case, the degree of freedom is low because the restriction on the design and mounting is given to the signal wiring patterns in the rear board. More specifically, the space for the power supply connector is required, and the signal wiring pattern must be formed away from the space. Meanwhile, in the first embodiment, it is not necessary to provide the power supply connector. Therefore, the restriction on the signal wiring pattern is reduced, and the space for forming the
exhaust hole 32 and others can be increased. As a result, the degree of freedom of the design and mounting can be improved. -
FIG. 7A andFIG. 7B are diagram of the examples of the mounting structure of therear board 80, showing the effect described above.FIG. 7A is a diagram showing the conventional structure in which the power supply connector for the power supply to the fan is provided, andFIG. 7B is a diagram showing the structure according to the first embodiment, in which it is not necessary to provide the power supply connector. - In
FIG. 7A , a rear board 700 (shown partly) has aconnector 701, a PS (power supply)connector 702, aexhaust hole 703, and asignal wiring pattern 704 formed at corresponding positions of each HDD module. Theconnector 701 is connected to an I/F connector on the side of the HDD module. ThePS connector 702 is connected to a PS connector on the side of the HDD module. Thesignal wiring pattern 704 is, for example, the signal wiring pattern between the correspondingconnectors 701 in the upper and lower stages of the HDD box, and thesignal wiring pattern 704 is bent so as to avoid thePS connector 702. As a result, a large space is required, which leads to the size increase of the apparatus. Also, due to the presence of thePS connector 702, the restriction is given to the size of theexhaust hole 703, and a high-power fan has to be installed in order to cover it. As a result, the problem of the noise and power consumption increase will occur. Also, since two types of connectors must be mounted also on the side of the HDD module, the connection structure with therear board 80 becomes complex. - Meanwhile, in
FIG. 7B , a rear board 80 (shown partly) has aconnector 81 connected to the I/F connector 203, theexhaust hole 82 corresponding to theair duct 25, and asignal wiring pattern 84 formed at corresponding positions of eachHDD module 20. Thesignal wiring pattern 84 is, for example, the signal wiring pattern between the correspondingconnectors 81 in the upper and lower stages of theHDD box 10, and thesignal wiring pattern 84 is linearly laid because thePS connector 702 and the like are not provided. In the case ofFIG. 7B , other components can be mounted instead of thePS connector 702, and thesignal wiring pattern 84 is short, readily laid and simplified. In addition, it is also possible to increase the size and the number of the exhaust holes 82 so as to improve the ventilation efficiency. As a result, the care required when installing the high-power fan becomes unnecessary, and the noise and power consumption can be reduced. - Next, the second embodiment will be described.
FIG. 8 shows the configuration of thedisk array apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment, in which an exhaust fan control function is provided.FIG. 9 shows an example of the grouped structure in theHDD boxes 10 and others. In the first embodiment, the control system (DKC) of thedisk array apparatus 1 does not have to perform the particular control (software process) for the above-described cooling structure, and the effects can be achieved automatically. The second embodiment has the basic structure similar to that of the first embodiment, and the control (software process) for the above-described cooling structure is performed. In particular, the function to control the exhaust fan section (150) in the upper part of the apparatus based on the temperature state of the HDD 200 (HDD module 20) is provided. Also, the control function corresponding to the grouped structure is provided. - In the second embodiment, the control function for the
