JP2001060177A - Data streamer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To check a data transmission system on the side of an external interface. SOLUTION: A CPU 126 generates data for self-diagnosis and stores these data for self-diagnosis on a RAM 138 of a PCI interface 136. The data for self-diagnosis stored on this RAM 138 are outputted through the PCI interface 136 and a PCI bus 30 to an SCSI interface 132A, for example. The SCSI interfaces 132A and 132B are connected by an SCSI cable 144 and the data for self-diagnosis outputted to the SCSI interface 132A are inputted through the SCSI cable 144 and the SCSI interface 132B to the PCI bus 130 and returned through the PCI interface 136 to the RAM 138. By comparing and collating the returned data for self-diagnosis with original data for self-diagnosis, the CPU 126 performs the self-diagnosis of the SCSI interface.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a data streamer for recording recording data input from an external interface on a recording medium and outputting data reproduced from the recording medium to the external interface.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A data streamer for recording and reproducing large-capacity data using a magnetic tape has been known. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a conventional data streamer. This data streamer has a recording / reproducing mechanism (not shown) provided with a rotating head drum that runs on a magnetic tape by a helical scan method or the like. The data streamer processes signals recorded and reproduced by the recording / reproducing mechanism. Has a recording amplifier 10, a reproducing amplifier 12, an ECC encoder 14, an ECC decoder 16, a memory 18, a memory controller 20, a data compression / decompression unit 22, and a SCSI interface 24 for inputting and outputting data. Things.

In the data streamer having such a configuration, when recording data input from the SCSI interface 24, the input data is compressed by the data compression / decompression unit 22 and stored in the buffer memory 18 through the memory controller 20. I do. Memory controller 20
Then, the compressed data is read from the memory 18 and transferred to the ECC encoder 14 in accordance with the drive timing of the recording / reproducing mechanism. In the ECC encoder 14, the memory 1
An encoding process for adding an error correction code (ECC) to the data input from 8 is performed, and this data is output to the recording / reproducing mechanism unit through the recording amplifier 10 to record the data.

When data is reproduced, the reproduced data output from the recording / reproducing mechanism is reproduced by a reproducing amplifier 12.
To the ECC decoder 16, and the ECC decoder 16 performs an error correction process using the above-described error code. Then, the data after the error correction processing is stored in the buffer memory 18 through the memory controller 20. In the memory controller 20, the reproduced data (compressed data) is transferred to the data compression / expansion unit 22 in accordance with the operation timing of the data compression / expansion unit 22, and the data compression / expansion unit 22 expands the data. The decompressed data is output to the SCSI interface 24.

[0005]

In the conventional data streamer as described above, when the self-diagnosis of the data transmission system is performed, in the system located closer to the recording / reproducing mechanism than the memory controller 20, a broken line is shown in FIG. The data transmission system is checked by forming a loop as shown by A and B. Specifically, the data is output from the memory 18 to the ECC encoder 14 through the memory controller 20, and the data returned through the ECC decoder 16 in the loop shown by the broken line A or the broken line B is taken into the memory 18 again through the memory controller 20. The self-diagnosis is performed by comparing the output data with the returned data.

However, such a check of the data transmission system is possible only in the system on the recording / reproducing mechanism side of the memory controller 20 in the configuration shown in FIG. That is, it is not possible with the data compression / decompression unit 22 or the transmission line of the SCSI interface 24). Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a data streamer capable of checking a data transmission system on an external interface side.

[0007]

According to the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, data recorded from an external interface is recorded on a recording medium, and data reproduced from the recording medium is output to the external interface. The streamer has an expansion bus connectable to a plurality of external interfaces, storage means for storing self-diagnosis data, and a CPU for executing a self-diagnosis program using the self-diagnosis data. Connecting the first and second external interfaces, connecting the external interfaces to each other, outputting the self-diagnosis data stored in the storage means from the first external interface via the expansion bus, Input from the external interface of the second through the second external interface, and the second external interface By collating the self-diagnosis data with the self-diagnosis data inputted from the face stored in the storage means, characterized in that to perform the self-diagnosis.

