JPH0317129B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (a) Technical Field of the Invention The present invention provides a system that allows cylinder and head This relates to a magnetic disk subsystem that operates by connecting a device that converts the device into a device that converts it into a device that uses a limited track capacity, or that uses a limited track capacity.In particular, when diagnosing an individual device, it This invention relates to a method of collecting device type information when it becomes necessary to separate and check the information.

(b) Prior art and problems In a magnetic disk subsystem that operates by connecting multiple compatible mode devices, if a failure occurs in a compatible mode device and it becomes necessary to check the channel, It is necessary to send test data, etc. to a device that requires checking from a host device such as a magnetic disk device, and conduct an investigation.

However, although compatible mode devices are treated as devices with the same specifications on the software, the test data etc. are not the same on the hardware because the device specifications are different and there are differences in functionality. .

Therefore, in order to send and check test data, etc., it is necessary to separate the device into native mode. That is, it is necessary for the test program to recognize the equipment specifications of the device that needs to be checked, and to send out data and the like that allow a test to be performed that conforms to the equipment specifications.

For this purpose, it is necessary to transmit device format information determined by the device specifications of the device to know the device format unique to the device.

FIG. 1 shows an example of the configuration of a magnetic disk subsystem that operates by connecting compatible mode devices.

1 is a channel which is a host device of the magnetic disk subsystem, 2 is a magnetic disk control device, and 3 and 4 are magnetic disk devices forming a compatible mode device.

Although the magnetic disk devices 3 and 4 have different device formats and functional differences, they can be handled in the same way in terms of software. Therefore, in response to the sense I/O type command sent by channel 1 according to instructions from the software, magnetic disk drives 3 and 4 report the same device type information predetermined as compatible mode devices. There is a need to.

However, for example, if you want to check the magnetic disk drive 3, it is necessary to use data that is optimal for the magnetic disk drive 3, so even if the devices can be handled the same on the software, it is different from the magnetic disk drive 4. In order for the channel 1 to know the format, the magnetic disk device 3 needs to send out device type information different from that of the magnetic disk device 4.

Conventionally, in response to the sense I/O type command sent by channel 1, 7-byte device format information is sent out by magnetic disk devices 3 and 4. In order to report different formats, if the magnetic disk drives 3 and 4 are made unique and differentiated, the software will display a compatible mode.
There is a problem that it cannot be handled as a device, and conversely, if the 7-byte information is the same, it is impossible to notify the test program of the unique format of the magnetic disk drive 3 with different physical specifications. There's a problem.

(c) Purpose of the Invention The purpose of the present invention is to solve the above problems, and in response to the sense I/O type command sent by channel 1, both magnetic disk drives 3 and 4 are
Reports device format information for bytes and channels 1
For sense commands (commands that report the device status) sent by , unused 8 to 23 bytes of "0" sense information (information reported when there is no error state for sense commands) are used. By causing the magnetic disk drives 3 and 4 to report their own device format information, the software reports the same 7-byte device format information by issuing a sense I/O type command, and the test program The present invention provides a device format information collection method that uses 8 to 23 bytes of "0" sense information to report device format information specific to the device using a sense command.

(d) Structure of the invention The structure of the present invention has multiple compatible modes.
In a magnetic disk subsystem that operates by connecting a device and reports device type information predetermined as a compatible mode device in response to a sense I/O type command sent by the host device, the host device For a sense command to be sent, unused bytes of information reported in response to the sense command are used to report device format information unique to each device.

(e) Embodiment of the Invention FIG. 1 shows information that the magnetic disk control device 2 reports by the sense command from the channel 1 when there is no error state, that is, when the sense is not being held, that is, "0" sense. 8 to 23 bytes of information are unused.

The present invention uses this unused 8 to 23 bytes,
This is to cause unique device type information of the magnetic disk drives 3 and 4 to be reported in response to the sense command sent by channel 1 of the host device. That is,
Even if the devices appear to be of the same type on the software, they are physically different types, so the format information (for example, physical device name) of this physical device is reported. For this reason, in the present invention, in response to the sense I/O type instruction sent by channel 1 of the host device, 7-byte device format information predetermined as a compatible mode device is sent out. For those, the format information of the physical device is sent.

Therefore, the same device format information can be used for the sense I/O type commands of the host device as in the past.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating one embodiment of the present invention.

When the magnetic disk control device 2 in FIG. 1 receives a command from the channel 1 of the host device, it decodes the command and determines whether it is a sense command or not. If it is not a sense instruction, the instruction other than the sense instruction is processed and the operation ends.

In the case of a sense command, an error report is received and it is checked whether the sense is being held. If the sense is being held, error information is sent to channel 1 as a sense byte and the operation is terminated.

If the sense is not being held, a basic sense byte is created, and the unused bytes are filled with bits that indicate detailed device information, that is, device-specific device format (such as device type information that indicates the physical device format). Then, it is sent to channel 1 as the sense byte, and the operation ends.

(f) Effect of the Invention As explained above, the present invention transmits unique device format information of each device to a host device in response to a sense instruction by using unused bytes of information reported in response to the sense instruction. Because the format information of the physical device can be reported to the host device without changing the response of the device to conventional sense I/O type commands, it is possible to perform optimal testing for each device with different physical specifications. It can be done.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a magnetic disk subsystem, and FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 1 is a channel, 2 is a magnetic disk control device, and 3 and 4 are magnetic disk devices.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Sense I/O that operates by connecting multiple compatible mode devices and is sent by a host device.
In a magnetic disk subsystem that reports device format information predetermined as a compatible mode device in response to a type instruction, in response to a sense instruction sent by the host device,
A method for collecting device format information, characterized in that device format information unique to each device is reported by using unused bytes of information reported in response to the sense command.