Hierarchical storage system, and control method and program therefor

• US 20070078901A1
• Filed: 12/13/2005
• Published: 04/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Takatsu, Kazuma, Satou, Akira, Sakai, Motohiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,587,427 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0632 by initialisation or re-initialisation of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0685 Hybrid storage combining heterogeneous device types, e.g. hierarchical storage, hybrid arrays

Abstract

At power-on again, a restore processing unit restores block information tables from a primary storage to a volatile memory. After classifying the block information tables into group-specific links of a plurality of time zones, a first sort processing unit connects the group-specific links to form a group classification link. Then, a second sort processing unit sequentially retrieves the block information tables of the group classification link from the earliest time stamp side for insertion in a position so as to achieve a time-stamp ascending order, thereby reconfiguring the links.

Claims

1. A hierarchical storage system including:

a hierarchical storage unit formed of a primary storage using a high-speed, small-capacity storage apparatus and a secondary storage using a low-speed, large-capacity storage apparatus, with the primary storage being used as a cache apparatus of the secondary storage,

a block information table managing unit that generates, when a data block is written in the primary storage, a block information table on a volatile memory for management, the block information table having stored therein a time stamp, and writes block information tables on the volatile memory in the primary storage in each predetermined timing for storage;

a link managing unit that generates, when the block information table is generated, a link on the volatile memory, the link having the block information table inserted in a position so as to achieve a time-stamp order and connected by pointers, and generates a link table having stored therein the pointers for management on the volatile memory; and

an input/output processing unit that performs an input/output process of the hierarchical storage unit based on a mapping check upon reception of an input/output request of a data block from a higher-level apparatus, the hierarchical storage system comprising;

a restore processing unit that restores the block information tables from the primary storage to the volatile memory at power-on again;

a first sort processing unit that classifies the restored block information tables into group-specific links of a plurality of time zones and then forms a group classification link by connecting group-specific links in temporal order; and

a second sort processing unit that sequentially retrieves the block information tables of the group-specific links from an earliest time stamp side for insertion in a position so as to achieve a time-stamp ascending order to reconfigure the link.

2. The hierarchical storage system according to claim 1, wherein the link managing unit generates the link table corresponding to each block information table when the block information table is restored by the restore processing unit to the volatile memory, and

stores the pointers connecting the link in the link table when a link is formed by the first sort processing unit and the second sort processing unit.

3. The hierarchical storage system according to claim 1, wherein

the first sort processing unit

generates a plurality of group-specific links by dividing a time period from an earliest time stamp to a latest time stamp obtained through a search from the restored block information tables into a predetermined number of time zones,

retrieves one of the block information tables in address order and inserts the block information table in one of the group-specific links to which a time stamp belongs for connection in address order, and

connects the group-specific links in temporal order after grouping to form the group classification link.

4. The hierarchical storage system according to claim 1, wherein

for a connection change process of inserting a process target table in an arrayed link at a position so as to achieve a time-stamp order, with an LRU side of the link being taken as a front and an MRU side of the link being taken as a back, the second sort processing unit

sets in advance eight connection change process cases based on combinations of three conditions of:

a first condition indicating whether a pre-insert-position table (A) is present;

a second condition indicating whether the process target table (Y) has a post-target-position table (Z); and

a third condition indicating whether a post-insert-position table (B) and the process target table (Y) are adjacent to each other, and

every time a process target table is extracted, determines three conditions to select relevant one of the connection change process cases and perform the connection change process.

5. The hierarchical storage system according to claim 4, wherein

in a first case where, as the three conditions, a pre-insert-position table (A) is present, the process target table (Y) has a post-target-position table (Z), and further a post-insert-position table (B) and the process target table (Y) are not adjacent to each other, the second sort processing unit

changes an indication of a back pointer of the pre-insert-position table (A) to the process target table (Y),

changes an indication of a front pointer of the post-insert-position table (B) to the process target table (Y),

changes an indication of a back pointer of a pre-process-target-position table (X) to the post-target-position table (Z), and

further changes an indication of a front pointer of the process target table (Y) to the pre-insert-position table (A) and an indication of a back pointer thereof to the post-insert-position table (B).

