JPH0973370A - Information processing system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an information processing system at a low price by eliminating the need for an extended ROM which stores management and control information on an extension board of an external storage device. SOLUTION: This system consists of a host computer 1, the extension board 2 which is added to the host computer 1, and a hard disk unit 3 which is accessed by the host computer 1 through the extension board 2. The extension board 2 is equipped with a cache memory 20 and an extension board control part 21, and management and control information on the extension board 2 is stored in a system area 30 of the hard disk unit 3. The management and control information is utilized for the initial setting process and boot processing of the extension board 2 and transferred from the hard disk unit 3 to the host computer 1 when the system is started.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an information processing system in which a computer accesses an external storage device via an interface circuit, and more particularly to a management / management system used for initialization processing and boot processing for the interface circuit.
The present invention relates to an information processing system in which control information is stored in an external storage device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A computer and an external disk device (external storage device) may be connected via an interface circuit called an expansion board. This expansion board
It is equipped with a control unit that controls an external disk device in response to a computer access request, and a non-volatile memory called an expansion ROM.
Transfer the information stored in M to the computer. PCI
Bus standard [PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) L
According to OCAL BUS SPECIFICATION REVISION 2.0], the above-mentioned expansion ROM contains the initialization processing of the expansion board, OS
(Operating System) and other bootstrap processing (hereinafter abbreviated as boot processing), BIOS (Basic Input Outp)
ut System) A control code (hereinafter referred to as expansion ROM code information) that defines processing performed by the computer on the expansion board, such as control, and configuration information indicating various setting parameters of the expansion board are stored.

In a computer having an internal disk device (hereinafter referred to as an IDE disk device) in advance, a BIOS request to the IDE disk device is made by a BIOS (hereinafter, system BIOS) set in an internal ROM. However, when the expansion board of the external disk device is added and the expansion ROM code information is transferred to the computer, the BIOS (hereinafter, expansion BIOS) included in the expansion ROM code information is activated, and as a result, the computer is processed. All the BIOS requests issued by the device will be processed by the extended BIOS.

[0004]

As described above, in the conventional technique, it is necessary to mount an expansion ROM on the expansion board in order to store management / control information of the expansion board.
Therefore, the cost reduction of the expansion board is limited.

When an expansion board is added, a computer BIOS request for the IDE disk device is sent to the expansion board by being processed by the expansion BIOS, so that the IDE disk device cannot be accessed. Occurs.

Therefore, the present invention provides an expansion ROM for storing management / control information of the interface circuit of the external storage device.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an information processing system at low cost by eliminating the need for.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an information processing system capable of accessing the internal disk device even when the management / control information of the external disk device is transferred to the host computer.

[0008]

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a host computer, an interface circuit added to the host computer, and an external device connected to the host computer via the interface circuit. An information processing system having a storage device, wherein the external storage device stores management / control information that the host computer requests transfer to an interface circuit, and the interface circuit responds to a request from the host computer. Accordingly, it is characterized by having a transfer control means for transferring the management / control information stored in the external storage device to the host computer.

Also, a host computer having an internal disk device and an interface circuit for the internal disk device, an interface circuit added to the host computer, and an external disk device connected to the host computer via the interface circuit are provided. An information processing system having the external disk device,
The host computer requests transfer to the interface circuit added to the host computer,
The interface circuit that stores management / control information used for controlling the interface circuit and is added to the host computer is the management / control information stored in the external disk device in response to a request from the host computer. To the host computer, means for determining the content of the request from the host computer, and when the request from the host computer is determined to be to the internal disk device, It is characterized by having means for transferring the request to the interface circuit of the internal disk device.

[0010]

According to the above configuration, since the management / control information requested by the host computer to the interface circuit at startup is stored in the external storage device, the management / control information conventionally provided in the interface circuit is stored. An expansion ROM for storing is unnecessary, and therefore an information processing system can be provided at low cost.

Further, since the host computer's request for the internal disk device is transferred to the interface circuit of the internal disk device by the added interface circuit, the management / control information of the external disk device is transferred to the host computer. IDE even if
It becomes possible to provide an information processing system in which a disk device can be used.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

<First Embodiment> FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an information processing system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

The system shown in the figure comprises a host computer 1 (hereinafter abbreviated as host 1) which complies with the PCI bus standard,
The hard disk device 3 is connected to the host 1 via an expansion board 2 that is added to the host 1.

The host 1 centrally controls the host main memory 10 including a RAM and the information processing system.
A configuration in which a host control unit 11 including a CPU and a system ROM 12 storing a control code for defining a system startup process (various device initialization process, boot process, etc.) and a system BIOS are connected by an internal bus Have.

