Computer system, storage device and computer software and data migration method

• US 20060221721A1
• Filed: 05/19/2005
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Masayuki, Kaneda, Yasunori, Taguchi, Yuichi, Tanaka, Toru
• Application Number:
  US11/133,771
• Publication Number:
  US 20060221721A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 365/189.50
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1443 Transmit or communication errors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1469 Backup restoration techniques

Abstract

To provide a data copy capability of copying data between storage devices while maintaining the data integrity even if the copy process is interrupted in a hierarchical connection arrangement of storage devices.

A computer system includes a computer 100 and a plurality of storage devices 140, 160 connected to the computer 100 via a network, in which one storage device 140 has a first storage area 151, allows the computer 100 to access a second storage area 170 in one or more other storage devices 160 via the storage device 140, allocates the first storage area for copy of data from the second storage area 170 and copies data from the second storage area 170 into a first storage area 150.

Claims

1. A computer system, comprising:

a computer; and

a plurality of storage devices connected to the computer via a network,

wherein one of the storage devices has a first storage area, allows said computer to access a second storage area in one or more other storage devices via itself, allocates the first storage area for copy of data from said second storage area and copies data from said second storage area into said first storage area.

2. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein said one storage device saves data written by said computer during data copying from said second storage area into said first storage area only in said first storage area.

3. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein said one storage device has a disk unit and a memory storing a data processing program, a configuration managing program, a migration-destination storage device configuration program, an allocation controlling program, an allocation configuration program, a failure managing program and a copy status managing table, assumes a virtual volume in itself as a copy-source volume in the storage device having said second storage area to said computer, and copies data from the virtual volume to a copy-destination volume.

4. A storage device connected to a computer via a network along with other storage devices,

wherein the storage device has a first storage area, allows said computer to access a second storage area in one or more of said other storage devices via itself, allocates the first storage area for copy of data from said second storage area and copies the data from said second storage area into said first storage area.

5. The storage device according to claim 4, wherein data written by said computer during data copying from said second storage area into said first storage area is saved only in said first storage area.

6. The storage device according to claim 4, wherein the data written by said computer to said first storage area during data copying from said second storage area of said second storage device into said first storage area is capable of being separately extracted from said first storage area.

7. The storage device according to claim 4, wherein, when data copying from the second storage area of said second storage device into said first storage area is interrupted, the extracted data written by said computer during copying is capable of being written to the second storage area.

8. Computer software stored in a storage device according to claim 4, wherein the computer software comprises a program that is executed by said storage device to allow a computer to use data in a second storage area that is not completely copied when data copying from the second storage area into a first storage area is interrupted.

9. The computer software according to claim 8, wherein said first storage area and said second storage area are each comprised of a plurality of storage sub-areas, a plurality of copy processings are performed from said second storage area into said first storage area, and the computer software comprises a program that is executed by said storage device to allow said computer to use data in the plurality of storage sub-areas in said second storage area when one or more of the plurality of copy processings are interrupted.

10. The computer software according to claim 8, wherein the computer software is comprised of a program that is executed by said storage device to allow said computer to use data in a sub-area of the first storage area if the data copying into the sub-area is completed or to use data in a sub-area of the second storage area if the data copying into the sub-area of the first storage device corresponding to the sub-area of the second storage area is not completed, when one or more of said plurality of copy processings are interrupted,

11. A data migration method in a computer system having a computer, a first storage device connected to the computer and a second storage device connected to the first storage device, the computer, the first storage device and the second storage device being interconnected via a network,

wherein said first storage device has a first storage area, allows said computer to access a second storage area in said second storage device via itself, allocates the first storage area for copy of data from said second storage area and copies data from said second storage area into said first storage area.