Storage controller and controlling method therefor

Abstract

A storage controller that performs user-friendly information display, simplifies updating of support information, has external storage controllers to provide sufficient input/output performance, and expands the range of external storage controllers to be supported; and a controlling method for that storage controller. The storage controller includes a code extract/convert unit for converting a first code indicating a vendor name and/or device name of an external storage controller, obtained based on inquiry data transmitted from the external storage controller, into a second code indicating a real vendor name and/or real device name of the external storage controller. The storage controller creates support information that compiles information of each model regarding whether or not it can be connected to the respective external storage controllers. Furthermore, a path control system and a timeout time can be set for the respective external storage controllers.

1 . A storage controller to which predetermined external storage controllers can be connected as externally-connected devices, the storage controller comprising: 
 a transmit/receive unit for transmitting a predetermined inquiry command to a connected external storage controller and receiving inquiry data transmitted from the external storage controller in response to the inquiry command; and    a code extract/convert unit for extracting, from the inquiry data, a first code indicating a vendor name and/or a device name of the external storage controller and converting the extracted first code into a second code indicating a real vendor name and/or a real device name of the external storage controller.    
   
   
       2 . The storage controller according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a storage unit for storing a database in which, for each connectable external storage controller, a position of the first code in the inquiry data transmitted from the external storage controller and the second code are associated and stored;    wherein said code extract/convert unit detects, by referring to the database, the position of the first code in the inquiry data transmitted from the external storage controller, extracts the first code from the inquiry data on the basis of the detection result, and converts the extracted first code into the second code by referring to the database.    
   
   
       3 . The storage controller according to  claim 2 , 
 wherein said storage controller has a plurality of model kinds, and the database stores second support information that compiles the first support information of each model regarding whether or not it can be connected to the respective connectable external storage controllers.    
   
   
       4 . The storage controller according to  claim 3 , 
 wherein, in the second support information, whether or not each model can be connected to the respective connectable external storage controllers is indicated with flags.    
   
   
       5 . The storage controller according to  claim 2 , 
 wherein the database stores path control systems adopted for the respective connectable external storage controllers, and, based on the inquiry data transmitted from the connected external storage controller, the transmit/receive unit detects, by referring to the database, a path control system adopted for the external storage controller, and sets the detected path control system as the path control system for data input/output between the external storage controller and the storage controller.    
   
   
       6 . The storage controller according to  claim 2 , 
 wherein the database stores timeout threshold values previously set for the respective connectable external storage controllers, and, based on the inquiry data transmitted from the connected external storage controller, said transmit/receive unit detects, by referring to the database, a timeout threshold value set for the external storage controller, and sets the detected timeout threshold value as a timeout time for data input/output between the external storage controller and the storage controller.    
   
   
       7 . The storage controller to which predetermined external storage controllers can be connected as externally-connected devices, the storage controller comprising: 
 a transmit/receive unit for transmitting a predetermined inquiry command to a connected external storage controller and receiving inquiry data transmitted from the external storage controller in response to the inquiry command;    a storage unit for storing a database in which, for each connectable external storage controller, a position of a first code in the inquiry data transmitted from the external storage controller, the first code indicating a vendor name and/or a device name arbitrarily determined by the manufacturer thereof, and a second code indicating a real vendor name and/or a real device name of the external storage controller are associated and stored; and    a code extract/convert unit for detecting, by referring to the database, the position of the first code in the inquiry data transmitted from the external storage controller and extracting the first code from the inquiry data on the basis of the detection result, and converting the extracted first code into the second code by referring to the database,    wherein the database stores a third code indicating that a connected external storage controller cannot be connected as an externally-connected device, the third code being commonly used in place of the second code for external storage controllers that cannot be connected as externally-connected devices, and said the code extract/convert unit outputs the third code as a conversion result when a transmitter of the inquiry data is not a connectable external storage controller.    
   
   
       8 . A storage controller having a plurality of model kinds and to which predetermined external storage controllers can be connected as externally-connected devices, the storage controller comprising: 
 a storage unit for storing second support information that compiles first information of each model regarding whether or not it can be connected to the respective connectable external storage controllers.    
   
   
       9 . The storage controller according to  claim 8 , 
 wherein, in the second support information, whether or not each model can be connected to the respective connectable external storage controllers is indicated with flags.    
   
