NAS SYSTEM AND REMOTE COPY METHOD

• US 20120158663A1
• Filed: 02/29/2012
• Published: 06/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sadahiro Nakamura, Yasuo Yamasaki
• Original Assignee: Sadahiro Nakamura, Yasuo Yamasaki
• Inventors: Yamasaki, Yasuo, NAKAMURA, Sadahiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,533,160 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/649
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/128 Details of file system snapshots on the file-level, e.g. snapshot creation, administration, deletion use of snapshots for error detection or correction G06F11/14, G06F11/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1827 Management specifically adapted to NAS management of storage area networks [SAN] G06F3/067
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/065 Replication mechanisms

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system that includes one or more logical volumes for storing data; a snapshot producing section for producing snapshots for the logical volumes based on a pre-scheduled snapshot acquisition time; a remote copy section for remote copying difference data for the snapshots based on pre-scheduled remote copy start times; and a scheduling section for re-scheduling the time of one or more of an Nth snapshot acquisition time, an Nth remote copy start time, and an (N+1)th remote copy start time, in such a manner that remote copying starting at the Nth remote copy start time finishes by the (N+1)th remote copy start time.

Claims

1. A storage system comprising:

one or more logical volumes configured to store data; and

a processor configured to;

produce snapshots for the logical volumes based on a pre-scheduled snapshot acquisition time,

execute remote copy of difference data for the snapshots based on pre-scheduled remote copy start times,

if the processor estimates that an Nth remote copy of the difference data of snapshots will not be completed by an (N+1)th remote copy start time, re-schedule a time of one or more of an Nth snapshot acquisition time, an Nth remote copy start time, and an (N+1)th remote copy start time, and

if re-schedule of the time is still insufficient to permit completion of the Nth remote copy before the Nth remote copy is executed, thin out an amount of the difference data for the snapshot,

wherein the processor is configured to estimate the amount of difference data for a snapshot of the logical volume acquired the Nth remote copy based on an amount of difference data for a snapshot of the logical volume acquired an (N−

1)th remote copy, and to execute the re-scheduling based on the estimated amount of difference data.

2. The storage system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to move the Nth remote copy start time forward based on the estimated amount of difference data in such a manner that remote copying starting at the Nth remote copy start time finishes by the (N+1)th remote copy start time.

3. The storage system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to move the Nth remote copy start time forward and moves the Nth snapshot acquisition time forward based on the estimated amount of difference data in such a manner that remote copying starting at the Nth remote copy start time finishes by the (N+1)th remote copy start time.

4. The storage system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to move the Nth remote copy start time forward, move the Nth snapshot acquisition time forward, and move the (N+1)th remote copy start time back based on the estimated amount of difference data in such a manner that remote copying starting at the Nth remote copy start time finishes by the (N+1)th remote copy start time.

5. The storage system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of logical volumes is split into groups every network device, and the processor executes priority control on logical volumes belonging to the same group.

6. A remote copy method, executed by a processor in a storage system, comprising:

producing snapshots for a logical volume that is configured to store data, based on a pre-scheduled snapshot acquisition time;

executing a remote copy of difference data for the snapshots based on pre-scheduled remote copy start times;

estimating an amount of difference data for a snapshot of the logical volume acquired an Nth remote copy based on the amount of difference data for a snapshot of the logical volume acquired an(N−

1)th time;

re-scheduling a time of one or more of an Nth snapshot acquisition time, an Nth remote copy start time, and an (N+1)th remote copy start time if the processor estimates that an Nth remote copy of the difference data of snapshots will not be completed by the (N+1)th remote copy start time; and

wherein the re-scheduling is executed based on the estimated amount of difference data,

thinning out an amount of the different data for the snapshot, if re-schedule of the time is still insufficient to permit completion of the Nth remote copy before the Nth remote copy is executed.

7. The remote copy method according to claim 6, wherein in the re-scheduling, the Nth remote copy start time is moved forward in such a manner that remote copying starting at the Nth remote copy start time finishes by the (N+1)th remote copy start time.

8. The remote copy method according to claim 6, wherein in the re-scheduling, the Nth remote copy start time is moved forward and the Nth snapshot acquisition time is moved forward in such a manner that remote copying starting at the Nth remote copy start time finishes by the (N+1)th remote copy start time.

9. The remote copy method according to claim 6, wherein in the re-scheduling, the Nth remote copy start time is moved forward, the Nth snapshot acquisition time is moved forward, and the (N+1)th remote copy start time is moved back in such a manner that remote copying starting at the Nth remote copy start time finishes by the (N+1)th remote copy start time.

10. The remote copy method according to claim 6,

further comprising a priority control operation of executing priority control in such a manner as to thin out remote copying of difference data for snapshots for logical volumes of low priority in the event that it is estimated that remote copying of difference data for snapshots of a logical volume of a plurality of files systems cannot be completed even if re-scheduling is implemented.

11. The remote copy method according to claim 10, wherein the plurality of logical volumes is split into groups every network device, and the executing priority control executes priority control on logical volumes belonging to the same group.