The expansion board 2 temporarily controls the data transferred between the host 1 and the hard disk device 3 and the expansion board control unit 21 composed of a CPU for controlling the interface between the host 1 and the hard disk device 3. It has a cache memory 20 for storing / holding.

Although not shown in the figure, the host 1 is provided with an interface section for exchanging data between the host control section 11 and the expanded expansion board.
The expansion board 2 has a memory for storing a control program for the expansion board control unit 21, an interface unit for exchanging data between the host 1 and the expansion board 2, and a data exchange between the expansion board 2 and the hard disk device 3. An interface unit for delivering and receiving is provided.

On the other hand, the hard disk device 3 has a system area 30 and a user area 31 as storage areas. In the system area 30, expansion ROM code information 32 and configuration information are stored as management / control information of the expansion board 2. 33, the management information and the like of the disk device are stored (hereinafter, the information stored in the system area 30 is collectively referred to as system area information). In the user area 31,
Any user information other than the above system area information (OS
(Including programs) is stored. Where expansion ROM
The code information 32 is a disk access request by a BIOS call associated with initialization processing and system boot processing performed on the expansion board 2 and the hard disk device 3 connected to the expansion board 2 at system startup.
Hard disk device 3 connected via expansion board 2
Is a so-called extended BIOS that indicates a process of converting an access request corresponding to the
Reference numeral 3 is various setting parameters required for the host control unit 11 to access the expansion board 2. The system area information is set in the hard disk device 3 in advance according to the user's operation on the host 1.

Next, the operation of the above information processing system will be described.
This will be described using a flowchart.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing the operation at the time of starting the host 1.

In the process shown in the figure, after the power is turned on,
The processing until the OS is started is performed by the host control unit 11 executing the control program stored in the system ROM 12.

When the information processing system is powered on (100), first, the host control unit 11 performs a diagnostic process and an initialization process for various hardware provided in the host 1 (101). Next, by polling via the internal bus, the added expansion board is detected (10
2), it is determined whether the ROM code information of the detected expansion board is set in the system ROM 12 (103). When it is determined that the ROM code information of the expansion board is not set, the expansion board is requested to transfer the configuration information (104). Next, it is determined from the configuration information transferred by this request whether or not the expansion board has expansion ROM code information (105). If it is determined that there is expansion ROM code information, the expansion board Requesting the transfer of the expansion ROM code information to (106). Then, the above steps 103 to
After the processing of 106 is executed (107, Yes), a change in the configuration of the information processing system is detected using the transferred configuration information (108). When a configuration change is detected, resource allocation processing (109-1
11) is executed, and system area information update processing (described later) is executed for the expansion board (112). After the above processing is completed, the OS stored in the hard disk device 31 is used by using the transferred extended ROM code information.
The OS is started by executing the boot process of the program (113).

FIG. 3 shows the extension board 2 in response to a system area information transfer request (steps 104 and 106 in FIG. 2).
6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the first embodiment.

The processing shown in the figure is performed under the control of the extension board control unit 21.

The expansion board controller 21 receives a transfer request for the system area information from the host controller 11 (20
0), system area information (extended ROM code information 32,
The storage location of the configuration information 33, etc.) in the hard disk device 3 is calculated. Then, according to the calculation result, the system area information is transferred from the hard disk device 3 to the cache memory 20 (201), and the information stored in the cache memory 20 by this transfer is transferred to the host main storage device 10 (202). . And this 2
After one transfer process is repeated to transfer all the corresponding data (Yes in 203), the cache memory 20
Is cleared (204).

FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing the operation of the expansion board 2 at the time of updating the system area information (step 112 in FIG. 2).

The extension board control unit 21 has a system area 3
When a request for updating information of 0 is received from the host control unit 11 (300), first, system area information corresponding to the request (that is, the updated one of the expansion ROM code information 32, the configuration information 33, etc.) From the host main memory 10 to the cache memory 20 (30
1) The information stored in the cache memory 20 by this transfer is transferred to the system area 30 of the hard disk device 3 (302). Then, these two transfer processes are repeated to transfer all the corresponding data (30
3, Yes), clear the cache memory 20 (3
04).

As described above, in this embodiment, the hard disk device 3 is provided with the system area 30, and the extended ROM code information 32 and the configuration information 3 are provided in the area.
Since the system area information such as 3 is stored, the expansion ROM conventionally provided on the expansion board for storing the management information of the expansion board is unnecessary, and therefore,
It is possible to reduce the number of parts of the expansion board 2 and the cost associated therewith.

