Storage system and management method thereof

• US 20070124551A1
• Filed: 01/27/2006
• Published: 05/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Taninaka, Dai
• Granted Patent: US 7,716,440 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/161
• 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 3/0626 Reducing size or complexity of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0659 Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0664 at device level, e.g. emulation of a storage device or system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

This storage system has a first disk array device for providing a first volume that stores data transmitted from a host system, a second disk array device for providing a second volume that is virtualized with the first disk array device, and a management terminal for managing the first disk array device; wherein the first disk array device includes a first management unit for managing volume information of the virtualized volume that was virtualized in the first disk array device by being mapped with the second volume; and a first transmission unit for transmitting, based on an external operation, the volume information of the virtualized volume managed with the first management unit to the management terminal; and wherein the management terminal includes a second management unit for managing the volume information of the virtualized volume transmitted from the first transmission unit.

Claims

1. A storage system having a first disk array device for providing a first volume that stores data transmitted from a host system, a second disk array device for providing a second volume that is virtualized with said first disk array device, and a management terminal for managing said first disk array device;

wherein said first disk array device comprises a first management unit for managing volume information of the virtualized volume that was virtualized in said first disk array device by being mapped with said second volume; and

a first transmission unit for transmitting, based on an external operation the volume information of said virtualized volume managed with said first management unit to said management terminal; and

wherein said management terminal comprises a second management unit for managing the volume information of said virtualized volume transmitted from said first transmission unit.

2. The storage system according to claim 1, wherein said first disk array device comprises a migration unit for migrating data of said first volume set in an expensive physical device to a second volume set in an inexpensive physical device;

wherein said migration unit migrates the data of said first volume to said second volume upon the lapse of a first period;

wherein said first management unit manages the volume information of said virtualized volume corresponding to said second volume to which data was migrated with said migration unit; and

wherein said first transmission unit transmits the volume information of said virtualized volume to said management terminal upon the lapse of a second period.

3. The storage system according to claim 1, wherein said first transmission unit transmits, among the volume information of said virtualized volume, positional information of said second disk array device set with said second volume mapped to said virtualized volume and positional information of a physical device of said second disk array device to said management terminal;

and

wherein said second management unit manages the positional volume of said virtualized volume transmitted from said first transmission unit.

4. The storage system according to claim 3, wherein said first disk array device comprises a connection status confirmation unit for confirming the connection status of said second volume mapped to said virtualized volume managed with said first management unit, and said first disk array device;

and

wherein said first management unit manages the connection status information of said second volume and said first disk array device, and the positional information of said virtualized volume as the volume information of said virtualized volume.

5. The storage system according to claim 4, wherein said connection status confirmation unit does not confirm the connection status of said second volume not managed with said first management unit, and said first disk array device.

6. The storage system according to claim 4, wherein said management terminal comprises a second transmission unit for transmitting, based on an external operation, positional information of said virtualized volume managed with said second management unit to said first disk array device;

wherein said connection status confirmation unit confirms the connection status of said second volume corresponding to the positional information of said virtualized volume transmitted by said second transmission unit, and said first disk array device; and

wherein said first management unit manages the positional information of said virtualized volume transmitted by said second transmission unit, and the connection status information of said second volume and said first disk array device as the volume information of said virtualized volume.

7. The storage system according to claim 1, wherein said first transmission unit transmits to said second disk array device a power shutoff order of said second volume corresponding to the volume information of said virtualized volume transmitted to said management terminal;

and

wherein said second disk array device comprises a power source controller for shutting off the power of said second volume based on said power shutoff order transmitted from said first transmission unit.

8. The storage system according to claim 6, wherein said first transmission unit transmits to said second disk array device a power supply order of said second volume corresponding to the volume information of said virtualized volume transmitted from said management terminal;

and

wherein said power source controller supplies power to said second volume based on said power supply order transmitted by said first transmission unit.

9. The storage system according to claim 1, wherein said management terminal comprises an input unit for inputting volume information of a scheduled virtualized volume that is not yet mapped with said second volume but is scheduled to be virtualized in said first disk array device;

and

wherein said second management unit manages the volume information of said scheduled virtualized volume input with said input unit.

