EP0303855A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Identification of data storage devices
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1988-07-26
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2008-07-26
Abstract
Abstract A technique is described for assuring the global identification and management of interchangeable data storage devices in a data processing system, assuring the integrity of data storage devices after shutdowns or failures and providing these capabilities without changing any current system or application software on the host. This technique also provides high availability of data storage devices by swapping a failing data storage device with a good data storage device without host intervention. To better understand the embodiment of the present invention hereinafter disclosed, it will be necessary to discuss some of the details of this prior art DASD system operation. When the Host CPU requires information, it requests it by requesting a specific channel, controller and DASD actuator. The channel is identified by a number which is a one byte hexadecimal number, the controller by a four bit hexadecimal number and the DASD actuator number by a four bit hexadecimal number. For example, if the host CPU were to send a two byte hexadecimal address 0111 in a start input/output operation (I/O), then actuator one, attached to controller one, attached to channel one would prepare for I/O and send the host a ready signal. Since the mapping down and back is the same, the original transaction header can be used to determine the path back to the host. Any host program accessing the DASD could send the header described above to uniquely define the DASD actuator to access.
Inventors
- 👤 Brent C. Beardsley
- 👤 Lawrence Herbert Boulia
- 👤 Robert Haver Vosacek
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 20:57
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F13/00; G06F13/10; G06F13/12; G06F13/122; G06F11/00; G06F11/07; G06F11/16; G06F11/20; G06F11/2053; G06F11/2056; G06F11/2064; G06F11/2082; G06F11/2087; G11; G11C; G11C29/00; G11C29/70; G11C29/74; G06F11/006; G06F11/14; G06F11/1446; G06F11/1448; G06F11/1451
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
229 words
A data processing system having a host system, an attached controller comprising a set of storage paths attached to a cache, a data storage device controller, and a non-volatile storage, and a memory containing a joint array structure comprising a data translation table and a status table, the data storage device controller comprising attaching means for a plurality of strings of data storage devices, each of the strings comprising a plurality of data storage devices having a plurality of records, a plurality of tracks, and a device status track having a reconfiguration count, a device identification number and controller identification number recorded thereon, the status table in the joint array structure comprising a reconfiguration count, a device identification number, status records and a controller identification number for each of the data storage devices, wherein the global identification and management of the data storage devices is assured by: checking each of the plurality of data storage devices to verify the device identification number, the controller identification number and the status records; combining the status records, the device identification number and the controller identification number to form a global status record; writing the device identification number to each of the status records on each of the data storage devices; and writing the global status record to the status records of a first data storage device and a second data storage device.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
229 words
A data processing system having a host system, an attached controller comprising a set of storage paths attached to a cache, a data storage device controller, and a non-volatile storage, and a memory containing a joint array structure comprising a data translation table and a status table, the data storage device controller comprising attaching means for a plurality of strings of data storage devices, each of the strings comprising a plurality of data storage devices having a plurality of records, a plurality of tracks, and a device status track having a reconfiguration count, a device identification number and controller identification number recorded thereon, the status table in the joint array structure comprising a reconfiguration count, a device identification number, status records and a controller identification number for each of the data storage devices, wherein the global identification and management of the data storage devices is assured by: checking each of the plurality of data storage devices to verify the device identification number, the controller identification number and the status records; combining the status records, the device identification number and the controller identification number to form a global status record; writing the device identification number to each of the status records on each of the data storage devices; and writing the global status record to the status records of a first data storage device and a second data storage device.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
51 words
A system as claimed in claim 1, arranged to respond to any data storage device failures by replacing a failing data storage device with a functioning one of the data storage devices and updating with information identifying the functioning data storage device as the replacement for the failed data storage device.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
57 words
A system as claimed in either preceding claim, arranged to prevent an initial memory load of a data storage device from successfully completing unless the controller identification number and the device identification number in the status table of the controller match the device and controller identification numbers on the device status track of the data storage device.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
60 words
A system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the data storage devices are configured to distribute information flow over each of the strings by: connecting each of the data storage devices to the string with the least attached data storage devices; and connecting the plurality of strings to more than one of the data storage device controller attaching means.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
59 words
A system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the system response to a global status data storage device failure comprises: incrementing the reconfiguration count in the status table of the joint array structure to indicate that a reconfiguration has taken place; and writing the incremented reconfiguration count onto the device status track of the functioning data storage device.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
282 words
A data processing system for assuring the global identification and management of a plurality of data storage devices without software changes comprising: a host system containing a plurality of channels; a controller attached to at least one of the channels and comprising a set of storage paths, each of the storage paths having access to a cache, a data storage device controller, a non-volatile storage, and a memory comprising a joint array structure having a data translation table and a status table; a plurality of data storage devices attached to the data storage device of data storage devices attached to the data storage device controller, each of the data storage devices comprising a plurality of tracks, a device status track having a reconfiguration count, a device identification number, status records and controller identification number recorded thereon, and a plurality of records; the joint array structure of the controller comprising a reconfiguration count, a device identification number, and a controller identification number for each of the data storage devices; means for checking each of the plurality of data storage devices to obtain the controller identification number, the device identification number and the status records; means for combining the status records, the device identification number and the controller identification number to form a global status record and a device status record; means for writing the device status records to each of the status records on each of the data storage devices; means for writing the global status record to the status records of a first data storage device and a second data storage device; and means for writing the global status record to the status table of the joint array structure in the controller.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
282 words
A data processing system for assuring the global identification and management of a plurality of data storage devices without software changes comprising: a host system containing a plurality of channels; a controller attached to at least one of the channels and comprising a set of storage paths, each of the storage paths having access to a cache, a data storage device controller, a non-volatile storage, and a memory comprising a joint array structure having a data translation table and a status table; a plurality of data storage devices attached to the data storage device of data storage devices attached to the data storage device controller, each of the data storage devices comprising a plurality of tracks, a device status track having a reconfiguration count, a device identification number, status records and controller identification number recorded thereon, and a plurality of records; the joint array structure of the controller comprising a reconfiguration count, a device identification number, and a controller identification number for each of the data storage devices; means for checking each of the plurality of data storage devices to obtain the controller identification number, the device identification number and the status records; means for combining the status records, the device identification number and the controller identification number to form a global status record and a device status record; means for writing the device status records to each of the status records on each of the data storage devices; means for writing the global status record to the status records of a first data storage device and a second data storage device; and means for writing the global status record to the status table of the joint array structure in the controller.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
77 words
A data processing system as claimed in claim 6 further comprising means for assuring the integrity of data storage devices at initialisation by comparing the device identification number and the controller identification number in the status table in the joint array structure with the device identification number and the controller identification number on the device status track of the data storage device and disabling operation if the device identification number and controller identification number do not match.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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