STORAGE SYSTEM AND STORAGE CONTROL METHOD

• US 20100262803A1
• Filed: 03/31/2010
• Published: 10/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Noguchi, Yasuo, UCHIDA, Kosuke
• Granted Patent: US 8,856,485 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/172
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0608 Saving storage space on storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0631 by allocating resources to storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0665 at area level, e.g. provisioning of virtual or logical volumes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 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]

Abstract

A storage method and system where the storage system includes a plurality of servers and a control server configured to select a storage area available to be used by each of the servers from among storage areas of a group of storage devices sharable among the plurality of servers. The system includes, a detecting unit configured to detect an available capacity of a specified storage device other than the storage group, where the specified storage device is designated for use only by a specified server selected from among the servers, a specifying unit configured to specify an available area corresponding to the available capacity detected from the specified storage device through the detecting unit, and a setting unit configured to set the specified available area to a shared storage area that is available to be shared among the server.

Claims

1. A storage system including a plurality of servers and a control server configured to select a storage area available to be used by each of the servers from among storage areas of a group of storage devices sharable among the plurality of servers, the system comprising:

a detecting unit configured to detect an available capacity of a specified storage device other than the group, the specified storage device being designated for use only by a specified server selected from among the servers;

a specifying unit configured to specify an available area corresponding to the available capacity detected from the specified storage device through the detecting unit; and

a setting unit configured to set the specified available area to a shared storage area that is available to be shared among the servers.

2. The system according to claim 1, comprising:

an available capacity-determining unit configured to determine whether the detected available capacity is at least equal to a predetermined available capacity, and

wherein when the available capacity-determining unit determines that the detected available capacity is at least equal to the predetermined available capacity, the specifying unit specifies an available area corresponding to the available capacity detected from the specified storage device through the detecting unit.

3. The system according to claim 1, comprising:

a use rate-determining unit configured to determine whether a use rate of a residual storage area other than the shared storage area set by the setting unit of the specified storage device is at least equal to a predetermined use rate, and

wherein when the use rate-determining unit determines that the use rate of the residual storage area is at least equal to the predetermined use rate, the setting unit sets the shared storage area to a storage area used only by the specified server.

4. The system according to claim 2, comprising:

a use rate-determining unit configured to determine whether a use rate of a residual storage area other than the shared storage area set by the setting unit of the specified storage device is at least equal to a predetermined use rate, and

wherein when the use rate-determining unit determines that the use rate of the residual storage area is at least equal to the predetermined use rate, the setting unit sets the shared storage area to a storage area used only by the specified server.

5. A storage control method executed by a computer including a storage system including a plurality of servers and a control server configured to select a storage area available to be used by each of the servers from among storage areas of a group of storage devices sharable among the plurality of servers, the method comprising:

detecting an available capacity of a specified storage device other than the group, the specified storage device being designated for use only by a specified server selected from among the servers;

specifying an available area corresponding to the available capacity detected from the specified storage device; and

setting the specified available area to a shared storage area that is available to be shared among the servers.

6. The method according to claim 5, comprising:

executing an available capacity-determining procedure provided to determine whether the detected available capacity is at least equal to a predetermined available capacity, and

wherein when determining that the detected available capacity is at least equal to the predetermined available capacity through the available capacity-determining procedure, an available area corresponding to the available capacity detected from the specified storage device is specified.

7. The method according to claim 5, comprising:

executing a use rate-determining procedure provided to determine whether a use rate of a residual storage area other than the shared storage area set through the setting of the specified storage device is at least equal to a predetermined use rate, and

wherein when determining that the use rate of the residual storage area is at least equal to the predetermined use rate through the use rate-determining procedure, the shared storage area is set to a storage area used only by the specified server.

8. The method according to claim 6, comprising:

executing a use rate-determining procedure provided to determine whether a use rate of a residual storage area other than the shared storage area set through the setting of the specified storage device is at least equal to a predetermined use rate, and

wherein when determining that the use rate of the residual storage area is at least equal to the predetermined use rate through the use rate-determining procedure, the shared storage area is set to a storage area used only by the specified server.

9. A computer-readable recording medium that stores a storage control program for a computer that constitutes a storage system including a plurality of servers and a control server configured to select a storage area available to be used by each of the servers from among storage areas of a group of storage devices sharable among the plurality of servers, the storage control program causing the computer processer to execute a process comprising:

detecting an available capacity of a specified storage device other than the group, the specified storage device being designated for use only by a specified server selected from among the servers;

specifying an available area corresponding to the available capacity detected from the specified storage device through the detection; and

setting the specified available area to a shared storage area that is available to be shared among the servers.

10. The computer-readable recording medium according to claim 9, comprising:

determining whether the detected available capacity is at least equal to a predetermined available capacity, and

wherein when determining that the detected available capacity is at least equal to the predetermined available capacity through the determination, the specification means specifying an available area corresponding to the available capacity detected from the specified storage device through the detection.

11. The computer-readable recording medium according to claim 9, comprising:

determining whether a use rate of a residual storage area other than the shared storage area set through the setting of the specified storage device is at least equal to a predetermined use rate, and

wherein when determining that the use rate of the residual storage area is at least equal to the predetermined use rate through the determination, the setting means setting the shared storage area to a storage area used only by the specified server.

12. The computer-readable recording medium according to claim 10, comprising:

determining whether a use rate of a residual storage area other than the shared storage area set through the setting of the specified storage device is at least equal to a predetermined use rate, and

wherein when determining that the use rate of the residual storage area is at least equal to the predetermined use rate through the determination, the setting means setting the shared storage area to a storage area used only by the specified server.