Storage system managing data through a wide area network

• US 20030163568A1
• Filed: 04/18/2002
• Published: 08/28/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Kitamura, Manabu, Kano, Yoshiki, Takamoto, Kenichi, Iwamura, Takashige
• Granted Patent: US 7,441,029 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0622 in relation to access
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0637 Permissions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99956 File allocation

Abstract

In a storage system, a server apparatus and a storage apparatus are provided, while the server apparatus is connected via a LAN to one, or plural sets of computers so as to accept an access request of file data issued from the computers, whereas the storage apparatus is connected via a wide area network to the server apparatus so as to store thereinto the file data. A communication between the computers and the server apparatus is carried out by employing a network file protocol, whereas a communication between the server apparatus and the storage apparatus is performed by employing a block device protocol. The server apparatus and the storage apparatus are connected via the respective security protecting apparatus to the wide area network.

Claims

1. A storage system comprising:

a storage apparatus;

a management server for holding both a storage location of file data stored into said storage apparatus and management information used to manage an access condition; and

a server apparatus for accepting an access request of the file data via a network from a computer by way of a first protocol, and for accessing said storage apparatus by way of a second protocol in response to the access request issued from said computer based upon said management information.

2. A storage system as claimed in claim 1, wherein

said first protocol corresponds to a network file access protocol;

and said second protocol corresponds to a block device protocol.

3. A storage system as claimed in claim 2, wherein

said block device protocol corresponds to iSCSI.

4. A storage system as claimed in claim 2, wherein

said server apparatus is connected via a security protection apparatus to said storage apparatus.

5. A storage system comprising:

a first storage apparatus for storing thereinto data;

a second storage apparatus for storing thereinto data; and

a server apparatus which is locally connected to said first storage apparatus and also is connected via a wide area network to said second storage apparatus, for accepting an access request of file data from a computer via a local network, for judging as to whether or not data to be accessed is stored into any one of said first storage apparatus and said second storage apparatus in response to said access request, and for accessing either said first storage apparatus or said second storage apparatus in response to a result of said judgement.

6. A storage system as claimed in claim 5, further comprising:

a management server connected via said wide area network to said server apparatus, for storing thereinto both the storage position of the data stored in said second storage apparatus and the information used to manage the access condition.

7. A storage system as claimed in claim 6 wherein:

when said server apparatus accesses the data stored in said second storage apparatus, said server apparatus issues an access request to said management server, and access said second storage apparatus based upon a response with respect to said access request.

8. A storage system as claimed in claim 5 wherein:

said server apparatus is connected via a security protection apparatus to said second storage apparatus.

9. A storage system as claimed in claim 6 wherein:

said storage system is provided with plural sets of said server apparatus; and

data which is commonly used by said plural sets of server apparatus is stored into said second storage apparatus.

10. A storage system comprising:

a storage apparatus for storing thereinto data; and

a server apparatus connected via a wide area network to said storage apparatus, for accepting an access request to file data via a local network from a computer by employing a network file protocol, and for accessing file data stored in said storage apparatus by employing a block device protocol.