Data transfer method

• US 7,065,539 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2003
• Issued: 06/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Shimada, Naoki, Hirabayashi, Motoaki, Mikami, Shogo
• Primary Examiner(s): AMSBURY, WAYNE P
• Application Number:
  US10/366,557
• Publication Number:
  US 20040010490A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,222 Days
• Field of Search: 707/202, 714/100, 718/100
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0727 in a storage system, e.g. in a DASD or network based storage system drivers for digital recording or reproducing units G06F3/06; circuits for error detection or correction within digital recording or reproducing units G11B20/18; 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], H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0793 Remedial or corrective actions recovery from an exception in an instruction pipeline G06F9/3861; by retry G06F11/1402; for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity H04L69/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1435 using file system or storage system metadata
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1461 Backup scheduling policy
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1469 Backup restoration techniques
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

A data transfer method which quickens the resumption of work execution in an environment in which works are executed by a plurality of computers according to a schedule. The work server identifies a work to be processed, identifies a file used by the identified work, and then restores the data of the identified file.

Claims

1. An information processing system for executing a plurality of works each thereof consisting of at least one job, comprising:

a plurality of work servers each thereof executing at least one work on a job basis;

a management server coupled with the plurality of work servers via a first network, for managing execution of the plurality of works, full backup operation and restore operation of works according to an order of a predetermined time schedule of works listed in a schedule file, the management server having a management storage device storing, in addition to the schedule file, a history file listing names of works being executed with execution start times thereof, or having been executed with execution start times and end times thereof;

a plurality of file storage devices coupled with the plurality of work servers via a second network, for storing job files for the jobs constituting the works; and

a backup storage device coupled with the work servers and the file storage devices via the second network, for executing full backup operation of works on a job file basis, with each of the job files storing data of a corresponding job,

wherein, when a failure occurs in a file storage device after completion of full backup operation of works, the management server searches the schedule file and the history file to identify names of works being executed or having been executed after the full backup operation, as well as names of associated work servers and names of jobs of the identified works,

the management server collects, from the work severs, information concerning names of job files of the identified works and names of file storage devices storing the job files of the identified works to create a fault remedy file indicating names of job files to be restored, based on the collected information, with the job files to be restored being job files of works existing between a work during execution of which the failure occurred and a work to be executed first after the failure occurred, and the fault remedy file excluding a work whose job files are all stored in file storage devices other than the failed file storage device,

the management server enables a work server to execute restore operation of data from the backup storage on a job file basis, according to the fault remedy file, and

after the restore operation is completed, the management server enables work servers to restart the works listed in the remedy file.

2. The data transfer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first network is a LAN (Local Area Network) and the second network is a SAN (Storage Area Network).

3. A data transfer method for an information processing system for executing a plurality of works each thereof consisting of at least one job, the system comprising:

a plurality of work servers each thereof executing at least one work on a job basis;

a management sever coupled with the plurality of work servers via a first network, for managing execution of the plurality of works, full backup operation and restore operation of works according to an order of a predetermined time schedule of works listed in a schedule file, the management server having a management storage device storing, in addition to the schedule file, a history file listing names of works being executed with execution start times thereof, or having been executed with execution start times and end times thereof;

a plurality of file storage devices coupled with the plurality of work servers via a second network, for storing job files for the jobs constituting the works;

a backup storage device coupled with the work servers and the file storage devices via the second network, for executing full backup operation of works on a job file basis, with each of the job files storing data of a corresponding job,

the method comprising the steps of;

detecting, by the management server, an occurrence of a failure in a file storage device after completion of full backup operation of works;

searching, by the management sever, the schedule file and the history file to identify names of works being executed or having been executed after the full backup operation, as well as names of associated work servers and names of jobs of the identified works;

collecting, by the management server from the work servers, information concerning names of job files of jobs of the identified works and names of file storage devices storing the job files of the identified works to create a fault remedy file indicating names of job files to be restored, based on the collected information, with the job files to be restored being job files of works existing between a work during execution of which the failure occurred and a work to be executed first after the failure occurred, and the fault remedy file excluding a work whose job files are all stored in file storage devices other than the failed file storage device;

enabling, by the management server, a work server to execute restore operation of data from the backup storage on a job file basis, according to the fault remedy file; and

enabling, by the management sever, work servers to restart the works listed in the remedy file, after the restore operation is completed.

4. The data transfer method according to claim 3, wherein the first network is a LAN and the second network is a SAN.