Data reallocation among storage systems

• US 6,763,442 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2002
• Issued: 07/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Mogi, Kazuhiko, Arakawa, Hiroshi, Eguchi, Yoshiaki, Arai, Kouji
• Primary Examiner(s): Padhanabhan, Mano
• Assistant Examiner(s): Namazi, Mehdi
• Application Number:
  US10/198,679
• Publication Number:
  US 20020184463A1
• Time in Patent Office: 727 Days
• Field of Search: 711/165, 711/154, 711/114, 711/161, 709/201, 709/231, 709/238, 709/213, 707/204, 707/10, 707/205, 714/6
• US Class Current: 711/165
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1096 Parity calculation or recalculation after configuration or reconfiguration of the system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2087 with a common controller
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0866 for peripheral storage systems, e.g. disk cache
• 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 3/0613 in relation to throughput
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0631 by allocating resources to storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0635 by changing the path, e.g. traffic rerouting, path reconfiguration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0647 Migration mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0659 Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling
• 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 61/457 containing identifiers of data entities on a computer, e.g. file names
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

The present invention provides techniques, including a method and system, for relocating data between storage systems. In one embodiment of the present invention a host collects usage information from a plurality of storage systems, and determines the relocation destination LU for data stored in the LU to be relocated. The host alters an LU logical position name table that determines matching between the logical position names of data and LUs. It also carries out data relocation between storage subsystems by shifting data stored in an origin LU to be relocated to a destination LU. In another embodiment relocation of files is provided.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

a first computer including an application;

a second computer including a file system and a manager;

a plurality of storage systems each including at least one logical storage area, usage information of the at least one logical storage area, meta data to be addressed by the file system, and a control unit coupled with the at least one logical storage area, the meta data including correlation information between a file ID used by the application and a first ID designating a logical location storing file data;

a storage device to be accessed by the second computer, the storage device configured to store correlation information between the first ID and a second ID designating a logical storage area storing the file data; and

a switch coupled with the first computer, the second computer, and the plurality of storage systems;

wherein the first computer is configured to notify the file system in the second computer of file accessing according to an access notification including a file ID issued from the application in the first computer;

wherein the file system, upon receiving the access notification from the first computer, is configured to acquire a second ID designating a logical storage area storing access target file corresponding to the received file ID by referring to a meta data and the correlation information in the storage device, and to send the acquired second ID to the first computer;

wherein the first computer is configured to issue an access request to one of the storage systems which includes a logical storage area designated by the acquired second ID;

wherein the storage system which receives the access request from the first computer is configured to access the file data stored in the logical storage area designated by the received second ID and to update usage information of the logical storage area of the storage system according to the access request; and

wherein the manager of the second computer is configured to acquire usage information from each of the plurality of storage systems, to issue to the switch a data reallocation command for copying file data stored in a source logical storage area in a source storage system of the plurality of storage systems to a target logical storage area in a target storage system of the plurality of storage systems according to the acquired usage information, and to update the meta data according to the data reallocation.

2. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the usage information includes one of occupation duration of logical storage areas and occupation rate of logical storage areas.

3. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the switch is configured to receive the data reallocation command, and to copy file data stored in the source logical storage area in the source logical storage system to the target logical storage area in the target storage system according to the received data reallocation command.

4. The computer system of claim 1 further comprising a third computer including another application, wherein the first computer and the third computer share a file stored in one of the plurality of storage systems, and wherein, before sending the acquired second ID to the first computer, the file system of the second computer is configured to lock the file against other write attempts and to flush a cache of the meta data on the second computer.

5. The computer system of claim 4 wherein the file system of the second computer is configured to lock the file against other write attempts by locking an address of a logical storage area in which the file is stored.

6. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the manager is configured to issue the data reallocation command for load distribution among the plurality of storage systems according to the acquired usage information.

7. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the control unit of the target storage system is configured, when the data reallocation command is received, to copy data stored in the source logical storage area in the source logical storage system to the target logical storage area of the target storage system according to the received data reallocation command.

8. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the switch comprises a Fibre channel switch.

9. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the storage systems comprise disk array systems each for providing the computer with at least one logical unit.

10. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the usage information comprises parity group usage information.