6. The hierarchical storage system according to claim 4, wherein

in a second case where, as the three conditions, a pre-insert-position table (A) is present, the process target table (Y) has a post-target-position table (Z), and further a post-insert-position table (B) and the process target table (Y) are adjacent to each other, the second sort processing unit

changes an indication of a back pointer of the pre-insert-position table (A) to the process target table (Y),

changes an indication of a front pointer of the post-insert-position table (B) to the process target table (Y) and an indication of a back pointer thereof to the post-target-position table (Z),

changes an indication of a front pointer of the process target table (Y) to the pre-insert-position table (A) and an indication of a back pointer thereof to the post-insert-position table (B), and

further changes an indication of a back pointer of the post-target-position (Z) to the post-insert-position table (B).

7. The hierarchical storage system according to claim 4, wherein

in a third case where, as the three conditions, a pre-insert-position table (A) is present, the process target table (Y) does not have a post-target-position table (Z), and further a post-insert-position table (B) and the process target table (Y) are not adjacent to each other, the second sort processing unit

changes an indication of a back pointer of the pre-insert-position table (A) to the process target table (Y),

changes an indication of a front pointer of the post-insert-position table (B) to the process target table (Y),

changes an indication of a back pointer of a pre-target-position table (X) to a link rear end (NULL), and

further changes an indication of a front pointer of the process target table (Y) to the pre-insert-position table (A) and an indication of a back pointer thereof to the post-insert-position table (B).

8. The hierarchical storage system according to claim 1, wherein the processes of the restore processing unit, the first sort processing unit, and the second sort processing unit are sequentially performed during an initialization process from a power-on again until the input/output process is performed.

9. The hierarchical storage system according to claim 1, wherein when the link reconfiguration is not completed until the input/output process starts, the second sort processing unit repeats processes of suspending a sort process at the start of the input/output process, resuming the sort process at every predetermined time after the start of the input/output process, and then suspending the sort process after a predetermined time.

10. The hierarchical storage system according to claim 1, wherein the link generated and managed by the link managing unit is any one of:

a hit link connecting, in time-stamp order, block information tables of synchronized data blocks residing both in the primary storage and the secondary storage;

a dirty link connecting, in time-stamp order, block information tables of data blocks residing in the primary storage but not residing in the secondary storage or data blocks residing therein but are not synchronized;

or

an LRU link connecting, in time-stamp order, block information tables of all data blocks residing in the primary storage.

11. A link sort apparatus comprising:

a first sort processing unit that classifies a plurality of information tables each having a time stamp randomly stored on a memory into group-specific links of a plurality of time zones and then connects the group-specific links in time-stamp order to form a group classification link; and

a second sort processing unit that sequentially retrieves the information tables of the group classification link from an earliest time stamp side for insertion in a position so as to achieve a time-stamp ascending order to configure a link.

12. The link sort apparatus according to claim 11, wherein

the first sort processing unit

generates a plurality of group-specific links by dividing a time period from an earliest time stamp to a latest time stamp obtained through a search from the restored block information tables into a predetermined number of time zones,

retrieves one of the information tables in address order and inserts the block information table in one of the group-specific links to which a time stamp belongs for connection in address order, and

connects the group-specific links in temporal order after grouping to form the group classification link.

13. A method of controlling a hierarchical storage system including:

a hierarchical storage unit formed of a primary storage using a high-speed, small-capacity storage apparatus and a secondary storage using a low-speed, large-capacity storage apparatus, with the primary storage being used as a cache apparatus of the secondary storage,

a block information table managing unit that generates, when a data block is written in the primary storage, a block information table on a volatile memory for management, the block information table having stored therein a time stamp, and writes a group of block information tables on the volatile memory in the primary storage in each predetermined timing for storage;

a link managing unit that generates, when the block information table is generated, a link on the volatile memory, the link having the block information table inserted in a position so as to achieve a time-stamp order and connected by pointers, and generates a link table having stored therein the pointers for management on the volatile memory; and

an input/output processing unit that performs an input/output process of the hierarchical storage unit based on a mapping check upon reception of an input/output request of a data block from a higher-level apparatus, the method comprising;

a restore processing step of restoring the block information tables from the primary storage to the volatile memory at power-on again;

a first sort processing step of classifying the restored block information tables into group-specific links of a plurality of time zones and then forming a group classification link by connecting group-specific links in temporal order; and

a second sort processing step of sequentially retrieving block information tables of the group-specific links from an earliest time stamp side for insertion in a position so as to achieve a time-stamp ascending order to reconfigure the link.

