System and method for accessing an offline storage unit through an online storage unit

• US 20060143381A1
• Filed: 02/21/2006
• Published: 06/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Akihiro Mori, Kiyohisa Miyamoto, Masashi Kimura
• Original Assignee: Akihiro Mori, Kiyohisa Miyamoto, Masashi Kimura
• Inventors: Mori, Akihiro, Kimura, Masashi, Miyamoto, Kiyohisa
• Granted Patent: US 7,366,870 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/114
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0604 Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. storage management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0617 in relation to availability
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0634 by changing the state or mode of one or more devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/065 Replication mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD

Abstract

By the same method as that of making data access to a data storage area in an online state, it is performed to access a data storage area other than the data storage area. A plurality of logical volumes carried by a disk array apparatus includes an online volume that is in an online state to a host and an offline state that is in an offline state to the host. The host transmits an access command including target information designating a target volume to the disk array apparatus as an access command to a starting volume other than the target volume. The disk array apparatus receives the access command to the starting volume and offers the data access to the target volume on the basis of the target information carried by that access command to the host.

Claims

1. A data access system having a storage system and a host device that is connected to said storage system with allowed for communication thereto;

wherein said storage system comprises physical or logical plural data storage areas including an online storage area that is in an online state to said host device; and

an access control means enabling said host device to access a target storage area, which is a data storage area other than said online storage area and is a target that said host device wants to access, through said desired or predetermined online storage area.