Disk Array Device Controller Grouping Drives by Transfer Capacity
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Solution Overview
Problem
In disk array devices, when multiple disk drives with different data transfer capacities are coupled to a single transmission path, it leads to data transfer imbalances, causing performance bottlenecks and inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
Implementing redundant transmission paths and a controller that divides disk drives into groups based on data transfer capacity, allocating each group to separate redundant paths to optimize data transfer and reduce imbalances.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If multiple disk drives with different data transfer capacities are coupled to a single transmission path, then device complexity is reduced, but data transfer imbalance and performance bottleneck occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments disk drives into multiple groups based on their data transfer capacities (e.g., high-capacity group and low-capacity group). Each group is then assigned to a dedicated transmission path, ensuring that drives with similar performance characteristics share the same path. This segmentation prevents fast drives from being bottlenecked by slow drives on the same path, thereby resolving the data transfer imbalance while maintaining manageable system complexity through organized group assignments.
2Productivity
If redundant transmission paths are implemented with grouped disk drives, then data transfer balance is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by assigning different transmission path configurations to different groups of disk drives based on their specific capacity characteristics. High-capacity drives are assigned to one transmission path while low-capacity drives are assigned to another, allowing each path to be optimized for its specific workload. This localized optimization achieves balanced data transfer across the system while keeping the complexity of each individual path manageable and well-defined.
Data Source
AI summary
A disk array device includes, a cache memory, a plurality of types of disk drives of which data transfer capacity are different, redundant transmission paths that are data transfer paths between the cache memory and the disk drives, and a controller to divide the disk drives into two groups based on the data transfer capacity and allocate each of the two groups to each of the redundant transmission paths when the disk drives have three types.