Granted Patent B2

US 7,496,694 · App. 11/562,207 · Granted Feb 24, 2009

Abstract

Claims (105)

1. A monitoring circuit adapted for coupling to a storage controller, the monitoring circuit comprising:

a controller interface adapted to couple the monitoring circuit to the storage controller, the controller interface comprising a bus interface circuit adapted to couple the monitoring circuit with a bus, the bus being used for internal communications within the storage controller;

a processor coupled to the controller interface and adapted to sense status of the storage controller through the controller interface; and

a memory to store sensed status of the storage controller for further processing by an external data processing system;

wherein the monitoring circuit is devoid of a storage device interface.

2. The circuit of claim 1 further comprising:

a network interface adapted for transmitting the sensed status from the memory to the external data processing system.

3. The circuit of claim 2

wherein the network interface further comprises:

a wireless transceiver for wireless transmission to the external data processing system.

4. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the bus is a PCI bus.

5. The circuit of claim 1

wherein the processor is adapted to sense status of the storage controller wherein the status includes error conditions and/or configuration errors.

6. The circuit of claim 1

wherein the sensed status includes one or more of:

storage controller hardware failure;

storage subsystem failure;

storage controller link failure;

disk drive failure;

over temperature;

storage controller firmware not synchronized with peer controller;

storage enclosure failure;

power supply failure;

battery failure;

Fibre Channel failure;

storage controller firmware exception conditions;

logical unit not in preferred path;

cache mirror not synchronized;

peer storage controller failure; and

host or disk drive channel communication failure.

7. The circuit of claim 1

wherein the storage controller interface further comprises:

a dual storage controller interface wherein the monitoring circuit may be coupled to dual storage controllers of a storage subsystem to monitor status of two storage controllers.

8. A method for monitoring operation of a storage controller, the method comprising:

coupling a monitor circuit to the storage controller, further comprising coupling a bus interface component of the monitor circuit to a bus of the storage controller, the bus being used for internal communications within the storage controller;

monitoring operation of the storage controller by operating the monitoring circuit to sense status of the storage controller; and

saving sensed status in a memory associated with the monitoring circuit;

wherein the monitor circuit is devoid of a storage device interface.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the bus is a PCI bus.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

transmitting the saved sensed status from the memory of the monitor circuit to an external data processing system.

11. The method of claim 10

wherein the step of transmitting further comprises:

transmitting the sensed status to the external data processing system using a wired network connection.

12. The method of claim 10

wherein the step of transmitting further comprises:

transmitting the sensed status to the external data processing system using a wireless network connection.

13. The method of claim 8

wherein the step of monitoring further comprises:

monitoring the storage controller to sense status of the storage controller wherein the status includes error conditions and/or configuration errors.

14. The method of claim 8

wherein the step of monitoring further comprises:

monitoring the storage controller to sense status of the storage controller wherein the status one or more of:

storage controller hardware failure;

storage subsystem failure;

storage controller link failure;

disk drive failure;

over temperature;

storage controller firmware not synchronized with peer controller;

storage enclosure failure;

power supply failure;

battery failure;

Fibre Channel failure;

storage controller firmware exception conditions;

logical unit not in preferred path;

cache mirror not synchronized;

peer storage controller failure; and

host or disk drive channel communication failure.

15. The method of claim 8

wherein the monitoring circuit is adapted to couple to multiple storage controllers, and

wherein the step of monitoring further comprises:

monitoring operation of multiple storage controllers by operating the monitoring circuit to sense status of the multiple storage controllers.

16. A system comprising:

a plurality of storage devices;

a storage controller coupled to the plurality of storage devices and adapted for coupling to one or more host systems; and

a monitoring circuit adapted for coupling to the storage controller, the monitoring circuit comprising:

a controller interface adapted to couple the monitoring circuit to the storage controller, the controller interface comprising a bus interface circuit adapted to couple the monitoring circuit with a bus, the bus being used for internal communications within the storage controller;

a processor coupled to the controller interface and adapted to sense status of the storage controller through the controller interface; and

a memory to store sensed status of the storage controller for further processing by an external data processing system;

wherein the monitoring circuit is devoid of a storage device interface.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the monitoring circuit further comprises:

a network interface adapted for transmitting the sensed status from the memory to the external data processing system.

18. The system of claim 17

wherein the network interface of the monitoring circuit further comprises:

a wireless transceiver for wireless transmission to the external data processing system.

19. The system of claim 16 , wherein the bus is a PCI bus.

20. The system of claim 16

wherein the processor of the monitoring circuit is adapted to sense status of the storage controller wherein the status includes error conditions and/or configuration errors.

21. The system of claim 16

wherein the sensed status includes one or more of:

storage controller hardware failure;

storage subsystem failure;

storage controller link failure;

disk drive failure;

over temperature;

storage controller firmware not synchronized with peer controller;

storage enclosure failure;

power supply failure;

battery failure;

Fibre Channel failure;

storage controller firmware exception conditions;

logical unit not in preferred path;

cache mirror not synchronized;

peer storage controller failure; and

host or disk drive channel communication failure.

Assignments (9)