Storage controller

• US 20070192560A1
• Filed: 03/24/2006
• Published: 08/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Furuhashi, Ryoji
• Granted Patent: US 8,037,239 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/170
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0684 with feedback, e.g. presence or absence of unit detected by addressing, overflow detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0608 Saving storage space on storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0613 in relation to throughput
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0614 Improving the reliability of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0631 by allocating resources to storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0644 Management of space entities, e.g. partitions, extents, pools
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

Provided is a storage controller that will not impair the operation of a storage control system even when a new storage area is added to a pool corresponding to an AOU volume. This storage controller includes a logical volume accessible by a host system; a pool associated with the logical volume and including one or more physical storage areas configuring a storage area of the logical volume; and a memory for storing attribute information showing an attribute of a physical storage area included in the pool; wherein the controller is configured to add a new physical storage area to the pool based on the attribute information.

Claims

1. A storage controller connected to a host system including a storage device for providing a storage area to said host system, and a controller for controlling the input and output of data between said storage area and said host system, comprising:

a logical volume accessible by said host system;

a pool associated with said logical volume and including one or more physical storage areas configuring a storage area of said logical volume; and

a memory for storing attribute information showing an attribute of a physical storage area included in said pool;

wherein said controller is configured to add a new physical storage area to said pool based on said attribute information.

2. The storage controller according to claim 1, wherein, when a write command from said host system to said controller includes a logical block address that is not allocated to said logical volume, said controller allocates a physical storage area included in said pool to said logical volume and dynamically expands the storage area of the logical volume.

3. The storage controller according to claim 1, wherein said physical storage area is a physical volume, and said controller adds a new physical volume to said pool based on said attribute information.

4. The storage controller according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of said logical volumes are associated with the same pool.

5. The storage controller according to claim 2, wherein the storage controller is configured to have a first storage controller, and said physical volume is a physical volume of a second storage controller to be connected to said first storage controller.

6. The storage controller according to claim 2, wherein the storage controller is configured to have a first storage controller, and said pool is configured in a second storage controller to be connected to said first storage controller.

7. The storage controller according to claim 3, wherein said attribute is the performance or reliability of said physical volume.

8. The storage controller according to claim 3, wherein said controller manages said attribute information as an attribute table, and configures in said pool a new physical volume having an attribute that is greater than an attribute value configured in said attribute table.

9. The storage controller according to claim 3, wherein, when the total remaining storage capacity of a physical volume belonging to said pool falls below a threshold value, said controller adds a new physical volume to said pool.

10. The storage controller according to claim 3, wherein said attribute is a policy configured in said pool.

11. A storage controller connected to a host system including a storage device for providing a storage area to said host system, and a controller for controlling the input and output of data between said storage area and said host system, comprising:

a logical volume accessible by said host system;

a pool associated with said logical volume and including one or more physical storage areas configuring a storage area of said logical volume;

a control table showing the correspondence of said logical volume and said pool, and the correspondence of said pool and said physical volume;

a pool attribute table defining an attribute of said pool; and

a physical volume attribute table defining an attribute of said physical volume;

wherein said controller compares said pool attribute table and said physical volume attribute table upon allocating said physical volume to said pool, and allocates said physical volume having an attribute that is greater than the attribute of said pool to said pool.

12. The storage controller according to claim 11, wherein, when a write command from said host system to said controller includes a logical block address that is not allocated to said logical volume, said controller allocates a physical storage area included in said pool to said logical volume and dynamically expands the storage area of the logical volume.

13. The storage controller according to claim 11, wherein said attribute applied to said pool and said physical volume is quantified, and said controller allocates a physical volume with an attribute value that is equal or close to the attribute value of said pool to said pool.

14. The storage controller according to claim 12, wherein said controller releases said physical volume allocated to said pool, and allocates another physical volume with an attribute that is closer than said physical volume to said pool.

16. The storage controller according to claim 14, wherein, when a write command from said host system to said controller includes a logical block address that is not allocated to said logical volume, said controller allocates a physical storage area included in said pool to said logical volume and dynamically expands the storage area of the logical volume.

15. A storage controller connected to a host system including a storage device for providing a storage area to said host system, and a controller for controlling the input and output of data between said storage area and said host system, comprising:

a logical volume accessible by said host system;

a pool associated with said logical volume and including one or more physical storage areas configuring a storage area of said logical volume;

a control table showing the correspondence of said logical volume and said pool, and the correspondence of said pool and said physical volume; and

a pool policy table defining a policy of an attribute defined in said pool;

wherein said controller selects said physical volume coinciding with the policy of said pool upon allocating said physical volume to said pool.

17. A storage controller connected to a host system including a storage device for providing a storage area to said host system, and a controller for controlling the input and output of data between said storage area and said host system, comprising:

a logical volume accessible by said host system;

a pool associated with said logical volume and configuring a storage area of said logical volume, wherein a plurality of physical volumes are managed as the same group; and

a control table showing the correspondence of said logical volume and said pool, and the correspondence of said pool and said physical volume;

wherein said controller, by designating said pool, allocates said physical volume belonging to said designated pool to said logical volume.