Data-migration method

• US 7,127,581 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2004
• Issued: 10/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Watanabe, Naoki
• Primary Examiner(s): Padmanabhan, Mano
• Assistant Examiner(s): Moore, Patrick M
• Application Number:
  US10/791,734
• Publication Number:
  US 20050154849A1
• Time in Patent Office: 964 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 711/165
• 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 11/076 by exceeding a count or rate limit, e.g. word- or bit count limit
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1666 where the redundant component is memory or memory area
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/20 using active fault-masking, e.g. by switching out faulty elements or by switching in spare elements
• 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 3/0647 Migration mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0665 at area level, e.g. provisioning of virtual or logical volumes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

A method of migrating data from an old storage subsystem to a new storage subsystem in a data processing system which comprises host computers and storage subsystems. There is provided a route-changing phase before the data is migrated from the old storage subsystem to the new storage subsystem. In the route-changing phase, each host computer can access both the old and new storage subsystems and the new storage subsystem writes data into the old storage subsystem in response to a write request from the host computer and reads data from the old storage subsystem and sends the data to the host computer in response to a read request from the host computer.

Claims

1. A method of migrating data from an old storage subsystem to a new storage subsystem in a data processing system which includes a plurality of host computers and a plurality of storage subsystems said method comprising the steps of:

conducting a route-changing phase before migration of the data from the old storage subsystem to the new storage subsystem;

in said route-changing phase, sequentially changing an indication of access destination storage subsystems in said host computers such that an indication of the access destination storage subsystem of a first host computer is changed from said old storage subsystem to said new storage subsystem, an indication of the access destination storage subsystem of a second host computer is unchanged from said old storage subsystem to said new storage subsystem, and then an indication of the access destination storage subsystem of the second host computer is changed from said old storage subsystem to said new storage subsystem after the access destination storage subsystem of the first host computer has been changed, thereby permitting each host computer to access both the old and new storage subsystems; and

in said route changing phase, by said new storage subsystem, reading data from said old storage subsystem in response to a read request from a said first host computer, sending the data to said first host computer, and writing data into said old storage subsystem in response to a write request from said first host computer.

2. A method of migrating data according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

by said new storage subsystem, writing data into said old storage subsystem in response to a write request from said host computer in said route-changing phase and informing said host computer of completion of said writing after ascertaining data writing processing has been completed.

3. A method of migrating data according to claim 1, wherein said new storage subsystem writing data into said old storage subsystem in response to a write request from said host computer and informing said host computer write processing has been completed.

4. The method of migrating data according to claim 1, wherein a phase is provided before said route-changing phase in which a route is set such that access from said host computer to said new storage subsystem is prohibited and access from said host computer to said old storage subsystem is allowed.

5. A method of migrating data according to claim 1, wherein a data-migration phase is provided after said route-changing phase in which a route is set such that access from said host computer to said old storage subsystem is prohibited and access to said new storage subsystem is allowed.

6. A method of migrating data according to claim 1, wherein, in a data-migration phase, said new storage subsystem reads data from said new storage subsystem and sends the data to said host computer when the read request from said host computer is directed to a data-migration area, and

wherein said new storage subsystem reads data from said old storage subsystem and sends the data to said host computer when the read request from said host computer is directed to a data-unmigrated area.

7. A method of migrating data according to claim 1, wherein a route is set such that access from said host computer to said old storage subsystem is prohibited and access to said new storage subsystem is allowed even after completion of a data-migration phase.

8. A method of migrating data according to claim 1, wherein an access route to said new storage subsystem is set by at least one of a plurality of method of changing a form of connection among said host computer, said old storage subsystem and said new storage subsystem,

wherein said method further comprises:

using access restriction by a network connecting said host computer, said old storage subsystem and said new storage subsystem, and

using access restriction by said storage subsystem.

9. A method of migrating data according to claim 1, wherein a route verification process is performed by which a route set in said route-changing phase is determined to be correct or not before migrating the data from said old storage subsystem to said new storage subsystem.

10. A method of migrating data according to claim 9, wherein a route is set such that access from said host computer to said old storage subsystem is prohibited and access to said new storage subsystem is allowed during said route verification process,

wherein said new storage subsystem writes data requested by said host computer to said new storage subsystem and stores written data,

wherein said new storage subsystem, in response to a read request from said host computer, refers to said written data and checks to see if the data stored in said new storage subsystem during said route verification process are updated,

wherein when the data stored in said new storage subsystem are updated during said route verification process, the data are read from said new storage subsystem and sent to said host computer, and

wherein, when the data stored in said new storage subsystem are not updated during said route verification, the data are read from said old storage subsystem and sent to said host computer.

11. A method of migrating data according to claim 9, wherein data updated during said route verification process are discarded when the set route is determined to be incorrect and a state is returned to a state before route change.

12. A method of migrating data according to claim 9, wherein data updated during said route verification process are discarded when the set route is determined to be correct, and data-migration processing is executed after returning to a state before route change.

13. A method of migrating data from an old storage subsystem to a new storage subsystem in a data processing system which includes a plurality of host computers and a plurality of storage subsystems connected to said plurality of host computers, said method comprising the steps of:

conducting a route-changing phase before migration of the data from the old storage subsystem to the new storage subsystem;

in said route-changing phase, sequentially changing an indication of access destination storage subsystems in said host computers such that an indication of the access destination storage subsystem of a first host computer is changed from said old storage subsystem to said new storage subsystem, an indication of the access destination storage subsystem of a second host computer is unchanged from said old storage subsystem to said new storage subsystem, and then an indication of the access destination storage subsystem of the second host computer is changed from said old storage subsystem to said new storage subsystem after the access destination storage subsystem of the first host computer has been changed, thereby permitting said host computers to include route-changed host computers accessing said new storage subsystem and route-unchanged host computers accessing said old storage subsystem,

in said route changing phase, by said new storage subsystem, reading data from said old storage subsystem in response to a read request from a route-changed host computer and sending the data to said route-changed host computer,

in said route changing phase, by said new storage subsystem, writing data into said old storage subsystem in response to a write request from said route-changed host computer and informing said route changed host computer of completion of processing after ascertaining completion of data-writing processing,

in said route changing phase, by said old storage subsystem, reading data and sending the data to a route changed host computer in response to a read request from said route-unchanged host computer, and

in said route changing phase, by said old storage subsystem, writing data in response to a write request from said route-unchanged host computer and informing said route-changed host computer of completion of processing after ascertaining completion of data-writing processing.