In the data streamer of the present invention, a plurality of external interfaces can be connected by providing an expansion bus in the device. The storage means stores self-diagnosis data. When performing self-diagnosis on the external interface side, a plurality of external interfaces are connected to the extension bus, and each external interface is connected to each other, and the self-diagnosis data stored in the storage means is transmitted via the extension bus. The data is output from the first external interface, input from the first external interface through the second external interface, and the self-diagnosis data input from the second external interface is compared with the original self-diagnosis data by the CPU. . This makes it possible to provide a data streamer capable of performing a self-diagnosis check of the data transmission system on the external interface side with a simple operation.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a data streamer according to the present invention will be described below. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a data streamer according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 2A to 2C are block diagrams showing a configuration example of a data storage system using the data streamer shown in FIG.

First, the configuration of a data storage system assumed in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In a conventional data streamer, an external interface (SCS
I interface) is a single system, and the partner connected via this external interface is a simple system of one host computer. However, in recent years, the amount of data to be handled has increased, the use of the streamer has been diversified, and the demand for higher reliability has been increasing. Therefore, in the present embodiment, as a method of multiplexing and using the SCSI interface, the following system configuration is specifically assumed.

(1) First, the first system configuration is shown in FIG.
As shown in (A), a plurality (two) of host computers 1A and 1B and a plurality (two) of streamers 2A and 2B are completely multiplexed (duplexed), and even if any one goes down, the system It is intended to continue to operate normally. (2) Next, in the second system configuration, as shown in FIG. 2B, a plurality of (two) host computers 1A and 1B are multiplexed (duplexed) with respect to one streamer 2. Things. (3) Next, as shown in FIG. 2C, a plurality of (3)
The streamers 2A, 2B, and 2C are connected in parallel so that data can be copied between the streamers 2A, 2B, and 2C without imposing a load on the host computer 1.

The data streamer of the present embodiment shown in FIG.
In order to realize each system as described above, one data streamer uses a plurality of external interfaces (S
CSI-I / F).
Specifically, a PCI bus as an expansion bus (bidirectional bus) is provided inside the device so that a plurality of external interfaces can be connected. Although FIG. 1 shows an example in which two SCSI interfaces are connected,
In practice, about three interface boards are connected due to restrictions such as electrical characteristics. In the data streamer of the present embodiment, self-diagnosis of the data transmission system can be performed using a plurality of external interfaces connected by a PCI bus.

Next, the configuration of the data streamer in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. This data streamer has a recording / reproducing mechanism (not shown) provided with a rotating head drum that runs on a magnetic tape by a helical scan method. The data streamer processes a signal recorded / reproduced by the recording / reproducing mechanism. The configuration includes a recording amplifier 110, a reproduction amplifier 112, an ECC encoder 114, an ECC decoder 116, a memory 118, a memory controller 120, and a data compression / decompression unit 122. The data streamer has a PCI bus 130 as a bidirectional expansion bus.
A plurality of external interfaces are connected to the SCSI interface 132A and 132B, and data can be input and output using the SCSI interfaces 132A and 132B.

Further, the data streamer has a CPU 126 for controlling the entire apparatus.
A host bridge circuit 134 for obtaining compatibility between the CPU bus 128 and the PCI bus 130 is connected between the CPU bus 128 and the PCI bus 130. A PCI interface (PCI interface) is provided between the PCI bus 130 and the data compression / decompression unit 122.
-I / F) 136 is provided to control data input / output, interface connection, and the like. Note that the PCI interface 136 is provided with a RAM 138. The CPU 126, the SCSI interfaces 132A and 132B, and the PCI interface 136 exchange commands (instructions to send data in megabytes, etc.) via the host bridge circuit 134, and transfer recording / reproducing data to the SCSI interface 132.
A, 132B and the PCI interface 136.

Next, a normal data recording / reproducing operation in the data streamer configured as described above will be described. First, when recording data, data coming from the host computer is transmitted through a SCSI cable via a SCSI cable.
The interface 132A or 132B receives
The data is stored in the RAM 138 of the PCI interface 136 via the CI bus 130. The data stored in the RAM 138 is input to the data compression / expansion unit 122 in units of compression, and after the data compression / expansion unit 122 compresses the data, the compressed data is transferred to the memory controller 120 for buffering. It is stored in the memory 118. The memory controller 120 reads out the compressed data from the memory 118 and transfers it to the ECC encoder 114 in accordance with the drive timing of the recording / reproducing mechanism. E
The CC encoder 114 performs an encoding process of adding an error correction code (ECC) to the data input from the memory 118, and outputs the data to the recording / reproducing mechanism through the recording amplifier 110 to record the data.

