Host storage management control of outboard data movement

• US 6,393,537 B1
• Filed: 01/06/1998
• Issued: 05/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Xyratex Technology Limited (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Micka, William Frank, Sovik, Mark Anthony, Kern, Robert Frederic, Kern, Ronald Maynard
• Primary Examiner(s): Yoo, Do Hyun
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCLEAN MAYO, KIMBERLY N
• Application Number:
  US09/003,544
• Time in Patent Office: 1,596 Days
• Field of Search: 711/162, 711/161, 711/112, 711/111, 711/113, 711/114, 710/38
• US Class Current: 711/162
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2003/0697 device management, e.g. handlers, drivers, I/O schedulers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0601 Interfaces specially adapted for storage systems

Abstract

A storage-and-host-controller-managed outboard data management tool is described wherein the host controller defines logical paths between various storage controllers and data storage devices, and the storage controller manages the movement of data to and from the various data storage devices while only sending data to the host processorg if necessary.

Claims

1. A method for transferring data between a first and second storage devices, comprising:

processing a data transfer request with a host system to transfer data from the first storage device to the second storage device;

allocating, with the host system, source and target locations, wherein data is transferred from the source location in the first storage device to the target location in the second storage device;

maintaining, with the host system, serialization of the source location;

defining, with the host system, a data transfer request to include information on the source and target locations and data sets to transfer therebetween;

defining with the host system data movement paths from the first storage device to a first controller, from the first controller to a second controller, and from the second controller to the second storage device.

communicating, with the host system, the data transfer request, including the information on the data sets to transfer and the data movement paths to the first controller;

processing, with the first controller, the information on the data sets to transfer; and

transferring, with the first controller, the data sets from the source location in the first storage device to the second controller, wherein the second controller transfers the data sets to the target location in the second storage device, and wherein the data movement paths between the first and second controllers through which the data sets are transferred do not pass through the host system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data transfer request comprises a data transfer operation that is a member of the set of data transfer operations comprising a snapshot copy, point in time copy, backup, restore, and copy.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein transferring the data sets with the first controller comprises the first controller initiating a transfer process to transfer the data sets, wherein the transfer process executed by the first controller is independent of processes executed by the host system.

4. The computer useable medium of claim 3, wherein the first controller initiates a transfer process to process the data transfer request data structure and transfer the data sets from the first storage device to the second storage device, wherein the transfer process executed by the controller is independent of processes executed by the host system.

5. A method for transferring data between a first and second storage devices, comprising:

processing a data transfer request with a host system to transfer data from the first storage device to the second storage device;

allocating, with the host system, source and target locations, wherein data is transferred from the source location in the first storage device to the target location in the second storage device;

maintaining, with the host system, serialization of the source location;

defining, with the host system, a data transfer request to include information on the source and target locations and data sets to transfer therebetween, wherein the data transfer request defined by the host system includes an extent data structure of storage areas in the first storage device to backup in storage areas in the second storage device, wherein the step of processing comprises a first controller sequentially processing the data sets indicated in the extent, and wherein the step of transferring the data sets comprises the first controller sequentially transferring data sets from the first set of storage areas in the first storage device to a second controller to backup the data from the first storage device in the second storage device;

defining with the host system data movement paths from the first storage device to the first controller, from the first controller to the second controller, and from the second controller to the second storage device;

communicating, with the host system, the data transfer request, including the information on the data sets to transfer and the data movement paths to the first controller;

processing, with the first controller, the information on the data sets to transfer; and

transferring, with the first controller, the data sets from the source location in the first storage device to the second controller, wherein the second controller transfers the data sets to the target location in the second storage device, and wherein the data movement paths between the first and second controllers through which the data sets are transferred do not pass through the host system.

6. A system for transferring data, comprising:

a host system;

first and second controllers;

a communication line providing data communication between the host system and the first controller;

a first storage device;

a second storage device, wherein the first and second controllers are in data communication with the first and second storage devices;

means, performed by the host system, for allocating source and target locations, wherein data is transferred from the source location in the first storage device to a target location in the second storage device;

means, performed by the host system, for maintaining serialization of the source location;

means, performed by the host system, for defining data movement paths from the first storage device to the first controller, from the first controller to the second controller, and from the second controller to the second storage device;

means, performed by the host system, for defining a data transfer request to include information on the data movement paths, source and target locations, and data sets to transfer therebetween;

means, performed by the communication line, for transferring the data transfer request, including the information on the data sets to transfer to the first controller;

means, performed by the first controller, for processing the information on the data sets to transfer; and

means, performed by the first controller, for transferring the data sets from the source location in the first storage device to a second controller, wherein the second controller transfers the data sets to the target location in the second storage device, wherein the data movement paths between the first and second controllers through which the data sets are transferred do not pass through the host system.

7. The system of claim 6, further including means, performed by the first controller, for initiating a transfer process to control the transfer of the data sets from the first storage device to the second storage device, wherein the transfer process executed by the first controller is independent of processes executed by the host system.