In this embodiment, in the transfer processing of the system area information from the hard disk device 3 to the cache memory 20 (step 201 in FIG. 3), the expansion board control unit 21 receives the transfer request from the host control unit 11. Although it is performed later, it may be performed before the request (for example, immediately after the system is powered on). Similarly, the transfer processing of the system area information from the cache memory 20 to the hard disk device 3 (step 30 in FIG. 4).
Step 2) is performed immediately after receiving the update request, but if the transfer process from the host main storage device to the cache memory 20 (step 301) has been completed, transfer may be performed at any subsequent timing. Good.

Further, in this embodiment, when the transfer of the system area information is completed, the data stored in the cache memory 20 is cleared, but the system area information is held in the cache memory 20 without being cleared. You may

In the present embodiment, the transfer process between the hard disk device 3 and the cache memory 20 and the transfer process between the host main memory 10 and the cache memory 20 are sequentially performed, but both processes are performed in parallel. You may do it.

The extension board 2 also has a cache memory 2
Hard disk device 3 and host main memory 1 without providing 0
Data may be directly transferred between 0s.

<Second Embodiment> In the system for transferring data via the cache memory as in the above-described embodiment, the so-called write-after process is performed in order to reduce the process delay caused by the access to the disk device. Transfer processing may be performed. However, in the system that performs this processing, the transfer of data from the cache memory to the disk device is temporarily suspended, so if the power is suddenly cut off, the data stored in the cache memory will not be stored in the disk device. The data that should have been stored may be lost. For this reason, in the embodiment described below, a backup storage battery is provided in the cache memory as a measure against power failure.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an information processing system according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

The system shown in the figure has the same configuration as the system described in FIG. 1 except that the cache memory 20 provided on the expansion board 2'is backed up by a storage battery 22. Also, the operation of the host controller 11 is
This is the same as that described in the first embodiment (FIG. 2). Therefore, only the operation of the expansion board 2'will be described below.

(1) At the time of ending the system Before the power of the system is shut off by the user, a request for ending the system is issued to the expansion board 2 '. As this request, for example, an OS shutdown request is used. Upon receiving this request, the expansion board control unit 21 determines whether or not the cache memory 20 can be used, and if the cache memory 20 is usable, the latest system area information of the host main storage device 10 or the hard disk device 3 is obtained. The data is transferred from the system area 31 to the cache memory 20 and stored together with the information indicating the storage of the system area information. Since the cache memory 20 is backed up by the storage battery 22, it retains the stored data even after the power is cut off.

(2) At power-on The expansion board controller 21 of the expansion board 2'requests system area information from the host controller 11 (step 1 in FIG. 2).
04, 106), the content of the information stored in the cache memory 20 backed up by the storage battery 22 is checked, and if the storage of the system area information is confirmed, the system is transferred from the cache memory 20 to the host main memory 10. Transfer area information. Then, after transferring all the corresponding data, the cache memory 20 is cleared.

(3) At the time of updating the system area information When the expansion board control unit 21 receives the information update request for the system area 30 from the host control unit 11 (step 112 in FIG. 2), the system area information corresponding to the request (that is, , The updated ROM code information 32, the configuration information 33, etc.) which is updated by the host main memory 1
0 to the cache memory 20, and further from the cache memory 20 to the system area 30 of the hard disk device 3. Then, after transferring all the corresponding data, the cache memory 20 is cleared.

(4) Sudden Power-Off and Subsequent Power-On When the power is shut off without the above termination request, the cache memory 20 holds the information stored at the time of power-off. When the power is turned on again, the expansion board control unit 21 detects the information for which transfer to the hard disk device 3 is suspended by checking the content of the information held in the cache memory 20, and the detected information is detected. Is transferred to the hard disk device 3. And after the transfer is over,
The above processing at power-on is performed.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the expansion ROM is not required, and the number of parts of the expansion board 2'and the associated cost reduction can be realized. Further, when the power is cut off through the normal procedure, the system area information is retained in the cache memory 20, so that the hard disk device 3 does not have to be accessed to transfer the system area information when the power is turned on. Therefore, the system can be started up at high speed.

<Third Embodiment> FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an information processing system according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

The information processing system shown in the figure includes a disk device group 5 including a plurality of hard disk devices 5a to 5d, a host 1 described in the second embodiment, and a host 1
It has a configuration in which it is connected via the array control board 4 added to the.

