CN103049214B - Disk array card and disk array system with expansion function - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a disk array card and a disk array system with an expansion function. The controller includes a disk array module. The switching unit enables or disables the disk array module according to a user setting. Each disk connection port is coupled to the controller and can be connected to a storage device. When the disk array module is disabled and the disk array card is coupled to another disk array card, the another disk array card can control the storage device to execute the disk array function. The invention can reduce the environmental pollution without discarding the original disk array card when the user expands the storage device. In addition, the user can select the disk array card with a proper number of disk connection ports according to the number of the expansion storage devices so as to reduce the cost of the expansion disk array system.

Description

Disk array card and disk array system with expansion function

technical field

The invention relates to a disk array card, in particular to a disk array card with a switching unit.

Background technique

When the user wants to execute the disk array function on a computer device, he can purchase a disk array card and install the disk array card on the motherboard of the computer device. Generally speaking, the disk array card has fixed disk connection ports, so the number of storage devices such as hard disks that can be connected to the disk array card is fixed. Therefore, when a user adds a storage device in the future, it is necessary to replace a new disk array card with a sufficient number of disk connection ports, and the original disk array card will probably be discarded, causing environmental problems. In addition, the price of the disk array card with more disk connection ports is higher, which increases the cost of expanding the computer device for the user.

Contents of the invention

In order to solve the defects of the above-mentioned known technologies, the object of the present invention is to provide a disk array card. The disk array card can enable or disable the function of the disk array according to a user setting. In this way, the disk array card can be coupled with another disk array card to expand the number of storage devices that another disk array card can control to perform disk array functions.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a disk array card, including: a controller, a switching unit, and a plurality of disk connection ports. The controller includes a disk array module. The switching unit is coupled to the controller and enables or disables the disk array module according to a user setting. A plurality of disk connection ports are respectively coupled to the controller. When the disk array module is disabled and the disk array card is coupled to another disk array card, the disk connection port is coupled to another disk array card.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention further provides a disk array system with expanded functions, including a first disk array card, multiple first storage devices, a second disk array card, and multiple second storage devices. The first disk array card includes a first controller and a first switching unit. The first controller includes a first disk array module. The first switching unit is coupled to the first controller, and enables or disables the first disk array module according to a user setting. The first storage devices are respectively coupled to the first controller. The second disk array card is coupled to the first disk array card and includes a second controller. The second storage devices are respectively coupled to the second controller. When the first disk array module is disabled, the second controller is coupled to the first storage device and the second storage device, and controls the first storage device and the second storage device to perform disk array functions.

In summary, the disk array system of the present invention utilizes the switching unit to disable the disk array function of the first disk array card, so the second disk array card can control the first storage device connected to the first disk array card and the connection In the second storage device of the second disk array card itself, the disk array function is executed. Therefore, when the user expands the storage device, the original disk array card does not need to be discarded, which can reduce environmental pollution. In addition, the user can also select a disk array card with an appropriate number of disk connection ports according to the number of storage devices to be expanded, so as to reduce the cost of expanding the disk array system.

Description of drawings

Fig. 1 is the functional block diagram of the first embodiment of the disk array card of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is the functional block diagram of the first embodiment of the disk array system of the present invention; And

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of the second embodiment of the disk array system of the present invention.

Wherein, the reference signs are explained as follows:

1. 1a～disk array system;

10, 10a, 20, 20a～disk array card;

11, 21 ~ controller;

111, 211～disk array module;

12, 22～disk connection port;

13, 23 ~ memory;

14, 24 ~ input and output chips;

141～I/O module;

15, 25 ~ switching unit;

16, 26 ~ connector;

17, 27 ~ combination port;

30～main board;

31 ~ processor;

32, 33 ~ slot;

E1, E2～storage device;

L1 ~ connection unit.

detailed description

Please refer to FIG. 1 , which is a functional block diagram of a first embodiment of a disk array card 10 of the present invention. The disk array card 10 can independently provide a RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) function, and the disk array function of the disk array card 10 can be enabled or disabled according to a user setting. The disk array card 10 includes a controller 11 , a plurality of disk connection ports 12 , a memory 13 , an I/O chip 14 , a switching unit 15 , and a connector 16 . The controller 11 can be a processing chip and includes a disk array module 111 , and the disk array module 111 is executed by the controller 11 to provide the aforementioned disk array functions.

The disk connection ports 12 are respectively coupled to the controller 11 . Each disk connection port 12 can be connected to a storage device E1, such as a hard disk (hard disk) or a solid-state drive (SSD, solid-state drive). After the controller 11 executes the disk array module 111 , the controller 11 can control the storage device E1 to perform various disk array functions. The foregoing disk array function is a known technology, and no further explanation is given here.

