Data processing system including storage systems

• US 20060174076A1
• Filed: 03/30/2006
• Published: 08/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Suzuki, Katsuyoshi, Asaka, Yoshihiro, Shirogane, Tetsuya, Takeda, Takahiko, Yamagami, Kenji
• Granted Patent: US 7,418,565 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/162
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2066 Optimisation of the communication load
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2071 using a plurality of controllers
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

A data processing system includes a first storage system including a first host and a first storage subsystem. The first host has access to a first copy manager that is operable to manage a data replication operation. A second storage system includes a second host and a second storage subsystem. The second host has access to a second copy manager that is operable to manage a data replication operation. A first communication link is coupled to the first storage system and the second storage system to exchange management information between the first and second storage systems in order to manage the data replication operation. A data transfer path is configured to transfer data stored in the first storage subsystem to the second storage subsystem and replicate the data of the first storage subsystem in the second storage subsystem. The data transfer path is different from the first communication link.

Claims

1. A remote copy system comprising:

a primary system having a primary host and a primary disk array system, wherein the primary disk array system has a primary controller and primary disks, in which a primary volume for storing data written from the primary host and a primary storage area for storing data of the primary volume and management information related to the data are configured;

a secondary system having a secondary host and a secondary disk array system, wherein the secondary disk array system has a secondary controller and secondary disks, in which a secondary volume for storing a copy of data of the primary volume is configured;

a first external storage device coupled to the primary host; and

a second external storage device coupled to the first external storage device and the secondary host,

wherein the primary controller is configured to receive data written from the primary host, store the data in the primary volume, and store the data and the management information related to the data in the primary storage area,

wherein the primary host is configured to read the data and the management information related to the data from the primary storage area, and controls to store the data and the management information related to the data to the first external storage device,

wherein the data and the management information related to the data, which are stored in the first external storage device, are transmitted to the second external storage device,

wherein the secondary host is configured to read the data and the management information related to the data from the second external storage device, and write the data to the secondary volume by using the management information related to the data.

2. A remote copy system according to claim 1,

wherein address information used for transmission of the data and the management information related to the data from the first external storage device to the second external storage device is exchanged between the primary host and the secondary host via a communication link between the primary host and the secondary host.

3. A remote copy system according to claim 1,

wherein a completion report of transmission of the data and the management information related to the data from the first external storage device to the second external storage device is exchanged between the primary host and the secondary host via a communication link between the primary host and the secondary host.

4. A remote copy system according to claim 1,

wherein the management information related to the data includes a timestamp, and the secondary controller is configured to write the data, whose timestamp indicates a time before a predetermined time, to the secondary volume.

5. A remote copy system according to claim 4,

wherein the secondary host is configured to write the data in order of the timestamp included in the management information related to the data.