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Method for controlling storage system, and storage control apparatus Number:7,412,543 from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) owispatent

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Title: Method for controlling storage system, and storage control apparatus

Abstract: A method for controlling a storage system including a host computer, and a first and a second storage control apparatuses each receiving a data input/output request from the host computer and executing a data input/output process for a storage device in response to the request, comprises connecting a first communication path between the host computer and the first apparatus; connecting a second communication path between the first apparatus and the second apparatus; receiving by the first apparatus a first data input/output request from the host computer through the first path; when the first apparatus has judged that the first request is not for the first apparatus, transmitting by the first apparatus a second data input/output request corresponding to the first request, to the second apparatus through the second path; and by the second apparatus, receiving the second request and executing a data input/output process corresponding to the second request received.

Patent Number: 7,412,543 Issued on 08/12/2008 to Ohno,   et al.

Inventors: Ohno; Hiroshi (Kanagawa, JP), Arai; Kouji (Kanagawa, JP), Nakano; Toshio (Kanagawa, JP), Tabuchi; Hideo (Kanagawa, JP), Shimada; Akinobu (Kanagawa, JP), Satoyama; Ai (Kanagawa, JP), Yamamoto; Yasutomo (Kanagawa, JP), Eguchi; Yoshiaki (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd. (Tokyo, JP)
Appl. No.: 11/338,797
Filed: January 25, 2006

Related U.S. Patent Documents
Application NumberFiling DatePatent NumberIssue Date
10424563Apr., 20037051121
Foreign Application Priority Data
Apr 26, 2002 [JP] 2002-127058
Nov 18, 2002 [JP] 2002-333540

Current U.S. Class: 710/5 ; 709/225; 710/74
Current International Class: G06F 3/00 (20060101)

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Primary Examiner: Kindred; Alford W.
Assistant Examiner: Sorrell; Eron J
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Mattingly, Stanger, Malur & Brundidge, P.C.
Parent Case Text


CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a continuation application of U.S. Ser. No. 10/424,563, filed Apr. 25, 2003 now U.S. Pat. No. 7,051,121.
Claims


What is claimed is:

1. A first storage control apparatus adapted to be coupled to a plurality of storage control apparatuses, at least one of said plurality of storage control apparatuses including a plurality of storage devices and a data read/write control unit executing data read/write processes to said plurality of storage devices based on a Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) scheme, said first storage control apparatus comprising: a control unit transmitting a request corresponding to a data write request or a data read request received from a host computer with reference to mapping information between a first Logical Unit Number (LUN), designated by said data write request or said data read request received from said host computer, and a second LUN of a logical volume from/to which a second storage control apparatus of said plurality of storage control apparatuses executes data read/write processes; wherein said control unit of said first storage control apparatus receives a predetermined copy command related to said first LUN and executes a copy process from said second storage control apparatus to a third storage control apparatus of said plurality of storage control apparatuses, the second storage control apparatus being unable to execute said predetermined copy command.

2. A first storage control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control unit of said first storage control apparatus transmits a read command, which said second storage control apparatus is capable of executing, to said second storage control apparatus in order to use data, which is read from said logical volume of said second storage control apparatus, in said copy process.

3. A first storage control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control unit of said first storage control apparatus comprises a cache memory, and wherein said control unit of said first storage control apparatus, in said copy process, stores data, read from said logical volume of said second storage control apparatus, in said cache memory and transmits data stored in said cache memory to said third storage control apparatus.

4. A first storage control apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said cache memory stores data corresponding to said data write request received from said host computer.

5. A first storage control apparatus according to claim 3, comprising: a plurality of storage devices; wherein said control unit of said first storage control apparatus executes data read/write processes to said plurality of storage devices of said first storage control apparatus based on the RAID scheme.

6. A first storage control apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said predetermined copy command is a command defined in Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) standards.

7. A first storage control apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said predetermined copy command is an extended copy command defined in SCSI standards.

