Patent ID: 7953904
Filing Date: 2011-05-31
Classification: G06F,Y02D

Abstract:
1. A storage control apparatus, comprising: a first communication control unit which includes a plurality of network ports, and which controls communications with a host computer that is connectable through the network ports; a second communication control unit which controls communications with a plurality of storage devices; a plurality of data transfer units which transfer data that are transmitted/received between the host computer and the storage devices, between said first communication control unit and said second communication control unit; a plurality of temporary storage units which temporarily store the data that are transferred by said data transfer units; and a power saving control unit which stops some of said data transfer units and said temporary storage units that are previously associated with the network ports, on the basis of connection situations of the respective network ports with the host computer, wherein said power saving control unit stops some of said data transfer units and said temporary storage units as are previously associated with the network ports, on the basis of the connection situations and data rates to be inputted/outputted to/from the respective network ports, wherein said power saving control unit includes: a network-port operation decision unit which receives a connection situation signal indicating the connection situation, from the network port, and which decides whether or not one network port corresponding to the connection situation signal is operating, on the basis of the received connection situation signal; and a data rate decision unit which operates in a case where it has been decided by said network-port operation decision unit that said one network port is operating, to decide whether or not a small data rate state where the data rate inputted/outputted to/from said one network port becomes, at most, a predetermined value has continued for, at least, a predetermined time period, and wherein in a case where it has been decided by said data rate decision unit that the small data rate state has continued for, at least, the predetermined time period, said data transfer unit and said temporary storage unit which are previously associated with said one network port are stopped.