The memory 13 is coupled to the controller 11 . The memory 13 can be used as the temporary memory 13 of the controller 11, which can temporarily store data written in the storage device E1 or temporarily store data read from the storage device E1.

The I/O chip 14 is coupled to the controller 11 . The I/O chip 14 includes an I/O module 141, which can be a Basic Input/Output System (BIOS, Basic Input/Output System). The user can execute the I/O module 141 via the controller 11 to configure the disk array card 10 , for example, designate the mode of the disk array function performed by the disk array card 10 on the storage device E1 .

The switching unit 15 can be a switch such as a jumper. The switching unit 15 is coupled to the controller 11 and can enable or disable the disk array module 111 according to a user setting. For example, when the switching unit 15 is in an on state, the controller 11 can execute the disk array module 111 , so the disk array module 111 is in an enabled state, so that the disk array card 10 can perform the disk array function. When the switch unit 15 is in a closed state, the controller 11 cannot execute the disk array module 111, so the disk array module 111 is in a disabled state, so that the disk array card 10 cannot perform the disk array function.

The connector 16 can be a peripheral component interconnect (PCI, Peripheral Component Interconnect) connector 16 coupled to the controller 11 .

Please refer to FIG. 2 , which is a functional block diagram of the first embodiment of the disk array system 1 of the present invention. When the user wants to install more storage devices, another disk array card 20 can be purchased to connect the storage devices to form the disk array system 1 of this embodiment. The disk array system 1 can be a personal computer or a network attached storage (NAS, Network Attached Storage). The disk array system 1 includes a plurality of disk array cards 10 , 20 and a motherboard 30 (motherboard). The disk array card 10 and the disk array card 20 are respectively disposed on the motherboard 30 . In this embodiment, only two disk array cards 10 and 20 are mentioned for illustration, however, the number of disk array cards may be more than three.

Disk array card 20 can be identical or substantially identical with disk array card 10, and disk array card 20 comprises a controller 21, a disk connection port 22, a memory 23, an input/output chip 24, a switching unit 25, and a connector 26. The controller 21 includes a disk array module 211, and each disk connection port 22 can be respectively connected to a storage device E2. The number of the aforementioned disk connection ports 22 may be the same as or different from that of the disk connection ports 12 . For example, in this embodiment, the user intends to set up six storage devices E1, E2, so the user can additionally purchase a disk array card 20 with three disk connection ports 22, and the user does not need to purchase a higher-priced one. The disk array card with six disk connection ports can reduce the cost of expanding the disk array system 1 . In addition, for the related description of the above-mentioned components of the disk array card 20, reference may be made to the relevant description of the disk array card 10, and no further explanation is given here.

The motherboard 30 includes a processor 31 and a plurality of sockets 32 , 33 . The processor 31 can be a central processing unit (CPU). The slots 32 and 33 can be a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) slot coupled to the processor 31 . The connector 16 is connected to the slot 32 and the connector 26 is connected to the slot 33 to couple with the processor 31 , so the disk array card 10 can be coupled to the disk array card 20 via the motherboard 30 .

In the present embodiment, the switch unit 15 of the disk array card 10 is set to an open state and the switch unit 25 of the disk array card 20 is set to a closed state, so the disk array module 211 is a disabled state, that is to say The disk array card 20 coupled to the disk array card 10 needs to disable the disk array function. At this time, the disk array card 20 cannot independently perform the function of the disk array. The disk array card 10 can set the I/O module 141 through the user so that the controller 11 can be coupled to the disk connection port 22 via the motherboard 30, and the disk array card 10 can control the storage device E2 connected to the disk connection port 22 . Therefore, the controller 11 can control the storage device E1 and the storage device E2 to perform the disk array function, and the number of the storage devices E1 and E2 that the disk array card 10 can control can be expanded.

The switching unit 25 can enable or disable the controller 21 and/or the memory 23 according to user settings. When the aforementioned controller 21 is disabled, it means that the controller 21 loses the ability to calculate. However, even if the controller 21 is disabled, the connector 26 can pass through the controller 21 to connect with the disk port 22 and the memory 23, etc. coupling. For example, when the switching unit 25 is in a closed state, the disk array module 211 is in a disabled state, and the controller 21 and/or the memory 23 can also be in a disabled state, so that the power consumption of the disk array card 20 can be saved.

