Drive Box Signal Line Fault Isolation via Dual Expanders
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing technologies cannot accurately identify the location of disconnections in signal lines within a storage device, limiting the ability to replace faulty units and maintain communication.
Innovation Solution
A method involving dual-redundant signal lines and access result patterns is used to determine the precise location of disconnections by analyzing access results through expanders and controllers, allowing for targeted unit replacement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If dual-redundant signal lines are used for communication, then communication reliability is improved, but the ability to identify disconnection location deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The signal line is divided into multiple segments by introducing intermediate expanders at different locations. Each expander acts as a segmentation point that allows the controller to isolate and identify the specific segment where a disconnection occurs, thereby maintaining communication reliability through redundancy while enabling precise disconnection location identification.
Solution Approach 2:
Expanders are introduced as intermediary devices between the controller and storage drives. These expanders serve as mediators that can independently detect and report disconnection status of their respective segments, allowing the system to maintain dual-redundant communication while pinpointing the exact location of disconnections through the intermediary expander nodes.
2Reliability
If dual-redundant signal lines are used, then system availability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The expander devices perform multiple functions: they facilitate dual-redundant communication between the controller and storage drives, simultaneously serve as segmentation points for disconnection detection, and act as intermediaries for isolating faulty segments. This multi-functionality allows the system to achieve high availability through redundancy while managing complexity through unified intermediary devices.
3Ease of repair
If disconnection location identification is implemented, then ease of repair is improved, but measurement and detection difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary disconnection detection by having the controller send test signals through each expander segment before actual operation. The expanders are pre-configured to detect and report disconnection status, allowing the system to identify faulty segments in advance and simplify repair operations by already knowing which units need replacement.
Data Source
AI summary
To identify the location of a disconnection in a signal line used for communication with various specific elements other than storage drives. A controller accesses each of a plurality of elements in a drive box through a signal line via each of first and second expanders in the drive box having a plurality of storage drives, and if a disconnection occurs in the signal line, determines the location of the disconnection on the basis of an access result pattern indicating whether or not access to each of the plurality of elements via the first and second expanders is possible.