Patent ID: 8380997
Filing Date: 2013-02-19
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A storage system comprising: multiple physical storage devices; and a power supply for the multiple physical storage devices, wherein each physical storage device is a device that is configured to require an input of a first voltage and an input of a second voltage that is a lower voltage than the first voltage, wherein the power supply comprises at least one first power supply circuit configured to be made redundant, and at least one second power supply circuit configured to be made redundant, wherein the first power supply circuit is configured to output a first voltage that is input to corresponding physical storage devices, wherein the second power supply circuit is configured to output a second voltage to a storage device group that corresponds to the second power supply circuit, wherein the storage device group comprises two or more physical storage devices from among the multiple physical storage devices, and wherein the respective second power supply circuits are isolated from a circuit board comprising the first power supply circuit; one or more enclosures in which the multiple physical storage devices are mounted; and a controller that controls the input/output of data to/from the multiple physical storage devices, wherein each of the one or more enclosures is either a 3.5-inch enclosure, which is a enclosure in which a 3.5-inch HDD (Hard Disk Drive) is mounted, or a 2.5-inch enclosure, which is a enclosure in which a 2.5-inch HDD is mounted, wherein the 3.5-inch enclosure and the 2.5-inch enclosure are the same size, wherein the first power supply circuit of the 3.5-inch HDD is the same as the first power supply circuit of the 2.5-inch HDD, and the second power supply circuit of the 3.5-inch HDD is the same as the second power supply circuit of the 2.5-inch HDD, wherein the first power supply circuit comprises an AC-DC converter configured to convert an alternating current voltage from a commercial power supply to the first voltage of direct current of 12V, wherein the second power supply circuit comprises a DC-DC converter configured to convert the first voltage to a third voltage of direct current of 5V, a main channel circuit, which is a circuit configured to output a main second voltage that is a second voltage obtained by stepping down the third voltage from the DC-DC converter, and a sub channel circuit, which is configured to output a sub second voltage that is a second voltage obtained by stepping down the third voltage from the DC-DC converter to a lower level than that of the main channel circuit, wherein the main channel circuit comprises a first transistor and a first transistor controller, wherein in a case where the voltage of the input side of the first transistor is higher than that of the output side of the first transistor, the first transistor controller is configured to output, from the first transistor, the main second voltage which is the voltage obtained by stepping down the third voltage, by exercising control such that a first potential difference between the input side and the output side of the first transistor becomes constant, and in a case where the voltage of the output side of the first transistor is higher than that of the input side of the first transistor, the first transistor controller turns OFF the first transistor, wherein in a case where the voltage of the input side of a second transistor is higher than that of the output side of the second transistor, the second transistor controller is configured to output, from the second transistor, the sub second voltage which is the voltage obtained by stepping down the third voltage, by exercising control such that a second potential difference between the input side and the output side of the second transistor becomes constant and becomes also lower than the second potential difference, and in a case where the voltage of the output side of the second transistor is higher than that of the input side of the second transistor, the second transistor controller turns OFF the second transistor, wherein regardless of whether the physical storage device is a 3.5-inch HDD or a 2.5-inch HDD, the second power supply circuit is arranged, in each enclosure, closer to a storage device group, into which the main second voltage is input from the second power supply circuit, than another second power supply circuit which inputs the sub second voltage to this storage device group, wherein a main second voltage is input to each storage device group from the second power supply circuit that is the closest to this storage device group, and when the main second voltage ceases to be input from this second power supply circuit, the sub second voltage is input from another second power supply circuit that is the closest to another storage device group other than the storage device group, and wherein the power supply circuit of the controller is the first power supply circuit; wherein a second voltage is input to each storage device group from a second power supply circuit corresponding to this storage device group, and when the second voltage ceases to be input from this second power supply circuit, the second voltage is input from another second power supply circuit corresponding to a storage device group other than this storage device group; wherein the second power supply circuit is configured to convert an input voltage to a third voltage, and to output a main second voltage which is a second voltage obtained by stepping down the third voltage, and a sub second voltage which is a second voltage obtained by stepping down the third voltage to a larger extent, wherein the second voltage input from the corresponding second power supply circuit is the main second voltage, and wherein the second voltage input from the other second power supply circuit is the sub second voltage.