Storage system and data processing system

• US 20060031647A1
• Filed: 09/30/2004
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Hirakawa, Yusuke, Asaka, Yoshihiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,159,088 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/162
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2069 Management of state, configuration or failover
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2074 Asynchronous techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2082 Data synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2003/0697 device management, e.g. handlers, drivers, I/O schedulers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/855 Details of asynchronous mirroring using a journal to transfer not-yet-mirrored changes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0601 Interfaces specially adapted for storage systems

Abstract

A storage system comprises a data set storage region or storing a data set containing data and update data for managing this data, and a control section. The data set storage region is divided into a plurality of storage regions including a first storage region and a second storage region. The control section generates a first data set containing first data and first update data which is update data for same, stores at least the first data of this first data set in the first storage region, generates a second data set containing second data and second update data which is update data for same, and stores at least the second data of this second data set in the second storage region, which is separate from the first storage region.

Claims

1. A storage system connected to another storage system storing received data, comprising:

a data set storage region for storing a data set containing data and update data for managing said data; and

a control section for generating said data set containing said update data for managing the data, storing said generated data set in said data set storage region, and sending a data set in said data set storage region to said other storage system,

wherein said data set storage region is divided into a plurality of storage regions including a first storage region and a second storage region;

said data comprises first data and second data; and

said control section generates a first data set containing said first data and first update data that is update data for said first data;

stores at least said first data of said generated first data set in said first storage region;

generates a second data set containing said second data and second update data that is update data for said second data; and

stores at least said second data of said generated second data set in said second storage region that is a separate storage region from said first storage region.

2. The storage system according to claim 1,

wherein each of said plurality of storage regions is divided into an update data sub-region for storing the update data of said data set, and a data sub-region for storing said data of said data set;

and

said control section stores said first data in said data sub-region of the first storage region, and stores said second data in said data sub-region of said second storage region.

3. The storage system according to claim 2,

wherein the second data contained in said second data set is data stored subsequently to the first data contained in said first data set.

4. The storage system according to claim 1,

wherein said other storage system generates a data set read command for reading out said data set, and sends the data set read command thus generated and a region identification code for identifying each of said plurality of storage regions, to said storage system;

and

said control section receives said data set read command and said region identification code from said other storage system, reads out update data from said plurality of storage regions in response to said data set read command, further reads out data corresponding to said update data from the storage region corresponding to the received region identification code, of said plurality of storage regions, and sends the data set composed of the update data and the data thus read out, to said other storage system.

5. The storage system according to claim 1,

wherein said storage system further comprises:

a volume set constituted by one or a plurality of logical volumes for storing said data sets;

said volume set is divided into a plurality of sub volume regions;

each of said plurality of storage regions is a sub volume region; and

each of said plurality of sub volume regions extends over one or a plurality of logical volumes.

6. The storage system according to claim 5,

wherein each of said one or plurality of logical volumes is divided into an update data region for storing the update data of said data sets, and a data region for storing said data of said data sets;

at least said data region of said update data region and said data region is divided into a plurality of sub data regions; and

if there is one said logical volume, then each of said plurality of sub volume regions is a sub data region, whereas if there is a plurality of said logical volumes, then each of said plurality of sub volume regions is a sub data region group constituted by a group of a plurality of sub data regions respectively provided in said plurality of logical volumes.

7. The storage system according to claim 6,

wherein said control section changes the storage destination for the data contained in said data set, for each sub volume region.

8. The storage system according to claim 5,

wherein the number of said sub volume regions is equal to or greater than the number of said logical volumes.

9. The storage system according to claim 1,

wherein said other storage system generates a data set read command for reading out said data set and sends same to said storage system;

and

said control section receives said data set read command from said other storage system, reads out a plurality of data sets from said data set storage region in response to said data set read command, and sends same to said other storage system.

10. The storage system according to claim 9,

wherein said control section reads out a plurality of data from consecutive regions of said data set storage region;

reads outs a plurality of update data corresponding respectively to said plurality of data, from said data set storage region;

generates said plurality of data sets comprising the plurality of data and the plurality of update data thus read out, and sends same to said other storage system.

11. The storage system according to claim 1,

wherein said storage system further comprises a cache memory for temporarily storing data sets exchanged between said other storage system and said data set storage region;

said other storage system generates a data set read command for reading out said data set and sends same to said storage system; and

said control section receives said data set read command from said other storage system, reads out a data set from said data set storage region to said cache memory, in response to said data set read command, sends the data set read out to said cache memory to said other storage system, reads out a data set from said data set storage region to said cache memory before receiving the next data set read command, and sends the data set stored in said cache memory to said other storage system, when said next data set read command is received.

12. The storage system according to claim 1,

wherein said other storage system comprises a secondary logical volume;

and

said storage system further comprises;

a primary logical volume for storing data, forming a pair with said secondary logical volume and provided with a plurality of sub-regions;

and a differential information storage region for storing differential information relating to said primary logical volume;

said differential information includes a set value indicating whether or not there is a difference between said primary logical volume and said secondary logical volume, with respect to data stored in each of said plurality of sub-regions in said primary logical volume; and

said control section refers to said differential information, and does not create said data set for particular data, if the set value corresponding to said particular data indicates that there is no difference.

13. A data processing system, comprising:

a first storage system for storing data;

a second storage system connected to said first storage system, for receiving and storing data from said first storage system;

wherein said first storage system comprises;

a data set storage region for storing a data set containing said data and update data for managing said data; and

a control section for generating said data set containing update data for managing said data, storing said generated data set in said data set storage region, and sending a data set in said data set storage region to said second storage system;

said data set storage region is divided into a plurality of storage regions including a first storage region and a second storage region;

said data is constituted by first data and second data; and

said control section;

generates a first data set containing said first data and first update data, being update data for said first data;

stores at least said first data of said generated first data set in said first storage region;

generates a second data set containing said second data and second update data that is update data for said second data; and

stores at least said second data of said generated second data set in said second storage region that is a separate storage region from said first storage region.

14. A data processing method implemented by a data processing system comprising a first storage system for storing data, and a second storage system connected to said first storage system, for receiving and storing data from said first storage system, comprising:

a step whereby said first storage system generates a first data set containing first data and first update data that is update data for said first data;

a step whereby said first storage system stores at least said first data of said generated first data set, in a first storage region of a plurality of storage regions constituting a data storage region;

a step whereby said first storage system generates a second data set containing second data and second update data that is update data for said second data;

a step whereby said first storage system stores at least said second data of said generated second data set in a second storage region that is a separate storage region from said first storage region and contained in said plurality of storage regions;

a step whereby said first storage system sends a first data set in said first storage region and a second data set in said second storage region, to the second storage system; and

a step whereby said second storage system receives said first data set and said second data set from said first storage system, and stores said first data set and second data set thus received, in a data set storage region.