JPH0363746A - multi drive device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a multi-drive device used in industrial applications such as computers and switching equipment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION FIG. 3 shows the configuration of a conventional system in which a plurality of single drive devices 2 are connected to a host device 1 such as a computer or a switch.

In FIG. 3, each single drive device 2 has an S C
S I (Small Co II putor Syst
A SCSI handling driver 3 that communicates with the host device 1 via the host interface 5 in accordance with the SCSI (Inter-face) standard;
It is generally composed of a drive device 4 that performs playback, and a host interface 5 satisfies the 5C8I standard.

Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be explained.

In FIG. 3, a host device 1 and a plurality of single drive devices 2 are connected via a host interface 5, and each of the host device 1 and the plurality of single drive devices 2 is connected by one identifier (ID:
tifier), the single drive device 2 can be used as an external storage device for the host device 1.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, in the above-mentioned conventional single drive device,
Since one identifier on the 5CSI is occupied, only a maximum of seven single drive devices 2 can be connected to the host device 1, and therefore there is a problem that the capacity is insufficient for the host device 1 that handles a large amount of data. .

In view of the above conventional problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a multi-drive device that can increase the number of single drive devices connected to a host device.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a first SCSI handling driver that communicates with a host device;
A second SCS that communicates with the single drive device
The controller is configured by an I handling driver and a control means that issues a command to a single drive device via a second SCSI handling driver when the first 5CSI handling driver receives a command from the host device.

Effect: With the above configuration, the present invention allows up to 7 multi-drive devices to be connected to the host device, and also allows up to 7 single-drive devices to be connected to each multi-drive device, so that up to 49 single-drive devices can be connected. can be connected to the host device, thus increasing the number of single drive devices connected to the host device.

EXAMPLES Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a multi-drive device according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a system using the multi-drive device of FIG. 1.

In FIG. 1, 11 is a SCSI handling driver that communicates with the host device 20 (FIG. 2) via the host interface 12 in accordance with the SCSI standard;
Reference numeral 13 denotes a SCSI handling driver that communicates with the single drive device 30 (FIG. 2) via the drive interface 14 in accordance with the SCSI standard, and the host interface 12 and driver interface 14 each comply with the SCSI standard. I am satisfied.

15 is a central processing unit (CPU) containing a microcode for controlling the SCSI handling driver 11.13, and the CPU 15 and the SCSI handling driver 11.13 are respectively connected via control lines 16.17, 5C8I handling driver 11.13
They are connected via a data line 18.

The multi-drive device IO according to the above configuration uses one identifier I on the SCSI on the host interface 12 side.
It also has only an initiator function on the drive interface 14 side, and occupies one identifier ID on the SCSI.

In FIG. 2, a host device 20 is a computer, a switch, etc., and is connected to the SCSI handling driver 11 of the multi-drive device 10 via a host interface 12, and a single drive device 30 is connected to the SCSI handling driver 11 of the multi-drive device 10 through a host interface 12. The driver interface 14 is roughly composed of a SCSI handling driver 31 that performs communication, and a drive device 32 that records and reproduces data.
It is connected to the 5C5I handling driver 13 of the multi-drive device flo through.

As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of multi-drive devices 10 are connected to the host device 20, and each multi-drive device 1
A plurality of single drive devices 30 are connected to 0.

Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be explained.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, for example, when the multi-drive device 10 whose identifier is "7" receives a command from the host device 2o, it sends an identifier message or a LUN (Logical Unit N) specified in the command.
umber) is associated with the identifier (for example, "6") of the subordinate single drive device 30.

Then, the multi-drive device 10 acts as an initiator on the drive interface 14, selects the corresponding single-drive device 30, and issues a command.

With this command, a line between the host device 20 and the single drive device 30 is established, data reproduced by the drive device 32 is transmitted to the host device 20,
Recording of data from the host device 20 is performed by the drive device 32
This is done by

Thereafter, when the single drive device 30 reports the end of the command, the multi-drive device 10 reports the end of the command to the host device 20.

Therefore, according to the above embodiment, a maximum of seven multi-drive devices 10 can be connected to the host device 20, and a maximum of seven single-drive devices 30 can be connected to each multi-drive device 10.
Up to 49 single drive devices 30 can be connected to the host device 20
can be connected to.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION As described above, the present invention provides a first SCSI handling driver that communicates with a host device, a second SCSI handling driver that communicates with a single drive device, and a second SCSI handling driver that communicates with a host device. The first command from
Since the control means is configured to issue the information to the single drive device via the second SCSI handling driver when the message is received by the second SCSI handling driver, it is possible to increase the number of single drive devices connected to the host device.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a multi-drive device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a system using the multi-drive device of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a system using the multi-drive device of FIG. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a conventional system in which multiple single drive devices are connected. 10...Multi drive device, 11.13...SC
SI handling driver, 12... host interface, 14... drive interface, 15...
- Central processing unit' (CPU), 20... host device, 30... single drive device. Figure 1

Claims (1)

[Claims] A first SCSI handling driver that communicates with a host device, and a second SCSI that communicates with a single drive device.
A multi-drive device comprising: an I handling driver; and a control unit that issues a command to the single drive device via the second SCSI handling driver when the first SCSI handling driver receives a command from the host device. .