JP2000105674A - Hard disk array device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a hard disk array device capable of preventing an operation disable state caused by any transitory fault. SOLUTION: Concerning the hear disk array device provided with plural hard disk devices 3, a switching means for turning on/off the power sources of hard disk devices, and a controller 1 for controlling the operation of hard disk devices 3 by turning on/off the switching means corresponding to a control signal and for detecting faults of hard disk devices 3, the controller 1 turns on the switching means so as to activate the hard disk device 3 again when the fault of this hard disk device 3 is detected.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a hard disk array device having a plurality of hard disk devices,
In particular, the present invention relates to an apparatus for coping with a start failure caused by a failure.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a hard disk array device, a controller sequentially starts up a plurality of hard disk devices when power is turned on. In this case, for example, a failure such as that the rotation speed of the drive motor in the hard disk does not increase or illegal data is written on the hard disk is likely to occur. Such a failure is transient, so to speak, but the controller recognizes it as a failure and disconnects.

For example, in a hard disk array device having five hard disk devices HDD0 to HDD4 as shown in FIG. 10 and a controller, it is assumed that a temporary failure has occurred in the HDD1 as shown in FIG.
When this is detected by the controller, as shown in FIG. 12, the HDD 1 is considered to be unusable, and the HDD 1 is disconnected and the HDDs 2 and below are sequentially started.

[0004] This is the same regardless of whether the controller has an online exchange function or not.

[0005]

As described above, if a failure occurs even in a transient state, the controller disconnects the hard disk device that has detected the failure and sets the hard disk device in an unused state until replacement. Then, depending on the configuration of the hard disk array device, the operation may be disabled if at least one of the plurality of hard disk devices is missing. The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and has as its object to provide a hard disk array device capable of preventing an inoperative state due to a temporary failure.

[0006]

According to the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, a plurality of hard disk drives, switching means for turning on / off the power of the hard disk drive, and switching on / off of the switching means in response to a control signal are provided. A controller for controlling the operation of the hard disk device by turning off the hard disk device, and a controller for detecting a failure in the hard disk device. A hard disk array device characterized in that it is turned on to restart the hard disk device.

[0007]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the electrical connection of a hard disk array device according to the present invention. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the entire configuration of a hard disk array device including a plurality of hard disk devices. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a controller that controls the operation of a plurality of hard disk devices, and controls the operation of twelve hard disk devices 3 to which power is supplied from a power supply device 2. For this purpose, the controller 1 and the hard disk device 3 are connected via an interface 4 and a control signal line 5 for controlling a power supply. The power supply device 2 and the hard disk device 3 are connected by a power supply line 6.

FIG. 2 shows a more detailed circuit connection between the controller 1 and each hard disk drive 3. In this case, the hard disk drive 3 also illustrates peripheral circuit elements involved in turning on and off the power.

As shown in FIG. 2, the controller 1 and the power supply device 2 are connected via a power supply line 6, and an FET 11 is inserted into the power supply line 6 and is connected to the hard disk device 3 in response to a control signal. Power on and off. The ON / OFF control of the FET 11 is performed by the operation of the switch 12, the voltage dividing circuit 13, the switching element 14, the control element 15, and the mounting sensor 16.

The switch 12 takes three positions by manual operation, and uses the voltage applied through the voltage dividing circuit 13 as ON, OFF and lock signals as switching signals and a gate of the FET 11 via the switching element 14 and the FET control element 15. Give to. The mounting sensor 16 detects the mounting state of the hard disk device and provides the same to the controller 1.

FIGS. 3 to 7 are explanatory diagrams of the starting operation of the hard disk device in the hard disk array device. FIGS. 3 and 4 show the initial starting method of the hard disk device, and FIGS. The starting method at the time will be described. Here, an example of a hard disk array device having five hard disk devices from HDD0 to HDD4 is shown.

First, an initial starting method will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 3 shows a situation where a transient failure has occurred at the time of startup in a hard disk array device including five hard disk devices HDD0 to HDD4. In this case, after the hard disk drive HDD0 has started up normally, a temporary failure has occurred in the hard disk drive HDD1, and the controller 1 detects the occurrence of the failure in the hard disk drive HDD1.

Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 4, the controller 1 once turns off the power supply of the hard disk drive HDD1, and turns it on again after a predetermined time. If the hard disk drive HDD1 in which the failure has occurred in response to the re-input, the operation is continued as it is because the failure was temporary, and the next hard disk drive HDD1 is restarted.
Turn on the power to start up 2.

On the other hand, if the hard disk drive HDD1 does not start, it is determined that the failure is not transient,
The hard disk device HDD1 is separated from the hard disk array. In this way, the nature of the failure is recognized based on the response of the hard disk device to the restart, and it is determined whether or not to disconnect from the hard disk array.

