METHOD FOR MANAGING STORAGE SYSTEM USING FLASH MEMORY, AND COMPUTER

• US 20100325345A1
• Filed: 08/24/2009
• Published: 12/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: OHNO, Shotaro, Obana, Manabu
• Granted Patent: US 8,909,848 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/103
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/108 Parity data distribution in semiconductor storages, e.g. in SSD
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2094 Redundant storage or storage space G06F11/2056 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2206/1008 Graphical user interface [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2211/1059 Parity-single bit-RAID5, i.e. RAID 5 implementations
• 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 3/061 Improving I/O performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0616 in relation to life time, e.g. increasing Mean Time Between Failures [MTBF]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0619 in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0634 by changing the state or mode of one or more devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0644 Management of space entities, e.g. partitions, extents, pools
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0647 Migration mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0652 Erasing, e.g. deleting, data cleaning, moving of data to a wastebasket
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0653 Monitoring storage devices or systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0655 Vertical data movement, i.e. input-output transfer; data movement between one or more hosts and one or more storage devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0683 Plurality of storage devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0685 Hybrid storage combining heterogeneous device types, e.g. hierarchical storage, hybrid arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0688 Non-volatile semiconductor memory arrays

Abstract

To facilitate the management of a storage system that uses a flash memory as a storage area. A controller of the storage system provided with a flash memory chip manages a surplus capacity value of the flash memory chip, and transmits a value based on the surplus capacity value to a management server, on the basis of at least one of a definition of a parity group, a definition of an internal LU, and a definition of a logical unit. The management server displays a state of the storage system by using the received value based on the surplus capacity value.

Claims

1. An information system, comprising:

a computer;

a storage system, which includes a flash memory device, a cache memory, and a storage controller storing storage configuration information, and which provides a logical unit to the computer by using the flash memory device; and

a management system managing the storage system and the computer,

wherein the storage controller stores, in the storage configuration information, a first surplus capacity value that is based on a capacity of a surplus area of the flash memory device, generates storage management information based on the storage configuration information, and transmits the storage management information to the management system, and

wherein the management system receives the storage management information, and displays a management surplus capacity value that relates to the storage system, based on the storage management information.

2. An information system according to claim 1,

wherein the storage controller stores, in the storage configuration information, information representing a definition of a parity group using the flash memory device, and information representing a correspondence relationship between the logical unit and the parity group,

wherein the storage controller dispersively or redundantly writes, based on the definition of the parity group, write data of a write request designating the logical unit, to the flash memory device that belongs to the parity group corresponding to the designated logical unit, and

wherein the displaying of the management surplus capacity value is displaying of a second surplus capacity value for the parity group or a value obtained by subjecting the second surplus capacity value to a conversion for the display.

3. An information system according to claim 2,

wherein the storage management information includes the first surplus capacity value for the flash memory device, and

wherein the management system calculates the second surplus capacity value for the parity group on the basis of the first surplus capacity value for the flash memory device.

4. An information system according to claim 2,

wherein the storage controller calculates the second surplus capacity value for the parity group on the basis of the first surplus capacity value for the flash memory device, and

wherein the storage management information includes the second surplus capacity value.

5. An information system according to claim 1,

wherein the storage controller stores, in the storage configuration information, information representing a definition of a parity group using the flash memory device, information representing a correspondence relationship with an internal logical unit defined in use of the parity group, and information representing a correspondence relationship between the internal logical unit and the logical unit,

wherein the storage controller transmits identification information of the internal logical unit corresponding to a designated logical unit in response to a device inquiry request designating the logical unit,

wherein the storage controller dispersively or redundantly writes, to the flash memory device belonging to the parity group corresponding to the designated logical unit, write data of a write request designating the designated logical unit on the basis of the definition of the parity group and the definition of the internal logical unit, and

wherein the displaying of the management surplus capacity value, is displaying of a third surplus capacity value for the internal logical unit or a value obtained by subjecting the third surplus capacity value to a conversion for the display.

6. An information system according to claim 5,

wherein the storage management information includes a first surplus capacity value of the flash memory device, and

wherein the management system calculates the third surplus capacity value for the internal logical unit on the basis of the first surplus capacity value for the flash memory device.

7. An information system according to claim 5,

wherein the storage controller calculates the third surplus capacity value for the internal logical unit on the basis of the first surplus capacity value for the flash memory device, and

wherein the storage management information includes the third surplus capacity value.

8. An information system according to claim 1,

wherein the displaying of the management surplus capacity value is displaying of a fourth surplus capacity value for the logical unit or a value obtained by subjecting the fourth surplus capacity value to a conversion for the display,

wherein the storage management information includes the first surplus capacity value for the flash memory device, and

wherein the management system calculates the fourth surplus capacity value for the logical unit based on the first surplus capacity value for the flash memory device.

9. An information system according to claim 1,

wherein the displaying of the management surplus capacity value is displaying of a fourth surplus capacity value for the logical unit or a value obtained by subjecting the fourth surplus capacity value to a conversion for the display,

wherein the management system calculates the fourth surplus capacity value for the logical unit based on the first surplus capacity value for the flash memory device, and

wherein the storage management information includes the fourth surplus capacity value.

10. An information system according to claim 1,

wherein the management system stores a policy for evaluating the management surplus capacity value, and

wherein the management system displays or manages, based on the storage management information and the policy, as a low update frequency application the logical unit in which the surplus area of the flash memory corresponding to the logical unit is determined to be insufficient.

11. An information system according to claim 10,

wherein the computer executes an archive program, and

wherein the management system transmits to the computer an allocation request for allocating the logical unit, determined as the low update frequency application, to the archive program.

12. An information system according to claim 10,

wherein the management system transmits to the storage system a data migration request for setting the logical unit as a movement destination, the logical unit being determined as the low update frequency application.

13. A management system that manages a computer and a storage system that provides a logical unit to the computer using a flash memory device, the management system comprising:

a port receiving, from the storage system, a first surplus capacity value which is a value relating to a capacity of a surplus area of the flash memory device;

a memory storing storage configuration information and management-side storage configuration information storing the first surplus capacity value;

a processor monitoring the storage system using the port; and

an input/output device displaying a state of the storage system using the management-side storage configuration information,

wherein the processor generates a management surplus capacity value relating to the storage system on the basis of the management-side storage management information, and

wherein the input/output device displays the management surplus capacity value.

14. A management system according to claim 13,

wherein the management-side storage configuration information stores a second surplus capacity value for a parity group defined by the storage system, and

wherein the management surplus capacity value is the second surplus capacity value for the parity group.

15. A management method of a management system that manages a computer and a storage system that provides a logical unit to the computer using a flash memory device, the method comprising:

by the management system, receiving from the storage system a first surplus capacity value relating to a capacity of a surplus area of the flash memory device;

by the management system, storing storage configuration information and management-side storage configuration information storing the first surplus capacity value;

by the management system, generating a management surplus capacity value relating to the storage system on the basis of the management-side storage management information; and

by the management system, displaying the management surplus capacity value by using an input/output device of the management system.