Storage system and data restoration method thereof

• US 20070174673A1
• Filed: 03/06/2006
• Published: 07/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Kawaguchi, Tomohiro, Eguchi, Yoshiaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,594,137 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/6
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1456 Hardware arrangements for backup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1458 Management of the backup or restore process
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1469 Backup restoration techniques

Abstract

This storage system includes a first storage sub system having a first logical volume where a first data area is dynamically allocated to each prescribed area, and which stores data transmitted from a host computer in the first data area, and a second storage sub system having a second data area for backing up the first logical volume; wherein the first storage sub system includes: a first management unit for managing the status of the first data area allocated to each of the areas of the first logical volume; a transfer unit for transferring the data stored in the first data area allocated to each of the areas of the first logical volume to the second storage sub system; and a restoration unit for restoring the first logical volume based on the status of the first data area managed by the first management unit and/or the data transferred from the second storage sub system.

Claims

1. A storage system including a first storage sub system having a first logical volume where a first data area is dynamically allocated to each prescribed area, and which stores data transmitted from a host computer in said first data area, and a second storage sub system having a second data area for backing up said first logical volume;

wherein said first storage sub system comprises;

a first management unit for managing the status of said first data area allocated to each of said areas of said first logical volume;

a transfer unit for transferring said data stored in said first data area allocated to each of said areas of said first logical volume to said second storage sub system; and

a restoration unit for restoring said first logical volume based on the status of said first data area managed by said first management unit and/or said data transferred from said second storage sub system.

2. The storage system according to claim 1, wherein said restoration unit includes a first allocation unit for allocating, upon restoring said first logical volume, said first data area to said area of said first logical volume managed by said first management unit with said first data area in existence, and restores said first logical volume by writing said data transferred from said second storage sub system in said first data area allocated by said first allocation unit.

3. The storage system according to claim 2, wherein said first allocation unit, upon restoring said first logical volume, releases all said first data areas allocated to each of said areas of said first logical volume, and newly allocates said first data area to said area of said first logical volume managed by said first management unit with said first data area in existence.

4. The storage system according to claim 2, wherein said first allocation unit, upon restoring said first logical volume, releases areas deemed to be unnecessary among said first data areas allocated to each of said areas of said first logical volume, and allocates said first data area to said area when said first data area is not allocated to said area of said first logical volume managed by said first management unit with said first data area in existence.

5. The storage system according to claim 2, wherein said first allocation unit, upon restoring said first logical volume, releases areas designated among said first data areas allocated to each of said areas of said first logical volume, and allocates said first data area to said area when said first data area is not allocated to said area of said first logical volume managed by said first management unit with said first data area in existence.

6. The storage system according to claim 2, wherein said first allocation unit, upon restoring said first logical volume, allocates said first data area to said area when said first data area is not allocated to said area of said first logical volume managed by said first management unit with said first data area in existence, and releases said first data area allocated to said area when said first data area is allocated to said area of said first logical volume managed by said first management unit with said first data area not in existence.

7. The storage system according to claim 1, wherein said restoration unit writes said data transferred from said second storage sub system corresponding to said area when said first data area is allocated to said area of said first logical volume, and abandons said data transferred from said second storage sub system corresponding to said area when said first data area is not allocated to said area of said first logical volume.

8. The storage system according to claim 2, wherein said restoration unit, upon restoring said first logical volume, allocates a data area that is different from said first data area allocated to each of said areas to said area of said first logical volume managed by said first management unit with said first data area in existence.

9. The storage system according to claim 1, wherein said first transfer unit transfers to said second storage sub system the status of said first data area allocated to each of said areas of said first logical volume managed by said management unit;

wherein said second storage sub system has a second logical volume in which said second data area is dynamically allocated to each of said areas, and comprises;

a second management unit for managing the status of said first data area allocated to each of said areas of said first logical volume transferred by said first transfer unit as the status of a second data area allocated to each of said areas of said second logical volume;

a second allocation unit for allocating said second data area to said area of said second logical volume managed by said second management unit with said second data area in existence; and

a replication unit for replicating said first logical volume as a second logical volume by writing said data transferred by said first transfer unit in a corresponding second data area allocated by said second allocation unit.

10. The storage system according to claim 1, wherein said first management unit manages the status of said first data area allocated to each of said areas of said first logical volume with a bitmap, and further manages said bitmap by associating it with a number;

wherein said first transfer unit transfers said number associated with said bitmap to said second storage sub system; and

wherein said restoration unit restores said first logical volume based on said bitmap associated with said number transferred from said second storage sub system.