Next, a starting method at the time of online replacement of the hard disk drive will be described with reference to FIGS.
In a hard disk array device using the online replacement method, if a failure occurs in any of the hard disk devices,
As shown in FIG. 5, the hard disk device in which the controller 1 has failed, in the illustrated case, the HDD 3 is separated and a replacement hard disk device is incorporated. Then, as shown in FIG. 6, the controller 1 activates the newly incorporated hard disk drive HDD3 '.
At this time, if a failure occurs in the hard disk drive HDD3 ', the controller 1 detects it.

When a failure is detected, as shown in FIG. 7, the controller 1 immediately turns off the power of the hard disk drive HDD3 ', and then turns on the power after a predetermined time. As a result, when the hard disk device HDD 3 ′ starts up normally, the failure is considered to be temporary and the hard disk device HDD 3 ′ continues to operate.

On the other hand, when a failure is detected again, if there is a hard disk drive for replacement, the above operation is repeated again. If there is no replacement hard disk device, the failed hard disk device is separated and the remaining four hard disk devices constitute a hard disk array.

FIGS. 8 and 9 are flowcharts showing the restart operation in the event of a failure described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 7, and FIG. 8 shows a hard disk array without online replacement shown in FIGS. FIG. 9 shows the operation of the hard disk array device with the online exchange shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, respectively.

First, the operation of the hard disk array device at the time of initial startup will be described with reference to FIG. When the controller starts to start the hard disk device (step S101), it checks whether a hard disk module is mounted as shown in step S102. If the confirmation result is Y in step S103,
In step S104, it is confirmed whether the switch of the hard disk module is turned on. If not implemented, N from step S103 to step S111
Move to

If the result of the check in step S104 is that the switch is on, the process moves from Y in step S105 to step S106, and the hard disk drive is turned on. If the switch is not on, step S11
Move to 1.

When the power is turned on, the process proceeds from step S106 to step S107, and it is determined whether or not an error (failure) has occurred in the hard disk device. If an error has occurred, the power is turned off in step S108, and then after a predetermined time, the power is turned on again.

At step S109, it is determined whether or not an error has occurred in the hard disk device when the power is turned on again. If an error has occurred, the hard disk device is disconnected at step S110, and then the process proceeds to step S111.
If not, the process proceeds to step S111 without passing through step S110.

All the operations in this flowchart are summarized in step S111, and a circulating operation returning to step S102 is performed until all the hard disk drives have been started. When the activation of all the hard disk devices is completed, the activation of the hard disk devices shown in step S112 is completed.

Next, the starting operation at the time of online exchange will be described with reference to FIG. In this case, it is sufficient to check whether or not the replaced hard disk drive causes a failure at the time of startup. Therefore, the difference from FIG. 8 is that there is no step corresponding to step S111 in FIG. Other details are the same as those in FIG. 8, and thus the description thereof will not be repeated.

[0025]

As described above, according to the present invention, if a failure occurs at the time of startup of the hard disk drive, the power supply is once turned off and then restarted. Since it can be started without disconnecting it from the hard disk array, it can be used effectively.

In the case where the apparatus has an online replacement function, if a restart at the time of online replacement is performed in the same manner, the apparatus can be used effectively if it is a temporary failure.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an electrical connection relationship of a hard disk array device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a connection diagram showing a more detailed circuit connection between the controller 1 and each hard disk device 3 in the hard disk array device according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a start operation of the hard disk device in the hard disk array device according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a start operation of the hard disk device in the hard disk array device according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a startup method at the time of online replacement of a hard disk device in the hard disk array device according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a startup method at the time of online replacement of a hard disk device in the hard disk array device according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a startup method at the time of online replacement of a hard disk device in the hard disk array device according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a restart operation at the time of failure described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4;

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of a restart operation at the time of failure described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7;

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a configuration of a conventional hard disk array device.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a state in which a temporary failure has occurred in the configuration shown in FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of the disconnection operation of the hard disk device continued from FIG. 11;

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 controller 2 power supply device 3 hard disk device 11 FET 12 switch 13 voltage dividing circuit 14 switching element 15 FET control IC 16 mounted sensor HDD hard disk device

Claims (2)

[Claims] A plurality of hard disk drives; switching means for turning on / off the hard disk drive; and turning on the switching means in response to a control signal.
A hard disk array device comprising: a controller for controlling the operation of the hard disk device by turning off the hard disk device; and detecting a failure in the hard disk device. A hard disk array device which is operated to restart the hard disk device. 2. The hard disk array device according to claim 1, wherein the controller has an online replacement function of the hard disk device.