Storage system, control method for storage system, and storage control unit

• US 7,124,264 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2004
• Issued: 10/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Yamashita, Shinichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Padmanabhan, Mano
• Assistant Examiner(s): Moore, Patrick M
• Application Number:
  US10/806,986
• Publication Number:
  US 20050148891A1
• Time in Patent Office: 939 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 711/162
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/333 Recording apparatus specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

The present invention relates to a storage system, including a first storage unit having a first storage volume for storing data, and a second storage unit having a second storage volume communicably connected with the first storage unit, wherein the first storage unit further comprises a replication data transmission unit for transmitting the replication of data to a second storage unit when the data is written to the first storage volume, the second storage unit further comprises a replication data reception unit for writing the replication of the data transmitted by the replication data transmission unit to the second storage volume, the first storage unit further comprises a disk heart beat write unit for repeatedly writing a first heart beat message to the first storage volume at intervals within a predetermined time, and the second storage unit further comprise a disk heart beat detection unit for detecting the replication of the first heart beat message to be written to the second storage volume by the replication data reception unit.

Claims

1. A storage system, comprising:

a first storage unit having a first storage volume for storing data; and

a second storage unit communicably coupled to the first storage unit and having a second storage volume for storing data, wherein

the first storage unit includes a data transmission unit configured to transmit replicated data to a storage unit when data is written to the first storage volume;

the second storage unit further includes a data reception unit configured to receive the replicated data and writing the replicated data to the second storage volume;

the first storage unit further includes a disk heart beat write unit configured to repeatedly write a first heart beat message to the first storage volume at intervals within a predetermined time; and

the second storage unit further includes a disk heart beat detection unit configured to detect a replication of the first heart beat message to be written to the second storage volume by the data reception unit;

wherein

a first information processing unit is communicably coupled to the first storage unit,

a second information processing unit is communicably coupled to the second storage unit,

the first information processing unit further comprises a node heart beat write request unit configured to repeatedly transmit a request to write a second heart beat message to the first storage volume, to the first storage unit at intervals within a predetermined time,

the first storage unit further comprises a node heart beat write unit configured to write the second heart beat message to the first storage volume according to the write request of the second heart beat message,

the second storage unit further includes a node heart beat transmission unit configured to transmit a replication of the second heart beat message to be written to the second storage volume by the data reception unit to the second information processing unit, and

the second information processing unit further comprises a node heart beat detection unit configured to detect the replication of the second heart beat message to be transmitted by the node heart beat transmission unit.

2. The storage system according to claim 1, wherein the first storage unit further comprises a disk heart beat creation unit configured to create disk heart beat signals to provide the first heart beat message.

3. The storage system according to claim 1, wherein the first information processing unit further comprises a node heart beat creation unit configured to create node heart beat signals to provide the second heart beat message.

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

the second storage unit further includes a disk heart beat detection result transmission unit configured to transmit a detection result of the replication of the first heart beat message by the disk heart beat detection unit to the second information processing unit, and

the second information processing unit further includes an operation status decision unit configured to determine operation status of a first computer system, the first computer system including the first information processing unit and the first storage unit, using detection of the first heart beat message and the second heart beat message.

5. The storage system according to claim 4, wherein the second information processing unit further comprises a fail-over control unit which transfers information processing from the first computer system to a second computer system, the second computer system including the second information processing unit and the second storage unit depending upon operation status of the first computer system.

6. The storage system according to claim 4, wherein

the second information processing unit further comprises an operation status display unit configured to provide the operation status of the first computer system to a user interface.

7. The storage system according to claim 1, wherein the first heart beat message includes at least one of:

(1) identification information of the first heart beat message, (2) time information indicating when the first heart beat message was created, (3) first location information indicating a storage position of the first storage volume where the first heart beat message is written, and (4) second information indicating the storage position of the second storage volume where the first heart beat message is written.