When reproducing data, the reproduced data output from the recording / reproducing mechanism is reproduced by the reproducing amplifier 11.
2 to the ECC decoder 116, and this ECC
The decoder 116 performs an error correction process using the above error code. The data after the error correction processing is transferred to the buffer memory 1 through the memory controller 120.
18 is stored. The memory controller 120 transfers the reproduced data (compressed data) to the data compression / expansion unit 122 in accordance with the operation timing of the data compression / expansion unit 122, and the data compression / expansion unit 122 expands the data. The decompressed data is stored in the RAM 138 of the PCI interface 136, and the stored data is output to the SCSI interface 132A or 132B via the PCI bus 130, and is output to the host computer via the SCSI cable.

FIG. 3 is an external perspective view showing a configuration in a case where the above-described SCSI interfaces 132A and 132B are connected to a data streamer. PC as shown
By inserting a plurality of SCSI-I / F boards 142 into a plurality of slots provided on the main circuit board 140 including the I bus, the SCSI interfaces 132A,
32B can be expanded.

In the data streamer of the present embodiment, P
Using a plurality of SCSI interfaces 132A and 132B connected by a CI bus, a self-diagnosis of a data transmission system by the SCSI interface can be performed. Next, a self-diagnosis operation in this example will be described. First, the CPU 126 creates self-diagnosis data, and transfers the self-diagnosis data to the host bridge circuit 13.
4. The data is stored in the RAM 138 of the PCI interface 136 via the PCI bus 130. And this RAM
138 via the PCI interface 136 and the PCI bus 130, for example,
Output to CSI interface 132A.

In this case, the SCSI interface 132
A and 132B are connected by a SCSI cable 144 shown by a broken line C in FIG. 1, and the self-diagnosis data output to the SCSI interface 132A is a SCSI cable.
The data is input from the PCI bus 130 via the cable 144 and the SCSI interface 132B, and is returned to the RAM 138 again via the PCI interface 136. CPU
The self-diagnosis data 126 returned to the RAM 138 in this manner is transmitted to the PCI interface 136 and the PCI
The self-diagnosis of the SCSI interface can be performed by acquiring the data via the bus 130 and the host bridge circuit 134 and comparing the acquired data with the original self-diagnosis data.

Further, in the data streamer of the present embodiment, the function diagnosis of the data compression / decompression unit 122 is performed as follows. This function diagnosis is based on the SCSI
As in the case of the interface self-diagnosis, the RAM 13
8 using the self-diagnosis data stored in the memory. First, as in the case of the self-diagnosis of the SCSI interface, the CPU 126 creates self-diagnosis data and transmits the self-diagnosis data to the host bridge circuit 134, P
PCI interface 136 via CI bus 130
In the RAM 138.

Then, the self-diagnosis data stored in the RAM 138 is sent to the data compression / decompression unit 122 through the PCI interface 136, subjected to compression processing, and stored in the memory 118 via the memory controller 120. Next, the compressed data stored in the memory 118 is sent to the data compression / decompression unit 122 via the memory controller 120 to perform decompression processing, and the decompressed data is transmitted to the RAM 138 through the PCI interface 136.
To be stored. The CPU 126 acquires the self-diagnosis data returned to the RAM 138 through the compression processing and the decompression processing in this way via the PCI interface 136, the PCI bus 130, and the host bridge circuit 134, and compares the acquired data with the original self-diagnosis data. By performing the collation, the function diagnosis of the data compression / decompression unit 122 can be performed.

Further, in the data streamer of this example,
It is also possible to diagnose the data transmission system with the function of the data compression / decompression unit 122 turned off. When diagnosing the transmission system at the time of data recording, first, with the compression process in the data compression / decompression unit 122 turned off,
The diagnostic data stored in the AM 138 passes through the data compression / decompression unit 122 and is transferred to the memory 118. Then, the data transferred to the memory 118 and the original RA
By comparing and collating the diagnostic data stored in the M138, it is possible to perform a diagnosis in the recording data transmission system. In addition, the operation opposite to this operation causes the CPU 12
6 to the diagnostic data stored in the memory 118 with the decompression process in the data compression / decompression unit 122 turned off.
The data passes through the data compression / decompression unit 122 and is transferred to the RAM 138. Then, by comparing and comparing the data transferred to the RAM 138 with the diagnostic data stored in the original memory 118, it is possible to perform a diagnosis in the transmission system of the reproduced data.

