Fault recovery method in a system having a plurality of storage system

• US 20080109546A1
• Filed: 01/04/2008
• Published: 05/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Yasutomo, Eguchi, Yoshiaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,603,583 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0727 in a storage system, e.g. in a DASD or network based storage system drivers for digital recording or reproducing units G06F3/06; circuits for error detection or correction within digital recording or reproducing units G11B20/18; for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS], H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0766 Error or fault reporting or storing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2094 Redundant storage or storage space G06F11/2056 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0617 in relation to availability
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0635 by changing the path, e.g. traffic rerouting, path reconfiguration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0647 Migration mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

System availability is improved in a second storage system, connected to a first storage system, and having means for virtualizing devices within the first storage system as its own devices. When the virtual storage system or a storage management server detects a fault in the virtual storage system, the management server investigates the range affected by the fault, identifies a device for which measures must be taken, determines a transfer target device which accommodates the performance, reliability, and other attributes of the affected device, and issues a device transfer instruction for the virtual storage system. In the virtual storage system, the data of the device specified by the instruction within the virtual storage system is transferred to a device, specified by the management server, within the system itself, or to a device within another virtual storage system.

Claims

1. A management server, managing a second storage system which provides a host computer with access to both a second physical device in the second storage system and a first logical device in a first storage system coupled to the second storage system, comprising:

transfer source decision means for identifying, based on information received from said second storage system prognosticating a fault in said first logical device, a storage area affected by said fault as the transfer source; and

,

data transfer instruction means for selecting, based on the data capacity and evaluation of the performance and reliability levels determined in advance of said transfer source, the storage area of a transfer target from among the storage areas of said first storage system and said second storage system managed by said second storage system, and for issuing to said second storage system an instruction to transfer the data of said transfer source to said transfer target.

2-17. -17. (canceled)