Data storage apparatus, recording medium and method for selectively duplicating data blocks to another medium based on data block size and dimension information or an axis of obtaining data

• US 10,365,853 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2017
• Issued: 07/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Iwata, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Gossage, Glenn
• Application Number:
  US15/435,376
• Publication Number:
  US 20170255391A1
• Time in Patent Office: 893 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0611 in relation to response time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/065 Replication mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0685 Hybrid storage combining heterogeneous device types, e.g. hierarchical storage, hybrid arrays

Abstract

A processor controls a second storage device including a plurality of media that store data stored in a first storage device. The processor calculates a ratio of the size of each of a plurality of data blocks, which are classified according to a plurality of pieces of dimension information in data stored in two or more of the plurality of media, to the amount of data stored in the two or more of the plurality of media. The processor determines, based on a calculated ratio, whether a data block is to be duplicated, generates a duplicate of the data block determined to be duplicated, and stores the generated duplicate of the data block into another medium of the plurality of media, except for the two or more media. This can reduce the number of times of changing a medium, and suppress a lowering in the capacity efficiency. Dimension information may be an axis of obtaining data. In additionally disclosed embodiments, data may be arranged based on data blocks originally generated for reliability and considering the axis of obtaining data, and data at an end portion of a medium may be redundantly stored in the front or top portion of a subsequent medium.

Claims

1. A data storage apparatus comprising:

a plurality of media that store data stored in a first storage device;

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor is configured to;

calculate a ratio of a size of each of a plurality of data blocks, which are classified into data of a plurality of pieces of dimension information for data stored in two or more of the plurality of media, to the amount of the data stored in the two or more of the plurality of media, the plurality of pieces of dimension information including two or more of time, position and log data;

determine, based on a calculated ratio, a data block to be duplicated among the plurality of data blocks;

allocate data of the data block to be duplicated to another medium of the plurality of media except for the two or more media;

register a data block by indicating an association of the data of the data block to be duplicated with a medium to store the data of the data block to be duplicated in management information in the memory; and

migrate data of the data block registered into the management information to an allocated medium, the data of the data block registered into the management information being stored in the first storage device.

2. The data storage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor determines that a data block having a calculated ratio equal to or less than a threshold is to be duplicated, and determines that a data block having a calculated ratio more than the threshold is not to be duplicated.

3. The data storage apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the two or more media comprise a first medium and a second medium that store the data stored in the first storage device;

the first medium stores a first data block classified into first class data of first dimension information of the plurality of pieces of dimension information and classified into first class data of second dimension information of the plurality of pieces of dimension information, and a second data block classified into the first class data of the first dimension information and classified into second class data of the second dimension information;

the second medium stores a third data block classified into second class data of the first dimension information and classified into the first class data of the second dimension information, and a fourth data block classified into the second class data of the first dimension information and classified into the second class data of the second dimension information; and

when the ratios of sizes of the first data block and the third data block to the amount of data stored in the two or more of the plurality of media, the ratios being calculated by the processor, are equal to or lower than the threshold, the processor determines that the first data block and the third data block are to be duplicated, generates duplicates of the first data block and the third data block, and stores the duplicates of the first data block and the third data block into the other medium.

4. The data storage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the processor stores the data stored in the first storage device into one of the plurality of media;

and

when serial data that is successive in one of the plurality of pieces of dimension information is to be stored as the data into the plurality of media,

the processor divides the serial data into an antecedent data block at a predetermined boundary and stores the antecedent data block in an antecedent medium included into the plurality of media, and stores a subsequent data block, containing partial data in a predetermined region antecedent to the predetermined boundary in the antecedent data block and data subsequent to the partial data, into a subsequent medium included in the plurality of media.

5. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having stored therein a data storage apparatus control program that causes a computer to execute a process comprising:

calculating a ratio of a size of each of a plurality of data blocks, which are classified into data of a plurality of pieces of dimension information for data stored in two or more of a plurality of media, to the amount of the data stored in the two or more of the plurality of media, wherein the plurality of media are included in a second storage device and store data stored in a first storage device, the plurality of pieces of dimension information including two or more of time, position and log data;

determining, based on a calculated ratio, a data block to be duplicated among the plurality of data blocks;

allocating data of the data block to be duplicated to another medium of the plurality of media except for the two or more media;

registering a data block by indicating an association of the data of the data block to be duplicated with a medium to store the data of the data block to be duplicated in management information in a memory; and

migrating data of the data block registered into the management information to an allocated medium, the data of the data block registered into the management information being stored in the first storage device.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 5, wherein the process executed by the computer further comprises:

determining that a data block having the calculated ratio equal to or less than a threshold is to be duplicated, and determining that a data block having a calculated ratio more than the threshold is not to be duplicated.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 6, wherein:

the two or more media comprise a first medium and a second medium that store the data stored in the first storage device; and

the process executed by the computer further comprises;

storing, into the first medium, a first data block classified into first class data of first dimension information of the plurality of pieces of dimension information and classified into first class data of second dimension information of the plurality of pieces of dimension information, and a second data block classified into the first class data of the first dimension information and classified into second class data of the second dimension information;

storing, into the second medium, a third data block classified into second class data of the first dimension information and classified into the first class data of the second dimension information, and a fourth data block classified into the second class data of the first dimension information and classified into the second class data of the second dimension information; and

when the ratios of sizes of the first data block and the third data block to the amount of data stored in the two or more of the plurality of media are equal to or lower than the threshold, determining that the first data block and the third data block are to be duplicated, generating duplicates of the first data block and the third data block, and storing the duplicates of the first data block and the third data block into the other medium.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 5, wherein the process executed by the computer further comprises:

storing the data stored in the first storage device into one of the plurality of media,

when serial data that is successive in one of the plurality of pieces of dimension information is to be stored as the data into the plurality of media,

dividing the serial data into an antecedent data block at a predetermined boundary and storing the antecedent data block into an antecedent medium included in the plurality of media, and

storing a subsequent data block, containing partial data in a predetermined region antecedent to the predetermined boundary in the antecedent data block and data subsequent to the partial data, into a subsequent medium included in the plurality of media.

9. A method of controlling a data storage apparatus comprising a plurality of media that store data stored in a first storage device, a memory, and a processor coupled to the memory, the method comprising:

calculating a ratio of a size of each of a plurality of data blocks, which are classified into data of a plurality of pieces of dimension information for data stored in two or more of the plurality of media, to the amount of the data stored in the two or more of the plurality of media of the data storage apparatus, wherein the plurality of media are included in a second storage device and store data stored in the first storage device, the plurality of pieces of dimension information including two or more of time, position and log data;

determining, based on a calculated ratio, a data block to be duplicated among the plurality of data blocks;

allocating data of the data block to be duplicated to another medium of the plurality of media except for the two or more media;

registering a data block by indicating an association of the data of the data block to be duplicated with a medium to store the data of the data block to be duplicated in management information in the memory; and

migrating data of the data block registered into the management information to an allocated medium, the data of the data block registered into the management information being stored in the first storage device.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

determining that a data block having the calculated ratio equal to or less than a threshold is to be duplicated and determining that a data block having a calculated ratio more than the threshold is not to be duplicated.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein:

the two or more media comprises a first medium and a second medium that store the data stored in the first storage device; and

the method further comprises;

storing, into the first medium, a first data block classified into first class data of first dimension information of the plurality of pieces of dimension information and classified into first class data of second dimension information of the plurality of pieces of dimension information, and a second data block classified into the first class data of the first dimension information and classified into second class data of the second dimension information;

storing, into the second medium, a third data block classified into second class data of the first dimension information and classified into the first class data of the second dimension information, and a fourth data block classified into the second class data of the first dimension information and classified into the second class data of the second dimension information; and

when the ratios of sizes of the first data block and the third data block to the amount of data stored in the two or more of the plurality of media are equal to or lower than the threshold, determining that the first data block and the third data block are to be duplicated, generating duplicates of the first data block and the third data block, and storing the duplicates of the first data block and the third data block into the other medium.

12. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

storing the data stored in the first storage device into one of the plurality of media,

when serial data that is successive in one of the plurality of pieces of dimension information is to be stored as the data into one of the plurality of media,

dividing the serial data into an antecedent data block at a predetermined boundary and storing the antecedent data block into an antecedent medium included in the plurality of media, and

storing a subsequent data block, containing partial data in a predetermined region antecedent to the predetermined boundary in the antecedent data block and data subsequent to the partial data, into a subsequent medium included in the plurality of media.