CONNECTING DEVICE OF STORAGE DEVICE AND COMPUTER SYSTEM INCLUDING THE SAME CONNECTING DEVICE
First Claim
1. A switch device comprising:
- a first interface to be coupled to a host computer via network;
a plurality of virtual volumes to be provided for the host computer;
a second interface to be coupled to a plurality of storage systems including data volumes for storing data; and
a processor coupled to the first interface and the second interface,wherein the processor receives, through the first interface, a first instruction controlling a function of one of said plurality of storage systems from the host computer to a virtual function volume for controlling function and without storing data,wherein said first instruction including a virtual volume identifier identifying a virtual volume from the host computer, identifies at least one of data volumes corresponding to the virtual volume specified by the virtual volume identifier, and sends, through the second interface, at least one of a second instruction to at least one of the data volumes being included in at least one of either of a first storage system or a second storage system,wherein said function is a snapshot function or mirror function,wherein said host computer sends said first instruction as an Input/Output (I/O) command to said virtual function volume, andwherein the second instruction is based on a protocol for a storage system which is a destination of the second instruction.
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Abstract
In an environment in which plural external storage devices having different function control interfaces are intermixed, when a function of a storage device is controlled from a computer, a common interface for controlling the function of the storage device is provided. A device that provides the common interface manages an interrelationship between a storage area recognized by a host computer and a storage area provided by the storage device and associates a storage area which becomes a target of a function control instruction with the storage device that provides the storage area. A type of the storage device that provides the storage area which becomes the target of the function control instruction is identified and function control is ordered through a function control interface unique to the device.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A switch device comprising:
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a first interface to be coupled to a host computer via network; a plurality of virtual volumes to be provided for the host computer; a second interface to be coupled to a plurality of storage systems including data volumes for storing data; and a processor coupled to the first interface and the second interface, wherein the processor receives, through the first interface, a first instruction controlling a function of one of said plurality of storage systems from the host computer to a virtual function volume for controlling function and without storing data, wherein said first instruction including a virtual volume identifier identifying a virtual volume from the host computer, identifies at least one of data volumes corresponding to the virtual volume specified by the virtual volume identifier, and sends, through the second interface, at least one of a second instruction to at least one of the data volumes being included in at least one of either of a first storage system or a second storage system, wherein said function is a snapshot function or mirror function, wherein said host computer sends said first instruction as an Input/Output (I/O) command to said virtual function volume, and wherein the second instruction is based on a protocol for a storage system which is a destination of the second instruction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 12, 13, 15)
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5. A switch device comprising:
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a host network interface to be coupled to host computers via a network; a storage network interface to be coupled to a first storage system which controls based on a first protocol and which has a first data volume storing data from a host computer and a second storage system which controls based on a second protocol and which has a second data volume storing data from a host computer, said first storage system has a different function compared to functions of said second storage system; a processor coupled to the host network interface and the storage network interface; and a first virtual volume corresponding to at least one of the first data volumes and a second virtual volume corresponding to at least one of the second data volumes, the first virtual volume and the second virtual volume to be provided for at least one of the host computers, wherein when a virtual volume specified by a virtual volume identifier in the instruction is the first virtual volume corresponding to the first data volume, the processor sends to the first storage system, through the storage network interface, first control information related to the first data volume according to the first protocol for the first storage system for controlling a function of the first storage system, wherein when a virtual volume specified by the virtual volume identifier in the instruction is the second virtual volume corresponding to the second data volume, the processor sends to the second storage system through the storage network interface, second control information related to the second data volume according to the second protocol for the second storage system for controlling a function of the second storage system, wherein each of said function of said first storage system and said functions of said second storage system is an intelligent function, and wherein if the processor sends said first control information and/or the second control information, the processor uses a virtual function volume for controlling function and without storing data. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification