Patent · US Expired

Maintaining data access during failure of a controller

US7117320B2 · kind B2 · utility

6Cited by
13References
34Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 26, 2003
Grant dateOct 3, 2006
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 27, 2024

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F11/0784
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method for maintaining data access during failure of a controller in a multiple controller storage subsystem (103) is provided. The storage subsystem (103) has an array of data storage devices (109) and more than one controller (104, 105) for managing the data storage. The method comprises a first controller (201) saving its internal state information (212) and, optionally, resetting itself (213). One or more of the other controllers (202, 203) carry out the steps of pausing operation of the controller (221, 231), saving internal state information of the controller at the time of pausing (222, 232), and continuing operation of the controller (223, 233). The one or more other controllers (202, 203) may pause operation and save their internal state information when they receive a message broadcast (220, 230) from the first controller (201) which has detected an error.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.