JPH03245219A - Electronic disk subsystem - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To shorten the time occupied for internal diagnosis by providing an interface between the electronic disk devices of the double write constitution in order to transmit and receive the commands and performing the internal diagnostic processing synchronously with each other between both disk devices. CONSTITUTION:When an electronic disk controller 1 sends a command to an electronic disk interface 4 with an instruction issued from a host device, the 1st and 2nd electronic disk devices 2 and 3 start at one time to control the arbitration circuits 26 and 36 via the electronic disk interface control circuits 23 and 33. Then the devices 2 and 3 perform the reading/writing operations of the storage circuits 21 and 31 under the control of the R/W control circuits 22 and 32. When the circuits 21, 31, 22 and 32 are diagnosed, a diagnostic start command is sent to a microprogram control circuit 34 via a double write control interface 5 under the control of a microprogram control circuit 24. Thus both circuits 24 and 34 control the circuits 26 and 36 at one time and diagnose those circuits 21 - 32 via an internal bus. Thus it is possible to shorten the time occupied for external diagnosis.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an electronic disk subsystem, and more particularly to an electronic disk subsystem that has a dual write configuration and performs internal diagnosis during operation.

[Conventional technology]

Conventional electronic disk subsystems have not had an interface for transmitting and receiving commands between electronic disk devices having a dual writing configuration.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

In conventional electronic disk subsystems, each electronic disk device with a dual-write configuration performs internal diagnosis independently.
This has the disadvantage that the internal exclusive time due to internal diagnosis is twice that of the single-write configuration.

Means for Solving the Problem C] The electronic disk subsystem of the present invention includes an electronic disk control device, a first electronic disk device, and a second electronic disk device. The electronic disk control device is connected to the first electronic disk device and the second electronic disk device via a single electronic disk interface.

The first electronic disk device also includes a memory circuit for storing data, etc., and an R for controlling reading and writing of this memory circuit.
/W control circuit, an electronic disk interface control circuit that controls the interface to the electronic disk control device, a microprogram control circuit that diagnoses the storage circuit and the R/W control circuit, and the electronic disk interface control circuit and microprogram control. The microprogram control circuit has an arbitration circuit that arbitrates an internal bus connecting the circuit and the storage circuit, and the microprogram control circuit controls the microprogram control circuit of the second electronic disk device via the dual write control interface. It is connected to and sends and receives commands, etc.

On the other hand, the second electronic disk device has a circuit similar to that of the first electronic disk device. The first electronic disk device and the second electronic disk device have a dual writing configuration and always store the same data.

Therefore, in data read/write processing, the electronic disk control device sends commands to the electronic disk interface, so that the first electronic disk device and the second electronic disk device operate simultaneously, and the respective electronic disk interface control circuits The arbitration circuit is controlled via the internal bus, and the memory circuit is read and written under the control of the R/W control circuit using the internal bus.

In addition, in the diagnostic processing of the storage circuit and the R/W control circuit, the microprogram control circuit of the first electronic disk device transmits the diagnosis to the microprogram control circuit of the second electronic disk device via the dual write control interface. By sending a startup command, the first. The microprogram control circuit of the second electronic disk device simultaneously controls the arbitration circuit and uses the internal bus to control the storage circuit and R/
Diagnose the W control circuit.

〔Example〕

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an electronic disk subsystem of the present invention. An electronic disk control device 1 shown in FIG. 1 is connected to a first electronic disk device 2 and a second electronic disk device 3 via a single electronic disk interface 4.

Also, 1st. Each of the second electronic disk devices 2 and 3 includes a storage circuit 21.31 that stores data, an R/W control circuit 22.32 that controls reading and writing of the storage circuit 21.31, and an electronic disk control circuit 21.31. An electronic disk interface # circuit 23.33 that controls the interface to the device 1, a microprogram control circuit 24.34 that diagnoses the storage circuit 21.31 and the R/W control circuit 22.32, and an electronic disk interface control circuit 24.33. Circuit 23.33 and microprogram control circuit 24.3
4 as well as an internal bus 25.31 connecting the storage circuit 21.31.
35 arbitration circuits 26 and 36, respectively.