8. A method for controlling a storage system which system includes a first storage unit having a first storage volume for storing data, and a second storage unit in communication with the first storage unit and having a second storage volume for storing data, wherein the first storage unit includes a data transmission unit configured to transmit replicated data to the second storage unit when the data is written to a first storage volume, and the second storage unit includes a data reception unit configured to receive the replicated data and writing the replicated data to the second storage volume, wherein a first information processing unit communicates with the first storage unit and a second information processing unit communicates with the second storage unit, the method comprising:

creating disk heart beat signals at the first storage unit to provide a first heart beat message;

creating node heart beat signals at the first information processing unit to provide a second heart beat message;

in the first storage unit, repeatedly writing the first heart beat message to the first storage volume at intervals;

in the second storage unit, detecting replicated first heart beat message to be written to the second storage volume;

repeatedly transmitting from the first information processing unit a request to write a second heart beat message to the first storage volume;

writing the second heart beat message to the first storage volume;

transmitting from the second storage unit to the second information processing unit a replication of the second heart beat message; and

at the second information processing unit, detecting the replication of the second heart beat message.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

from the second storage unit, transmitting a detection result of the first heart beat message to the second information processing unit; and

at the second information processing unit, determining operational status of a first computer system which includes the first information processing unit and the first storage unit using reception of the first heart beat message and the second heart beat message.

10. The method according to claim 9 further comprising transferring information processing from the first computer system to a second computer system which includes the second information processing unit and the second storage unit according to the operational status of the first computer system.

11. The method according to claim 9 further comprising at the second information processing unit providing the operational status of the first computer system to a user interface.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein the first heart beat message comprises at least one of:

(1) identification information of the first heart beat message;

(2) time information indicating when the first heart beat message was created;

(3) information indicating a storage position of the first storage volume; and

(4) information indicating a storage position of the second storage volume.

13. A storage system comprising:

a first computer system including a first storage unit having a first storage volume for storing data, and a first information processing unit communicably coupled to the first storage unit; and

a second computer system including a second storage unit having a second storage volume for storing data, and a second information processing unit communicably coupled to the first storage unit;

wherein

the first storage unit includes a data transmission unit configured to transmit replicated data to the second storage unit when the data is written to the first storage volume,

the second storage unit includes a data reception unit configured to receive the replicated data and writing the replicated data to the second storage volume,

the first storage unit includes a disk heart beat creation unit configured to repeatedly create a first heart beat message, and a disk heart beat write unit configured to repeatedly write the first heart beat message to the first storage volume at intervals;

the second storage unit further includes a disk heart beat detection unit configured to detect the replicated first heart beat message, and a disk heart beat detection result transmission unit configured to transmit a signal indicating receipt of the replicated first heart beat message by the disk heart beat detection unit to the second information processing unit;

the first information processing unit includes a node heart beat creation unit configured to repeatedly create a second heart beat message, and a node heart beat write request unit configured to repeatedly transmit a request to write the second heart beat message to the first storage volume;

the first storage unit includes a node heart beat write unit configured to write the second heart beat message to the first storage volume according to the write request of the second heart beat message;

the second storage unit includes a node heart beat transmission unit configured to transmit to the second information processing unit the replication of the second heart beat message written to the second storage volume by the data reception unit;

the second information processing unit includes a node heart beat detection unit configured to detect the replication of the second heart beat message, and an operation status unit configured to determine operational status of the first computer system according to the second heart beat message and the first heart beat message, and a fail-over execution unit configured to transfer information processing from the first computer system to the second computer system according to the operational status of the first computer system.

14. The storage system according to claim 13, wherein:

the first heart beat message includes at least one of;

(1) identification information of the first heart beat message, (2) time information indicating when the first heart beat message was created, (3) information indicating a storage position of the first storage volume, and (4) information indicating a storage position of the second storage volume; and

the second heart beat message includes at least one of;

(1) identification information of the second heart beat message, (2) time information indicating when the second heart beat message was created, (3) information indicating a storage position of the first storage volume, and (4) information indicating a storage position of the second storage volume.