11. A method for data reallocation among a plurality of storage systems by a second computer including a file system and a manager in response to an access notification issued by a first computer including an application, the storage systems each including at least one logical storage area, usage information of the at least one logical storage area, meta data including correlation information between a file ID and a first ID designating a logical location storing file data, and a control unit coupled with the at least one logical storage area, the method comprising:

receiving an access request from the first computer including a file ID;

accessing a storage device which stores correlation information between a first ID for accessing target data and a second ID designating a logical storage area storing the target data;

acquiring a second ID corresponding to the received file ID by referring to a meta data and the correlation information in the storage device, wherein the first computer is configured to issue an access request including the acquired second ID received from the second computer to one of the storage systems which includes a logical storage area designated by the acquired second ID, wherein the storage system which receives the access request is configured to access file data stored in a logical storage area designated by the acquired second ID and to update usage information of the logical storage area of the storage system according to the access request;

acquiring usage information from each of the plurality of storage systems;

issuing a data reallocation command for copying data stored in a source logical storage area in a source storage system of the plurality of storage systems to a target logical storage area in a target storage system of the plurality of storage systems according to the acquired usage information; and

updating the meta data according to the data reallocation.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the usage information includes one of occupation duration of logical storage areas and occupation rate of logical storage areas.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the control unit of the target storage system is configured, when the data reallocation command is received, to copy data stored in the source logical storage area in the source logical storage system to the target logical storage area of the target storage system according to the received data reallocation command.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the data reallocation command is issued for load distribution among the plurality of storage systems.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the first computer, the second computer, and the storage systems are coupled with a switch.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the switch comprises a Fibre channel switch.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the switch is configured to receive the data reallocation command, and to copy file data stored in the source logical storage area in the source logical storage system to the target logical storage area in the target storage system according to the received data reallocation command.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein a third computer having another application shares with the first computer a file stored in one of the plurality of storage systems, and further comprising:

locking the file against other write attempts before sending the acquired second ID to the first computer; and

flushing a cache of the meta data on the second computer.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein locking the file comprises locking an address of a logical storage area in which the file is stored.

20. The method of claim 11 wherein the storage systems comprise disk array systems each for providing the computer with at least one logical unit.

21. The method of claim 11 wherein the usage information comprises parity group usage information.

22. A computer program product stored on a computer readable medium for data reallocation among a plurality of storage systems by a second computer including a file system and a manager in response to an access notification issued by a first computer including an application, the storage systems each including at least one logical storage area, usage information of the at least one logical storage area, meta data including correlation information between a file ID and a first ID designating a logical location storing file data, and a control unit coupled with the at least one logical storage area, the method comprising:

code for receiving an access request from the first computer including a file ID;

code for accessing a storage device which stores correlation information between a first ID for accessing target data and a second ID designating a logical storage area storing the target data;

code for acquiring a second ID corresponding to the received file ID by referring to a meta data and the correlation information in the storage device, wherein the first computer is configured to issue an access request including the acquired second ID received from the second computer to one of the storage systems which includes a logical storage area designated by the acquired second ID, wherein the storage system which receives the access request is configured to access file data stored in a logical storage area designated by the acquired second ID and to update usage information of the logical storage area of the storage system according to the access request;

code for acquiring usage information from each of the plurality of storage systems;

code for issuing a data reallocation command for copying data stored in a source logical storage area in a source storage system of the plurality of storage systems to a target logical storage area in a target storage system of the plurality of storage systems according to the acquired usage information; and

code for updating the meta data according to the data reallocation.

23. The computer program product of claim 22 wherein the usage information includes one of occupation duration of logical storage areas and occupation rate of logical storage areas.

24. The computer program product of claim 22 wherein the control unit of the target storage system is configured, when the data reallocation command is received, to copy data stored in the source logical storage area in the source logical storage system to the target logical storage area of the target storage system according to the received data reallocation command.

25. The computer program product of claim 22 wherein the data reallocation command is issued for load distribution among the plurality of storage systems.

26. The computer program product of claim 22 wherein a third computer having another application shares with the first computer a file stored in one of the plurality of storage systems, and further comprising:

code for locking the file against other write attempts before sending the acquired second ID to the first computer; and

code for flushing a cache of the meta data on the second computer.

27. The computer program product of claim 26 wherein the code for locking the file comprises code for locking an address of a logical storage area in which the file is stored.

28. The computer program product of claim 22 wherein the storage systems comprise disk array systems each for providing the computer with at least one logical unit.

29. The computer program product of claim 22 wherein the usage information comprises parity group usage information.