8. A control unit of a first storage control apparatus adapted to be coupled to a plurality of storage control apparatuses, at least one of said plurality of storage control apparatuses including a plurality of storage devices and a data read/write control unit executing data read/write processes to said plurality of storage devices based on a Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) scheme, wherein said control unit of said first storage control apparatus transmits a request corresponding to a data write request or a data read request received from a host computer with reference to a mapping information between a first Logical Unit Number (LUN), designated by said data write request or said data read request received from said host computer, and a second LUN of a logical volume from/to which a second storage control apparatus of said plurality of storage control apparatuses executes data read/write processes, and wherein said control unit of said first storage control apparatus receives a predetermined copy command related to said first LUN and executes a copy process from said second storage control apparatus to a third storage control apparatus of said plurality of storage control apparatuses, the second storage control apparatus being unable to execute said predetermined copy command.

9. A control unit according to claim 8, wherein said control unit of said first storage control apparatus transmits a read command, which said second storage control apparatus is capable of executing, to said second storage control apparatus in order to use data, which is read from said logical volume of said second storage control apparatus, in said copy process.

10. A control unit according to claim 8, comprising: a cache memory, and wherein said control unit of said first storage control apparatus, in said copy process, stores data, read from said logical volume of said second storage control apparatus, in said cache memory and transmits data stored in said cache memory to said third storage control apparatus.

11. A control unit according to claim 10, wherein said cache memory stores data corresponding to said data write request received from said host computer.

12. A control unit according to claim 8, wherein said control unit of said first storage control apparatus executes data read/write processes to a plurality of storage devices of said first storage control apparatus based on the RAID scheme.

13. A control unit according to claim 8, wherein said predetermined copy command is a command defined in Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) standards.

14. A control unit according to claim 13, wherein said predetermined copy command is an extended copy command defined in SCSI standards.

15. A control method of a first storage control apparatus adapted to be coupled to a plurality of storage control apparatuses, at least one of said plurality of storage control apparatuses including a plurality of storage devices and a data read/write control unit executing data read/write processes to said plurality of storage devices based on a Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) scheme, said control method comprising the steps of: transmitting a request corresponding to a data write request or a data read request received from a host computer with reference to a mapping information between a first Logical Unit Number (LUN), designated by said data write request or said data read request received from said host computer, and a second LUN of a logical volume from/to which a second storage control apparatus of said plurality of storage control apparatuses executes data read/write processes, receiving a predetermined copy command related to said first LUN, and executing a copy process from said second storage control apparatus to a third storage control apparatus of said plurality of storage control apparatuses, the second storage control apparatus being unable to execute said predetermined copy command.

16. A control method according to claim 15, further comprising the step of: transmitting a read command, which said second storage control apparatus is capable of executing, to said second storage control apparatus in order to use data, which is read from said logical volume of said second storage control apparatus, in said copy process.

17. A control method according to claim 15, further comprising the steps of: in said copy process, storing data, read from said logical volume of said second storage control apparatus, in a cache memory, and transmitting data stored in said cache memory to said third storage control apparatus.

18. A control method according to claim 17, wherein said cache memory stores data corresponding to said data write request received from said host computer.

19. A control method according to claim 15, further comprising the step of: executing data read/write processes to a plurality of storage devices of said first storage control apparatus based on the RAID scheme.

20. A control method according to claim 15, wherein said predetermined copy command is a command defined in Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) standards.

21. A control method according to claim 20, wherein said predetermined copy command is an extended copy command defined in SCSI standards.
Description


The present application claims priorities upon Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-127058 filed on Apr. 26, 2002 and Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-333540 filed on Nov. 18, 2002, which are herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a method for controlling a storage system and to a storage control apparatus.

2. Description of the Related Art

In recent years, the environment surrounding information systems is rapidly changing such as the progress of information technology (IT) and measures for the shift to broadband. Along with this, the rapid increase of the amount of data handled is a serious problem in various occasions.

To deal with such an increase of the amount of data, storage systems operated in data centers are being subjected to larger capacities and higher performances of the storage control apparatuses such as disk array units. Therefore, for example, in data centers, introductions of and replacements with storage control apparatuses having higher performances and larger capacities are frequently carried out in order to respond to the rapid shift to larger capacities of storage control apparatuses.

