Remote copy with WORM guarantee

• US 20050268055A1
• Filed: 07/06/2004
• Published: 12/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Nonaka, Yusuke, Nishimoto, Akira, Mizuno, Yoichi, Matsunami, Naoto
• Granted Patent: US 7,149,860 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/162
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2069 Management of state, configuration or failover

Abstract

In the case in which data in a storage system A is remotely copied to a storage system B, it is not taken into account whether the data of the remote copy is WORM data. In the case in which a setting is made such that data stored in a volume in the storage system A is copied to a volume in the storage system B, storage system A judges whether an attribute to the effect that data can be referred to and can be updated or to the effect that data can be referred to but cannot be updated is added to the volume in the storage system A. Then, if the volume is a volume to which the attribute to the effect that data can be referred to but cannot be updated is added, such attribute is added to the volume in the storage system B.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a first storage system that includes a first storage and a first control apparatus for controlling the first storage; and

a second storage system that includes a second storage and a second control apparatus for controlling the second storage,

wherein the first storage system and the second storage system are connected,

each of the first storage and the second storage includes a volume to which one of an attribute to the effect that data can be referred to and can be updated and an attribute to the effect that data can be referred to but cannot be updated is added,

the first control apparatus receives designation of a primary volume,

the second control apparatus receives designation of a secondary volume in which a copy of data to be stored in the primary volume is stored, and

the first control apparatus judges whether the attribute to the effect that data can be referred to and can be updated or the attribute to the effect that data can be referred to but cannot be updated is added to the volume designated as the primary volume, and if the volume designated as the primary volume is a volume to which the attribute to the effect that data can be referred to but cannot be updated is added, the first control apparatus instructs the second control apparatus to add the attribute to the effect that data can be referred to but cannot be updated to the volume designated as the secondary volume.

2. A system of claim 1,

wherein the second control apparatus judges whether the attribute to the effect that data can be referred to and can be updated or the attribute to the effect that data can be referred to but cannot be updated is added to the volume designated as the secondary volume, and if the volume designated as the secondary volume is a volume to which the attribute to the effect that data can be referred to but cannot be updated is added, the second control apparatus outputs a notice to the effect that designation of the volume as the secondary volume cannot be accepted.

3. A system of claim 1,

wherein each of the first storage system and the second storage system manages whether a volume in the first storage or the second storage is a primary volume or a secondary volume, or neither a primary volume nor a secondary volume, and is a volume to which the attribute to the effect that data can be referred to and can be updated is added or a volume to which the attribute to the effect that data can be referred to but cannot be updated is added.

4. A system of claim 3,

wherein each of the first storage system and the second storage system has volume management information that records whether a volume in the first storage or the second storage is a primary volume or a secondary volume, or neither a primary volume nor a secondary volume, and is a volume to which the attribute to the effect that data can be referred to and can be updated is added or a volume to which the attribute to the effect that data can be referred to but cannot be updated is added.

5. A system of claim 4,

wherein each of the first control apparatus and the second control apparatus rewrites the volume management information when receiving designation of the primary volume or designation of the secondary volume or being instructed to add the attribute to the effect that data can be referred to but cannot be updated to the volume.

6. A system of claim 4,

wherein, concerning a volume to which the attribute to the effect that data can be referred to but cannot be updated is added, the volume management information further records a unit to which the attribute to the effect that data can be referred to but cannot be updated is added in a storage area in the volume.

7. A system of claim 6,

wherein each of the first control apparatus and the second control apparatus manages for each unit in the volume whether a storage area is a storage area having the attribute to the effect that data can be referred to but cannot be updated or a storage area having the attribute to the effect that data can be referred to and can be updated.

8. A system of claim 7,

wherein the unit is a part of the storage area in the volume.

9. A system of claim 7,

wherein the unit is a file stored in the volume.

10. A system of claim 1,

wherein the second control apparatus receives update from the first control apparatus with respect to the volume that is designated as the secondary volume and to which the attribute to the effect that data can be referred to but cannot be updated is added.

11. A system of claim 1,

wherein the first control apparatus receives designation of a volume to which the attribute to the effect that data can be referred to but cannot be updated is added, and in the case in which the designated volume is set as the secondary volume, the first control apparatus outputs a notice to the effect that the designation cannot be accepted.

