Storage system, a method of file data backup and method of copying of file data

• US 20020178143A1
• Filed: 12/18/2001
• Published: 11/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Fujimoto, Kazuhisa
• Granted Patent: US 7,275,050 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1435 using file system or storage system metadata
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0607 by facilitating the process of upgrading existing storage systems, e.g. for improving compatibility between host and storage device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0661 Format or protocol conversion arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/959 Network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing

Abstract

A storage system effectively manages the total capacity of hard disk drives to store block-basis data and file-basis data with a shared storage medium and a managing means for managing all the storage areas in the storage medium. When block data and address are input through a fiber channel port, a block data input/output means converts its data format to a data format that is internally applied by the storage system. When file data and address are input through an Ethernet port, a file system converts its data format to the data format internally applied by the storage system, such as the block data format. The file system derives the address of a logical volume from the received address information and translates file data to block data. The managing means derives the address of a logical volume to which to write block data from the address information delivered from the block data input/output means. The managing means translates this address or the address passed from the file system to a physical address and writes data to or read data from a hard disk drive with the physical address.

Claims

1. A storage system comprising:

at least one block data input/output port;

at least one file data input/output port;

data input/output means for inputting/outputting block data via the block data input/output port and file data via the block data input/output port;

at least one storage drive;

a file system for transforming the file data into a block data format or the block data into a file data format; and

managing means for managing storage areas in the storage drive thereby writing into or reading from the storage areas at least one of the file data and the block data before or after the transforming.

2. The storage system as recited in claim 1, wherein the managing means includes an data format table updated an initial or pre-transforming data format for each of the stored block data and the stored file data with respect to one corresponding storage area number assigned to each of the storage areas.

3. The storage system as recited in claim 2, wherein the unique storage area number is assigned to one storage area when the block data or the file data is written in.

4. The storage system as recited in claim 2, wherein storage areas are of equal size, and the data format table is initiated with half of the storage areas are designated to store data in the block format and half of the storage areas are designated to store data in the file format.

5. The storage system as recited in claim 1, wherein the data input/output means includes:

block data input/output means for inputting/outputting block data via the block data input/output port; and

file data input/output means for inputting/outputting file data via the block data input/output port;

6. The storage system as recited in claim 1, wherein the managing means includes means for partitioning the storage areas into a first group for storing data in the block format and a second group for storing data in the file format.

7. The storage system as recited in claim 6, wherein means for partitioning also reserves a third group of storage areas that do not belong to either the first group or the second group.

8. The storage system as recited in claim 7, wherein said means for partitioning includes means for re-designating some storage areas of one group into another one group.

9. The storage system as recited in claim 1, wherein a total number of the input/output ports is fixed, some or all of which are designed for inputting/outputting block data or file data.

10. The storage system as recited in claim 1, wherein the input/output ports handles Internet Protocol compliant packets.

11. The storage system as recited in claim 1, wherein the data input/output means determines whether the block data or the file data has just been input or is being output so as to decide whether to pass the data for further processing.

12. The storage system as recited in claim 1, wherein the storage areas are divided in units of logical volumes.

14. The method for managing block data and file data as recited in claim 13, further comprising:

assigning one corresponding storage area number to each of the storage areas;

recording an original data format for each of the stored block data and the stored file data with respect to the corresponding storage area number in an data format table; and

updating an initial or pre-transforming data format recorded in the data format table for each of the transformed block data and the transformed file data with respect to the corresponding storage area number.

15. A method for backing up file data stored according to the method recited in claim 13 in an external storage device, comprising:

retrieving the file data stored in the storage areas;

transforming the retrieved file data into the block data format; and

outputting the transformed data to said storage device.

16. A method for backing up block data stored according to the method recited in claim 13 in an external storage device, comprising:

retrieving the block data stored in the storage areas;

transforming the retrieved block data into the file data format; and

outputting the transformed data to said storage device.

17. A method for copying file data stored according to the method recited in claim 14 into an internal or external storage area designated according to the method recited in claim 14 for storing block data, comprising:

copying the file data stored in the storage areas;

transforming the copied file data into the block data format; and

writing the transformed data to said storage area designated for storing block data.

18. A method for copying block data stored according to the method recited in claim 14 into an internal or external storage area designated according to the method recited in claim 14 for storing file data, comprising:

copying the block data stored in the storage areas;

transforming the copied block data into the file data format; and

writing the transformed data to said storage area designated for storing file data.

13. A method for managing block data and file data, comprising:

inputting/outputting block data and file data;

providing at least one storage medium;

transforming the file data into a block data format or the block data into a file data format; and

managing storage areas in the storage medium thereby writing into or reading from the storage areas at least one of the file data and the block data before or after the transforming step.