exhaust fan 35 is provided so as to deal with the case where the cooling by the coolingfan 24 built in theHDD module 20 cannot be performed due to the unstable power supply and the case where the coolingfan 24 is stopped due to the trouble. When the function of the coolingfan 24 is degraded or the coolingfan 24 is stopped, the atmospheric temperature around theHDD module 20 is increased. As shown inFIG. 6 , the temperature sensor (or thermostat) 83 is provided on the ventilation path and near theHDD module 20, in particular, near the exhaust holes 82 of therear board 80, and the atmospheric temperature of theHDD module 20 is detected by thetemperature sensor 83. Then, the temperature detected by thetemperature sensor 83 is compared with a threshold value in a predetermined control processor. When the detected temperature exceeds the threshold value, the voltage applied to theexhaust fan 35 placed at the position corresponding to theconcerned HDD module 20 of the upper exhaust fan section (150) is varied so as to increase the rotation speed of the fan. With such a control, the degradation of the cooling function for theHDD module 20 can be compensated. - As the structure thereof, for example, the
temperature sensor 83 is connected to a control board 60 (FSW). The temperature detected by thetemperature sensor 83 is compared with a threshold value and checked in thecontrol board 60, and it is determined whether theexhaust fan 35 is controlled or not. Also, the structure is formed so that the voltage or the rotation speed of theupper exhaust fan 35 can be controlled by thecontrol board 60. The threshold value is, for example, “operating environmental temperature+12° C.>. - Also, although it is possible to collectively control all of the
exhaust fans 35 mounted in thedisk array apparatus 1, the structure in which theexhaust fans 35 can be selectively controlled is more effective when a plurality ofexhaust fans 35 are mounted in the exhaust fan section (150). More specifically, theexhaust fan 35 corresponding to the location at which the HDD module 20 (or a group including it) having the trouble of the temperature state is mounted is selected and controlled. - For example, as shown in
FIG. 9 , in theapparatus 1, a plurality ofHDD modules 20, the control boards 60 (FSW), and theexhaust fans 35 are grouped, and theapparatus 1 is controlled based on the groups. For example, groups G#1 to G#4 are shown, and the control of theexhaust fan 35 is performed in each of the groups. The upper exhaust fan section (150) and underlying oneHDD box 10 on the front and rear faces (50 a and 50 b) of the apparatus are shown as an example. The same is equally true ofother HDD boxes 10. As described by the four groups G#1 to G#4, one group is composed of a plurality of (eight)HDD modules 20, thecontrol boards 60, and theexhaust fans 35. - For example, in the group G#1, the air taken from the front side of the eight
HDDs 200 is exhausted mainly by the corresponding exhaust fan 35 (FAN#1) in the group G#1 through thecentral duct 31. Therefore, in the corresponding control board 60 (FSW#1), when the degradation of the cooling function is detected based on the temperature detected by thetemperature sensor 83 disposed so as to correspond to the group G#1, the control for increasing the rotation speed of the corresponding exhaust fan 35 (FAN#1) is performed. - In the functional block configuration shown in
FIG. 8 , thedisk array apparatus 1 has a structure in which theDKC 110 which is the control system of the apparatus and the DKU (disk unit) 130 corresponding to theunit 30 are connected. Further, a SVP (service processor) 190 for maintenance and management is connected to theDKC 110 via theinternal LAN 180. Also, theapparatus 1 has theexhaust fan section 150 including a plurality of exhaust fans (FAN) 35 and apower supply section 140 including a plurality of power supply units (PS) 40. In each of the groups (G#1, G#2, . . . ), theexhaust fan 35 and the HDD 200 (HDD module 20) group are operated by the power supply of the correspondingpower supply module 40. - The
DKC 110 has processors for each function such as aCHA 111, aDKA 112, aCM 113, aSM 114, aSW 115 and others. TheCHA 111 has a communication I/F (for example, FC (fiber channel)-I/F) and a control function to external devices such as a host computer. TheDKA 112 has a communication I/F (for example, FC-I/F) and a control function to theHDD 200. TheDKA 112 is connected to a plurality of control boards (FSW) 60 and can control thecontrol boards 60. TheCM 113 is a common cache memory, in which the data and others to theHDD 200 are stored. TheSM 114 is a common memory, in which control information, configuration management information and others are stored. TheSVP 190 is a computer, which has a maintenance and management function of thedisk array apparatus 1 to perform the configuration management and the failure management. Also, an operator can perform the various maintenance and management processes by operating theSVP 190. - Note that the
