Heterogeneous computer system, heterogeneous input/output system and data back-up method for the systems

• US 20040117552A1
• Filed: 09/17/2003
• Published: 06/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Akira Yamamoto, Toshio Nakano, Yasuko Fukuzawa
• Original Assignee: Akira Yamamoto, Toshio Nakano, Yasuko Fukuzawa
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Akira, Fukuzawa, Yasuko, Nakano, Toshio
• Granted Patent: US 6,892,268 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/114
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1456 Hardware arrangements for backup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0623 in relation to content
• 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 heterogeneous computer system, a heterogeneous input/output system and a data back-up method for the systems. An I/O subsystem A for open system and an I/O subsystem B for a mainframe are connected by a communication unit. In order to back up the data from at least a disk connected to the I/O subsystem B in a MT library system and in order to permit the mainframe to access the data in the I/O subsystem B, the I/O subsystem A includes a table for assigning a vacant memory address in a local subsystem to the memory of the I/O subsystem for an open system. A request of variable-length record format received from the mainframe is converted into a fixed-length record format for the subsystem B. The disk designated according to the table is accessed, and the data thus obtained is sent to the mainframe and backed up in the back-up system.

Claims

1. A storage system comprising:

a disk controller coupled to a host computer;

a plurality of disks coupled to said disk controller;

wherein said storage system is coupled to another storage system, and

wherein said disk controller receives an I/O request from said host computer, selects a storage system, in which a storage area accessed by said host computer exists, based on a disk address included in said I/O request, and sends said I/O request to said another storage system if said storage area exists in said another storage system.

2. A storage system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said I/O request is a write request to write data into said storage area.

3. A storage system as claimed in claim 1,

wherein said disk controller comprises a memory,

wherein corresponding information between a disk address and a storage system, in which a storage area designated by said disk address exists, is stored in said memory, and

wherein said disk controller selects a storage system, in which said storage area accessed by said host computer exists, using said corresponding information and said disk address included in said I/O request.

4. A storage system as claimed in claim 1,

wherein said I/O request further includes a data address,

wherein said disk address designates a disk recognized by said host computer and said data address designates a storage area in a disk designated by said disk address, and

wherein said disk controller selects a storage system, in which an storage area accessed by said host computer exists, not using said data address.

5. A storage system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said data address is a record ID.