Storage system, and method for controlling the same

• US 20050102479A1
• Filed: 09/12/2003
• Published: 05/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Tabuchi, Hideo, Nakano, Toshio, Shimada, Akinobu, Innan, Masataka
• Granted Patent: US 7,231,465 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/162
• 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 3/061 Improving I/O performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0611 in relation to response time
• 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 3/0665 at area level, e.g. provisioning of virtual or logical volumes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD

Abstract

Disclosed is a method A method for controlling a storage system including a host computer; a first storage controller connected communicably to the host computer, for receiving a data frame transmitted from the host computer and executing data input to and data output from a first storage device in response to a data input/output request described in the data frame; and a second storage controller connected communicably to the first storage controller, comprising relaying by the first storage controller, upon receipt of the data frame transmitted from the host computer, the data frame to the second storage controller in response to information described in the data frame.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a storage system including

a host computer;

a first storage controller connected communicably to said host computer, for receiving a data frame transmitted from said host computer and executing data input to and data output from a first storage device in response to a data input/output request described in said data frame; and

a second storage controller connected communicably to said first storage controller,

comprising;

relaying by said first storage controller, upon receipt of said data frame transmitted from said host computer, said data frame to said second storage controller in response to information described in said data frame.

2. A method for controlling a storage system according to claim 1, comprising, by said second storage controller, receiving a data frame transmitted from said host computer to said first storage controller and relayed by said first storage controller, and executing data input to and data output from a second storage device in response to said data input/output request described in said data frame.

3. A method for controlling a storage system according to claim 1, wherein said data frame is a data frame conforming to Fiber Channel Protocol, and wherein said relaying is conducted by a Fiber Channel switch included in said first storage controller.

4. A method for controlling a storage system according to claim 3, wherein said information is at least one of:

information for specifying a Fiber Channel port of said source of said data frame;

information for specifying a Fiber Channel port of said destination of said data frame; and

information for specifying said storage devices.

5. A method for controlling a storage system according to claim 3, wherein said data frame includes therein described as said information, at least one of:

information for specifying a Fiber Channel port of the source of said data frame;

information for specifying a Fiber Channel port of the destination of said data frame; and

information for specifying said storage devices, and wherein

said first storage controller stores access limit information indicating permission/rejection of an access of a Fiber Channel port of the source to said Fiber Channel port of the destination or to said storage device of the destination, comprising;

by said first storage controller, when receiving said data frame from said host computer, referring to said access limit information to check whether said Fiber Channel port of the source of said data frame is permitted to make access to said Fiber Channel port of the destination or to said storage device of the destination; and

relaying by said first storage controller said data frame to said second storage controller only when said access is permitted.

6. A method for controlling a storage system according to claim 4, wherein

said data frame includes therein described as the information:

information for specifying a Fiber Channel port of the source of said data frame; and

information for specifying a Fiber Channel port of the destination of said data frame; and

wherein

said first storage controller stores information indicating priority of a data input/output process corresponding to said data frame, by relating to a combination of a Fiber Channel port of the source and a Fiber Channel port of the destination, comprising;

by said fist storage controller, when receiving said data frame from said host computer, executing a data input/output process for said storage device connected to said port of the destination of said data frame, in conformity with said information indicating said priority.

7. A method for controlling a storage system according to claim 6, wherein said information indicating priority is information indicative of timing to execute the data input/output process for said storage device.

8. A method for controlling a storage system according to claim 4, wherein said information for specifying said storage device is an identifier given to a logical storage area which is organized in zones in a storage area provided by said storage device.

9. A method for controlling a storage system according to claim 8, wherein said storage device is a disk drive.

10. A storage system comprising:

a first storage device; and

a first storage controller connected communicably to a host computer, for receiving a data frame transmitted from said host computer and executing data input to and data output from a first storage device in response to a data input/output request described in said data frame;

wherein said first storage controller comprises a relay device that relays to a second storage controller a data frame transmitted from said host computer when said data frame transmitted from said host computer is a data frame that is permitted to be relayed to said second storage controller.

11. A storage system according to claim 10, wherein

said first storage controller further comprises a processor for referring to information described in said data frame transmitted from said host computer and judging whether said data frame transmitted from said host computer is a data frame that is permitted to be relayed to said second storage controller.

12. A storage system according to claim 11, wherein when said data frame transmitted from said host computer is a data frame that is not permitted to be relayed to said second storage controller, said processor transmits said data frame transmitted from said host computer, to another processor in said first storage controller.

13. A storage system according to claim 10, wherein

said first storage controller further comprises a memory for storing information on data frames that are permitted to be relayed to said second storage controller.

14. A storage system according to claim 13, wherein

said first storage controller further comprises a processor for referring to information described in said data frame transmitted from said host computer and information stored in said memory and judging whether said data frame transmitted from said host computer is a data frame that is permitted to be relayed to said second storage controller.

15. A storage system according to claim 14, wherein

when said data frame transmitted from said host computer is a data frame that is not permitted to be relayed to said second storage controller, said processor transmits said data frame transmitted from said host computer, to another processor in said first storage controller.

16. A storage system according to claim 10, wherein said data frame is a data frame conforming to Fiber Channel Protocol.

17. A storage system according to claim 10, wherein said relay device is a Fiber Channel switch.

18. A storage system according to claim 11, wherein said information described in said data frame includes any one of:

information for specifying a Fiber Channel port of the source of said data frame;

information for specifying a Fiber Channel port of the destination of said data frame; and

information for specifying said first storage device.

19. A storage system according to claim 16, wherein

said processor checks whether said data frame transmitted from said host computer is permitted to make access to said Fiber Channel port of the destination or to said first storage device of the destination.

20. A storage controller comprising:

means connected communicably to a host computer, for receiving a data frame transmitted from said host computer and executing data input to and data output from a first storage device in response to a data input/output request described in said data frame;

means connected communicably to another storage controller, for receiving a data frame and executing data input to and data output from a second storage device in response to a data input/output request described in said data frame;

means for, when receiving a data frame transmitted from said host computer, relaying said data frame to said another storage controller in response to information described in said data frame,

wherein said data frame is a data frame conforming to Fiber Channel Protocol, said relaying being conducted by a Fiber Channel switch included in said first storage controller,

wherein said information is at least one of;

information for specifying a Fiber Channel port of the source of said data frame;

information for specifying a Fiber Channel port of the destination of said data frame; and

information for specifying said storage device, and wherein said data frame includes therein described as the information;

information for specifying a Fiber Channel port of the source of said data frame; and

information for specifying a Fiber Channel port of the destination of said data frame;

means for storing information indicating priority of a data input/output process corresponding to said data frame, by relating to a combination of said Fiber Channel port of the source and said Fiber Channel port of the destination; and

means for, when receiving said data frame from said host computer, executing a data input/output process for said storage device connected to a port of the destination of said data frame, in conformity with said information indicative of priority.