8. An article of manufacture for use in programming a host system and first and second controllers to transfer data between a first storage device and a second storage device, the article of manufacture comprising at least one computer useable medium each including at least one computer program embedded therein for causing the host system and first and second controllers to perform:

processing, with the host system, a data transfer request to transfer data from the first storage device to the second storage device;

allocating, with the host system, source and target locations, wherein data is transferred from a source location in the first storage device to a target location in the second storage device;

maintaining, with the host system, serialization of the source location;

defining with the host system data movement paths from the first storage device to the first controller, from the first controller to the second controller, and from the second controller to the second storage device;

defining, with the host system, a data transfer request to include information on the data movement paths, source and target locations and data sets to transfer therebetween;

communicating, with the host system, the data transfer request, including the information on the data sets to transfer to the first controller;

processing, with the first controller, the information on the data sets to transfer; and

transferring, with the first controller, the data sets from the source location in the first storage device to the second controller, wherein the second controller transfers the data sets to the target location in the second storage device, wherein the data movement paths between the first and second controllers through which the data sets are transferred do not pass through the host system.

9. The article of manufacture of claim 8, wherein the data transfer request comprises a data transfer operation that is a member of the set of data transfer operations comprising a snapshot copy, point in time copy, backup, restore, and copy.

10. The article of manufacture of claim 8, wherein transferring the data sets with the first controller comprises the first controller initiating a transfer process to transfer the data sets, wherein the transfer process executed by the first controller is independent of processes executed by the host system.

11. An article of manufacture for use in programming a host system and first and second controllers to transfer data between a first storage device and a second storage device, the article of manufacture comprising at least one computer useable medium each including at least one computer program embedded therein for causing the host system and first and second controllers to perform:

processing, with the host system, a data transfer request to transfer data from the first storage device to the second storage device;

allocating, with the host system, source and target locations, wherein data is transferred from a source location in the first storage device to a target location in the second storage device;

maintaining, with the host system, serialization of the source location;

defining with the host system the data movement paths from the first storage device to the first controller, from the first controller to the second controller, and from the second controller to the second storage device;

defining, with the host system, a data transfer request to include information on data movement paths, source and target locations and data sets to transfer therebetween, wherein the data transfer request defined by the host system includes an extent data structure of storage areas in the first storage device to backup in storage areas in the second storage device, wherein the step of processing comprises the first controller sequentially processing the data sets indicated in the extent, and wherein the step of transferring the data sets comprises the first controller sequentially transferring data sets from the storage areas in the first storage device to the second controller to backup the data in the second storage device;

communicating, with the host system, the data transfer request, including the information on the data sets to transfer to the first controller;

processing, with the first controller, the information on the data sets to transfer; and

transferring, with the first controller, the data sets from the source location in the first storage device to the second controller, wherein the second controller transfers the data sets to the target location in the second storage device, wherein the data movement paths between the first and second controllers through which the data sets are transferred do not pass through the host system.

12. A computer useable medium for storing data for access by a first controller, including a data transfer request data structure comprising information on data movement paths from a first storage device to the first controller, from the first controller to a second controller and from the second controller to a second storage device and information indicating data sets to transfer, wherein a host system generates the data transfer request data structure and defines the data movement paths to not pass through the host system, wherein the host system communicates the data transfer request data structure to the first controller, wherein the first controller processes the data transfer request data structure to control the transfer of data sets from the first storage device via the data movement paths indicated in the data transfer request data structure to the second controller for storage in the second storage device.

13. A computer useable medium for storing data for access by a first controller, including a data transfer request data structure comprising information on data movement paths from a first storage device to the first controller, from the first controller to a second controller and from the second controller to a second storage device and information indicating data sets to transfer, wherein the data transfer request data structure further includes an extent data structure of storage areas in the first storage device to backup in storage areas in the second storage device, wherein the first controller sequentially processes the data sets indicated in the extent, wherein the first controller sequentially controls the transfer of data sets included in the extent data structure from the storage areas in the first storage device to the storage areas in the second storage device to backup the data in the second storage device, wherein a host system generates the data transfer request data structure and defines the data movement paths to not pass through the host system, wherein the host system communicates the data transfer request data structure to the first controller, and wherein the first controller processes the data transfer request data structure to control the transfer of data sets from the first storage device via the data movement paths indicated in the data transfer request data structure to the second controller for storage in the second storage device.

14. A system for transferring data, comprising:

a host system;

first and second controllers;

a communication line providing data communication between the host system and the first controller;

a first storage device;

a second storage device, wherein the first and second controllers are in data communication with the first and second storage devices;

means, performed by the host system, for allocating source and target locations, wherein data is transferred from the source location in the first storage device to the target location in the second storage device;

means, performed by the host system, for maintaining serialization of the source location;

means, performed by the host system, for defining data movement paths from the first storage device to the first controller, from the first controller to the second controller, and from the second controller to the second storage device;

means, performed by the host system, for defining a data transfer request to include information on the data movement paths, source and target locations, and data sets to transfer therebetween, wherein the data transfer request defined by the host system includes an extent data structure of storage areas in the first storage device to backup in storage areas in the second storage device, wherein the step of processing comprises the first controller sequentially processing the data sets indicated in the extent, and wherein the step of transferring the data sets comprises the first controller sequentially transferring data sets from the first set of storage areas in the first storage device to the second controller to backup the data from the first storage device in the second storage device;

means, performed by the communication line, for transferring the data transfer request, including the information on the data sets to transfer to the first controller;

means, performed by the first controller, for processing the information on the data sets to transfer; and

means, performed by the first controller, for transferring the data sets from the source location in the first storage device to a second controller, wherein the second controller transfers the data sets to the target location in the second storage device, wherein data movement paths between the first and second controllers through which the data sets are transferred do not pass through the host system.