DKC 110 can have various mounting structures. For example, similar to theHDD box 10 and theDKU 130, theDKC 110 can have a structure that board modules corresponding to respective processors are stored and connected in a box (logic box). More specifically, it is possible to dispose the logic box or the board module instead of theHDD box 10 at the position thereof in the chassis. However, in the present embodiment, theDKC 110 is not the primary object to be cooled in this cooling structure, the detail description of the structure thereof is omitted. - The
control board 60 controls a plurality of (for example, eight)HDDs 200. Thecontrol board 60 is provided with aprogram 61 for this control and executes the program to control the above-mentionedexhaust fan 35 through the software process. As a result of the process by theprogram 61, the process corresponding to the control function to the exhaust fan section (150) is performed. More specifically, the temperature detected by thetemperature sensor 83 is compared with a threshold value and checked, and it is determined whether theexhaust fan 35 at a corresponding position is controlled or not, and then, the rotation speed or the like of the fan is controlled based on the determination. The direct control of thetarget exhaust fan 35 or the control of the input voltage to thetarget exhaust fan 35 from the correspondingPS 40 is carried out. - According to the second embodiment, by the control function for the exhaust fan section (150), especially by the control function corresponding to the grouped structure, the efficient cooling function in accordance with the temperature state of the
HDDs 200 can be performed. - Next, the third embodiment will be described. The third embodiment basically has the structure similar to that shown in
FIG. 8 , and the control function for theupper exhaust fan 35 in consideration of the data access to theHDD 200 is provided. Furthermore, the control function corresponding to the grouped structure can be provided also in the third embodiment. - It is known that the temperature around the
HDD 200 is increased by 0.5 to 1° C. by a unit data access such as the disk R/W access to theHDD 200 of theHDD module 20. In the third embodiment, the data access to theHDD 200 is monitored and detected by a predetermined control processor, and the rotation speed of theexhaust fan 35 corresponding to the location of thecorresponding HDD module 20 is controlled to compensate the cooling by the coolingfan 24 built in theHDD module 20. - For example, as shown in
FIG. 8 , in the process by theprogram 61, the access to theHDD 200 is monitored and detected in thecontrol board 60. For example, apredetermined HDD 200 and the group thereof in theDKU 130 are accessed (disk read (R)/write (W) access and the like) from a host computer or the like connected to theDKC 110 via theCHA 111, theSW 115 and theDKA 112 in theDKC 110 and the control board 60 (a). The access to the group G#1 is shown as an example. In thecontrol board 60, such an access is monitored and detected (b). Then, when the access to theHDD 200 in its own group is detected, the voltage of the correspondingexhaust fan 35 in the group is varied by thecontrol board 60 based on the period and the number of times of the data access so as to slightly increase the rotation speed of the fan (c). - According to the third embodiment, by the control function for the
exhaust fan 35, the efficient cooling function in accordance with the data access state to theHDD 200 can be realized. -
FIG. 10 shows an example of a structure in which the ventilation path is divided into several paths so as to correspond to the grouped structure in thedisk array apparatus 1 according to the fourth embodiment. In thedisk array apparatus 1, the RAID group (group to be a unit of the RAID control) can be configured and set for thephysical HDD 200 group. In the fourth embodiment, the control function to theexhaust fan 35 is provided, and also, the control for theexhaust fan 35 and the RAID group of theHDD 200 are correlated in the management and control thereof. Also, in the fourth embodiment, the ventilation path is divided so as to correspond to the RAID groups in consideration of the ventilation path in theentire apparatus 1. - In