The array control board 4 temporarily stores and holds the data transferred between the host 1 and the hard disk device 3, and the array control unit 40 which controls the interface between the host 1 and the disk device group 5. Yes, storage battery 22
And a cache memory 20 backed up in.

Although not shown in the figure, the array control board 4 has a non-volatile memory for storing the control program of the array control unit 4 and data transfer between the host 1 and the array control board 4. There is provided an interface section for performing data transfer and an interface section for exchanging data between the array control board 4 and the disk device group 5.

The disk device group 5 includes the array control board 4
RAID (Redundant Arrays of Expensiv
e Disks). For example, the hard disk device 5d stores redundant data such as parity data corresponding to the data stored in the other hard disk devices 5a to 5c, and thus the reliability of the data stored in the disk device group 5 is improved. We are trying to improve The disk device group 5 includes a system area 30 in which management / control information of the array control board 4 is stored and a user area 31 in which user information other than the management / control information (including an OS program) is stored. Each of them is secured by being divided into respective hard disk devices 5a to 5c. In the system area 30, as the management / control information of the array control board 4, the expansion ROM code information 3 described in the first embodiment is used.
2. In addition to the configuration information 33, array control code information 34, array management information 35, etc. (hereinafter, system area information) are stored. Here, in the array control code information 34, the array control unit 40 sets the disk device group 5
The array management information 35 is information such as a RAID level and a disk configuration that is necessary for RAID control.

The operation of the above system is basically the same as that of the second embodiment, and only the processing performed by the array control board 4 for the disk device group 5 is different.

Array control section 40 of array control board 4
When receiving the request for the system area information from the host control unit 11, the server checks the content of the information stored in the cache memory 20 backed up by the storage battery 22, and if the storage of the system area information is confirmed, the cache memory 20
To the host main memory 10 from the system area information.
When the system area information is not stored in the cache memory 20, the array control unit 40 firstly stores the array control code information 34 stored in the system area 30.
And the array management information 35 is used to RA the disk device group 5.
ID control is performed to transfer the management / control information of the array control board 4 stored in the system area 30 to the host main memory 10 via the cache memory 20. Similarly, when an information update request for the system area 30 is received, the system area information corresponding to the request is transferred from the host main memory 10 to the cache memory 20, and the transferred data is transferred to R
System area 3 of the disk device group 5 that is AID controlled
Transfer to 0.

In the present embodiment, when access to the disk device group 5 is performed by RAID control, the hard disk devices 5a to 5c of the disk device group 5 synchronously transfer data. The access time for 5 is shortened. It is also possible to access each of the hard disk devices 5a to 5c individually without performing RAID control.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the same effect as that of the second embodiment can be obtained. That is, the number of components of the array control board 4 can be reduced and the cost can be reduced accordingly, and the system can be started up at high speed when the power is turned on. Further, in this embodiment, since the disk device group 5 is RAID-controlled, it is possible to improve both reliability and transfer speed of the management / control information, as compared with the first and second embodiments.

<Fourth Embodiment> FIG. 7 is a block diagram of an information processing system according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. The system shown in the figure has the same configuration as the system described in the third embodiment (FIG. 6) except that the IDE disk device 14 and the array control board 4'are connected.

The IDE disk device 14 and the disk device group 6 (hard disk devices 6a to 6c) constitute a RAID, and a system area in which management / control information (system area information) of the array control board 4'is stored. Three
Each of 0 and the user area 31 in which user information other than management / control information is stored is divided and secured.

In the above configuration, at system startup,
BIOS (expansion BIOS) included in the expansion ROM code information when the expansion ROM code information is transferred to the computer
Then, all the BIOS requests issued by the computer to the disk device will be supplied to the array control board 4 '.

The array control unit 40 sends a BIOS request of the host control unit 11 to the disk device group 6 to the disk device group 6 according to the control program stored in the memory (not shown) of the array control board 4 '. On the other hand, the BIOS request of the host control unit 11 to the IDE disk device 14 is transferred to the IDE disk control unit 13. This makes it possible to configure a RAID from disk devices with different interface specifications. In this embodiment, IDE is used as the interface of the disk device, but it is not limited to this, and SCSI, ESDI Fiber channel is used.
It is possible to use any interface such as.

The host controller 11 can access the IDE disk device 14 by the BIOS request even when the extended BIOS is running.

The array control unit 40 responds to the BIOS request from the host control unit 11 with the disk devices 14 and 6.
a, 6b, 6c can be individually accessed, or R
All disk devices 14, 6a, 6 are controlled by AID control.
b and 6c can be regarded as one disk device and accessed.