10. A management method of a storage system having a first disk array device for providing a first volume that stores data transmitted from a host system, a second disk array device for providing a second volume that is virtualized with said first disk array device, and a management terminal for managing said first disk array device, comprising:

a first stop for managing, with a first management unit, volume information of the virtualized volume that was virtualized in said first disk array device by being mapped with said second volume;

a second step for transmitting, based on an external operation, the volume information of said virtualized volume managed with said first management unit at said first step to said management terminal; and

a third step for managing, with a second management unit, the volume information of said virtualized volume transmitted at said second step.

11. The management method of a storage system according to claim 10, wherein at said first step, upon the lapse of a first period, data of said first volume set with an expensive physical device is migrated to a second volume set with an inexpensive physical device, and the volume information of said virtualized volume corresponding to said second volume to which said data was migrated is managed;

and

at said second step, upon the lapse of a second period, the volume information of said virtualized volume is transmitted to said management terminal.

12. The management method of a storage system according to claim 10, wherein at said second step, among the volume information of said virtualized volume, positional information of said second disk array device set with said second volume mapped to said virtualized volume and [positional information] of a physical device of said second disk array device is transmitted to said management terminal;

and

at said third step, the positional volume of said virtualized volume transmitted at said second step is managed.

13. The management method of a storage system according to claim 12, wherein at said first step, the connection status of said second volume mapped to said virtualized volume managed with said first management unit, and said first disk array device is confirmed;

and the connection status information of said second volume and said first disk array device, and the positional information of said virtualized volume is managed as the volume information of said virtualized volume.

14. The management method of a storage system according to claim 13, wherein at said first step, the connection status of said second volume not managed with said first management unit, and said first disk array device is not confirmed.

15. The management method of a storage system according to claim 13, further comprising:

a fourth step for transmitting, based on an external operation, positional information of said virtualized volume managed with said second management unit to said first disk array device;

a fifth step for confirming the connection status of said second volume corresponding to the positional information of said virtualized volume transmitted at said fourth step, and said first disk array device; and

a sixth step for managing the positional information of said virtualized volume transmitted at said fourth step, and the connection status information of said second volume and said first disk array device confirmed at said fifth step as the volume information of said virtualized volume.

16. The management method of a storage system according to claim 10, wherein at said second step, a power shutoff order of said second volume corresponding to the volume information of said virtualized volume transmitted to said management terminal is transmitted to said second disk array device;

and the power of said second volume is shut off based on said transmitted power shutoff order.

17. The management method of a storage system according to claim 15, wherein at said fifth step, a power supply order of said second volume corresponding to the volume information of said virtualized volume transmitted at said fourth step is transmitted to said second disk array;

and power is supplied to said second volume based on said transmitted power supply order.

18. The management method of a storage system according to claim 10, wherein at said third step, volume information of a scheduled virtualized volume that is not yet mapped with said second volume but is scheduled to be virtualized in said first disk array device is input;

and the volume information of said input scheduled virtualized volume is managed.

19. A storage system having a disk array device comprising a plurality of volumes for storing data transmitted from a host system, a switch device for transmitting said data from said host system to said disk array device, and a management terminal to be connected to said switch device:

wherein said switch device comprises a virtualized volume to be provided to said host system, and a management unit;

wherein said plurality of volumes of said disk array device include an online volume mapped to said virtualized volume and an offline volume mapped to said virtualized volume;

wherein said management unit manages information relating to said online volume; and

wherein said management terminal manages information relating to said offline volume.

20. A storage system having a first disk array device connected to a host system, a second disk array device to be connected to said first disk array device, and a management terminal to be connected to said first disk array device;

wherein said first disk array device comprises a plurality of virtualized volumes to be provided to the host system, and a management unit;

wherein said second disk array device comprises an online volume mapped to a virtualized volume among said plurality of virtualized volumes, and an offline volume not mapped to any of said plurality of virtualized volumes;

wherein information relating to said online volume is managed with said management unit; and

wherein information relating to said offline volume is managed with said management terminal.