Data migration in storage system

• US 7,124,143 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2004
• Issued: 10/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Shiga, Kenta, Shirogane, Tetsuya, Matsunami, Naoto, Iwami, Naoko
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad
• Application Number:
  US10/879,424
• Publication Number:
  US 20060004876A1
• Time in Patent Office: 841 Days
• Field of Search: 711/112, 711/200, 711/203, 711/204, 711/206, 707200-205, 707 1- 10, 707100-1041
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• 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 3/0637 Permissions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0647 Migration mechanisms
• 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 2101/631 Small computer system interface [SCSI] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/645 Fibre channel identifiers
• 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 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation

Abstract

A storage system is connected to a computer, and a name server exercising control over the interrelation between initiators and targets, and includes a first storage node and a second storage node. The first storage node has a first logical unit to which a first target is set, and the second storage node has a second logical unit. For data migration from the first logical unit to the second logical unit, the first storage node forwards data stored in the first logical unit to the second storage node, and the second storage node stores the data into the second logical unit. The first storage node also forwards information about the first target to the second storage node, and the second storage node sets a target to the second logical unit using the received information about the first target.

Claims

1. A data migration method in a system which includes a first storage node including a first logical unit assigned to a first target of an iSCSI protocol, a second storage node coupled to the first storage node, a computer coupled to the first storage node and the second storage node, and a name server coupled to the first storage node, the second storage node and the computer, the data migration method transferring data stored in the first logical unit to the second storage node comprising:

accessing from the computer to the first logical unit in the first storage node based on a first relation between the first storage node and the first target by using the iSCSI protocol;

indicating the second storage node to configure a second logical unit;

configuring the second logical unit in the second storage node;

sending the data in the first logical unit, by the first storage node, to the second logical unit in the second storage node;

sending, by the first storage node, a first information of the first target to the second storage node;

assigning the first target to the second logical unit at the second storage node;

notifying, by the second storage node, the name server of a second relation between the second storage node and the first target after assignment of the first target to the second logical unit by using the iSCSI protocol;

notifying, by the name server, the computer of the second relation after receiving notification of the second relation from the second storage node by using the iSCSI protocol;

accessing from the computer to the second logical unit in the second storage node instead of the first logical unit in the first storage node based on the second relation between the first target and the second storage node after receiving notification of the second relation from the name server by the iSCSI protocol.

2. A data migration method according to claim 1, wherein the step of indicating the second storage node to configure a second logical unit is performed by a management computer.

3. A data migration method according to claim 1, wherein the step of sending the data in the first logical unit to the second logical unit in the second storage node is based upon a request from a management computer.

4. A data migration method according to claim 1 further comprising:

deleting, at the first storage node, the first relation between the first storage node and the first target after assigning the first target to the second logical unit.

5. A data migration method according to claim 1,

wherein the first information of the first target is a first target name related to the first target, and

wherein, in the assigning step, the second storage node assigns the first target name of the first target to the second logical unit.

6. A data migration method according to claim 1,

wherein the first information includes an identifier of the computer which is permitted to access the first target, and

wherein, in the assigning step, the second storage node configures the second logical unit to be permitted to access by the computer by using the first information.

7. A data migration method according to claim 1 further comprising:

before starting the sending the data step, configuring the second logical unit in the second storage node to be permitted to access by the first storage node; and

informing, by the second storage node, the first storage node of permission to access the second logical unit by using the name server.

8. A data migration method according to claim 7 further comprising:

in the informing step,

notifying, by the second storage node, the name server of information of a second target which is assigned to the second logical unit; and

notifying, by the name server, the first storage node of information of the second target, and

wherein the first storage node uses the second target to send the data to the second storage node during the sending the data step.

9. A data migration method according to claim 8 further comprising:

after completion of the sending the data step,

deleting, by the second storage node, an assignment of the second target to the second logical unit; and

notifying, by the second storage node, the name server of deletion of the assignment.

