Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US6516385?dq=5343970
Timestamp: 2016-05-06 10:10:43
Document Index: 747055646

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 501', 'art 502', 'art 501', 'art 502', 'art 502', 'art 502', 'art 501', 'art 501']

Patent US6516385 - Data sharing method and system between information processing systems with ... - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inPatentsA data sharing method and system between information processing systems which enable an information processing system to share data in an internal disk unit possessed by another information processing system. A disk control unit within the other information processing system having an external disk unit...http://www.google.com/patents/US6516385?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US6516385 - Data sharing method and system between information processing systems with variable length block format to fixed length block format conversionAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS6516385 B1Publication typeGrantApplication numberUS 09/477,713Publication dateFeb 4, 2003Filing dateJan 5, 2000Priority dateJan 6, 1999Fee statusLapsedPublication number09477713, 477713, US 6516385 B1, US 6516385B1, US-B1-6516385, US6516385 B1, US6516385B1InventorsAi Satoyama, Akira Yamamoto, Takahiko Shoyama, Yasutomo YamamotoOriginal AssigneeHitachi, Ltd.Export CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (10), Non-Patent Citations (3), Referenced by (16), Classifications (11), Legal Events (6) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetData sharing method and system between information processing systems with variable length block format to fixed length block format conversion
US 6516385 B1Abstract
A data sharing method and system between information processing systems which enable an information processing system to share data in an internal disk unit possessed by another information processing system. A disk control unit within the other information processing system having an external disk unit or an external disk unit includes a disk data sharing mechanism for creating a read/write request to the internal or external disk unit from a command equivalent to a read/write request to a data in a conventional disk subsystem. This mechanism emulates a CCW command to access data in the disk unit.
The present invention relates generally to a data sharing method and system between information processing systems, and more particularly to a data access method and apparatus for use in a computer system comprising an information processing system and another information processing system having an internal auxiliary storage device connected thereto for accessing the internal auxiliary storage device from any information processing system.
A general-purpose large computer (or a main frame which is hereinafter referred to as the “information processing system”) typically employs variable length block format magnetic disk units as external storage devices. To access such a magnetic disk unit, a variable length access interface (for example, CKD (Count Key Data)) is employed for enabling data accesses in variable length block format. Conventionally, variable-length block formatted data have been physically implemented on a disk unit having this variable length access interface. In recent years, however, disk arrays composed of relatively inexpensive disk units generally used for PC and workstations have been widespread as storage devices for variable-length block formatted data.
In regard to a disk array for use with a general-purpose information processing system, disk units conforming to a fixed length block format referred to as FBA (Fixed Block Architecture) are typically used for individual disk units, as-found in a literature “Main Frame '98,” published by Nikkei BP, pp. 126-130. Then, an associated disk array controller has a fixed length/variable length block format conversion function, so that an information processing system is connected to the disk controller through a variable length access interface, for example, a SCSI (Small Computer Interface) interface. A read/write request from an information processing system, such as that issued from an operating system, is composed of a plurality of input/output commands referred to as CCWs (Channel Command Words). The plurality of CCWs are referred to as a “CCW chain.” The CCW chain is created by the operating system of the information processing system in accordance with a request from an application program.
The sequence of I/O operations mentioned above is described in “M-series Processing System (M/ASA Mode) Manual” (document number 8080-2-146) published by Hitachi Ltd. and “H-6582-C3 Model Disk Control Unit Manual” (document number 8080-2-130-60) also published by Hitachi Ltd.
A prior art internal disk is described, for example, in “Main Frame '98” published by Nikkei BP, pp. 53-54. This literature discloses a technique for installing a fixed length block format disk within a chassis of an information processing system. Specifically, a fixed length block format disk is directly connected to a processor within the information processing system, such that the processor interprets a CCW chain generated by an operating system, referred to as “SAP” (System Assist Processor), residing on another processor in the information processing system, accesses the fixed length block format disk, performs fixed length/variable length block format conversion, and executes an input/output request. The fixed length/variable length block format conversion is implemented by using a portion of a main memory as a disk cache. Since this technique permits the utilization of the small disk built in the chassis of the information processing system without the need for modifying the existing operating system or application programs, a consequent reduction in size and cost can be accomplished for the information processing system.
The foregoing internal disk control technique, when applied, enables an external storage system having a fixed length access interface to be connected to a general-purpose information processing system. Since such external storage devices are provided from a large number of vendors, the user can have a variety of options in accordance with the price, performance, reliability and so on. This means significant benefits to the user.
FIG. 1 is a circuit block diagram illustrating a basic concept according to one embodiment of the present invention;
The information processing system 1 comprises one or more central processing units (hereinafter referred to as the “CPU”) 12; a main memory 11; a communication unit (hereinafter referred to as the “I/O channel”) 13 for controlling reception/transmission of information and data with information processing systems of another system; one or more memory control processors 14; an external storage device 15; and a communication unit (hereinafter referred to as the “I/O channel”) 17 for controlling reception/transmission of information and data between the memory control processor 14 and the external storage device 15. This embodiment shows an configuration which has the external storage device 15 outside the information processing system 1. When the information processing system 1 has an internal disk unit as illustrated in FIG. 3, a variable length block format interface may be disposed in the information processing system 1.
The information processing system 2 comprises at least one central processing units (hereinafter referred to as the “CPU”) 21; a main memory 22; and a communication unit (hereinafter referred to as the “I/O channel”) 23 for controlling reception/transmission of information and data with information processing systems in another system. The I/O channel 23 and the I/O channel 13 are variable length access interfaces. The information processing system 1 and the information processing system 2 are interconnected through a communication line 16.
A track is made up of a home address (hereinafter abbreviated as “HA”) 510 and one or more records 500. The HA 510 is the first field located at the beginning of each track, and includes information such as a track number and so on. Each record 500 may include one or more fields, i.e., a count part 501, a data part 502, and in some cases a key part (not shown) before the data part. The count part 501 is a fixed length field which stores the address of the associated record 500, the length of subsequent fields (the above-mentioned data part 502 and key part), and so on. Each record 500 is permitted to have a variable length, in other words, the data part 502 may differ in length from one record 500 to another. For this reason, the length of the key part and the data part 502 of the record is stored in the count part 501, such that the length of each field in the record 500 can be found from the count part 501. The address of the record 500 is indicated by a combination of a cylinder number, a head number and a record number, i.e., a combination of sequential numbers given from the beginning of the track. While the track has a fixed length, the record has a variable length, so that the number of records included in each track is variable.
In a fixed length storage device, each track is composed of areas having a predefined fixed length (hereinafter this area is referred to as the “block”), each of which is uniquely numbered within the storage device. For accessing an area within the storage device, therefore, it is only required to specify the number of the first block 600 in the area and the number of blocks 600 subsequent thereto.
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