System and method for accessing an offline storage unit through an online storage unit

• US 20080183946A1
• Filed: 03/11/2008
• Published: 07/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Akihiro Mori, Kiyohisa Miyamoto, Masashi Kimura
• Original Assignee: Akihiro Mori, Kiyohisa Miyamoto, Masashi Kimura
• Inventors: Mori, Akihiro, Kimura, Masashi, Miyamoto, Kiyohisa
• Granted Patent: US 8,078,809 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0604 Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. storage management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0617 in relation to availability
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0634 by changing the state or mode of one or more devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/065 Replication mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD

Abstract

By the same method as that of making data access to a data storage area in an online state, it is performed to access a data storage area other than the data storage area. A plurality of logical volumes carried by a disk array apparatus includes an online volume that is in an online state to a host and an offline state that is in an offline state to the host. The host transmits an access command including target information designating a target volume to the disk array apparatus as an access command to a starting volume other than the target volume. The disk array apparatus receives the access command to the starting volume and offers the data access to the target volume on the basis of the target information carried by that access command to the host.

Claims

1. A storage system comprising:

a controller coupled to a host computer;

a plurality of disk drives storing data sent from the host computer;

a plurality of logical volumes relating to at least one of the disk drives;

a first logical volume of the logical volumes being a target logical volume of a read/write request sent from the host computer; and

a second logical volume of the logical volumes storing read/write data of a read/write request instead of the first logical volume based on a command sent from the host computer even when the first logical volume remains operable,

wherein the command sent from the host computer includes a request for accessing the second logical volume.

2. The storage system according to claim 1, wherein the command is used to instruct which logical volume of the first and second logical volumes is the target logical volume from the host computer.

3. The storage system according to claim 2, wherein the controller stores the target logical volume based on the command and performs read/write processing from/to the stored target logical volume in response to receiving the read/write request.

4. The storage system according to claim 1, wherein the command includes a first identifier of the first logical volume and a second identifier of the second logical volume.

5. The storage system according to claim 1, wherein the command includes an instruction that the target logical volume is the second logical volume.

6. The storage system according to claim 1, wherein the read/write request of the second logical volume includes an identifier of the first logical volume.

7. A storage system comprising:

a controller coupled to a host computer;

a plurality of disk drives storing data sent from the host computer;

a plurality of logical volumes relating to at least one of the disk drives;

a first logical volume of the logical volumes being a target logical volume of a read/write request sent from the host computer; and

a second logical volume of the logical volumes being changed to be the target logical volume of a read/write request instead of the first logical volume based on a command sent from the host computer even when the first logical volume remains operable,

wherein the command sent from the host computer includes a request for accessing the second logical volume.

8. The storage system according to claim 7, wherein the command is used to instruct which logical volume of the first and second logical volumes is the target logical volume from the host computer.

9. The storage system according to claim 8, wherein the controller stores the target logical volume based on the command and performs read/write processing from/to the stored target logical volume in response to receiving the read/write request.

10. The storage system according to claim 7, wherein the command includes a first identifier of the first logical volume and a second identifier of the second logical volume.

11. The storage system according to claim 7, wherein the command includes an instruction that the target logical volume is the second logical volume.

12. The storage system according to claim 7, wherein the read/write request of the second logical volume includes an identifier of the first logical volume.

13. A storage system comprising:

a controller coupled to a host computer;

a plurality of disk drives storing data sent from the host computer;

a plurality of logical volumes relating to at least one of the disk drives;

an online volume of the logical volumes being a target logical volume of a read/write request sent from the host computer; and

an offline volume of the logical volumes being changed to be the target logical volume of a read/write request instead of the online volume based on a command sent from the host computer even when the online volume remains operable,

wherein the command sent from the host computer includes a request for accessing the offline volume.

14. The storage system according to claim 13, wherein the command is used to instruct which logical volume of the online and offline volumes is the target logical volume from the host computer.

15. The storage system according to claim 14, wherein the controller stores the target logical volume based on the command and performs read/write processing from/to the stored target logical volume in response to receiving the read/write request.

16. The storage system according to claim 13, wherein the command includes a first identifier of the online volume and a second identifier of the offline volume.

17. The storage system according to claim 13, wherein the command includes an instruction that the target logical volume is the offline volume.

18. The storage system according to claim 13, wherein the read/write request of the offline volume includes an identifier of the online volume.

19. A storage system comprising:

a controller coupled to a host computer;

a plurality of disk drives storing data sent from the host computer;

a plurality of logical volumes relating to at least one of the disk drives;

a first logical volume of the logical volumes being a target logical volume of a read/write request sent from the host computer; and

a second logical volume of the logical volumes storing read/write data of a read/write request instead of the first logical volume based on a command which is sent from the host computer and having an identifier of the first logical volume even when the first logical volume remains operable,

wherein the command sent from the host computer includes a request for accessing the second logical volume.

20. The storage system according to claim 19, wherein the command is used to instruct which logical volume of the first and second logical volumes is the target logical volume from the host computer.

21. The storage system according to claim 20, wherein the controller stores the target logical volume based on the command and performs read/write processing from/to the stored target logical volume in response to receiving the read/write request.

22. The storage system according to claim 19, wherein the command includes a first identifier of the first logical volume and a second identifier of the second logical volume.

23. The storage system according to claim 19, wherein the command includes an instruction that the target logical volume is the second logical volume.

24. The storage system according to claim 19, wherein the read/write request of the second logical volume includes an identifier of the first logical volume.