Information processing system and storage area allocating method

• US 6,834,289 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2001
• Issued: 12/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Mogi, Kazuhiko, Kaneda, Yasunori, Arakawa, Hiroshi, Eguchi, Yoshiaki, Arai, Kouji
• Primary Examiner(s): Rones, Charles
• Application Number:
  US09/944,462
• Publication Number:
  US 20030004981A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,209 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/4, 707/10, 707/100, 707/104, 707/204, 707/203, 709/223, 709/245, 709/227, 709/247
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0647 Migration mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0685 Hybrid storage combining heterogeneous device types, e.g. hierarchical storage, hybrid arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

A plurality of storages having respective attributes and a method for preserving data is provided in consideration of the attribute (performance or cost) and the operation ratio of the storage and the using frequency of the data in the storage area network. The information processing system of the invention includes a location management unit for managing a location of the data stored in the storage, an information duplication unit for duplicating the data between the storages, and an attribute preservation unit for preserving information for representing the attribute of each storage. The location management unit duplicates and moves the data between the storages by using the information duplication unit, based on the operation ratio of the storage, the access frequency of the data, the control information and the billing information.

Claims

1. A method for providing a storage area in an information processing system having a plurality of storages, for providing each of users with the storage area of a storage, comprising the steps of:

accepting data to be saved and control information for specifying how the data is saved from the user through a network;

receiving attribute information representing what kind of storage is to be saved;

specifying one of said storages in which data is to be stored in accordance with said attribute information and said control information; and

saving said data in said one of said storages.

2. A method for providing a storage area according to claim 1, further comprising:

accepting Previously presented control information through said network;

specifying another one of said storages based on said attribute information and said Previously presented control information; and

either duplicating or moving said data from said one of said storages to said other one of said storage.

3. A method for providing a storage area in an information processing system having a plurality of storages, for providing each of users with a storage area of a storage, comprising the steps of:

accepting data to be saved and control information for specifying how said data is saved from the user through the network;

receiving attribute information indicative of a storage to use for storing said data;

specifying a first storage among said storages in accordance with said attribute information and said control information;

saving said data in said first storage;

accepting Previously presented control information from said network;

specifying a second storage from among said storages in accordance with said attribute information and said Previously presented control information;

either duplicating or moving said data from said first storage to said second storage; and

billing said user according to said attribute information of said first storage, history information indicating in which one of said storages said data is saved and a period when said data is saved.

4. A method for providing a storage area according to claim 3, wherein said attribute information indicates preserving price per unit volume of said storage for saving said data.

5. An information processing system comprising:

a plurality of storages for storing data;

one or more controllers for writing information in or reading information from said storages;

location management means for managing a location of data stored in said storages; and

attribute preservation means for preserving attribute information representing an attribute of each of said storages;

wherein in a case one of said one or more controllers writes information in said storages, said location management means specifies one of said storages in which data is to be stored in accordance with said attribute information and with control information which is designated by said one of said controllers, said control information indicating how data is to be stored, said data received from said one of said controllers being written to said one of said storages, said location management means further preserves information relating to said one of said storages and a location of said data as stored in said one of said storages.

6. An information processing system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said attribute information relates to a cost required for reserving data in said storages.

7. An information processing system as claimed in claim 6, wherein said location management means issues an attribute information acquisition request to each of said storages to obtain said information relating to said cost, said one of storages being selected based on said information.

8. An information processing system as claimed in claim 6, wherein said location management means issues an attribute information acquisition request to said each storages to obtain said information relating to said performance, said one of storages being selected based on said information.

9. An information processing system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said attribute information relates to a performance of said storages.

10. An information processing system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said control information includes indicator information representing how data is stored, said indicator information including “

fast”

, “

highly reliable”

, “

long term”

, “

inexpensively”

, “

for disaster recovery”

, “

temporarily”

, “

in parallel”

, and “

portably”

.

11. An information processing system comprising:

a plurality of storages;

one or more controllers for writing data in or reading data from said storages;

location management means for managing a location of data stored in said storages;

attribute preservation means for preserving attribute information representing an attribute of each of said storages;

control information preservation means for preserving control information which indicates how data received from said controller is to be stored; and

changing means for changing said control information within said control information preservation means,

wherein when said changing means changes first control information, said location management means determines a first storage from among said storages, wherein data that is associated with said first control information is stored in said first storage either by being duplicated from its current location or moved from its current location, said data being stored in accordance with attribute information of said first storage and in accordance with said first control information.

12. An information processing system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said attribute information relates to a cost required for reserving data in said storages.

13. An information processing system as claimed in claim 12, wherein said location management means issues an attribute information acquisition request to each of said storages to obtain said information relating to said cost, said first storage being determined based on said information.

14. An information processing system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said attribute information relates to a performance of said storages.

15. An information processing system as claimed in claim 14, wherein said location management means issues an attribute information acquisition request to each of said storages to obtain said information relating to said performance, said first storage being determined based on said information.

16. An information processing system as claimed in claim 11, further comprising history preservation means for preserving information as to said first storage, and a time period during which said data is to be stored.

17. An information processing system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said control information includes indicator information representing how data is stored, said indicator information including “

fast”

, “

highly reliable”

, “

long term”

, “

inexpensively”

, “

for disaster recovery”

, “

temporarily”

, “

in parallel”

, and “

portably”

.