JPH0447323A - 2-port disk controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To realize the duplexing of a magnetic disk device by simultaneously controlling write-in seek operation operated by two disk interfaces, and reading and controlling data through the disk interface corresponding to the disk device of the other side at the time of the fault of the disk device of one side. CONSTITUTION:When a data write-in request from a host computer 11 arises, that write-in data is stored once in a memory buffer 26, and is transferred simultaneously to the data buffers BF1,BF2 of two disk interfaces 27a,27b respectively. Then, the write-in seek operation of two disk devices 13a,13b is simultaneously controlled through two disk interfaces 27a,27b based on a common write-in address, and in response to the completion of the seek of each disk device 13a,13b, the data latched in the data buffers BF1,BF2 are written. Thus, the data can be stored in each of the duplexed disk devices through the data write-in processing of one time from the host computer 11.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Object of the Invention] (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a two-port disk controller used when duplicating a magnetic disk device.

(Prior art) For example, as a data storage device for a host computer,
A magnetic disk device is used. The disks used in this magnetic disk device come in various sizes such as 8-inch disks, 5-inch disks, and 3.5-inch disks, but if a failure occurs in a certain part of one disk, This causes problems such as all of the data stored on the disk becoming unreadable.

Therefore, a duplex system is adopted for data storage devices that store important data, so that if a failure occurs in one disk, the other disk is used for backup.

FIG. 3 shows the configuration of a conventional duplex system for magnetic disk devices, in which one host computer 11 is connected to a disk controller 12a.

12b and magnetic disk devices 13a and 13b are both duplicated.

That is, in this disk duplex system, when a data write request is received from the host computer 11, data is first written to the disk of the first magnetic disk device 13a through one disk controller 12a, and then the data is written to the disk of the first magnetic disk device 13a. By writing data to the disk of the second magnetic disk device 13b again through the other disk controller 12b, the storage data is duplicated.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, like the conventional disk duplication system described above, there are two magnetic disk devices 13a.

Dedicated disk controller 1 for each 13b
If 2a and 12b are connected and the data writing process from the host computer 11 is repeated twice, the data writing process will take time due to the disk duplication system, which will adversely affect the processing of the entire computer system. .

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a 2-port disk controller that makes it possible to duplicate a magnetic disk device without having to repeatedly write data from a host computer twice. shall be.

[Configuration of the Invention (Means for Solving the Problems) A two-port disk controller according to the present invention includes two disk devices, a memory buffer for storing write data from a host computer, and a memory buffer that stores data written from a host computer. two disk interfaces each independently connected to the disk device and controlling the write seek operation of each corresponding disk device based on the same write address; and the memory buffer provided in each of the two disk interfaces. a data buffer that latches the write data transferred from the disk according to the write seek operation time, and a disk interface that simultaneously controls the write seek operations of the two disk interfaces and corresponds to the other disk device when one disk device fails. and a disk interface control means for controlling data reading through the disk interface.

(Operation) In other words, when there is a data write request from the host computer, the write data is temporarily stored in the memory buffer, and simultaneously transferred to the data buffers of each of the two disk interfaces. The above two through two disk interfaces.
By controlling the write seek operations of two disk devices simultaneously based on a common write address and writing the data latched to the data buffer in response to the completion of the seek of each disk device, data can be written once from the host computer. Through processing, data can be stored in each of the duplicated disk devices.

(Example) An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1 shows the configuration of a 2-port disk controller, in which 11 is a host computer, 13a
, 13b is a magnetic disk device, a disk controller 21 is connected to the host computer 11, and the two magnetic disk devices are connected to the disk controller 21 in parallel.

FIG. 2 shows the internal configuration of the disk controller 21. In the figure, 22 is a microprocessor (control unit), and the microprocessor 22 controls the two magnetic disk devices 13a.

Data writing processing from the host computer 11 to the host computer 13b is controlled. The microprocessor 22 is equipped with a memory 23 that stores its control program and a timer 24 that synchronizes control timing.

On the other hand, a data write request from the host computer 11 to the two magnetic disk devices 13a and 13b is input through the host interface 25, the write command signal is supplied to the microprocessor 22, and the write data is transferred to the memory buffer 25. is temporarily stored.

This memory buffer 26 has SMDs connected to each other independently between the two magnetic disk devices 13a and 13b.
(Storage module device) interfaces 27a and 27b are connected. These SMD interfaces 27a and 27b are connected to the microprocessor 22.
Data write control processing by and SMD control unit 28
Write seek operations in the two magnetic disk drives 13a and 13b are simultaneously controlled in accordance with interface control processing by the SMD control unit 28. This is done in response to a common write address indicated by .

