Patent ID: 7962671
Filing Date: 2011-06-14
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A storage apparatus comprising: a plurality of channel packages communicating with an external apparatus; a plurality of microprocessor packages; a disk package that controls a disk device; a cache memory accessible by the channel packages and the microprocessor packages; and a shared memory accessible by the microprocessor packages, wherein: the disk device provides logical volumes which are based on a storage area of a physical disk; the channel packages and the microprocessor packages store therein control information designating which ones of the logical volumes accessible by the respective microprocessor packages; when anyone of the channel packages receives an I/O request from the external apparatus, the one channel package specifies, based on the control information stored therein, one of the microprocessor packages which has an access right to one of the logical volumes to which the I/O request is directed, and then transmits an I/O command to the specified microprocessor package; upon receipt of the I/O command from the one channel package, the specified microprocessor package judges based on the control information stored therein whether the specified microprocessor package itself has an access right to the one logical volume to which the I/O command is directed; the specified microprocessor package transmits a disk I/O to the disk package when judging that the specified microprocessor package has the access right to the one logical volume; the specified microprocessor package transmits the control information stored therein to the one channel package having transmitted the I/O command when judging that the specified microprocessor package does not have the access right to the one logical volume to which the I/O command is directed; and the one channel package receives the control information from the specified microprocessor package, updates based on the received control information the control information stored therein, based on the updated control information, newly specifies another one of the microprocessor packages which has an access right to the one logical volume to which the I/O request is directed, and transmits an I/O command to the newly specified microprocessor package, the control information in an updated status is stored in the shared memory; when transmitting the I/O command to the newly specified microprocessor package, the one channel package transmits a notification along with the I/O command to the newly specified microprocessor package, the notification indicating that the control information has been updated; and upon receipt of the I/O command and the notification, the newly specified microprocessor package accesses the shared memory to acquire the control information stored in the shared memory, updates, based on the acquired control information, the control information stored therein, judges based on the updated control information whether the newly specified microprocessor package itself has an access right to the one logical volume to which the I/O command is directed, and transmits a disk I/O to the disk package when judging that the newly specified microprocessor package has the access right to the one logical volume.