FIG. 9 , the configuration information of theHDD 200 groups of the groups G#1 to G#4 is set and managed so as to correspond to the RAID groups.FIG. 9 andFIG. 10 corresponds to each other in group configuration. -
FIG. 10A is a diagram of a chassis seen from an upper face (50 c) of the chassis, andFIG. 10B is a diagram of the chassis seen from a side thereof. InFIG. 10A , a rectangular area on the upper face (50 c) of the chassis is divided into eight areas corresponding to eightventilation fans 35, and an area corresponding to thecentral duct 31 is divided into eight areas bypartitions 91. More specifically, eight ventilation paths for each of the groups are provided. - In
FIG. 10B , thepartition 91 extends in the vertical direction and divides the area in thecentral duct 31 into 8 areas so as to separate the groups (G#1 to G#4). In other words, the entire ventilation path is divided into several paths. Arrows inFIG. 10B represent the ventilation paths. - The
exhaust fans 35 provided in the exhaust fan section (150) can be optionally provided so as to correspond to the above-described structure in which the ventilation path is divided. More specifically, the number ofexhaust fans 35 to be mounted can be increased and decreased according to need such as required function. When only a required number ofexhaust fans 35 are mounted based on the mounting in units of groups, the power consumption and the cost can be reduced. The arrows a and b represent the direction in which theadditional exhaust fans 35 and corresponding groups are provided, and the groups are additionally provided in the order of G#1, G#2 . . . from the front and rear sides of theHDD box 10. - Also, in the structure in which the exhaust fan can be optionally provided, a mechanism such as a shutter can be provided to the place where the
exhaust fan 35 is not mounted so as to shut the space. By doing so, the wasteful flow of the exhaust air between the mounting portion of theexhaust fan 35 and the portion in which the fan is not mounted can be reduced and prevented, and the more efficient exhaust can be performed in the entire apparatus. - According to the fourth embodiment, owing to the structure in which the ventilation path is divided into several paths so as to correspond to the grouped structure, the low-cost and efficient cooling function can be realized.
- In the foregoing, the invention made by the inventors of the present invention has been concretely described based on the embodiments. However, it is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to the foregoing embodiments and various modifications and alterations can be made within the scope of the present invention. In the embodiments described above, the
HDD module 20 and theHDD box 10 are main objects to be cooled. However, the object to be cooled is not limited to them. For example, components having a similar heating element (IC board or the like) such as modules constituting the control system (DKC 110) can be cooled in the same manner. Furthermore, storage device other than theHDD 200 can be employed as the storage devices to be mounted in thedisk array apparatus 1, and the structure of the storage device modules having the coolingfan 24 built therein is modified in accordance with the structure of the storage device to be mounted. Also, the fans operated by the main power supply of the apparatus are disposed only in the upper part of the chassis in the embodiments described above. However, the fans can be additionally disposed in other parts of the chassis, for example, on the rear side of theHDD box 10 and in the middle of thecentral duct 31 so as to enhance the cooling performance. Furthermore, in the second embodiment, theexhaust fan 35 is controlled by the control board 60 (FSW) in front of theHDD 200 group. However, it is possible to perform the control by any other components and processors as long as the temperature and the data access can be detected. - The present invention can be applied to a disk array apparatus having heating elements such as HDDs and requiring a cooling structure.