There are methods for introducing a storage control apparatus, such as the ones in which the operation using the old storage control apparatuses has been completely shifted to the operation using only the newly introduced storage control apparatuses, and the ones in which the operation is carried out where the old storage control apparatuses coexist with the newly introduced storage control apparatuses.

As one of the former methods, there is a technology described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open (Kokai) Publication No. Hei10-508967. In this method, all the data can be operated by the new storage control apparatuses having a higher performance and a larger capacity, however, effective use of the old storage control apparatuses cannot be facilitated.

On the other hand, in one of the latter methods, the effective use of the old storage control apparatuses can be facilitated. However, the number of the storage control apparatuses directly connected to networks becomes necessarily increased because both of the new and the old storage control apparatuses coexist, and network structure information must be re-constructed because the new storage control apparatuses have been introduced to the existing networks. Therefore, an increase in management load imposed by the shift and the operation is inevitable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One object of the invention is to facilitate effective use of old storage control apparatuses when, for example, introducing new storage control apparatuses to an existing storage system.

Another object of the invention is to facilitate the use of old storage control apparatuses without increasing the management load of the storage system after introducing new storage control apparatuses. Yet another object of the invention is, in that situation, to make specification changes and modifications to the old storage control apparatuses unnecessary or minimal.

Further object of the invention is to enable the use of storage control apparatuses designed for being used directly connected to a host computer without any modification or with minimal necessary specification changes not only when introducing new storage control apparatuses to an existing storage system but also when operating a storage control apparatus which is connected to another storage control apparatus.

In order to achieve the above and other objects, an aspect of the invention provides a method for controlling a storage system including a host computer, and a first and a second storage control apparatuses each having a function for receiving a data input/output request transmitted from the host computer and executing a data input/output process for a storage device in response to the data input/output request received, comprising:

connecting a first communication path between the host computer and the first storage control apparatus to each other;

connecting a second communication path between the first storage control apparatus and the second storage control apparatus to each other;

receiving by the first storage control apparatus a first data input/output request transmitted from the host computer through the first communication path;

when the first storage control apparatus has judged that the first data input/output request is not to be handled by the first storage control apparatus, transmitting by the first storage control apparatus a second data input/output request corresponding to the first data input/output request, to the second storage control apparatus through the second communication path; and

by the second storage control apparatus, receiving the second data input/output request and executing a data input/output process corresponding to the second data input/output request received.

Features and objects of the present invention other than the above will become clear by reading the description of the present specification with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the present invention and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 shows the structure of a storage system according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a structure information management table according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 shows a data format of a data input/output request transmitted from a host computer to a first storage control apparatus, according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 ilustrates processes of the storage system according to one embodiment of the invention when the data input/output request transmitted from the host computer is a data write-in request;

FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B respectively illustrates a concept of access limit process according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 illustrates processes of a storage system concerning its data copy function, according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 7 illustrates a snapshot function according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 8 illustrates a snapshot function according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 9 illustrates a mechanism for reflecting new data on a first logic volume, according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 10 illustrates a mechanism for reflecting the new data on the first logic volume, according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 11 illustrates a mechanism for reflecting the new data on the first logic volume, according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 12 shows a table for managing flags being related to cache addresses designating storage positions of the new data, on a cache memory, according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 13 shows a table for managing the remaining amount of the cache memory, according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 14 illustrates a situation where the first logic volume is set as a copy source and a second logic volume is set as a copy destination, according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 15 illustrates a situation where the first logic volume is set as the copy destination and the second logic volume is set as the copy source, according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 16 illustrates a situation where the first logic volume is used for storing old data and the second logic volume is used for storing new data, according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 17 illustrates a situation where the first logic volume is used for storing the new data and the second logic volume is used for storing the old data, according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 18 illustrates a process concerning check codes, according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 19 shows a hardware structure of the first storage control apparatus and the second storage control apparatus, according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 20 shows the main functional blocks included in the first storage control apparatus and the second storage control apparatus, according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 21 illustrates a situation where an LUN of the second storage control apparatus is managed being mapped on the first storage control apparatus side, according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 22 illustrates an operation of the storage system when a data input/output request in which a special reservation command directed to a storage device of the second storage control apparatus is described is transmitted from the host computer to the first storage control apparatus, according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 23 shows an LU map information table, according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 24 shows a reservation information table according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 25 illustrates an operation of the storage system according to one embodiment of the invention when an E-copy command instructing to copy data in the second logic volume of the second storage control apparatus to a back-up device connected to a third storage control apparatus is transmitted from a host computer to the first storage control apparatus; and

