High-density storage systems using hierarchical interconnect
View Patent ↗A system and method for coupling a host to a drive in a high-capacity data storage system are disclosed. The data storage system comprises a number of drives arranged in a hierarchical manner. A control system is provided for controlling input/output of data and managing control signals. The control system comprises a hierarchy of controllers and switches. The control system receives a request for a drive from a host and couples the host to the requested drive through the hierarchy of controllers.
1. An apparatus for coupling a host to a drive in a data storage system, the data storage system comprising a plurality of drives, the apparatus comprising:
a first tier controller, the first tier controller receiving a request from the host to couple to the drive; and
a plurality of second tier controllers, each second tier controller associated with a set of drives and configured to perform a data protection operation associated with the set of drives,
wherein the first tier controller configured to determine a location of the drive and a second tier controller in the plurality of second tier controllers associated with the drive, the first tier controller configured to route the request to the determined second tier controller,
wherein the determined second tier controller is configured receive the request and is configured to perform a data protection operation with the drive, the second tier controller coupling the drive to the host through the first tier controller, wherein the first tier controller and the second tier controller are included in a same storage controller enclosure and the first tier controller and the second tier controller perform operations together to form a hierarchal control system in the enclosure.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first tier controller operates in a first tier storage enclosure.
3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first tier controller further comprises:
a host interface, the host interface connecting the host to the first tier controller,
a first tier switch, the first tier switch connected to one or more second tier controllers; and
a first tier interface, the first tier interface connected to one or more second tier controllers through the first tier switch.
4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second tier controller operates in a second tier storage enclosure.
5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second tier controller further comprises:
second tier interface, the second tier interface connected to the first tier interface,
a second tier switch, the second tier switch connected to one or more drives.
6. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein a third tier controller is selectively coupled to the second tier controller and to the disk drive.
7. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the third tier controller further comprises a third tier switch, the third tier switch coupling the host to the disk drive through the first tier controller and the second tier controller.
8. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a data protection controller, the data protection controller protecting data from being lost.
9. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the data protection controller further comprises a memory.
10. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the data protection controller further comprises a processor.
11. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the data protection controller includes a RAID controller.
12. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the data protection controller is included in the first tier controller.
13. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the data protection controller is included in the second tier controller.
14. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the data protection controller is included in the third tier controller.
15. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the host is coupled to multiple drives at the same time.
16. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein multiple hosts are coupled to one or more drives.
17. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a drive includes a tape drive.
18. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a drive includes a hard disk drive.
19. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of drives provides data requested by the host.
20. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of third tier controllers configured to couple the plurality of second tier controllers to their associated drives, wherein the first tier controller, the second tier controller, and the plurality of third tier controllers are included in the same storage controller enclosure and the first tier controller, the second tier controller, and the plurality of third tier controllers perform operations together to form a hierarchal control system in the enclosure.
21. A method for coupling a host device to a drive in a data storage system, the data storage system comprising one or more drives, a first tier controller and a plurality of second tier controllers, the method comprising:
receiving, at the first tier controller, a request from the host to couple to a drive;
determining a location of the drive and a second tier controller in the plurality of second tier controllers associated with the drive, each second tier controller associated with a set of drives and configured to perform a data protection operation associated with the set of drives,
routing, at the first tier controller, the request to the determined second tier controller;
receiving, at the identified second tier controller, the request; and
performing a data protection operation with the drive, the second tier controller coupling the drive to the host through the first tier controller, wherein the first tier controller and the second tier controller are included in a same storage controller enclosure and the first tier controller and the second tier controller perform operations together to form a hierarchal control system in the enclosure.
22. The method according to claim 21 further comprising:
sending inquiry data to provide vendor identification information.
23. The method according to claim 22 further comprising:
determining whether the requested data is present in a cache memory.
24. The method according to claim 22 , wherein the inquiry data sent to provide vendor identification information is encoded in a command format.
25. The method according to claim 24 wherein the command format comprises a data field for identifying a magnetic type storage peripheral device connected to the storage controller
26. The method according to claim 24 wherein the command format comprises a data field for ascertaining whether a magnetic type storage peripheral device is removable.
27. The method according to claim 24 wherein the command format comprises a data field for ascertaining whether the storage controller uses hierarchical addressing.
28. The method according to claim 24 wherein the command format comprises a data field for providing vendor's name encoded in ASCII format.
29. The method according to claim 24 wherein the command format comprises a data field for indicating product revision level.
30. The method according to claim 24 wherein the command format comprises a data field for identifying controller serial number.
31. The method according to claim 24 wherein the command format comprises a data field for storing a copyright, notice encoded in ASCII format.
32. The method according to claim 21 , wherein the request is received for a read operation.
33. The method according to claim 32 , wherein the request is received for a write operation.
34. The method according to claim 33 further comprising:
determining storage units having sufficient storage volume and input/output capacity.
35. The method according to claim 33 further comprising:
determining optimal data organization scheme.
36. The method according to claim 33 , wherein connecting the host to the drive further comprises:
writing data on to the selected drive using determined data organization scheme; and
returning completion status to the host.
37. The method according to claim 21 , wherein the host is coupled to more than one drive at the same time.
38. The method of claim 21 , further comprising coupling to a third tier controller in a plurality of third tier controllers, the third tier controller coupling the plurality of second tier controllers to their associated drives. wherein the first tier controller, the second tier controller, and plurality of third tier controllers are included in the same storage controller enclosure and the first tier controller, the second tier controller. and the plurality of third tier controllers perform operations together to form a hierarchal control system in the enclosure.
39. An apparatus configured to couple a host device to a drive in a data storage system, the data storage system comprising one or more drives, a first tier controller and a plurality of second tier controllers, the apparatus comprising:
means for receiving, at the first tier controller, a request from the host to couple to a drive;
means for determining a location of the drive and a second tier controller in the plurality of second tier controllers associated with the drive, each second tier controller associated with a set of drives and configured to perform a data protection operation associated with the set of drives,
means for routing, at the first tier controller, the request to the determined second tier controller;
means for receiving, at the identified second tier controller, the request; and
means for performing a data protection operation with the drive, the second tier controller coupling the drive to the host through the first tier controller, wherein the first tier controller and the second tier controller are included in a same storage controller enclosure and the first tier controller and the second tier controller perform operations together to form a hierarchal control system in the enclosure.