Claims (15)
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
JP2005377138A JP2007179655A (en) | 2005-12-28 | 2005-12-28 | Disk array device |
JP2005-377138 | 2005-12-28 |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US7242580B1 US7242580B1 (en) | 2007-07-10 |
US20070171607A1 true US20070171607A1 (en) | 2007-07-26 |
Family
ID=38227082
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US11/373,164 Expired - Fee Related US7242580B1 (en) | 2005-12-28 | 2006-03-13 | Disk array apparatus |
Country Status (2)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US7242580B1 (en) |
JP (1) | JP2007179655A (en) |
Cited By (9)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20090016010A1 (en) * | 2007-06-13 | 2009-01-15 | Vinson Wade D | Component layout in an enclosure |
WO2009134610A2 (en) * | 2008-04-29 | 2009-11-05 | Quantum Corporation | Methods and systems for using a storage device to control and manage external cooling devices |
US8078335B2 (en) | 2007-12-27 | 2011-12-13 | Fujitsu Limited | Storage system, storage system control method and storage system control apparatus |
US20150334873A1 (en) * | 2012-12-17 | 2015-11-19 | Hitachi Systems, Ltd. | Heat shutter device |
US20150351286A1 (en) * | 2012-12-03 | 2015-12-03 | Nec Corporation | Electronic apparatus cooling system |
US20160324035A1 (en) * | 2013-12-27 | 2016-11-03 | Zte Corporation | Subrack and terminal |
US9888614B1 (en) * | 2014-05-22 | 2018-02-06 | Amazon Technologies, Inc. | Modular data center row infrastructure |
US10244667B2 (en) | 2016-03-02 | 2019-03-26 | Hitachi, Ltd. | Storage apparatus and storage device management program |
US10542639B2 (en) | 2017-03-31 | 2020-01-21 | Fujitsu Limited | Information processing apparatus |
Families Citing this family (12)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
JP2007066480A (en) * | 2005-09-02 | 2007-03-15 | Hitachi Ltd | Disk array device |
US7414837B2 (en) * | 2005-11-01 | 2008-08-19 | Adlink Technology Inc. | ATCA board compatible hard disk mounting structure |
JP5110510B2 (en) * | 2007-08-29 | 2012-12-26 | インターナショナル・ビジネス・マシーンズ・コーポレーション | Technology for cooling equipment |
US7688584B1 (en) * | 2008-10-02 | 2010-03-30 | Environmental Container Systems, Inc. | Cooling system for rack-mounted electronics equipment |
WO2010124700A1 (en) * | 2009-04-28 | 2010-11-04 | Telefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson (Publ) | Communications networks node |
US8208252B2 (en) * | 2009-11-05 | 2012-06-26 | Alcatel-Lucent Usa Inc. | Infrared energy powered cooling apparatus and computer chassis comprising same |
JP6008344B2 (en) * | 2010-06-30 | 2016-10-19 | 日本無線株式会社 | Electronic equipment |
WO2014082028A1 (en) * | 2012-11-26 | 2014-05-30 | Abb Technology Ag | System and method for energy harvesting in a data center |
US9400532B2 (en) * | 2014-08-21 | 2016-07-26 | Dell Products, Lp | Air channel in storage media for chassis thermal design |
US10375901B2 (en) | 2014-12-09 | 2019-08-13 | Mtd Products Inc | Blower/vacuum |
JP6598318B2 (en) * | 2018-01-18 | 2019-10-30 | Necプラットフォームズ株式会社 | Storage device and control method thereof |
CN111681686B (en) * | 2020-05-22 | 2021-08-20 | 安庆师范大学 | Hard disk device based on block chain |
Citations (13)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US5419780A (en) * | 1994-04-29 | 1995-05-30 | Ast Research, Inc. | Method and apparatus for recovering power from semiconductor circuit using thermoelectric device |
US6143975A (en) * | 1999-01-25 | 2000-11-07 | Dell Usa, L.P. | Thermoelectric regenerator |
US6215660B1 (en) * | 2000-02-22 | 2001-04-10 | Hao-Cheng Lin | Electronic appliance with a thermoelectric heat-dissipating apparatus |
