Data processing system

• US 20060047906A1
• Filed: 10/25/2004
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Umemura, Shoko
• Granted Patent: US 7,139,888 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/114
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2069 Management of state, configuration or failover
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2071 using a plurality of controllers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• 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 3/0632 by initialisation or re-initialisation of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0635 by changing the path, e.g. traffic rerouting, path reconfiguration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/065 Replication mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0659 Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling
• 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]

Abstract

This invention provides a control technique of a data processing system, in which functions of a highly-functional high-performance storage system are achieved in an inexpensive storage system so as to effectively use the existing system and reduce the cost of its entire system. This system has a RAID system, an external subsystem, a management server, a management client and the like. The management server includes an information management table for storing mapping information of the RAID system and the external subsystem. When performing copy process, the pair creation in which a logical volume of the RAID system is set as a primary volume of copy source and a logical volume of a mapping object of the RAID system mapped from the logical volume of the external subsystem is set as a secondary volume of copy destination is executed from the management client by using the information management table.

Claims

1. A data processing system, comprising:

a first storage system;

a second storage system;

a host system for executing data I/O with said first storage system; and

a management unit for controlling said first storage system and said second storage system, said components being communicably connected among one another through a network,

wherein said first storage system has first storage devices and a first logical volume which is set in said first storage devices, said first storage system further including a second logical volume,

said second storage system has second storage devices and a third logical volume which is set in said second storage devices and mapped in said second logical volume of said first storage system, and

said management unit includes;

an information management table which fetches configuration information of said first storage system and configuration information of said second storage system and stores mapping information of said second logical volume of said first storage system and said third logical volume of said second storage system; and

pair creating means for executing the pair creation when performing copy process, in which said first logical volume of said first storage system is set as a primary volume of copy source and said second logical volume of said first storage system mapped from said third logical volume of said second storage system is set as a secondary volume of copy destination by using said information management table.

2. The data processing system according to claim 1,

wherein said first storage system has an external storage connecting function for connecting to said second storage system.

3. The data processing system according to claim 2,

wherein said management unit has a management client,

a management server, and a management agent each having management means for controlling a control device for issuing a command to said first storage system.

4. The data processing system according to claim 3,

wherein, when establishing a backup operating system, said management unit executes a discovery process for said first storage system by means of said management means, a setting process of a logical volume provided by said external storage connecting function with using said management means, a pair creation process in which said first logical volume loaded on said first storage system is set as a primary volume and said second logical volume loaded on said first storage system mapped from said second storage system is set as a secondary volume by using said management means, and a confirmation process for the pair creation with using the GUI of said management client.

5. The data processing system according to claim 4,

wherein, in the discovery process of said first storage system by said management means, said management client requests said management server to detect said first storage system, and said management server detects said first storage system with using RAID management means, stores its information in database of said management server, notifies said management client of registration of said first storage system, and thus completes detection of said first storage system by said management means.

6. The data processing system according to claim 4,

wherein, in the setting process of a logical volume provided by said external storage connecting function with using said management means, a port of said first storage system is set at an external port by using a storage navigator of said first storage system of said management means in order to allow said first storage system to use said external storage connecting function;

said second storage system is set by using said management means in order to allow said first storage system to discover an external logical volume;

the external logical volume is discovered by using said storage navigator in order to allow said first storage system to recognize the external logical volume; and

the external logical volume is mapped in an internal logical volume by using said storage navigator in order to allow the discovered external logical volume to be available in said first storage system.

7. The data processing system according to claim 6,

wherein, in the setting of said second storage system by using said management means, port attribute of said second storage system to be connected to said external port is changed and a storage is added by selecting said changed port, and

in the mapping of said external logical volume to an internal logical volume, an external logical volume group is determined, an 10 suppression mode is determined, and an emulation type is set.

8. The data processing system according to claim 4,

wherein, in the pair creation process in which said first logical volume loaded on said first storage system is set as a primary volume and said second logical volume loaded on said first storage system mapped from said second storage system is set as a secondary volume by using said management means, a storage system to be a primary volume is selected by using the GUI of said management means;

a copy type relating to this selected primary volume is selected while said second storage system used as a secondary volume is selected;

said management server instructs said management agent to create a pair after said primary volume and said secondary volume are determined;

said management agent issues a pair creation command to the RAID management means; and

a command line interface command for pair creation is thrown to said first storage system by said RAID management means, thereby executing the pair creation.

9. The data processing system according to claim 8,

wherein, in said selection about the primary volume, said first storage system is selected as an object for the primary volume and the primary volume is selected in an identification screen of internal/external logical volume, and

in the selection of said second storage system, external logical volumes which are not allocated yet and can be allocated depending on the size and emulation type are displayed, in which a less expensive logical volume is sensed and displayed by priority, a secondary volume for the pair creation is selected, and the detailed information of said second storage system is confirmed.