14. The method of controlling the hierarchical storage system according to claim 13, wherein

in the first sort processing step,

a plurality of group-specific links are generated by dividing a time period from an earliest time stamp to a latest time stamp obtained through a search from the restored block information tables into a predetermined number of time zones,

one of the block information tables is retrieved in address order and inserted in one of the group-specific links to which a time stamp belongs for connection in address order, and

the group-specific links are connected in temporal order after grouping to form the group classification link.

15. A link sort method comprising:

a first sort processing step of classifying a plurality of information tables each having a time stamp randomly stored on a memory into group-specific links of a plurality of time zones and then connecting the group-specific links in time-stamp order to form a group classification link; and

a second sort processing step of sequentially retrieving the information tables of the group classification link from an earliest time stamp side for insertion in a position so as to achieve a time-stamp ascending order to configure a link.

16. The link sort method according to claim 15, wherein

in the first sort processing step,

a plurality of group-specific links are generated by dividing a time period from an earliest time stamp to a latest time stamp obtained through a search from the restored information tables into a predetermined number of time zones,

one of the information tables is retrieved in address order and inserted in one of the group-specific links to which a time stamp belongs for connection in address order, and

the group-specific links are connected in temporal order after grouping to form the group classification link.

17. A computer-readable storage medium which stores a hierarchical storage program that causes a computer of a hierarchical storage system including:

a hierarchical storage unit formed of a primary storage using a high-speed, small-capacity storage apparatus and a secondary storage using a low-speed, large-capacity storage apparatus, with the primary storage being used as a cache apparatus of the secondary storage,

a block information table managing unit that generates, when a data block is written in the primary storage, a block information table on a volatile memory for management, the block information table having stored therein a time stamp, and writes a group of block information tables on the volatile memory in the primary storage in each predetermined timing for storage;

a link managing unit that generates, when the block information table is generated, a link on the volatile memory, the link having the block information table inserted in a position so as to achieve a time-stamp order and connected by pointers, and generates a link table having stored therein the pointers for management on the volatile memory; and

an input/output processing unit that performs an input/output process of the hierarchical storage unit based on a mapping check upon reception of an input/output request of a data block from a higher-level apparatus, the program causing the computer to execute steps comprising;

a restore processing step of restoring the block information tables from the primary storage to the volatile memory at power-on again;

a first sort processing step of classifying the restored block information tables into groups of a plurality of time zones and then forming a group classification link by connecting the groups in temporal order; and

a second sort processing step of sequentially retrieving block information tables of the group-specific links from an earliest time stamp side for insertion in a position so as to achieve a time-stamp ascending order to reconfigure the link.

18. The storage medium according to claim 17, wherein

in the first sort processing step,

a plurality of group-specific links are generated by dividing a time period from an earliest time stamp to a latest time stamp obtained through a search from the restored block information tables into a predetermined number of time zones,

one of the block information tables is retrieved in address order and inserted in one of the group-specific links to which a time stamp belongs for connection in address order, and

the group-specific links are connected in temporal order after grouping to form the group classification link.

19. A computer-readable storage medium which stores a program that causes a computer to execute steps comprising:

a first sort processing step of classifying a plurality of information tables each having a time stamp randomly stored on a memory into group-specific links of a plurality of time zones and then connecting the group-specific links in time-stamp order to form a group classification link; and

a second sort processing step of sequentially retrieving the block information tables (the information tables) of the group classification link from an earliest time stamp side for insertion in a position so as to achieve a time-stamp ascending order to configure a link.