File management apparatus, storage management system, storage management method, program, and recording medium

• US 20050120058A1
• Filed: 11/30/2004
• Published: 06/02/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nishio, Tsuyoshi
• Application Number:
  US10/998,747
• Publication Number:
  US 20050120058A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/185 Hierarchical storage management [HSM] systems, e.g. file migration or policies thereof details of archiving G06F16/11
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/188 Virtual file systems

Abstract

A storage system constructed by combining a plurality of types of storage media differing in physical properties is managed as a single virtual storage. Consequently, a single file is divided into actual data and the identification information for accessing the actual data and then the identification information for access is associated with a file system for management purposes. Further, files are managed in a layered manner, in accordance with use frequency categories to manage the move of files between the categories. When the actual data in a file is to be moved to a storage medium in a lower level category, the actual data is backed up on another storage medium in a still lower level category.

Claims

1. A file management apparatus for managing a storage system, which is constructed by combining a plurality of types of storage media differing in physical properties, as a single virtual storage, the file management apparatus comprising:

a position management section for dividing a single file into actual data and identification information for accessing the actual data and associating the identification information for access with a file system for management purposes;

a move management section for managing files in a layered manner, in accordance with use frequency categories and managing the move of files between the categories; and

a redundancy management section, which, when actual data in a file is to be moved to a storage medium in a lower level category, simultaneously backs up the actual data on another storage medium in a still lower level category.

2. The file management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said redundancy management section backs up actual data on a tape storage medium.

3. The file management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said redundancy management section periodically backs up actual data in the most frequently used file onto a tape storage medium.

4. The file management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said redundancy management section backs up actual data in a managed file onto a storage medium at a remote location via Fibre Channel and backs up the identification information for accessing the file system and a specific file onto a storage medium at said remote location via a wide area network.

5. The file management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said redundancy management section, when actual data is to be moved to a storage medium in a lower level category in compliance with instructions issued by an external application, backs up the actual data onto another storage medium in a still lower level category simultaneously with the actual data move.

6. The file management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said move management section, when a file on a storage medium in a category other than the highest level category is to be accessed, copies the file stored on a storage medium that stores actual data of the file and is in the highest level category to a storage medium in the highest level category within a storage system.

7. A storage management system comprising:

a storage system that is constructed by combining a plurality of types of storage media differing in physical properties; and

a file management apparatus for managing the plurality of types of storage media as a single virtual storage,

said file management apparatus including;

a position management section for dividing a single file into actual data and identification information for accessing the actual data and associating the identification information for access with a file system for management purposes;

a move management section for managing files in a layered manner, in accordance with use frequency categories and managing the move of files between the categories; and

a redundancy management section, which, when actual data in a file is to be moved to a storage medium in a lower level category, simultaneously backs up the actual data on another storage medium in a still lower level category.

8. A storage management method for use in a storage management system comprising a storage system that is constructed by combining a plurality of types of storage media differing in physical properties, and a file management apparatus for managing the plurality of types of storage media as a single virtual storage, the storage management method comprising the steps of:

dividing a single file into actual data and identification information for accessing the actual data and associating the identification information for access with a file system for management purposes;

managing files in a layered manner, in accordance with use frequency categories and managing the move of files between the categories; and

backing up, when actual data in a file is to be moved to a storage medium in a lower level category, the actual data on another storage medium in a still lower level category.

9. A recording medium storing a program that causes a computer to perform functions for managing a storage system, which is constructed by combining a plurality of types of storage media differing in physical properties, as a single virtual storage, the program including:

a position management function for dividing a single file into actual data and identification information for accessing the actual data and associating the identification information for access with a file system for management purposes;

a move management function for managing files in a layered manner, in accordance with use frequency categories and managing the move of files between the categories; and

a redundancy management function, which, when actual data in a file is to be moved to a storage medium in a lower level category, simultaneously backs up the actual data on another storage medium in a still lower level category.