US6246579B1 (en) * | 1997-12-31 | 2001-06-12 | Global Win Technology Co., Ltd. | Hard diskdrive cooling structure |
US6289678B1 (en) * | 1998-12-03 | 2001-09-18 | Phoenix Group, Inc. | Environmental system for rugged disk drive |
US20010023591A1 (en) * | 2000-03-24 | 2001-09-27 | Kazuhiko Maeda | Power generating mechanism for electronic apparatus |
US6320744B1 (en) * | 1999-02-19 | 2001-11-20 | General Dynamics Information Systesm, Inc. | Data storage housing |
US6434000B1 (en) * | 1998-12-03 | 2002-08-13 | Iv Phoenix Group, Inc. | Environmental system for rugged disk drive |
US6480380B1 (en) * | 2000-07-18 | 2002-11-12 | Emc Corporation | Methods and apparatus for cooling a disk drive |
US6717808B2 (en) * | 1996-10-11 | 2004-04-06 | Fujitsu Limited | Electronic apparatus having a heat dissipation member |
US20040145869A1 (en) * | 2002-11-13 | 2004-07-29 | Hitachi, Ltd. | Disk module, and disk array apparatus |
US20050039465A1 (en) * | 2003-08-20 | 2005-02-24 | Directed Electronics, Inc. | Peltier temperature control system for electronic components |
US6927980B2 (en) * | 2003-06-27 | 2005-08-09 | Hitachi, Ltd. | Cooling structure for disk storage device |
Family Cites Families (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
JP2005076584A (en) | 2003-09-02 | 2005-03-24 | Toyota Motor Corp | Exhaust heat power generating device |
-
2005
- 2005-12-28 JP JP2005377138A patent/JP2007179655A/en not_active Withdrawn
-
2006
- 2006-03-13 US US11/373,164 patent/US7242580B1/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
Patent Citations (13)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US5419780A (en) * | 1994-04-29 | 1995-05-30 | Ast Research, Inc. | Method and apparatus for recovering power from semiconductor circuit using thermoelectric device |
US6717808B2 (en) * | 1996-10-11 | 2004-04-06 | Fujitsu Limited | Electronic apparatus having a heat dissipation member |
US6246579B1 (en) * | 1997-12-31 | 2001-06-12 | Global Win Technology Co., Ltd. | Hard diskdrive cooling structure |
US6289678B1 (en) * | 1998-12-03 | 2001-09-18 | Phoenix Group, Inc. | Environmental system for rugged disk drive |
US6434000B1 (en) * | 1998-12-03 | 2002-08-13 | Iv Phoenix Group, Inc. | Environmental system for rugged disk drive |
US6143975A (en) * | 1999-01-25 | 2000-11-07 | Dell Usa, L.P. | Thermoelectric regenerator |
US6320744B1 (en) * | 1999-02-19 | 2001-11-20 | General Dynamics Information Systesm, Inc. | Data storage housing |
US6215660B1 (en) * | 2000-02-22 | 2001-04-10 | Hao-Cheng Lin | Electronic appliance with a thermoelectric heat-dissipating apparatus |
US20010023591A1 (en) * | 2000-03-24 | 2001-09-27 | Kazuhiko Maeda | Power generating mechanism for electronic apparatus |
US6480380B1 (en) * | 2000-07-18 | 2002-11-12 | Emc Corporation | Methods and apparatus for cooling a disk drive |
US20040145869A1 (en) * | 2002-11-13 | 2004-07-29 | Hitachi, Ltd. | Disk module, and disk array apparatus |
US6927980B2 (en) * | 2003-06-27 | 2005-08-09 | Hitachi, Ltd. | Cooling structure for disk storage device |
US20050039465A1 (en) * | 2003-08-20 | 2005-02-24 | Directed Electronics, Inc. | Peltier temperature control system for electronic components |
Cited By (12)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20090016010A1 (en) * | 2007-06-13 | 2009-01-15 | Vinson Wade D | Component layout in an enclosure |
US8144458B2 (en) * | 2007-06-13 | 2012-03-27 | Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. | Component layout in an enclosure |
US8078335B2 (en) | 2007-12-27 | 2011-12-13 | Fujitsu Limited | Storage system, storage system control method and storage system control apparatus |