And the SMD interface 27a.

27b is provided with data buffers BFI and BF2 that latch the write data stored in the memory buffer 26 according to the write seek operation time of the corresponding magnetic disk devices 13a and 13b.

Furthermore, when data is read from one of the magnetic disk devices 13a through the SMD interface 27a, the microprocessor 22 judges whether the data contents are normal or not. If an abnormality has occurred, data read processing is performed through the other SMD interface 27b.

That is, in the two-boat disk controller configured as described above, when a data write request is made from the host computer 11 to the two magnetic disk devices 13a and 13b, the write command signal is sent to the disk controller 2.
The write data is supplied to the microprocessor 22 through the host interface 25 of No. 1, and the write data is transferred and stored in the memory buffer 26. Then, the microprocessor 22 updates the memory buffer 2 according to the firmware (FW) program stored in the memory 23 in advance.
6 is transferred to the data buffer BFI of the two SMD interfaces 27a and 27b.
, BF2, and at this time, from the SMD control unit 28 to each SMD interface 27.
a.

A write control signal is supplied to the SMD interface 27b, and the write seek operations of the two magnetic disk drives 13a and 13b are simultaneously controlled by the SMD interfaces 27a and 27b in accordance with a common write address. Here, the write data latched in the data buffers BFI and BF2 of the SMD interfaces 27a and 27b, respectively, are stored in the corresponding magnetic disk drives 13a and 1.
3b is latched and held according to the operation time of the write seek operation, and when the seek operation of the magnetic disk devices 13a and 13b is completed and the specified write address of the disk mounted on each is searched, the specified write address of each disk is searched. Data buffers BF1 . BF
The data latched in 2 is transferred and written.

That is, after latching the transfer of write data from the memory buffer 26 to the data buffers BFI and BF2 of each SMD interface 27a and 27b, when simultaneously controlling the write seek operations of each magnetic disk device 13a and 13b, the magnetic disk device 13a, The seek completion time difference between 13b and 13b is absorbed by the data latch time of each of data buffers BFI and BF2.

On the other hand, when the microprocessor 22 determines that an abnormality has occurred in the read data during data read processing from the magnetic disk device 13a through the SMD interface 27a, the microprocessor 22 is attached to the magnetic disk device 13a. Assuming that an abnormality has occurred in the disk being stored, the control target for data loading and reading by the host computer 11 is switched to the SMD interface chair 27b.

Therefore, according to the two-port disk controller configured as described above, there is no need to install a dedicated disk controller for each of the duplexed magnetic disk devices, and the dual-port disk controller responds to a single data write request from the host computer. It becomes possible to write data to each of the disks at the same time. This prevents problems such as an increase in the time it takes to write data onto a duplex disk.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, two disk devices,
A memory buffer that stores write data from the host computer is connected independently between this memory buffer and the above two disk devices, and the write seek operation of each corresponding disk device is controlled based on the same write address. a data buffer provided in each of the two disk interfaces and latching the write data transferred from the memory buffer according to the write seek operation time; and a write seek operation by the two disk interfaces. and a disk interface control means that simultaneously controls the disk drives and controls data reading through the disk interface corresponding to the other disk drive when one disk drive fails, and when there is a data write request from the host computer, The write data is temporarily stored in the memory buffer, and simultaneously transferred to the data buffers of each of the two disk interfaces, and the write seek operations of the two disk devices are transferred to a common write address through the two disk interfaces. By performing simultaneous control based on the data and writing the latched data to the data buffer in accordance with the completion of seek for each disk device, it is possible to duplicate the magnetic disk device without having to repeat the data writing process from the host computer twice. It becomes possible to aim for

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a 2-port disk controller according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the disk controller in the 2-port disk controller, and FIG. 3 is a magnetic disk device. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a conventional duplex system. 11...Host computer, 13a, 13b...
Magnetic disk device, 21... disk controller. 22...Microprocessor, 23...Memory, 2
4...Timer, 25...Post interface,
26...Memory buffer, 27a, 27b...SM
D interface, 28...SMD control section, BFI
BF2...Data buffer. Applicant's agent Patent attorney Takehiko Suzue

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] Two disk devices, a memory buffer that stores write data from a host computer, and a memory buffer that is independently connected between the memory buffer and the two disk devices and that stores information about each of the corresponding disk devices. Two disk interfaces that control write seek operations based on the same write address, and data that is provided in each of these two disk interfaces and latches the write data transferred from the memory buffer according to the write seek operation time. It is characterized by comprising a buffer, and disk interface control means that simultaneously controls write seek operations by the two disk interfaces, and controls data reading through the disk interface corresponding to the other disk device when one disk device fails. 2-port disk controller.