Storage apparatus system and method of data backup

• US 7,143,252 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2003
• Issued: 11/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Oeda, Takashi, Achiwa, Kyosuke, Nakamura, Katsunori
• Primary Examiner(s): Padmanabhan, Mano
• Assistant Examiner(s): BAKER, PAUL A
• Application Number:
  US10/657,010
• Publication Number:
  US 20040064659A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,180 Days
• Field of Search: 711/161, 711/162, 714/6, 714/20
• US Class Current: 711/162
• 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 11/2071 using a plurality of controllers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2074 Asynchronous techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2082 Data synchronisation

Abstract

In a storage apparatus system, after having obtained the coherency between a file system of a main storage apparatus system and the stored data, a host computer issues a freezing instruction to a main DKC which transfers in turn the disk image at a time point of the issue of freezing instruction to a sub-DKC and then transmits a signal, showing that all the data has been transmitted, to the sub-DKC. In the sub-DKC, the disk image at a time point of reception of the freezing instruction is held until a signal showing that all the data has been transmitted is issued next time, and when the main storage apparatus system becomes unusable at an arbitrary time point, the data of the disk image, at a time point of issue of the freezing instruction, which is held by the sub-storage apparatus system can be utilized.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

a first storage system comprising a first disk controller for receiving data from a host computer and one or more first disks each of which is coupled to the first disk controller;

a second storage system comprising a second disk controller and one or more second disks each of which is coupled to the second disk controller; and

a network to which the first storage system and the second storage system are operatively coupled,

wherein the first disk controller stores data received from the host computer to a first storage area of the first storage system and sends the data to the second storage system,

wherein the second disk controller stores data received from the first disk controller to a third storage area of the second storage system,

wherein, after the first storage system receives a first instruction from the host computer, the first disk controller;

sends to the second disk controller, as received data, first data that is stored in the first storage area at a time when the first instruction was received;

receives from the host computer update data corresponding to the first data; and

manages the update data such that the update data can be distinguished from the first data,

wherein the second disk controller stores the received data to the third storage area as second received data,

wherein the first disk controller sends a second instruction to the second disk controller, and after the second instruction is sent, the first disk controller sends the update data to the second disk controller as received update data,

wherein after the second disk controller receives the second instruction from the first disk controller, the second disk controller stores the second received data from the third storage area to a fourth storage area in the second storage system and manages the received update data such that the update data can be distinguished from the first data.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein after the first instruction from the host computer is received at the first storage system, the first disk controller stores the update data either to the first storage area if the corresponding first data was already sent to the second storage system or to a second storage area in the first storage system if the corresponding first data was not sent to the second storage system.

3. The computer system of claim 2, wherein before completion of storing the first data stored to the fourth storage area, the second disk controller stores the update data to a fifth storage area in the second storage system so that the first data can be distinguished from the update data in the second storage system.

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein after the first instruction from the host computer is received at the first storage system, the first disk controller:

stores the first data in the first storage area to a second storage area in the first storage system;

sends the first data stored in the second storage area to the second disk controller, if the first data was not sent to the second storage system; and

stores the corresponding update data to the first storage area after the first data is stored in the second storage area.

5. The computer system of claim 4, wherein after the second disk controller receives the second instruction from the first disk controller, the second disk controller stores the update data to the third storage area after the corresponding first data is stored in the fourth storage area, so that the update data can be distinguished from the first data.

6. A first storage system comprising:

a disk controller for receiving data from a host computer; and

one or more disks each of which is coupled to the disk controller,

wherein the disk controller stores data received from the host computer to a first storage area of the first storage system and sends the data to a second storage system,

wherein after a first instruction from the host computer is received at the first storage system, the disk controller;

sends to the second storage system, as received data, first data that is stored in the first storage area at a time the first instruction has been received;

receives from the host computer update data corresponding to the first data; and

manages the update data such that the update data can be distinguished from the first data,

wherein the disk controller sends a second instruction to the second storage system to make the second storage system hold the first data when transmission of the first data is completed,

wherein after the first instruction from the host computer is received at the first storage system, the disk controller stores the update data to the first storage area if the corresponding first data was already sent to the second storage system, and the disk controller stores the update data to a second storage area in the first storage system if the corresponding first data had not yet been sent to the second storage system.