Remote storage disk control device with function to transfer commands to remote storage devices

• US 7,080,202 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2004
• Issued: 07/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Suzuki, Toru, Kasako, Naohisa, Kondo, Shuji, Koide, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Sparks, Donald
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gogia, Ankur
• Application Number:
  US11/010,216
• Publication Number:
  US 20050114599A1
• Time in Patent Office: 585 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 711/114
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2056 by mirroring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2058 using more than 2 mirrored copies
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2064 while ensuring consistency
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2069 Management of state, configuration or failover
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2071 using a plurality of controllers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2074 Asynchronous techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2082 Data synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/855 Details of asynchronous mirroring using a journal to transfer not-yet-mirrored changes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0607 by facilitating the process of upgrading existing storage systems, e.g. for improving compatibility between host and storage device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0617 in relation to availability
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0635 by changing the path, e.g. traffic rerouting, path reconfiguration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0646 Horizontal data movement in storage systems, i.e. moving data in between storage devices or systems
• 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]

Abstract

A storage device system includes an information processing device and at least first and second storage devices. The first and second storage devices are equipped with first and second storage volumes, respectively. The information processing device generates first data including a first instruction that is to be executed by the second storage device, and sends a write request to a first write request section to write the first data according to a first communications protocol in the first storage volume. When the first data written in the first storage volume is the command to be executed by the second storage device, the first storage device sends to a second write request section a write request to write the first data according to a second communications protocol in the second storage volume. The second storage device executes the first command set in the first data that is written in the second storage volume.

Claims

1. A storage system comprising:

a first storage device coupled to an information processing device and having a first controller and a plurality of first disk drives, said first disk drives can be related to a first logical volume and a second logical volume;

said first controller storing data received from said information processing device in said first disk drives and receiving a first command sent from said information processing device and transferring at least a first part of said first command to a second storage device, said first command or said first part of said first command being used to request a change of a first pair status of said first logical volume and said second logical volume in said first storage device, said second storage device or a (N−

1)th (N =positive integer of no fewer than

     3) storage device and a change of a second pair status of a third logical volume and a fourth logical volume in a Nth storage device;

said second storage device coupled to said first storage device and having a second controller and a plurality of second disk drives, said second disk drives can be related said first logical volume and said second logical volume;

said second controller storing data in said second disk drives and receiving said first part of said first command from said first storage device and transferring at least a second part of said first command which is contained in said first part of said first command to said Nth storage device, said second part of said first command being used to request said change of said second pair status;

said Nth storage device coupled to said second storage device or said (N−

1)th storage device and having a Nth controller and a plurality of Nth disk drives; and

said Nth controller storing data in said Nth disk drives and receiving said second part of said first command from said second storage device or said (N−

1)th storage device and changing said second pair status in response to said second part of said first command;

wherein said first controller, said second controller or a (N−

1)th storage controller changes said first pair status in response to said first command or said first part of said first command.

2. A storage system according to claim 1, wherein:

said first command is used to change said first pair status from one status to an another status;

said one status is that said first logical volume and said second logical volume do not form a pair in which one of said first logical volume and said second logical volume is set as a primary volume and another is set as a secondary volume; and

said another status is that said first logical volume and said second logical volume form said pair.

3. A storage system according to claim 1, wherein:

said first command is used to form a pair of said first logical volume and said second logical volume, and

one of said first logical volume and said second logical volume is a secondary volume stored data which are corresponding to data in relation to a primary volume.

4. A storage system according to claim 1, wherein:

said first command is used to form a pair of said first logical volume and said second logical volume,

one of said first logical volume and said second logical volume is a primary volume;

data in relation to said primary volume are corresponding to data stored in an secondary volume.

5. A storage system according to claim 1, wherein:

said first command is used to change said first pair status into a status of copying data stored in one of said first logical volume and said second logical volume as a primary volume to an fifth logical volume as a secondary volume so that data stored in said one of said first logical volume and said second logical volume are conform to data stored in said fifth logical volume.

6. A storage system according to claim 1, wherein:

said first command is used to change said first pair status into a status of copying data stored in an fifth logical volume as a primary volume to one of said first logical volume and said second logical volume as a secondary volume so that data stored in said fifth logical volume conform to data stored in said one of said first logical volume and said second logical volume.

7. A storage system according to claim 1, wherein:

said first command is used to change said first pair status to a status of storing data in relation to said first logical volume as a primary volume in said second logical volume as a secondary volume.