The microprogram control circuit 24 of the first electronic disk device 2 is connected to the microprogram control circuit 34 of the second electronic disk device 3 via the dual write control interface 5 to send and receive commands, etc. . Further, the first electronic disk device 2 and the second electronic disk device 3 have a dual writing configuration, and always store the same data.

Normally, when reading and writing data from a host device,
When the electronic disk control device 1 sends a command to the electronic disk interface 4 in response to an instruction from a host device, the first electronic disk device 2 and the second electronic disk device 3 operate simultaneously, and the respective electronic disk interfaces Arbitration circuit 26 via control circuit 23.33
．． 36, and uses an internal bus 25.35 to read and write the memory circuit 21.31 under the control of the R/W control circuit 22.32.6 Also, the memory circuit 21.31 and the R/W control circuit 22.3
In the second diagnostic process, the microprogram control circuit 24 of the first electronic disk device W2 sends a diagnostic activation command to the microprogram control circuit 34 of the second electronic disk device W3 via the dual write control interface 5. By doing so, the first. Second electronic disk device 2, 3
The microprogram control circuit 24.34 simultaneously controls the arbitration circuit 26.36 and diagnoses the storage circuit 21.31 and the R/W control circuit 22.32 using the internal bus 25.35.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, the electronic disk subsystem of the present invention has an interface for transmitting and receiving commands between electronic disk devices in a dual write configuration, and has an interface for transmitting and receiving commands between electronic disk devices in a dual write configuration during internal diagnosis processing during operation in a dual write configuration. By performing these in synchronization, it has the effect of reducing the exclusive time for internal diagnosis by approximately half.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an electronic disk subsystem of the present invention. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Electronic disk control device, 2... First electronic disk device, 3... Second electronic disk device, 4...
- Electronic disk interface, 5... Dual write control interface, 21.31... Storage circuit, 22, 32
... R/W control circuit, 23.33 ... Electronic disk interface control circuit, 24.34 ... Microprogram control circuit, 25.35 ... Internal bus, 26.
36...Arbitration circuit.

Claims (1)

[Claims] In an electronic disk subsystem including an electronic disk control device, a first electronic disk device, and a second electronic disk device, the electronic disk control device is integrated with the first electronic disk device and the second electronic disk device. The first electronic disk device has a storage circuit for storing data, an R/W control circuit for controlling reading and writing of the storage circuit, and an interface for the electronic disk control device. an internal bus connecting an electronic disk interface control circuit to control, a microprogram control circuit for diagnosing the storage circuit and the R/W control circuit, the electronic disk interface control circuit, the microprogram control circuit, and the storage circuit; and an arbitration circuit that performs arbitration, and the microprogram control circuit is connected to the microprogram control circuit of the second electronic disk device via a dual write control interface to send and receive commands, etc. The electronic disk device has a circuit similar to the first electronic disk device, and the first electronic disk device and the second electronic disk device have a dual writing configuration and always store the same data, In data read/write processing, the electronic disk control device sends a command to the electronic disk interface, so that the first electronic disk device and the second electronic disk device operate simultaneously to control the electronic disk interface control circuit. control the arbitration circuit through the internal bus, read and write the memory circuit under the control of the R/W control circuit using the internal bus, and in the diagnostic processing of the memory circuit and the R/W control circuit, the first The microprogram control circuit of the electronic disk device sends a diagnostic activation command to the microprogram control circuit of the second electronic disk device via the dual write control interface, thereby controlling the first and second electronic disks. An electronic disk subsystem characterized in that the microprogram control circuit of the device simultaneously controls the arbitration circuit and diagnoses the storage circuit and the R/W control circuit using the internal bus.