Patent ID: 7490150
Filing Date: 2009-02-10
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A storage system comprising: a host system which includes a processor, a memory and a host bus adapter apparatus, wherein the host bus adapter apparatus is coupled to the processor and the memory by an internal bus and wherein the processor includes an operating system and a host bus adapter driver which controls the host bus adapter in accordance with commands from the operating system and the host bus adapter; and a storage apparatus connected to the host bus adapter apparatus of the host system via a network such that the network separates the storage apparatus from the host bus adapter apparatus, wherein data transmitted from the host system is stored in the storage apparatus via the host bus adapter apparatus and the network, and data stored in the storage apparatus is read out to the host system via the network and host bus adapter apparatus; wherein the host bus adapter apparatus comprises: a transfer unit for transferring data between the internal bus of the host system and the network; a first collection unit for collecting data that passes between the internal bus of the host system and the transfer unit; a second collection unit for collecting data that passes between the transfer unit and the network; and a transmission unit for transmitting the data collected by the first and second collection units to the internal bus of the host system; wherein the host system further comprises a first storage unit in the memory for storing the collected data transmitted from the host bus adapter apparatus transfer unit, and wherein the host bus adapter driver includes means for receiving data write requests from the operating system, means for transmitting the data write requests to the host bus adapter, means for receiving data write request completion commands from the host bus adapter, means for judginq that a failure has occurred when one of the data write requests completion commands has not been received within a predetermined period of time following the transmittal of the data write request from the host bus adapter driver to the host bus adapter, and means for retrieving the collected data when the judgment of a fault has been made to determine whether the fault has occurred in the host system, the host bus adapter, the network or the storage apparatus based on collected data using the time when the predetermined period of time has elapsed as a reference time.