8. A storage system according to claim 1, wherein:

said first command is used to change said first pair status into a status of storing data in relation to an fifth logical volume as a primary volume in one of said first logical volume and said second logical volume as a secondary volume.

9. A storage system according to claim 1, wherein:

said first command is used to change said first pair status into a status of storing data sent from said information processing device in said first logical volume as a primary volume and not to store data in relation to said first logical volume in said second logical volume as a secondary volume.

10. A storage system according to claim 1, wherein:

said first command is used to change said first pair status to a status of storing data sent from said information processing device in an fifth logical volume as a primary volume and not to store data in relation to said fifth logical volume in one of said first logical volume and said second logical volume as a secondary volume.

11. A storage system according to claim 1, wherein:

said first command is used to change said first pair status to a status of restoring data from said first logical volume as a primary volume to said second logical volume as a secondary volume.

12. A storage system according to claim 1, wherein:

said first command is used to change said first pair status to a status of restoring data in relation to said first logical volume in said second logical volume.

13. A storage system according to claim 1, wherein:

said first controller, said second controller or a (N−

1)th controller transfers said first or second part of said first command to said Nth storage device based on contents of said first command.

14. A storage system according to claim 1, wherein:

said first controller provides a fifth logical volume to said information processing device, said fifth logical volume being used to control said first storage device by said information processing device; and

said first controller transfers said first part of said first command to said second storage device based on contents of said first command sent from said information processing device to said fifth logical volume.

15. A storage system according to claim 1, wherein:

said first controller provides a sixth logical volume to said information processing device, said sixth logical volume being corresponding to a seventh logical volume in said second storage device; and

said first controller transfers said first part of said first command to said seventh logical volume if said sixth logical volume is addressed in said first command sent from said information processing device.

16. A storage system according to claim 1, wherein:

said first command has information of identification number of said Nth storage device.

17. A storage system according to claim 1, wherein:

said first controller receives a second command, said second command being used to request a third pair status of one of said first logical volume, said second logical volume, said third logical volume and said fourth logical volume from said information processing device to at least one of controllers of said first storage device, said second storage device, said (N−

1)th storage device and said Nth storage device, and transferring a third part of said second command to said second storage device or said (N−

1)th storage device; and

said at least one of controllers receive said third part of said second command and replying said third pair status to said information processing device in response to said third part of said second command.

18. A storage system according to claim 1, wherein:

said first controller transfers said first part of said first command to said second storage device or said (N−

1)th storage device, said first part of said first command does not have an another part of said first command.

19. A storage system, comprising:

a first storage device coupled to an information processing device and having a first controller and a plurality of first disk drives;

said first controller storing data received from said information processing device in said first disk drives and receiving a command sent from said information processing device and transferring said command to a second storage device, said command being used to request a change of a first pair status of a first logical volume and a second logical volume in said first storage device or said second storage device and a change of a second pair status of a third logical volume and a fourth logical volume in a third storage device;

said second storage device coupled to said first storage device and having a second controller and a plurality of second disk drives;

said second controller storing data in said second disk drives and receiving said command from said first storage device and transferring said command to said third storage device, said command being used to request said change of said second pair status;

said third storage device coupled to said second storage device and having a third controller and a plurality of third disk drives; and

said third controller storing data in said third disk drives and receiving said command from said second storage device and changing said second pair status in response to said command;

wherein said first controller or said second controller changes said first pair status in response to said command.

20. A storage system, comprising:

a first storage device coupled to an information processing device and having a plurality of first disk drives;

a first controller, in said first storage device, controlling to store data received from said information processing device in said first disk drives and receiving a pair control command sent from said information processing device and transferring at least a first part of said pair control command, said pair control command or said first part of said pair control command being used to request a change of a first pair status of a first logical volume and a second logical volume and a change of a second pair status of a third logical volume and a fourth logical volume;

a second storage device coupled to said first storage device and having a plurality of second disk drives;

a second controller, in said second storage device, storing data in said second disk drives and receiving said first part of said pair control command from said first storage device and transferring at least a second part of said pair control command included in said first part of said pair control command, said second part of said pair control command being used to request said change of said second pair status;

a third storage device coupled to said second storage device and having a plurality of third disk drives; and

a third controller, in said third storage device, storing data in said third disk drives and receiving said second part of said pair control command from said second storage device;

wherein said first storage device or said second storage device has said first logical volume and said second logical volume,

wherein said third storage device has said third logical volume and said fourth logical volume,

wherein said first controller or said second controller changes said first pair status based on said pair control command or said first part of said pair control command, and

wherein said third controller changes said second pair status based on said second part of said pair control command.