System for controlling spinning of disk

Abstract

A system for controlling spinning of a disk is provided to prevent deterioration of the access response speed and to suppress the power consumption. The system includes a controller controlling a file system, and a disk array system storing data of the file system. The disk array system includes a plurality of logical volumes, each of which is configured by at least one disk device, and a disk controller controlling data input/output to/from the plurality of logical volumes. The plurality of logical volumes includes at least one first type logical volume which is controlled so that spinning of a disk device that configures the logical volume can be stopped, and at least one second type logical volume which is controlled so that spinning of a disk device that configures the logical volume cannot be stopped. Data satisfying a predetermined condition is stored in the second type logical volume.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
   
   
       21 . A storage system comprising:
 a NAS controller configured to control a file system provided to a host computer; and   a disk array system operatively coupled to the NAS controller and including a plurality of disk devices in which a plurality of logical volumes are formed and a disk controller configured to control data input/output processing to/from the plurality of logical volumes,   wherein the plurality of logical volumes including a first logical volume formed in at least one first disk drive that is controlled to spin down based on a last access time thereto, and a second logical volume formed in at least one second disk driver that is controlled not to spin down based on a last access time thereto,   wherein the NAS controller manages volume configuration information to identify each of the plurality of disk drives that form the plurality of logical volumes,   wherein the NAS controller issues to the disk controller a spin-up command containing the volume configuration information designating the at least one first disk drive if the NAS controller determines that the a least one first disk drive has spun down, and   wherein the disk controller controls to spin up the at least one first disk drive in response to the spin-up command.   
   
   
       22 . The storage system according to  claim 21 , wherein the second logical volume stores metadata of the file system, the metadata being data to identify a location in the plurality of logical volumes that stores a file designated by an access request sent from the host computer. 
   
   
       23 . The storage system according to  claim 22 , wherein the NAS controller includes a metadata cache unit configured to cache a copy of the metadata stored in the second logical volume. 
   
   
       24 . The storage system according to  claim 23 ,
 wherein the NAS controller determines whether the copy of the metadata of the file designated by the access request has been cached in the metadata cache unit, and   wherein the NAS controller identifies one of the plurality of logical volumes based on the copy of the metadata in the metadata cache unit if the NAS controller determined that the copy of the metadata has been cached, and issues an access request for accessing the one of the plurality of logical volumes to the disk controller.   
   
   
       25 . The storage system according to  claim 21 ,
 wherein the NAS controller issues to the disk controller a spin-down command containing the volume identification information designating the at least one first disk drive if the NAS controller determines that the at least one first disk drive has not been accessed in a period of time from the last access time thereto, and   wherein the disk controller controls to spin down the at least one first disk drive in response to the spin-up command.   
   
   
       26 . The storage system according to  claim 25 ,
 wherein the NAS controller manages related-volume information to identify at least one related logical volume to the first logical volume, and   wherein the NAS controller issues the spin-down command to the disk controller, the spin-down command further containing information designating at least one related disk drive identified based on the related-volume information, and   wherein the disk controller controls to spin down the at least one related disk drive in response to the spin-down command.   
   
   
       27 . The storage system according to  claim 26 ,
 wherein the NAS controller determines whether the at least one related logical volume has not been accessed in a period of time from a last access time thereto,   wherein, if NAS controller determines that the at least one related logical volume has not been accessed in the period of time from the last access time thereto, the NAS controller designates the at least one related disk drive to allow the at least one related disk drive to spin down.   
   
   
       28 . A storage system comprising:
 a NAS controller configured to control a file system provided to a host computer; and   a disk array system operatively coupled to the NAS controller and including a plurality of disk devices in which a plurality of logical volumes are formed and a disk controller configured to control data input/output processing to/from the plurality of logical volumes,   wherein the plurality of logical volumes including a first logical volume formed in at least one first disk drive that is controlled to spin down based on a last access time thereto, and a second logical volume formed in at least one second disk drive that is controlled not to spin down based on a least access time thereto,   wherein the NAS controller manages volume identification information to identify each of the plurality of logical volumes,   wherein the NAS controller issues to the disk controller a spin-up command containing the volume identification information designating the first logical volume if the NAS controller determines that the at leas tone first disk drive has spin down, and   wherein, in response to the spin-up command, the disk controller identifies the at least one first disk drive that forms the first logical volume, and controls to spin up the at least one first disk drive.   
   
   
       29 . The storage system according to  claim 28 , wherein the second logical volume stores metadata of the file system, the metadata being data to identify a location in the plurality of logical volumes that stores a file designated by an access request sent from the host computer. 
   
   
       30 . The storage system according to  claim 29 , wherein the NAS controller includes a metadata cache unit configured to cache a copy of the metadata stored in the second logical volume. 
   
   
       31 . The storage system according to  claim 30 ,
 wherein the NAS controller determines whether the copy of the metadata of the file designated by the access request has been cached in the metadata cache unit, and   wherein the NAS controller identifies one of the plurality of logical volumes based on the copy of the metadata in the metadata cache unit if the NAS controller determined that the copy of the metadata has been cached, and issues an access request for accessing the one of the plurality of logical volumes to the disk controller.   
   
   
       32 . The storage system according to  claim 28 ,
 wherein the NAS controller issues to the disk controller a spin-down command containing the volume configuration information designating the first logical volume if the NAS controller determines that the first logical volume has not been accessed in a period of time from the last access time thereto, and   wherein, in response to the spin-down command, the disk controller identifies the at least one first disk drive that forms the first logical volume, and controls to spin down the at least one first disk drive.   
   
   
       33 . The storage system according to  claim 32 ,
 wherein the NAS controller manages a related-volume information to identify the at least one volume related to the first logical volume,   wherein the NAS controller issues the spin-down command containing the volume identification information further designating the at least one logical volume related to the first logical volume identified based on the related-volume information, and   wherein, in response to the spin-down command, the disk controller further identifies at lest one related disk drive that forms the at least one logical volume related to the first logical volume, and controls to spin down the at least one related disk drive.   
   
   
       34 . The storage system according to  claim 33 ,
 wherein the file server determines whether the at least one related logical volume has not been accessed in a period of time from a last access time thereto, and   wherein, if the file server determines that the at least one related logical volume has not been accessed in a period of time from at least access time thereto, the file server designates the at least one related logical volume to allow the at least one related disk drive to spin down.