10. The data processing system according to claim 4,

wherein, in the confirmation process for the pair creation using the GUI of said management client, said management server acquires information from said first storage system or acquires information obtained by the RAID management means through said management agent to recognize it as copy pair information, and the information of said management server is delivered to said management client to recognize the pair creation through the GUI of said management client.

11. A data processing system, comprising:

a first storage system;

a second storage system;

a third storage system;

a host system for executing data I/O with said first storage system and said third storage system; and

a management unit for controlling said first storage system, said second storage system, and said third storage system, said components being communicably connected among one another through a network,

wherein said first storage system has first storage devices and a second logical volume,

said second storage system has second storage devices and a third logical volume set in said second storage devices and mapped in said second logical volume of said first storage system,

said third storage system has third storage devices and a first logical volume set in said third storage devices, and

said management unit includes;

an information management table which fetches configuration information of said first storage system, configuration information of said second storage system and configuration information of said third storage system and stores mapping information of said second logical volume of said first storage system and said third logical volume of said second storage system; and

pair creating means for executing the pair creation when performing copy process, in which said first logical volume of said third storage system is set as a primary volume of copy source and said second logical volume of said first storage system mapped from said third logical volume of said second storage system is set as a secondary volume of copy destination by using said information management table.

12. The data processing system according to claim 11,

wherein said first storage system has an external storage connecting function for connecting to said second storage system.

13. The data processing system according to claim 12,

wherein said management unit has a management client,

a management server, and a management agent each having management means for controlling a control device for issuing a command to said first storage system.

14. The data processing system according to claim 13,

wherein, when establishing a backup operating system, said management unit executes a discovery process for said first storage system by means of said management means, a setting process of a logical volume provided by said external storage connecting function with using said management means, a pair creation process in which said first logical volume loaded on said third storage system is set as a primary volume and said second logical volume loaded on said first storage system mapped from said second storage system is set as a secondary volume by using said management means, and a confirmation process for the pair creation with using the GUI of said management client.

15. The data processing system according to claim 14,

wherein, in the discovery process of said first storage system by said management means, said management client requests said management server to detect said first storage system,

and said management server detects said first storage system with using RAID management means, stores its information in database of said management server, notifies said management client of registration of said first storage system, and thus completes detection of said first storage system by said management means.

16. The data processing system according to claim 14,

wherein, in the setting process of a logical volume provided by said external storage connecting function with using said management means, a port of said first storage system is set at an external port by using a storage navigator of said first storage system of said management means in order to allow said first storage system to use said external storage connecting function;

said second storage system is set by using said management means in order to allow said first storage system to discover an external logical volume;

the external logical volume is discovered by using said storage navigator in order to allow said first storage system to recognize the external logical volume; and

the external logical volume is mapped in an internal logical volume by using said storage navigator in order to allow the discovered external logical volume to be available in said first storage system.

17. The data processing system according to claim 16,

wherein, in the setting of said second storage system by using said management means, port attribute of said second storage system to be connected to said external port is changed and a storage is added by selecting said changed port, and

in the mapping of said external logical volume to an internal logical volume, an external logical volume group is determined, an 10 suppression mode is determined, and an emulation type is set.

18. The data processing system according to claim 14,

wherein, in the pair creation process in which said first logical volume loaded on said third storage system is set as a primary volume and said second logical volume loaded on said first storage system mapped from said second storage system is set as a secondary volume by using said management means, a storage system to be a primary volume is selected by using the GUI of said management means;

a copy type relating to this selected primary volume is selected while said second storage system used as a secondary volume is selected;

said management server instructs said management agent to create a pair after said primary volume and said secondary volume are determined;

said management agent issues a pair creation command to the RAID management means; and

a command line interface command for pair creation is thrown to said first storage system by said RAID management means, thereby executing the pair creation.

19. The data processing system according to claim 18,

wherein, in said selection about the primary volume, said first storage system is selected as an object for the primary volume and the primary volume is selected in an identification screen of internal/external logical volume, and

in the selection of said second storage system, external logical volumes which are not allocated yet and can be allocated depending on the size and emulation type are displayed, in which a less expensive logical volume is sensed and displayed by priority, a secondary volume for the pair creation is selected, and the detailed information of said second storage system is confirmed.

20. The data processing system according to claim 14,

wherein, in the confirmation process for the pair creation using the GUI of said management client, said management server acquires information from said first storage system or acquires information capable of being obtained by the RAID management means through said management agent to recognize it as copy pair information, and the information of said management server is delivered to said management client to recognize the pair creation through the GUI of said management client.