Further, in terms of the performance of the IDE disk device 14,
IDE disk device 14 together with disk device group 6
If it is difficult to perform AID control, the IDE disk device 14 can be used as a spare disk device, for example. The system area information is IDE
It may be stored only in the disk device 14.

In this embodiment, the IDE disk control unit 13 and the array control board 4'are directly connected.
Data may be transferred between the two via an internal bus.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the same effect as that of the above-described third embodiment can be obtained, and the IDE
Both the hard disk device and the disk device group 6 can be accessed. Furthermore, the IDE disk device 14
It is also possible to configure a RAID with the hard disk drive group.

In the three embodiments described above,
Although a hard disk device is used as the external storage device, a semiconductor storage device including a non-volatile memory,
An optical disk device or the like may be used.

Although the expansion board (array control board) is used as the interface circuit of the external storage device, the interface circuit does not necessarily have to be board-shaped.

[0061]

According to the present invention, management of an external storage device
An expansion ROM for storing control information can be dispensed with, and an information processing system can be provided at low cost. Further, it is possible to provide an information processing system capable of accessing the internal disk device even when the management / control information of the external disk device is transferred to the host computer.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an information processing system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a process performed by the host computer at the time of startup.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of system area information transfer processing performed by the expansion board.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of system area information update processing performed by the expansion board.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an information processing system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an information processing system according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of an information processing system according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Host computer, 2,2 '... expansion board, 3 ... disk device, 4,4' ... array control board, 5,6 ... disk device group, 10 ... host Main storage device, 11 ... Host control unit, 12 ... System ROM, 13 ... IDE disk control unit, 14
... IDE disk device, 20 ... Cache memory, 21 ... Expansion board control unit, 22 ... Storage battery,
30 ... System area, 31 ... User area, 32
... Expansion ROM code, 33 ... Configuration information, 34 ... Array control code, 35 ... Array management information, 40 ... Array control unit.

Front page continuation (72) Inventor Masahiro Takano 2880 Kozu, Odawara, Kanagawa Stock Company Hitachi Storage Systems Division (72) Inventor Soichi Isono 1099 Ozenji, Aso-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa Hitachi Ltd In the laboratory

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. An information processing system comprising: a host computer; an interface circuit added to the host computer; and an external storage device connected to the host computer via the interface circuit. Stores management / control information used by the host computer to control transfer of the interface circuit, the interface circuit storing the external storage in response to a request from the host computer. An information processing system comprising a transfer control means for transferring management / control information stored in an apparatus to the host computer. 2. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the external storage device is an external disk device, the interface circuit has a cache memory, and the transfer control means is via the cache memory. An information processing system characterized by performing transfer. 3. The information processing system according to claim 2, wherein the external disk device is composed of a plurality of disk devices that transfer data in synchronization with each other, and the plurality of disk devices include: An information processing system, wherein the management / control information is divided and stored, and the transfer control means transfers the management / control information divided and stored in the plurality of disk devices. 4. The information processing system according to claim 3, wherein at least one disk device of the plurality of disk devices stores redundant information used for error correction of the management / control information. An information processing system characterized by the above. 5. The information processing system according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the transfer control means does not wait for a request from the host computer after the power is turned on, and performs the management / management. An information processing system, wherein control information is transferred from the disk device to the cache memory. 6. The information processing system according to claim 5, wherein the cache memory is backed up by a storage battery. 7. The information processing system according to claim 5, wherein the transfer control means has completed the transfer of the management / control information data between the disk device and the host computer. An information processing system characterized by discarding information stored in the cache memory at a time. 8. The information processing system according to claim 7, wherein said transfer control means transfers said management / control information to said cache memory when receiving information notifying that the system is terminated from said host computer. An information processing system, which transfers the management / control information stored in the cache memory to the host computer when the system is activated. 9. An internal disk device, a host computer having an interface circuit for the internal disk device, an interface circuit added to the host computer, and an external disk device connected to the host computer via the interface circuit. An information processing system having, wherein the external disk device stores management / control information used for controlling the interface circuit, which the host computer requests transfer to an interface circuit added to the host computer. The interface circuit added to the host computer includes a transfer control unit that transfers the management / control information stored in the external disk device to the host computer in response to a request from the host computer, And a means for transferring the request to the interface circuit of the internal disk device when the request from the host computer is judged to be for the internal disk device. An information processing system characterized by the above. 10. The information processing system according to claim 9, wherein the internal disk device and the external disk device store the management / control information in a divided manner, and the transfer means requests the host computer. An information processing system which transfers the management / control information divided and stored in the internal disk device and the external disk device to the host computer according to the above.