Virtual volume storage

• US 20020095547A1
• Filed: 01/12/2001
• Published: 07/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Watanabe, Naoki, Yamamoto, Akira
• Granted Patent: US 6,748,502 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/114
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/065 Replication mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0664 at device level, e.g. emulation of a storage device or system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

A system for providing a data storage service, comprises: a service provider site configured to provide a data storage service; and a user site coupled by a wide area network (WAN) to the service provider site, the user site comprising a local storage having a virtual storage, the virtual storage having a synchronous volume and an asynchronous volume, the local storage configured to immediately transmit to the service provider site data that is written in the synchronous volume, to transmit at a predetermined schedule to the service provider site data that is written in the asynchronous volume, and to read data from the service provider site if the data is not stored in the local storage.

Claims

1. A system for providing a data storage service, the system comprising:

a service provider site configured to provide a data storage service; and

a user site coupled by a wide area network (WAN) to the service provider site, the user site comprising a local storage having a virtual storage, the virtual storage having a synchronous volume and an asynchronous volume, the local storage configured to immediately transmit to the service provider site data that is written in the synchronous volume, to transmit at a predetermined schedule to the service provider site data that is written in the asynchronous volume, and to read data from the service provider site if the data is not stored in the local storage.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the local storage is configured to record an access activity to the local storage by the host.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the local storage records an access activity to a volume in the virtual storage.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the local storage records an access activity in a sub area of a volume in the virtual storage.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein the access activity is provided to the service provider site for analysis.

6. A method of providing a data storage service, the method comprising:

providing a local storage having a virtual storage, the virtual storage comprising a synchronous volume and an asynchronous volume; and

selectively performing at least one of the following;

immediately transmitting to a service provider site data that is written in the synchronous volume of the virtual storage;

transmitting at a predetermined schedule to the service provider site data that is written in the asynchronous volume the virtual storage; and

reading data from the service provider site if the data is not stored in the local storage.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

recording an access activity to the local storage.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

providing a record of the access activity to the service provider site.

9. An electronically-readable medium storing a program for permitting a computer to perform a method of providing a data storage service, the method comprising:

selectively performing at least one of the following;

immediately transmitting to a service provider site data that is written in a synchronous volume of a virtual storage;

transmitting at a predetermined schedule to the service provider site data that is written in an asynchronous volume the virtual storage; and

reading data from the service provider site if the data is not stored in a local storage that includes the virtual storage.

10. A program code embedded on a carrier wave for causing a computer to perform a method of providing a data storage service, the method comprising:

selectively performing at least one of the following;

immediately transmitting to a service provider site data that is written in a synchronous volume of a virtual storage;

transmitting at a predetermined schedule to the service provider site data that is written in an asynchronous volume the virtual storage; and

reading data from the service provider site if the data is not stored in a local storage that includes the virtual storage.

11. An apparatus for processing data in a data storage system, the apparatus comprising:

a user site comprising a local storage having a virtual storage, the virtual storage including a synchronous area and an asynchronous area, the local storage configured to immediately transmit to a service provider site data that is written to the synchronous area, to transmit at a predetermined schedule to the service provider site data that is written to the asynchronous area, and to read data from the service provider site if the data is not stored in the local storage.

12. A method of processing data in a data storage system, the method comprising:

in response to a command signal to a local storage, selectively performing at least one of the following;

immediately transmitting to a service provider site data that is written to a synchronous area in a virtual storage;

transmitting at a predetermined schedule to the service provider site data that is written to an asynchronous area in the virtual storage;

reading data from the service provider site if the data is not stored in the local storage.

13. The method of reading data in a data storage system, the method comprising:

receiving a read command from a host to a local storage;

determining the volume type of the data that is requested by the read command;

if the volume type is static, then reading the data from a local disk in the local storage;

if the volume type is cached, then checking if the data is stored in the local disk;

if the data is stored in the local disk, then reading the data from the local disk;

if the data is not stored in the local disk, then reading the data from a remote service provider site, storing the data in the local disk, and reading the data from the local disk;

after reading the data from the local disk, updating statistical information relating to the read command; and

returning the data to the host.

14. An apparatus for processing data in a data storage system, the apparatus comprising:

a service provider site configured to immediately receive data that is written to a synchronous area in a virtual storage, to receive at a predetermined schedule data that is written to an asynchronous area in the virtual storage, and to transmit data to a local storage that includes the virtual storage if the data is not stored in the local storage.

15. A method of processing data in a data storage system, the method comprising:

selectively performing one of the following;

immediately receiving data that is written to a synchronous area in a virtual storage;

receiving at a predetermined schedule data that is written to an asynchronous area in the virtual storage; and

transmitting data to a local storage that includes the virtual storage if the data is not stored in the local storage.

16. A method of writing data in a data storage system, the method comprising:

receiving a write command from a host to a local storage;

determining the volume type of the data of the write command;

if the volume type is static, then writing the data to a local disk in the local storage;

if the volume type is cached, then checking if the data is stored in the local disk;

if the data is stored in the local disk, then writing the data to the local disk from a cache;

if the data is not stored in the local disk, then allocating a data area in the local disk and in the cache and then writing the data to the local disk from the cache;

checking if the volume type of the data is synchronous;

if the volume type is synchronous, then immediately synchronizing the data with a remote service provider site and then updating statistical information relating to the write command; and

if the volume type is not synchronous, then synchronizing the data with a remote service provider site based on a predetermined schedule and then updating statistical information relating to the write command.

17. A system for providing a data storage service, the system comprising:

means for selectively performing at least one of the following;

immediately transmitting to a service provider site data that is written in a synchronous volume of a virtual storage;

transmitting at a predetermined schedule to the service provider site data that is written in an asynchronous volume the virtual storage; and

reading data from the service provider site if the data is not stored in a local storage that includes the virtual storage.