Computer system, management computer, and file management method for file consolidation

• US 20090083344A1
• Filed: 01/16/2008
• Published: 03/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Taguchi, Yuichi, Inoue, Taro, Nasu, Hiroshi
• Application Number:
  US12/007,852
• Publication Number:
  US 20090083344A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1748 De-duplication implemented within the file system, e.g. based on file segments de-duplication techniques in storage systems for the management of data blocks G06F3/0641

Abstract

Provided is a computer system, including: a computer; and a storage system coupled to the computer via a network. The computer includes: an interface coupled to the network, a processor coupled to the interface and a memory coupled to the processor. The storage system includes a plurality of volumes in which files are stored. The processor is configured to: decide duplicating files from among the files stored in the plurality of volumes as files to be consolidated; identify a plurality of volumes in which the files to be consolidated are stored; select at least one volume from among the identified plurality of volumes as a consolidation volume based on loads imposed on the identified plurality of volumes; and delete the files to be consolidated stored in the volumes that are not selected. Accordingly, in data de-duplication, it is possible to avoid extra loads from centralizing in a high-load-bearing volume.

Claims

1. A computer system, comprising:

a computer; and

a storage system coupled to the computer via a network, wherein;

the computer comprises;

an interface coupled to the network;

a processor coupled to the interface; and

a memory coupled to the processor;

the storage system comprises a plurality of volumes in which files are stored; and

the processor is configured to;

decide duplicating files that are stored in the plurality of volumes and have the same contents as files to be consolidated;

identify a plurality of volumes in which the files to be consolidated are stored;

select at least one volume from among the identified plurality of volumes as a consolidation volume based on loads imposed on the identified plurality of volumes; and

delete the files to be consolidated stored in the volumes that are not selected.

2. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to select a volume of which load is lowest as the consolidation volume.

3. The computer system according to claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to switch access to the files to be consolidated stored in the volumes that are not selected into access to a file to be consolidated stored in the consolidation volume.

4. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to calculate a deleted size by multiplying the file size of the deleted files to be consolidated by the number of the deleted files to be consolidated.

5. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to select at least one volume as the consolidation volume based on the loads of the identified plurality of volumes and information on access to the files to be consolidated stored in the identified plurality of volumes.

6. The computer system according to claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to:

calculate a load by adding a load information on access to the files to be consolidated stored in the volumes that are not selected to a load of the selected at least one volume; and

decide which files to be consolidated are to be deleted based on the calculated load.

7. The computer system according to claim 6, wherein:

the load of a volume corresponds to an access count of files stored in the volume; and

the loads of files to be consolidated correspond to access count of the files to be consolidated.

8. A management server, comprising:

an interface coupled to a host computer and a storage system via a network;

a processor coupled to the interface; and

a memory coupled to the processor, wherein;

the storage system has a plurality of volumes in which files are stored; and

the processor;

decides duplicating files that are stored in the plurality of volumes and have the same contents as files to be consolidated;

identifies a plurality of volumes in which the files to be consolidated are stored;

selects at least one volume from among the identified plurality of volumes as a consolidation volume based on loads imposed on the identified plurality of volumes; and

deletes the files to be consolidated stored in the volumes that are not selected.

9. The management server according to claim 8, wherein the processor selects a volume of which load is lowest as the consolidation volume.

10. The management server according to claim 8, wherein the processor selects the at least one volume as the consolidation volume based on the loads of the identified plurality of volumes and loads of the files to be consolidated stored in the identified plurality of volumes.

11. The management server according to claim 10, wherein the processor:

calculates a load by adding a load information on access to the files to be consolidated stored in the volumes that are not selected to a load of the selected at least one volume; and

decides which files to be consolidated are to be deleted based on the calculated load.

12. The management server according to claim 11, wherein:

the load of a volume corresponds to an access count of files stored in the volume; and

the information on access to the files to be consolidated correspond to access count of the files to be consolidated.

13. The management server according to claim 8, wherein the management server is provided to a file server for managing the files.

14. A file management method executed in a computer system,

the computer system having a computer and a storage system coupled to the computer via a network;

the computer having an interface coupled to the network, a processor coupled to the interface and a memory coupled to the processor;

the storage system having a plurality of volumes in which files are stored; and

the file management method comprising the steps of;

deciding duplicating files that are stored in the plurality of volumes and have the same contents as files to be consolidated;

identifying a plurality of volumes in which the files to be consolidated are stored;

selecting at least one volume from among the identified plurality of volumes as a consolidation volume based on loads imposed on the identified plurality of volumes; and

deleting the files to be consolidated stored in the volumes that are not selected.

15. The file management method according to claim 14, wherein in the step of selecting the at least one volume as a consolidation volume includes selecting a volume of which load is lowest as the consolidation volume.

16. The file management method according to claim 15, further comprising the step of switching access to the files to be consolidated stored in the volumes that are not selected into access to a file to be consolidated stored in the consolidation volume.

17. The file management method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of calculating a deleted size by multiplying the file size of the deleted files to be consolidated by the number of the deleted files to be consolidated.

18. The file management method according to claim 14, wherein the step of selecting the at least one volume as a consolidation volume includes selecting the at least one volume as the consolidation volume based on the loads of the identified plurality of volumes and information on access to the files to be consolidated stored in the identified plurality of volumes.

19. The file management method according to claim 18, wherein:

the step of selecting the at least one volume as a consolidation volume further includes calculating a load by adding a information on access to the files to be consolidated stored in the volumes that are not selected to a load of the selected at least one volume; and

the step of deleting the files includes deciding which files to be consolidated are to be deleted based on the calculated load.

20. The file management method according to claim 19, wherein:

the load of a volume corresponds to an access count of files stored in the volume; and

the load of files to be consolidated correspond to access count of the files to be consolidated.