In this embodiment, the following changes are also possible. When the switching unit 25 is in a closed state, the controller 21 can remain in the enabled state, but the disk array module 211 remains in the disabled state. Since the controller 11 is coupled to the controller 21 , the controller 11 can control the operation of the controller 21 so that the controller 21 can assist or cooperate with the data processing of the controller 11 to increase the performance of the disk array system 1 . In addition, when the switching unit 25 is in an off state, the memory 23 can maintain an enabled state. Since the controller 11 is coupled to the memory 23, the memory 23 can temporarily store the data of the storage device E2, which can further increase the access performance of the storage device E2.

Please refer to FIG. 3 , which is a functional block diagram of a second embodiment of the disk array system 1 a of the present invention. The difference from the first embodiment is that the disk array card 10 a of the disk array system 1 a further includes a coupling port 17 , and the disk array card 20 a further includes a coupling port 27 . The coupling port 17 and the coupling port 27 are connected via a connection unit L1, and the aforementioned connection unit L1 may be a transmission line.

When the switch unit 15 of the disk array card 10a is set to an open state and the switch unit 25 of the disk array card 20a is set to a close state. The controller 11 can be directly coupled to the controller 21 through the connection unit L1 without going through the motherboard 30 . Therefore, the controller 11 can directly control the storage device E2 through the connection unit L1 to perform disk array functions. In addition, the controller 11 can also directly control the aforementioned controller 21 or storage 23 through the connection unit L1 to increase the performance of the disk array system 1a. .

To sum up, in the disk array system of the present invention, a switch unit is used to disable the disk array function of one disk array card, and to couple with another disk array card to expand the storage device. Therefore, when the user expands the storage device, the original disk array card does not need to be discarded, which can reduce environmental pollution. In addition, the user can also select a disk array card with an appropriate number of disk connection ports according to the number of storage devices to be expanded, so as to reduce the cost of expanding the disk array system.

Although the present invention is disclosed above with various embodiments, they are only exemplary references rather than limiting the scope of the present invention. Any person skilled in the art may make some modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Changes and retouching. Therefore, the above-mentioned embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, and the protection scope of the present invention should be determined by the scope defined by the appended claims.

Claims (12)

1. A disk array card, comprising: A controller, including a disk array module; A switching unit, coupled to the controller, enables or disables the disk array module according to a user setting; and A plurality of disk connection ports are respectively coupled to the controller and used to connect to a plurality of storage devices respectively; Wherein when the disk array module is disabled and the disk array card is coupled to another disk array card, the disk connection port is coupled to the other disk array card, and the other disk array card controls the multiple The storage device is used to implement the disk array function. 2. The disk array card as claimed in claim 1, wherein the switching unit enables or disables the controller according to the user setting. 3. The disk array card of claim 1, wherein when the disk array module is disabled, the controller is coupled to a controller of the other disk array card. 4. The disk array card of claim 1, further comprising a memory coupled to the controller, wherein the switching unit enables or disables the memory according to the user setting. 5. The disk array card of claim 1, further comprising a memory coupled to the controller, wherein when the disk array module is disabled, the memory is coupled to a controller of the other disk array card. 6. A disk array system with expanded functions, comprising: a motherboard; A first disk array card is arranged on the motherboard, including: a first controller including a first disk array module; and A first switching unit, coupled to the first controller, enables or disables the first disk array module according to a user setting; a plurality of first storage devices respectively coupled to the first controller; A second disk array card, arranged on the motherboard and coupled to the first disk array card, the second disk array card includes: A second controller, including a second disk array module, configured to perform disk array functions; and a plurality of second storage devices respectively coupled to the second controller; Wherein when using the first switching unit to disable the disk array function of the first disk array module, the second controller is coupled to the plurality of first storage devices via the first controller, and the second The controller executes the second disk array module to control the plurality of first storage devices and the plurality of second storage devices to perform a disk array function. 7. The disk array system with extended functions as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first switching unit enables or disables the first controller according to the user setting. 8. The disk array system with expansion function as claimed in claim 6, wherein when the first disk array module is disabled, the second controller is coupled to the first controller and controls the first controller . 9. The disk array system with expanded functions as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first disk array card further comprises a first memory coupled to the first controller, wherein the first switching unit is configured according to the user Determine whether to enable or disable the first memory. 10. The disk array system with expanded functions as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first disk array card further comprises a first memory coupled to the controller, wherein when the first disk array module is disabled, the The second controller is coupled to the first memory and controls the first memory. 11. The disk array system with expansion function as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first disk array card is coupled to the second disk array card via the motherboard. 12. The disk array system with expansion function as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first disk array card and the second disk array card are coupled via a connection unit.