   
       10 . A storage controller to which predetermined external storage controllers can be connected as externally-connected devices, the storage controller comprising: 
 a storage unit for storing a database that stores timeout threshold values previously set for the connectable external storage controllers; and    a transmit/receive unit for transmitting a predetermined inquiry command to a connected external storage controller and receiving inquiry data transmitted from the external storage controller in response to the inquiry command,    wherein, based on the inquiry data transmitted from the connected external storage controller, said transmit/receive unit detects, by referring to the database, a timeout threshold value set for the external storage controller and sets the detected timeout threshold value as the timeout time for data input/output between the external storage controller and the storage controller.    
   
   
       11 . A controlling method for a storage controller to which predetermined external storage controllers can be connected as externally-connected devices, the controlling method comprising: 
 (a) transmitting a predetermined inquiry command to the external storage controller connected to the storage controller and receiving inquiry data transmitted from the external storage controller to the storage controller in response to the inquiry command; and    (b) extracting, from the inquiry data, a first code indicating a vendor name and/or a device name of the external storage controller and converting the extracted first code into a second code indicating a real vendor name and/or a real device name of the external storage controller.    
   
   
       12 . The controlling method of a storage controller according to  claim 11 , 
 wherein the storage controller stores a database in which, for each external storage controller that can be connected to the storage controller, a position of the first code in the inquiry data transmitted from the external storage controller and a second code are associated and stored, and, in said extracting and converting step (b), the storage controller detects, by referring to the database, the position of the first code in the inquiry data transmitted from the external storage controller, extracts the first code from the inquiry data on the basis of the detection result, and converts the extracted first code into the second code by referring to the database.    
   
   
       13 . The controlling method for a storage controller according to  claim 12 , 
 wherein the storage controller has a plurality of model kinds, and the database stores support information that compiles first support information of each model regarding whether or not it can be connected to the respective external storage controllers that can be connected to the storage controller.    
   
   
       14 . The controlling method for a storage controller according to  claim 13 , 
 wherein, in the support information, whether or not each model can be connected to the respective external storage controllers that can be connected to the storage controller, is indicated with flags.    
   
   
       15 . The controlling method of a storage controller according to  claim 12 , 
 wherein the database stores path control systems adopted to the respective external storage controllers, the external storage controllers capable of being connected to the storage controller; and, in said extracting and converting step (b), based on the inquiry data transmitted from the connected external storage controller to the storage controller, a path control system adopted for the external storage controller is detected by referring to the database, and the detected path control system is set as the path control system for data input/output between the external storage controller and the storage controller.    
   
   
       16 . The controlling method of a storage controller according to  claim 12 , 
 wherein the database stores timeout threshold values previously set for the respective external storage controllers that can be connected to the storage controller; and, in said extracting and converting step (b), based on the inquiry data transmitted from the connected external storage controller, a timeout threshold value set for the external storage controller is detected by referring to the database, and the detected timeout threshold value is set as the timeout time for data input/output between the external storage controller and the storage controller.    
   
   
       17 . A controlling method of a storage controller to which predetermined external storage controllers can be connected as externally-connected devices, 
 wherein the storage controller comprises a storage unit for storing a database in which, for each connectable external storage controller, a position of a first code in the inquiry data transmitted from the external storage controllers, the first code indicating a vendor name and/or a device name arbitrarily determined by the manufacturer thereof, and a second code indicating a real vendor name and/or a real device name of the external storage controller are associated and stored,    the controlling method comprising:    (a) transmitting a predetermined inquiry command to a connected external storage controller and receiving inquiry data transmitted from the external storage controller in response to the inquiry command; and    (b) detecting the position of the first code in the received inquiry data by referring to the database, extracting the first code from the inquiry data on the basis of the detection result, and converting the extracted first code into the second code by referring to the database,    wherein the database stores a third code indicating that a connected external storage controller cannot be connected as an externally-connected device, the third code being commonly used in place of the second code for external storage controllers that cannot be connected as externally-connected devices, and, in said extracting and converting step (b),when the sender of the inquiry data is not a connectable external storage controller, the storage controller outputs the third code as the conversion result.    
   
   
       18 . A controlling method of a storage controller to which predetermined external storage controllers can be connected as externally-connected devices, 
 wherein the storage controller stores a database for storing timeout threshold values previously set for the respective connectable external storage controllers,    the controlling method comprising:    (a) transmitting a predetermined inquiry command to a connected external storage controller;    (b) detecting, based on inquiry data transmitted from the external storage controller in response to the inquiry command, the timeout threshold value set for the external storage controller by referring to the database; and    (c) setting the detected timeout threshold value as the timeout time for data input/output between the external storage controller and the storage controller.