FIG. 26 shows a flow chart illustrating processes executed by the first storage control apparatus, according to one embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

At least the following facts will be revealed by the description herein and the illustration of the accompanying drawings.

Overview of Disclosure

In the above invention, each of the first and the second storage control apparatuses is, for example, a storage apparatus provided to a user as one product such as a disk array apparatus. More specifically, the first storage control apparatus has a communication interface for connecting it to the first and the second communication means, a CPU for executing a data input/output process for a disk drive in response to the first data input/output request and a cache memory for storing data input to/output from the disk drive during the data input/output process.

The second storage control apparatus has a communication interface for connecting it to the second communication means, a CPU for executing a data input/output process for the storage device in response to the second data input/output request and a cache memory for storing data input to/output from the disk drive during the data input/output process.

Each of the first and the second storage control apparatuses operates as one single disk array apparatus when they are introduced to a network such as, for example, SAN, and can respectively receive as one single apparatus the data input/output request transmitted from the host computer and can execute a data input/output process in response to the data input/output request, to a storage device such as an integrated or externally-connected disk drive.

In the above structure, the first storage control apparatus and the second storage control apparatus are connected in series when seen from the host computer and, in this situation, the second storage control apparatus can be operated as an apparatus for extending the functions of, for example, the first storage control apparatus. This will be described more specifically. The first storage control apparatus receives from the host computer also a data input/output request directed to the second storage control apparatus as the first data input/output request in addition to a data input/output request directed to itself through the first communication path (corresponding to a first network described later) constituted of, for example, SAN. At this stage, if the received data input/output request is directed to the second storage control apparatus, the first storage control apparatus transmits the data input/output request to the second storage control apparatus through a second communication path (corresponding to a second network described later). That is, the first storage control apparatus functions as a relay apparatus between the host computer and the second storage control apparatus.

The second data input/output request relayed by the first storage control apparatus to the second storage control apparatus can be arranged such that it is transmitted in a format or protocol as in the first data input/output request received by the first storage control apparatus from the host computer, or such that it is transmitted in a format or protocol that has been changed in the first storage control apparatus into that of the second storage control apparatus. When it is arranged that communications between the first storage control apparatus and the second storage control apparatus are carried out using SCSI command conforming to ANSI (American National Standards Institute) or a standardized or normalized format or protocol, no special specification is required as a part of the structure of the second storage control apparatus as far as the second storage control apparatus has a standard communication interface. Therefore, in a storage center such as, for example, an IDC (Internet Data Center), even when a change in operation has been carried out in which the first storage control apparatus has been introduced as a new-model disk array apparatus and the old disk array apparatus that has been used is used being connected in series to the first storage control apparatus, no special specification change or modification is required for the second storage control apparatus. When the second storage control apparatus is an optional block device (an apparatus for random accesses represented by a disk apparatus), the invention can be applied. That is, when the second storage control apparatus is a large-scale storage control apparatus having high-level control functions equivalent to those of the first storage control apparatus, i.e., an optical disk apparatus with a block access interface, the invention can be applied.

It can be arranged that the first storage control apparatus stores information concerning a storage device for which the second storage control apparatus executes data input/output processes and the first storage control apparatus determines based on the stored information concerning the storage device whether it will transmit to the second storage control apparatus the second data input/output request corresponding to the first data input/output request.

As the example of the information concerning the storage device, there is information described in structure information management table described later. As practical examples, there is management information of storage area of one or more logic volume(s) organized on a storage area provided by a storage device, information concerning the performance of


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