11. The storage system according to claim 1, wherein said first management unit manages the status of said first data area allocated to each of said areas of said first logical volume with a bitmap;

wherein said first transfer unit transfers said bitmap to said second storage sub system; and

wherein said second storage sub system comprises;

a retention unit for retaining said data transferred by said first transfer unit in said second data area; and

a second transfer unit for transferring, upon restoring said first logical volume, said data retained by said retention unit to said first storage sub system, only for sections allocated with said first data area, based on said bitmap transferred by said first transfer unit.

12. The storage system according to claim 1, wherein said second data area is a tape media in which the written data cannot be altered.

13. The storage system according to claim 1, wherein said first management unit manages the status of said first data area allocated to each of said areas of said first logical volume stored in said first logical volume;

wherein said first transfer unit transfers the status of said first data area allocated to each of said areas of said first logical volume stored in said first logical volume, and said data, to said second storage sub system; and

wherein said restoration unit restores said first logical volume based on the status of said first data area allocated to each of said areas of said first logical volume transferred from said second storage sub system.

14. The storage system according to claim 1, wherein said first management unit manages the occurrence of an update in said first logical volume;

wherein said first transfer unit transfers the status of a data area in which the update in said first logical volume managed by said first management unit has occurred, and said data stored in said data area, to said second storage sub system; and

wherein said second storage sub system comprises;

a second management unit for managing the status of a data area in which the update in said first logical volume transferred by said first transfer unit has occurred;

a retention unit for retaining said data transferred by said first transfer unit in said second data area; and

a second transfer unit for transferring, upon restoring said first logical volume, said data retained by said retention unit to said first storage sub system, only for sections in which the update in said first logical volume has occurred, based on the status of a data area in which the update in said first logical volume managed by said second management unit has occurred.

15. The storage system according to claim 1, wherein said first storage sub system includes a backup volume having the same capacity as the total capacity of the capacity allocated with said first data area of said first logical volume;

and

said first management unit manages said first data area allocated to said first logical volume and said first data area allocated to said backup volume so as to share the same data area.

16. A data restoration method of a storage system including a first storage sub system having a first logical volume where a first data area is dynamically allocated to each prescribed area, and which stores data transmitted from a host computer in said first data area, and a second storage sub system having a second data area for backing up said first logical volume, comprising:

a first step for managing the status of said first data area allocated to each of said areas of said first logical volume;

a second step for transferring said data stored in said first data area allocated to each of said areas of said first logical volume to said second storage sub system; and

a third step for restoring said first logical volume based on the status of said first data area managed at said first step and/or said data transferred from said second storage sub system.

17. The data restoration method of a storage system according to claim 16, wherein, at said third step, upon restoring said first logical volume, said first data area is allocated to said area of said first logical volume managed by said first management unit with said first data area in existence, and said first logical volume is restored by writing said data transferred from said second storage sub system in said first data area allocated by said first allocation unit.

18. The data restoration method of a storage system according to claim 17, wherein, at said third step, upon restoring said first logical volume, all said first data areas allocated to each of said areas of said first logical volume are released, and said first data area is newly allocated to said area of said first logical volume managed by said first management unit with said first data area in existence.

19. The data restoration method of a storage system according to claim 17, wherein, at said third step, upon restoring said first logical volume, areas deemed to be unnecessary among said first data areas allocated to each of said areas of said first logical volume are released, and said first data area is allocated to said area when said first data area is not allocated to said area of said first logical volume managed by said first management unit with said first data area in existence.

20. The data restoration method of a storage system according to claim 17, wherein, at said third step, upon restoring said first logical volume, areas designated among said first data areas allocated to each of said areas of said first logical volume are released, and said first data area is allocated to said area when said first data area is not allocated to said area of said first logical volume managed by said first management unit with said first data area in existence.

21. The data restoration method of a storage system according to claim 17, wherein, at said third step, upon restoring said first logical volume, said first data area is allocated to said area when said first data area is not allocated to said area of said first logical volume managed by said first management unit with said first data area in existence, and said first data area allocated to said area when said first data area is allocated to said area of said first logical volume managed by said first management unit with said first data area not in existence is released.

22. The data restoration method of a storage system according to claim 17, wherein, at said third step, said data transferred from said second storage sub system, corresponding to said area, is written when said first data area is allocated to said area of said first logical volume, and said data transferred from said second storage sub system, corresponding to said area, is abandoned when said first data area is not allocated to said area of said first logical volume.

23. The data restoration method of a storage system according to claim 17, wherein, at said third step, upon restoring said first logical volume, a data area that is different from said first data area allocated to each of said areas is allocated to said area of said first logical volume managed by said first management unit with said first data area in existence.