INFORMATION SYSTEM, DATA TRANSFER METHOD AND DATA PROTECTION METHOD

• US 20100205479A1
• Filed: 04/26/2010
• Published: 08/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hiroaki Akutsu, Hisao Homma, Kenta Ninose, Takashige Iwamura, Yasuo Watanabe, Yasutomo Yamamoto, Yoshiaki Eguchi
• Original Assignee: Hiroaki Akutsu, Hisao Homma, Kenta Ninose, Takashige Iwamura, Yasuo Watanabe, Yasutomo Yamamoto, Yoshiaki Eguchi
• Inventors: Ninose, Kenta, Homma, Hisao, Yamamoto, Yasutomo, Iwamura, Takashige, Eguchi, Yoshiaki, Watanabe, Yasuo, AKUTSU, Hiroaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,925,914 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2058 using more than 2 mirrored copies
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2074 Asynchronous techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2076 Synchronous techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2079 Bidirectional techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2082 Data synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2084 on the same storage unit

Abstract

Availability of an information system including a storage system that performs remote copy between two or more storage apparatuses and a host computer using such storage system is improved. A third storage apparatus including a third volume is coupled to a first storage apparatus, a fourth storage apparatus including a fourth volume is coupled to a second storage apparatus, the first and third storage apparatuses perform remote copy of copying data stored in a first volume to the third volume, the first and second storage apparatuses perform remote copy of copying data stored in the first volume to a second volume, and the third and fourth storage apparatuses perform remote copy of copying data stored in the third volume to the fourth volume.

Claims

1. An information system comprising:

a first computer;

a first storage apparatus coupled to the first computer and including a first volume;

a second storage apparatus coupled to the first computer and the first storage apparatus, and including a second volume; and

a third storage apparatus coupled to the first storage apparatus and including a third volume,

wherein the first storage apparatus and the second storage apparatus execute remote copy of copying data storage in the first volume to the second volume, and

wherein the first storage apparatus and the third storage apparatus execute remote copy of copying data stored in the first volume to the third volume.

2. The information system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a fourth storage apparatus coupled to the second storage apparatus and including a fourth volume,

wherein the second storage apparatus and the fourth storage apparatus execute remote copy of copying data stored in the second volume to the fourth volume.

3. The information system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a fourth storage apparatus coupled to the third storage apparatus and including a fourth volume,

wherein the third storage apparatus and the fourth storage apparatus execute remote copy of copying data stored in the third volume to the fourth volume.

4. The information system according to claim 2, wherein said first storage apparatus assigns a unique update number to the data written from said first computer into said first volume, and notifies said update number to said second or third storage apparatus upon copying said data to said second or third volume, and

wherein said second storage apparatus notifies said update number to said fourth storage apparatus upon copying data of said second volume to said fourth volume.

5. The information system according to claim 4, wherein said third storage apparatus is coupled to said fourth storage apparatus, and

wherein said third and fourth storage apparatuses start remote copy between said third and fourth volumes with said third or fourth storage apparatus retaining latest data as a primary system when a failure occurs in said first storage apparatus and/or said second storage apparatus.

6. The information system according to claim 4, further comprising:

a second computer coupled to said third and fourth storage apparatus,

wherein said second computer compares said update number of said data stored in said third volume, and said update number of corresponding data stored in said fourth volume, selects said third or fourth storage apparatus having latest data based on a result of the comparison, and forms a copy pair with third and fourth volumes with the selected third or fourth storage apparatus as a primary system.

7. The information system according to claim 2, wherein said first computer switches a path to said second storage apparatus when a failure occurs in said first storage apparatus.

8. The information system according to claim 2, wherein said first and second storage apparatuses perform remote copy of copying data stored in said first volume to said second volume synchronously with the writing of said data into said first volume,

wherein said first and third storage apparatuses perform remote copy of copying data stored in said first volume to said third volume asynchronously with the writing of said data into said first volume, and

wherein said second and fourth storage apparatuses copy data stored in said second volume to said fourth volume asynchronously with the writing of said data into second volume.

9. The information system according to claim 2, wherein said first storage apparatus sends data to said third storage apparatus according to a request from said third storage apparatus, and

wherein said second storage apparatus sends said data to said fourth storage apparatus according to a request from said fourth storage apparatus.

10. The information system according to claim 2, wherein upon receiving data to be written into said first volume from said first computer, said first storage apparatus creates journal data containing said data and update information of said data including said update number, stores the created journal data in a first journal volume provided in said first storage apparatus, and sends said data to said second storage apparatus together with said update number,

wherein, upon receiving said data from said first storage apparatus, said second storage apparatus stores said data in said second volume, creates journal data containing said data and update information of said data including said update number notified from said first storage apparatus, and stores the created journal data in a second journal volume provided in said second storage apparatus,

wherein said third storage apparatus stores journal data sent from said first storage apparatus in a third journal volume provided in said third storage apparatus, and stores data contained in said journal data in said third volume, and

wherein said fourth storage apparatus stores said journal data sent from said second storage apparatus in a fourth journal volume provided in said fourth storage apparatus, and stores said data contained in said journal data in said fourth volume.

11. The information system according to claim 3, wherein said first computer switches a path to said second storage apparatus when a failure occurs in said first storage apparatus,

wherein said second storage apparatus writes data provided from said first computer into said second volume, and

wherein said second and third storage apparatuses copy said data stored in said second volume to said third volume.

12. The information system according to claim 11, wherein said third and fourth storage apparatuses continue remote copy between said third and fourth volumes even after a failure occurs in said first storage apparatus.

13. The information system according to claim 3, further comprising:

a second computer coupled to said third and fourth storage apparatuses,

wherein said second computer takes over the processing of said first computer and writes data into said third volume when a failure occurs in said first and/or second storage apparatus, and

wherein said third and fourth storage apparatuses execute remote copy between said third and fourth volumes with said third storage apparatus as the primary system.

14. A data protection method in an information system having a first computer, a first storage apparatus coupled to said first computer and including a first volume, and a second storage apparatus coupled to said first storage apparatus and said first computer and including a second volume, said data protection method comprising:

a first step of connecting a third storage apparatus including a third volume to said first storage apparatus;

a second step of said first and second storage apparatuses executing remote copy of copying data stored in said first volume to said second volume; and

a third step of said first and third storage apparatuses executing remote copy of copying data stored in said first volume to said third volume.

15. The data protection method according to claim 14, wherein said first step includes connecting said third storage apparatus to said second storage apparatuses.