TWI578143B - Power management for respective disk in disk array - Google Patents

Description

Power management system and method for individual hard disks in a disk array

The present invention relates to a power management system and method for individual hard disks in a disk array for individually controlling the power supply of individual hard disks in the disk array.

In general, hard disk power in a disk array (RAID) cannot be controlled individually. When an abnormal situation occurs on an individual hard disk, it is often impossible to continue reading and writing data in the disk array due to the no reset function.

One of the advantages of the individual control of the hard disk power supply is that it can control the number of hard disk drives, thereby effectively improving the instantaneous excessive power consumption of the storage system. The second advantage is that when a certain hard disk is abnormal, the hard disk power can be effectively turned off to achieve the reset function.

Therefore, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to be able to individually control the power supply of individual hard disks in the disk array.

The technical means provided by the present invention is to individually control the power supply of individual hard disks in the disk array by serial general purpose input input (SGPIO).

In this case, the power management system is managed by an instruction issued by an administrator, and the power management system includes an expander and a backplane module. The expander outputs a serial general purpose input input signal (SGPIO), and the serial general-purpose input and output signal has a clock signal (S_clk), a data output signal (S_data_out), and a data effective control. Signal (S_load), the data output signal has a total of M serial output signals available, wherein (MN) signals are used to control the opening or closing of corresponding LEDs of each individual hard disk. The backplane module is respectively connected to the expander and the plurality of hard disks (1-16); wherein the backplane module has a programmable logic device (PLD), and the programmable logic device decodes the data output signal (S_data_out) P signals out of the remaining N signals, and output signals to control the power of individual hard disks in the disk array.

The invention utilizes three signals in the SGPIO, that is, can control the power supply of a very large number of hard disks, in addition to the above advantages, it can also reduce the huge signal control line. Not only reduces the design, but also the advantages of function expansion and cost reduction.

Other specific embodiments, advantages, and essential features of the invention are apparent from the following detailed description of the invention.

In the following, a module is a combination of hardware/software instruction sets that perform a specific function.

Please refer to FIG. 1 , which is an overall architecture of a disk array (RAID) according to the present invention. The architecture also includes the power management system 1 of the individual hard disk of the present invention. First, the disk array system includes a RAID control card 11 and a JBOD ( Combined into a single non-array disk) control card 13, backplane module 15, multiple hard disks (1-16 or -24). Typically, the JBOD control card 13 will include an expander IC 131, which typically has 24 ports, one of which is comprised of four signal pins.

A commercial example of the RAID controller card 11 is the Supertrak Ex 6Gb/s card produced by Qiaoding Company. A commercial embodiment of the JBOD control card 13 is a VessJBOD 1840 hard disk expansion produced by Qiaoding Company. The JBOD control card 13 is connected to the backplane module 15 and the RAID controller card 11. The expander 131 and the backplane module 15 are connected by a serial general purpose input input (SGPIO). The input/output signal has a clock signal (S_clk), a data output signal (S_data_out), a data effective control signal (S_load) and a data input signal (S_data_in), and the data output signal (S_data_out) has a total of M serials. Output signals are available, with (MN) signals being used to control the opening or closing of the corresponding light-emitting diode (LED) of each individual hard disk, where M is equal to 72 ((3 signals / 埠) * 24 埠). When there are 16 hard disks, all 48 LEDs must be 48 serial data output signals (S_data_out), that is, 48 signals are used to control the opening or closing of the corresponding LEDs of each individual hard disk. The remaining number of unused serial data output signals (S_data_out) is equal to 24 (72-48 = 24).

The power management system 1 of the individual hard disk of the present invention is managed by an instruction issued by a manager. The power management system 1 includes an expander 131 and a backplane module 15. The expander 131 outputs a serial general purpose input input signal (SGPIO), and the serial general-purpose input/output signal has a clock signal (S_clk), a data output signal (S_data_out), and a data valid. A control signal (S_load) having a total of M serial output signals available for use, wherein (MN) signals are used to control the opening or closing of corresponding LEDs of each individual hard disk. The backplane module 15 is respectively connected to the expander 131 and the plurality of hard disks (1-16); wherein the backplane module 15 has a programmable logic device (PLD) 151, and the programmable logic device 151 decodes the data. The P signals of the N signals remaining in the output signal (S_data_out) are output, and the signal 159 is output to control the power of the individual hard disks in the disk array. According to the disclosed embodiment, M = 72, N = 24, and P = 8. Signal 153 in Figure 1 controls the blue LEDs of all hard disks, signal 155 controls the red LEDs of all hard disks, and signal 157 controls the green LEDs of all hard disks. Among them, the programmable logic device (PLD) is a complex programmable logic device (complex PLD) under the list one is the use of serial signals.

Although a total of 24 bits of unused bits are available, this author uses eight of these bits to control the power of the hard drive. Among them, four signals are used as commands, and the other four signals are used as designated hard disks.

The command signal includes no function, the power of all hard disks is fully turned on, the power of all hard disks is fully turned off, the single hard disk power is turned on, and the single hard disk power is disconnected. The details are shown in Table 2.

Referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 1, the flow diagram of the power management method for the individual hard disks in the disk array of the present invention includes the following steps:

(a) a power management command issued by a manager, the power management command is transmitted to the JBOD control card 13 via the RAID control card 11;

(b) in response to the power management command, the expander 131 decodes the unused P data in the data output signal (S_data_out) of a serial general purpose input input (SGPIO) after decoding. Signal to transmit a power management command to the PLD (or CPLD) 151;

(b) The programmable logic device 151 decodes the P signals and outputs a signal 159 to control the power of individual hard disks in the disk array.

According to the disclosed embodiment, M = 72, N = 24, and P = 8. Signal 153 in Figure 1 controls the blue LEDs of all hard disks, signal 155 controls the red LEDs of all hard disks, and signal 157 controls the green LEDs of all hard disks. Among them, the programmable logic device (PLD) is a complex programmable logic device (complex PLD).

Details and abstracts of the embodiments are shown in Tables 1 and 2 above.

From the above, the features of the present invention include:

1. Increase the hard disk power management function of the disk array system at a very low cost.

2. It is possible to reset a hard disk that has an abnormal condition.

3. This encoding and decoding method is suitable for all SGPIO applications.

4. The advantages of reduced design, such as the conventional method, a hard disk requires a signal control. If forty-eight hard disks require forty-eight signal lines, it requires a huge signal line, not to mention more hard disks. number. This invention requires only the SGPIO signal control line that was originally used to control the power supply of the required number of hard disks.

5. Can reduce costs. Multiple hard drives require multiple signal controls, interconnected connectors need more, and the Printed Circuit Board requires more cabling space. The higher the multi-layer PCB, the higher the cost. The invention can easily connect the JBOD motherboard 13 in the disk array system to the backplane module 15 because only three signal control lines are required.

The features and spirit of the present invention will be more apparent from the detailed description of the preferred embodiments. On the contrary, the intention is to cover various modifications and equivalents within the scope of the invention as claimed. Therefore, the scope of the patented scope of the invention should be construed as broadly construed in the

1. . . Power management system

131. . . Expander

13. . . JBOD control card

15. . . Backplane module

151. . . Programmable logic device

153. . . Blue LED control

11. . . RAID controller card

155. . . Red LED control

157. . . Green LED control

159. . . signal

a, b, c. . . step

1 is an overall architecture of a power management system for an individual hard disk in a disk array of the present invention.

2 is a flow chart of a power management method for an individual hard disk in a disk array according to the present invention.

1. . . Power management system

131. . . Expander

13. . . JBOD control card

15. . . Backplane module

151. . . Programmable logic device

153. . . Blue LED control

11. . . RAID controller card

155. . . Red LED control

157. . . Green LED control

159. . . signal

Claims (11)

A power management system for an individual hard disk in a disk array is managed by an administrator, and includes: an expander that outputs a serial general purpose input input (Serial General Purpose Input Output, SGPIO), the serial general-purpose input-in signal has a clock signal (S_clk), a data output signal (S_data_out), and a data effective control signal (S_load), and the data output signal has a total of M serial output signals. Used, wherein (MN) signals are used to control the opening or closing of corresponding light emitting diodes (LEDs) of each individual hard disk; and a backplane module, respectively, and the expander and the plurality of a hard disk connection; wherein the backplane module has a programmable logic device (PLD), the programmable logic device decodes P signals among the N signals remaining in the data output signal, and outputs signals to control the magnetic The power of the individual hard disks in the disk array; wherein, M, N, and P are natural numbers, and M is greater than or equal to N, and N is greater than or equal to P. As for the power management system of the individual hard disks in the disk array described in Item 1 of the claim, M is 72 and N is 24. A power management system for an individual hard disk in a disk array as described in claim 1, wherein the programmable logic device (PLD) is a complex programmable logic device (complex PLD). A power management system for an individual hard disk in a disk array as described in claim 1, wherein P is 8. A power management system for an individual hard disk in a disk array as described in claim 4, wherein four signals are used as commands and the other four signals are used as designated hard disks. The power management system of the individual hard disks in the disk array according to Item 5 of the claim, the command signal includes no function, the power of all the hard disks is fully turned on, the power of all the hard disks is completely turned off, and the single is The hard drive is powered on and disconnected from the single hard drive. A power management method for an individual hard disk in a disk array in a power management system, the power management system includes an expander, a backplane module respectively connected to the expander and the plurality of hard disks, wherein the backplane module The group has a programmable logic device (PLD), comprising the following steps: a power management command issued by an administrator; the expander uses a serial general input input signal according to the power management command (Serial General Purpose Input Output, SGPIO) unused P signals remaining in the data output signal (S_data_out) to transmit a power management command; the programmable logic device decodes the P signals, and outputs signals to control the disk array The power supply of the individual hard disks; wherein the data output signals have a total of M serial output signals available, and (MN) signals are used to control the opening of the corresponding light emitting diodes (LEDs) of each individual hard disk. Or off, the programmable logic device decodes P signals among the N signals remaining in the data output signal, M, N, and P are natural numbers, and M is greater than or equal to N, and N is greater than or equal to P. The method of managing power according to claim 7, wherein the programmable logic device (PLD) is a complex programmable logic device (complex PLD). The method of managing power according to claim 7, wherein P is 8. The method of managing power according to claim 9, wherein four signals are used as commands, and the other four signals are used as designated hard disks. The method of managing power according to claim 10, wherein the command signal includes no function, the power of all the hard disks is fully turned on, the power of all the hard disks is fully turned off, the single hard disk power is turned on, and the single hard disk power is turned off.