WO2009134610A2 (en) * | 2008-04-29 | 2009-11-05 | Quantum Corporation | Methods and systems for using a storage device to control and manage external cooling devices |
WO2009134610A3 (en) * | 2008-04-29 | 2010-01-21 | Quantum Corporation | Methods and systems for using a storage device to control and manage external cooling devices |
US20150351286A1 (en) * | 2012-12-03 | 2015-12-03 | Nec Corporation | Electronic apparatus cooling system |
US20150334873A1 (en) * | 2012-12-17 | 2015-11-19 | Hitachi Systems, Ltd. | Heat shutter device |
US20160324035A1 (en) * | 2013-12-27 | 2016-11-03 | Zte Corporation | Subrack and terminal |
US9883613B2 (en) * | 2013-12-27 | 2018-01-30 | Zte Corporation | Subrack and terminal |
US9888614B1 (en) * | 2014-05-22 | 2018-02-06 | Amazon Technologies, Inc. | Modular data center row infrastructure |
US10244667B2 (en) | 2016-03-02 | 2019-03-26 | Hitachi, Ltd. | Storage apparatus and storage device management program |
US10542639B2 (en) | 2017-03-31 | 2020-01-21 | Fujitsu Limited | Information processing apparatus |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
JP2007179655A (en) | 2007-07-12 |
US7242580B1 (en) | 2007-07-10 |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
US7242580B1 (en) | Disk array apparatus | |
JP4818700B2 (en) | Storage controller | |
US7593225B2 (en) | Disk array system | |
US7558056B2 (en) | Disk array device | |
JP4951596B2 (en) | Cooling system and electronic device | |
JP6006402B2 (en) | Storage device and storage control unit of storage device | |
JP5243614B2 (en) | Storage device, storage controller of storage device, and housing for storage controller | |
US20080043426A1 (en) | Storage apparatus | |
US6563704B2 (en) | Storage device arrangement for increased cooling | |
JP2008016137A (en) | Disk array device | |
US7333330B2 (en) | Electronic component chassis with isolated power supply cooling | |
JP2002032153A (en) | Cartridge type server unit and casing for loading the same | |
JP2004178557A (en) | Disk module and disk array apparatus | |
JP2007035173A (en) | Disk array device | |
JP2012177959A (en) | Server device and electronic apparatus cooling system | |
JP2009059033A (en) | Storage controller | |
JP5792427B2 (en) | Disk array device | |
JP3125684U (en) | Magnetic disk unit | |
JP3691441B2 (en) | Rack mount cooling device | |
JP2008130173A (en) | Recorder/player | |
KR200377070Y1 (en) | Internally disposed cooling device for electronic apparatus | |
JP2014215858A (en) | Storage device | |
JP2005004824A (en) | Cooling structure for magnetic disk mounting device |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: HITACHI, LTD., JAPAN Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:TANAKA, SHIGEAKI;REEL/FRAME:017968/0192 Effective date: 20060508 |
|
FEPP | Fee payment procedure |
Free format text: PAYOR NUMBER ASSIGNED (ORIGINAL EVENT CODE: ASPN); ENTITY STATUS OF PATENT OWNER: LARGE ENTITY |
|
FEPP | Fee payment procedure |
Free format text: PAYOR NUMBER ASSIGNED (ORIGINAL EVENT CODE: ASPN); ENTITY STATUS OF PATENT OWNER: LARGE ENTITY Free format text: PAYER NUMBER DE-ASSIGNED (ORIGINAL EVENT CODE: RMPN); ENTITY STATUS OF PATENT OWNER: LARGE ENTITY |
|
FPAY | Fee payment |
Year of fee payment: 4 |
|
REMI | Maintenance fee reminder mailed | ||
LAPS | Lapse for failure to pay maintenance fees | ||
STCH | Information on status: patent discontinuation |
Free format text: PATENT EXPIRED DUE TO NONPAYMENT OF MAINTENANCE FEES UNDER 37 CFR 1.362 |
|
FP | Lapsed due to failure to pay maintenance fee |
Effective date: 20150710 |