Patent ID: 7043604

Claim:
A disk array system comprising: a plurality of storage devices for storing data; a storage device control unit for controlling to store data in said plurality of storage devices; a connection unit being connected with said storage devices; a plurality of first channel control units each having a first processor converting file data, receiving said file data sent from a host computer through an local area network, into block data and requiring to store said data in said plurality of storage devices and a second processor of transferring said block data to said plurality of storage devices through said connection unit and said storage device control unit in response to said request sent from said first processor, and said plurality of first channel control units being connected with said connection unit and said local area network; a shared memory for storing control information to be transferred between said plurality of first channel control units and said storage device control unit; and a cache memory for temporarily saving data to be transferred between said plurality of first channel control units and said storage device control unit, wherein said second processor located in each said plurality of first channel control units divides a plurality of first storage areas and one or more second storage areas in said plurality of storage devices, wherein said first storage areas are used to store said block data sent from a host computer, wherein said second storage areas are used to store processor information regarding a processing state of each of said first processors to be transferred among said plurality of said first processors and one or more software programs which are executed by said first processors, and wherein said storage device control unit copies said processor information and said software programs stored in said second storage area into a backing up storage area.