Patent ID: 7073017
Filing Date: 2006-07-04
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A storage control system which is connected to a host device, comprising: a channel control section which is connected to the host device and which receives data from said host device; a cache memory which is connected to said channel control section, and which saves data that is exchanged with said host device; a shared memory which stores control information relating to data that is exchanged with said host device; a plurality of disk control sections which are connected to said cache memory, and which control said data that is exchanged with said host device such that said data is stored in or read out from said cache memory; and a plurality of disk type storage devices which are connected with said plurality of disk control sections using a plurality of fibre channel loops, and in which data, that has been sent from said host device by the control of said plurality of disk control sections, is stored, wherein said plurality of disk type storage devices include two or more in-operation disk type storage devices which have already been installed in said storage control system, and a read-out source disk type storage device which is installed in said storage control system later than said two or more in-operation disk type storage devices, and which has transfer target firmware that is to be transferred to a read-out destination disk type storage device selected from said two or more in-operation disk type storage devices, wherein at least one of said plurality of disk control sections is connected to a same fibre channel loop as said read-out source disk type storage device operates as a read-out source disk control section, wherein at least one of said plurality of disk control sections is connected to a same fibre channel loop as said read-out destination disk type storage device operates as a read-out destination disk control section, wherein the read-out source disk control section reads out the transfer target firmware from said read-out source disk type storage device, and stores said read-out transfer target firmware in said cache memory, said shared memory or a maintenance terminal which is connected to said plurality of disk control sections and which maintains or manages said storage control system, wherein the read-out destination disk control section transfers said stored transfer target firmware to said read-out destination disk type storage device via the fibre channel loop connected to said read-out destination disk control section, and stores the transfer target firmware in said read-out destination disk type storage device, wherein said read-out source disk control section reads out said transfer target firmware from said read-out source disk type storage device when it is detected that said read-out source disk type storage device has been installed in said storage control system, wherein said transfer target firmware is a new-version firmware of a newer version than an old-version firmware possessed by said read-out destination disk type storage device, wherein said read-out destination disk type storage device updates the old-version firmware possessed by said read-out destination disk type storage device to said new-version firmware, wherein said read-out source disk type storage device stores update target old-version information in which one or more update target old versions that are to be updated to said new-version firmware are written, in addition to said new-version firmware, wherein said read-out source disk control section reads out said new-version firmware and said update target old-version information from said read-out source disk type storage device, and stores said information in a firmware storage region disposed in said cache memory, wherein said read-out destination disk control section compares the update target old-version information that is stored in said firmware storage region and the old versions of the two or more sets of old-version firmware respectively possessed by two or more in-operation disk type storage devices connected to the same fibre channel loop as said read-out destination disk control section, and when at least one of said two or more old versions matches at least one of said one or more update target old versions, the read-out destination disk type storage device which has the old-version firmware of said matching old version is selected from said two or more in-operation disk type storage devices, and said new-version firmware in said firmware storage region is transferred to said selected read-out destination disk type storage device, and wherein said firmware storage region can be accessed by all of said plurality of disk control sections.