MULTIPATH-BASED MIGRATION OF DATA ACROSS STORAGE CONTROLLERS

• US 20100318692A1
• Filed: 06/10/2009
• Published: 12/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: SANDLER, Kariel, YANAI, Moshe, KOLL, Leon, KOZOVER, Maxim
• Granted Patent: US 8,255,596 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/38
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0617 in relation to availability
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0647 Migration mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

Exemplary methods, systems, and computer program product embodiments for migrating existing data from a source storage controller to a target storage controller, each associated with a data processing storage subsystem, using a processor device in communication with a memory device, are provided. The target storage controller is configured with at least one target volume having pass-through support to a source volume of the source storage controller. An input/output (I/O) path to the existing data through the target storage controller is configured. The I/O path is added to an existing I/O path connected to the existing data using an operating system (OS) operational on at least one host in communication between the source and target storage controllers. The OS is adapted for I/O multipath support. Upon completion of data migration, the existing I/O path is removed.

Claims

1. A method for migrating existing data from a source storage controller to a target storage controller, each associated with a data processing storage subsystem, using a processor device in communication with a memory device, comprising:

configuring the target storage controller with at least one target volume having pass-through support to a source volume of the source storage controller;

configuring an input/output (I/O) path to the existing data through the target storage controller;

adding the I/O path to an existing I/O path connected to the existing data using an operating system (OS) operational on at least one host in communication between the source and target storage controllers, wherein the OS is adapted for I/O multipath support; and

upon completion of data migration, removing the existing I/O path.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein adding the I/O path to the existing I/O path further includes setting at least one multipath weight to give preference to the existing I/O path.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein adding the I/O path to the existing I/O path further includes configuring the I/O path to submit an unavailable status to a requesting entity.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein adding the I/O path to the existing I/O path further includes determining if the existing I/O path exhibits a better performance than the I/O path using a load balancing algorithm provided by the OS.

5. The method of claim 1, further including determining whether the target storage controller has the at least one target volume having pass-through support to the source volume of the source storage controller.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the input/output (I/O) path to the existing data through the target storage controller is performed at least partially through a network connecting the source storage controller and the target storage controller.

7. A system for migrating existing data from a source storage controller to a target storage controller, each associated with a data processing storage subsystem, comprising:

a host module; and

at least one storage module in communication with the host module, wherein;

the at least one storage module is adapted for configuring at least one target volume having pass-through support to a source volume of the source storage controller, and

the host module is adapted for configuring an input/output (I/O) path to the existing data through the target storage controller, and adding the I/O path to an existing I/O path connected to the existing data using an operating system (OS) operational in conjunction with the host module, wherein the OS is adapted for I/O multipath support.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the host module is further adapted for, upon completion of data migration, removing the existing I/O path.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the host module is further adapted for, pursuant to adding the I/O path to the existing I/O path, setting at least one multipath weight to give preference to the existing I/O path.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the host module is further adapted for, pursuant to adding the I/O path to the existing I/O path, configuring the I/O path to submit an unavailable status to a requesting entity.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the host module is further adapted for, pursuant to adding the I/O path to the existing I/O path, determining if the existing I/O path exhibits a better performance than the I/O path using a load-balancing algorithm provided by the OS.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one storage module is further adapted for determining whether the target storage controller has the at least one target volume having pass-through support to the source volume of the source storage controller.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the host module is further adapted for configuring the input/output (I/O) path to the existing data through the target storage controller at least partially through a network connecting the source storage controller and the target storage controller.

14. A computer program product for migrating existing data from a source storage controller to a target storage controller, each associated with a data processing storage subsystem, using a processor device in communication with a memory device, the computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

a first executable portion for configuring the target storage controller with at least one target volume having pass-through support to a source volume of the source storage controller;

a second executable portion for configuring an input/output (I/O) path to the existing data through the target storage controller;

a third executable portion for adding the I/O path to an existing I/O path connected to the existing data using an operating system (OS) operational on a host in communication between the source and target storage controller, wherein the OS is adapted for I/O multipath support; and

a fourth executable portion for upon completion of data migration, removing the existing I/O path.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, further including a fifth executable portion for, pursuant to adding the I/O path to the existing I/O path, setting at least one multipath weight to give preference to the existing I/O path.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, further including a fifth executable portion for, pursuant to adding the I/O path to the existing I/O path, configuring the I/O path to submit an unavailable status to a requesting entity.

17. The computer program product of claim 14, further including a fifth executable portion for, pursuant to adding the I/O path to the existing I/O path, determining if the existing I/O path exhibits a better performance than the I/O path using a load-balancing algorithm provided by the OS.

18. The computer program product of claim 14, further including a fifth executable portion for determining whether the target storage controller has the at least one target volume having pass-through support to the source volume of the source storage controller.

19. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the second executable portion for configuring the input/output (I/O) path to the existing data through the target storage controller is further adapted for configuring the I/O path least partially through a network connecting the source storage controller and the target storage controller.

20. A method of manufacturing a system for migrating existing data from a source storage controller to a target storage controller, each associated with a data processing storage subsystem, comprising:

providing a host module; and

providing at least one storage module in communication with the host module, wherein;

the at least one storage module is adapted for configuring at least one target volume having pass-through support to a source volume of the source storage controller, and

the host module is adapted for configuring an input/output (I/O) path to the existing data through the target storage controller, and adding the I/O path to an existing I/O path connected to the existing data using an operating system (OS) operational in conjunction with the host module, wherein the OS is adapted for I/O multipath support.

21. The method of manufacture of claim 20, wherein the host module is further adapted for, pursuant to adding the I/O path to the existing I/O path, setting at least one multipath weight to give preference to the existing I/O path.

22. The method of manufacture of claim 20, wherein the host module is further adapted for, pursuant to adding the I/O path to the existing I/O path, configuring the I/O path to submit an unavailable status to a requesting entity.

23. The method of manufacture of claim 20, wherein the host module is further adapted for, pursuant to adding the I/O path to the existing I/O path, determining if the existing I/O path exhibits a better performance than the I/O path using a load-balancing algorithm provided by the OS.

24. The method of manufacture of claim 20, wherein the host module is further adapted for determining whether the target storage controller has the at least one target volume having pass-through support to the source volume of the source storage controller.

25. The method of manufacture of claim 20, wherein the host module is further adapted for configuring the input/output (I/O) path to the existing data through the target storage controller at least partially through a network connecting the source storage controller and the target storage controller.