12. A system of claim 11,

wherein the first control apparatus instructs the second control apparatus to add the attribute to the effect that data can be referred to but cannot be updated to the secondary volume, which is a copy destination of data to be stored in the designated volume, in the case in which the designated volume is set as the primary volume.

13. A system of claim 1,

wherein the first control apparatus keeps record of processing, which is executed for a volume to be stored in the first storage, from a point when the attribute to the effect that data can be referred to but cannot be updated is set to the volume to be stored in the first storage, and in the case in which the volume is designated as the primary volume, the first control apparatus sends the record of the processing to the second control apparatus, which is executed for the volume to be stored in the first storage.

14. A computer program product for a first storage system, which includes a first storage and a first control apparatus for controlling the first storage, and a second storage system, which includes a second storage and a second control apparatus for controlling the second storage and is connected to the first storage system, comprising:

a code that is used by the first storage system to receive designation of a primary volume;

a code that is used by the second storage system to receive designation of a secondary volume in which a copy of data, which is stored in a volume to be designated as the primary volume, is stored;

a code for judging whether an attribute to the effect that data can be referred and updated or an attribute to the effect that data can be referred to but cannot be updated is added to the volume designated as the primary volume;

a code for adding the attribute to the effect that data can be referred to but cannot be updated to a volume to be designated as the secondary volume in the case in which the volume designated as the primary volume is a volume of the attribute to the effect that data can be referred to but cannot be updated; and

a computer readable storage medium for storing the codes.

15. A computer program product of claim 14, further comprising:

a code for judging whether the attribute to the effect that data can be referred to and can be updated or the attribute to the effect that data can be referred to but cannot be updated is added to the volume designated as the secondary volume; and

a code for outputting a notice to the effect that designation of the secondary volume cannot be accepted in the case in which the volume designated as the secondary volume is a volume of the attribute to the effect that data can be referred to but cannot be updated.

16. A computer program product of claim 14, further comprising:

a code for receiving designation of a volume, to which the attribute to the effect that data can be referred to but cannot be updated is added, among volumes in the first storage; and

a code for outputting a notice to the effect that the attribute to the effect that data can be referred to but cannot be updated cannot be added to the designated volume in the case in which the designated volume is set as the secondary volume.

17. A computer program product of claim 16, further comprising:

a code for adding the attribute to the effect that data can be referred to but cannot be updated to the secondary volume, which is a copy destination of data stored in the designated volume, in the case in which the volume designated as a volume to which the attribute to the effect that data can be referred to but cannot be updated is added is a volume set as the primary volume.

18. A system comprising:

a management terminal;

a first storage system that includes a first storage and a first control apparatus for controlling the first storage; and

a second storage system that includes a second storage and a second control apparatus for controlling the second storage,

wherein the first storage system and the second storage system are connected,

each of the first storage and the second storage includes a volume to which one of an attribute to the effect that data can be referred to and can be updated and an attribute to the effect that data can be referred to but cannot be updated is added,

the management terminal designates a primary volume in the first control apparatus and designates a secondary volume, in which a copy of data to be stored in the primary volume is stored, in the second control apparatus, and

the first control apparatus judges whether the attribute to the effect that data can be referred to and can be updated or the attribute to the effect that data can be referred to but cannot be updated is added to the volume designated as the primary volume, and if the volume designated as the primary volume is a volume of the attribute to the effect that data can be referred to but cannot be updated, the first control apparatus instructs the second control apparatus to add the attribute to the effect that data can be referred to but cannot be updated to the volume designated as the secondary volume.

19. A system of claim 18,

wherein the second control apparatus judges whether the attribute to the effect that data can be referred to and can be updated or the attribute to the effect that data can be referred to but cannot be updated is added to the volume designated as the secondary volume, and if the volume designated as the secondary volume is a volume to which the attribute to the effect that data can be referred to but cannot be updated is added, the second control apparatus notifies the management terminal that designation of the volume as the secondary volume cannot be accepted.

20. A system of claim 18,

wherein the management terminal designates a volume, to which the attribute to the effect that data can be referred to but cannot be updated, among volumes in the first storage, and

the first control apparatus notifies the management terminal that the designation cannot be accepted in the case in which the designated volume is the secondary volume, and instructs the second control apparatus to add the attribute to the effect that data can be referred to but cannot be updated to the secondary volume, which is a copy destination of data to be stored in the designated volume, in the case in which the designated volume is the primary volume.