As described above, in the data streamer of this example, a plurality of S buses are provided by providing a PCI bus in the device.
It is easy to have a CSI interface, and the number of SCSI interfaces can be easily expanded by placing the same SCSI interface board in an empty slot. By having a plurality of SCSI interfaces, self-diagnosis of a data transmission system in the SCSI interface can be easily performed. Furthermore, it is possible to perform a function diagnosis and a data transmission system diagnosis in the data compression / decompression unit, and it is possible to perform a self-diagnosis in the entire streamer.

In the first embodiment described above, various diagnoses are performed using the RAM 138 connected to the PCI interface 136. However, as shown in FIG. , Usually SCS
Since the small-capacity RAM 146 used for exchanging commands with the I interface or the PCI interface is provided, the RAM 146 may be used in place of the RAM 138 to perform the above-described various diagnostic operations. Other configurations are the same as those shown in FIG. 1 described above, and thus common components are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted. Also, in the above example,
Although the case where the SCSI interface is adopted as the external interface has been described, the present invention can be similarly applied, for example, when the fiber channel interface or the like is adopted. Also, for the expansion bus,
A device other than the CI bus can be appropriately adopted. Further, the present invention is not limited to a data streamer using a magnetic tape, but can be applied to a data streamer using another recording medium.

[0025]

As described above, in the data streamer of the present invention, the first and second external interfaces are connected by using the expansion bus, and the respective external interfaces are connected to each other so that the self-diagnosis data is transferred to the expansion bus. Output from the first external interface via the first external interface, input from the first external interface through the second external interface, and collate with the self-diagnosis data input from the second external interface to perform self-diagnosis. To do. Therefore, the self-diagnosis check of the data transmission system on the external interface side can be performed with a simple operation, and there is an effect that a reliable operation in the data streamer can be realized.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a data streamer according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a data storage system using the data streamer shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 shows a data streamer shown in FIG.
It is an external appearance perspective view which shows the structure at the time of connecting an interface.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a data streamer according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a conventional data streamer.

[Explanation of symbols]

1, 1A, 1B: Host computer, 2, 2A, 2
B, 2C: Data streamer, 110: Recording amplifier, 112: Reproduction amplifier, 114: ECC encoder, 116: ECC decoder, 118: Memory, 1
20 memory controller, 122 data compression / decompression unit, 126 CPU, 128 CPU bus, 13
0: PCI bus, 132A, 132B: SCSI interface, 134: Host bridge circuit, 136
…… PCI interface, 138 …… RAM.

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A data streamer for recording recording data input from an external interface on a recording medium and outputting data reproduced from the recording medium to the external interface, comprising: an extension bus connectable to a plurality of external interfaces. A storage unit for storing self-diagnosis data; and a CPU for executing a self-diagnosis program using the self-diagnosis data. A first and a second external interface are connected to the extension bus. Connecting the external interfaces to each other, outputting the self-diagnosis data stored in the storage means from the first external interface via the expansion bus, and inputting the data from the first external interface through the second external interface; The self-diagnosis data input from the second external interface and the By collating the self-diagnosis data stored in 憶 means, data streamer that has to perform a self-diagnosis, characterized in that. 2. The data streamer according to claim 1, wherein said extension bus is a PCI bus. 3. The data streamer according to claim 1, wherein said external interface is a SCSI interface. 4. The data streamer according to claim 2, wherein said storage means is a RAM provided in a PCI interface that connects said PCI bus and a transmission system for recording and reproducing data to and from said recording medium. 5. The data streamer according to claim 2, wherein the storage means is a RAM provided in a host bridge circuit that connects the PCI bus and a CPU bus of the CPU. 6. A recording / reproducing mechanism for recording / reproducing data on / from the recording medium, a data compression / decompression for compressing recording data input from the external interface, and a decompression for reproducing data reproduced from the recording medium. A ECC encoder that encodes the compressed recording data with an error correction code and outputs the encoded data to the recording / reproducing mechanism, and an ECC decoder that decodes the reproduction data reproduced by the recording / reproducing mechanism using an error correction code. An ECC encoder and an EC for the recording / reproducing mechanism unit
The data streamer according to claim 1, further comprising: a buffer memory for temporarily storing data for controlling operation timing of the C decoder; and a memory controller for controlling the buffer memory. 7. The data streamer according to claim 6, wherein the data compression / decompression unit performs a self-diagnosis using the self-diagnosis data stored in the storage unit.