10. A data migration method according to claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, at the first storage node, a second data which is used to update a part of the data stored in the first logical unit from the computer during the sending the data step;

sending, by the first storage node, the second data to the second storage node;

notifying, by the second storage node, the first storage node of completion of receiving the second data at the second storage node; and

notifying, by the first storage node, the computer of completion of updating the part of the data after receiving a notification of the completion of receiving the second data from the second storage node.

11. A data migration method according to claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a second data, which is used to update a part of the data stored in the fist logical unit, from the computer at the first storage node during the sending step;

storing the second data to a location in the first logical unit where the part of the data is stored in;

recording information of the location where the second data is stored in;

sending completion notification of storing the second data from the first storage node to the computer; and

sending the second data from the first storage node to the second storage node based on the information of the location.

12. A system comprising:

a first storage node including a first controller and a plurality of first disk devices coupled to the first controller;

a second storage node, coupled to the first storage node, including a second controller and a plurality of second disk drives coupled to the second controller;

a computer, coupled to the first storage node and the second storage node, accessing a first logical unit, configured by the first controller of the first storage node on the plurality of first disk devices, by using a first target of iSCSI protocol assigned to the first logical device; and

a name server coupled to the first storage node, the second storage node and the computer;

wherein the first controller of the first storage node sends data stored in the first logical unit to the second storage node,

the second controller of the second storage node stores the data to a second logical unit which is configured on the plurality of second disk drives,

the first controller sends a first information of the first target to the second storage node,

the second controller assigns the first target to the second logical unit in response to receiving the first information from the first controller,

the second controller notifies the name server of a second information including a relation between the first target and the second storage node after assigning the first target to the second logical unit,

the name server notifies the computer of the second information after receiving the second information from the second storage node, and

the computer accesses the second logical unit in the second storage node instead of the first logical unit in the first storage node by using the first target based on the second information after receiving the second information from the name server.

13. A system according to claim 12, wherein the first controller of the first storage node sends data stored in the first logical unit to the second storage node based upon an instruction from a management computer.

14. A system according to claim 12,

wherein the first controller of the first storage node deletes a relationship between the first target and the first logical unit in response to an assignment of the first target to the second logical unit by the second controller of the second storage node.

15. A system according to claim 12,

wherein the first information includes a first target name of the first target, and

the second controller of the second storage node assigns the first target name to the second logical unit when the first target is assigned to the second logical unit.

16. A system according to claim 12,

wherein the first information includes an identifier of the computer which is permitted to access the first target, and

the second controller of the second storage node configures the second logical unit to be permitted to access by the computer by using the first information.

17. A system according to claim 12,

wherein, before the first controller of the first storage node sending the data, the second controller of the second storage node configures the second logical unit to be permitted to access by the first storage node and informs the first storage node of permission to access the second logical unit by using the name server, and

the first controller sends the data to the second storage node based on information of the permission to access the second logical unit.

18. A system according to claim 17,

wherein, when the second controller of the second storage node informs the first storage node of the permission to access the second logical unit, the second controller notifies the name server of information of a second target which is assigned to the second logical unit,

the name server notifies the first storage node of the information of the second target, and

the first controller of the first storage node sends the data to the second storage node by using the second target.

19. A system according to claim 18,

wherein the second controller deletes the second target from the second logical unit after completion of data transfer from the first storage node to the second storage node and notifies the name server of deletion of the second target.

20. A system according to claim 12,

wherein the first controller sends a second data, which is used to update a part of the data stored in the first logical unit, to the second storage node if the first controller receives the second data from the computer during the first computer is sending the data to the second storage node,

the second controller sends a notification of completion of receiving the second data to the first controller in response to receiving the second data, and

the first controller notifies the computer of completion of updating the part of the data after receiving the notification of completion of receiving the second data from the second storage node.

21. A system according to claim 12,

wherein the first controller records information of location of a part of the data to be updated by a second data when the first controller receives the second data from the computer during the first controller is sending the data to the second storage node, notifies the computer of completion of storing the second data into the first logical unit, and sends the second data from the first logical unit to the second storage node based on the information of location.