Remote copy system

• US 7,143,254 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2006
• Issued: 11/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Hirakawa, Yusuke, Asaka, Yoshihiro, Suishu, Kazuhito
• Primary Examiner(s): Thai, Tuan V.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KROFCHECK, MICHAEL C
• Application Number:
  US11/334,511
• Publication Number:
  US 20060117154A1
• Time in Patent Office: 313 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 711/162
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/201 between storage system components
• 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 11/2066 Optimisation of the communication load
• 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 11/2082 Data synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/855 Details of asynchronous mirroring using a journal to transfer not-yet-mirrored changes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

A data processing system includes at least a first storage system, a second storage system and a third storage system. The third storage system maintains a replication of data stored in the first storage system. When updating data in the first storage system, the first storage system updates the replication of data stored in the third storage system and creates a journal. The journal is formed from a copy of data used for update and update information such as a write command for update, etc. The second storage system also maintains a replication of data stored in the first storage system. The second storage system obtains the journal, and updates data stored therein corresponding to data stored in the first storage system in the order of data update performed in the first storage system. When updating data stored in the third storage system corresponding to data stored in the first storage system, the third storage system creates a journal using data update numbers created in the first storage system. When the first storage system fails, the second storage system obtains the journal from the third storage system, and updates data stored therein corresponding to data stored in the first storage system in the order of data update performed in the first storage system.

Claims

1. A data processing system comprising:

a first storage system that is connected to a first host device and sends and receives data to and from the first host device;

a second storage system that is connected to a second host device and the first storage system and receives data from the first storage system; and

a third storage system that is connected to the first storage system and receives data from the first storage system, wherein

the first storage system includes a first storage area that stores data sent from the first host device, and a second storage area that stores the data written in the first storage area and update information relating to the data written in the first storage area,

the second storage system includes a third storage area that stores data sent from the first storage system, and a fourth storage area that stores the data written in the third storage area and update information relating to the data written in the third storage area, and

the third storage system includes a fifth storage area that stores data read from the second storage area and update information relating to the data read from the second storage area, and a sixth storage area that stores data that is generated based on the data written in the fifth storage area and the update information relating to the data written in the fifth storage area,

wherein the update information written in the second storage area in the first storage system includes an update number that is generated by the first storage system to be used for identifying a data update order,

the data update information written in the fourth storage area in the second storage system includes the update number included in the data update information written in the second storage area, and

the data update information written in the fifth storage area in the third storage system includes the update number included in the data update information written in the second storage area,

wherein, when the first storage system fails,

the third storage system sends to the second storage system latest update information relating to the update information written in the fifth storage area, and

the second storage system judges, based on the latest update information sent from the third storage system and by using data written in the fourth storage area, as to whether data update for the fifth storage area in the third storage system is possible,

wherein, when the second storage system judges by using the data written in the fourth storage area that data update for the fifth storage area in the third storage system is possible,

the third storage system controls to read from the second storage system data that is not written in the fifth storage area and update information relating thereto among the data and the update information relating thereto written in the fourth storage area in the second storage system,

wherein the second storage system writes in the third storage area data sent from the second host device, and writes in the fourth storage area the data written in the third storage area and update information relating to the data written in the third storage area,

wherein data writing in the third storage area in the second storage system is performed asynchronously with data writing in the sixth storage area in the third storage system, and

wherein the second storage system sends to the third storage system the data written in the fourth storage area and the update information relating to the data written in the fourth storage area, and

wherein the third storage system writes in the fifth storage area the data and the update information relating thereto sent from the second storage system, and writes in the sixth storage area data generated based on the data and the update information relating thereto written in the fifth storage area.

2. A data processing system according to claim 1, wherein, when the second storage system judges by using the data written in the fourth storage area that data update for the fifth storage area in the third storage system is possible,

the third storage system determines data that is not written in the fifth storage area and update information relating thereto based on the data and the update information relating thereto written in the fourth storage area in the second storage system.

3. A data processing system according to claim 1, wherein the third storage system controls to read at specified time intervals from the second storage system the data and the update information relating thereto written in the fourth storage area in the second storage system.

4. A data processing system according to claim 1, wherein the second storage system generates, upon receiving from the second host device a data write request, an update number that is used for identifying a data update order, wherein the update information written in the fourth storage area in the second storage system includes the update number generated by the second storage system.

5. A data processing system according to claim 1, wherein the update information written in the fifth storage area in the third storage system includes an update number that is used for identifying a data update order.

6. A data processing system according to claim 1, wherein the update information written in the fourth storage area in the second storage system after the first storage system fails includes an update number that is generated by the second storage system to be used for identifying a data update order, wherein the update information written in the fifth storage area in the third storage system includes the update number generated by the second storage system.

7. A data processing system according to claim 1, wherein, when the first storage system fails,

the second storage system controls to stop writing data sent from the first storage system in the third storage area, and to write data sent from the second host device in the third storage area, and

the first storage system controls to stop writing data sent from the first host device in the first storage area, and to write data sent from the second storage system in the first storage system.

8. A data processing system according to claim 7, wherein

the first storage system writes in the second storage area data written in the first storage area and update information relating to the data written in the first storage area,

the second storage system writes in the fourth storage area data written in the third storage area and update information relating to the data written in the third storage area, and

the third storage system stops reading data and update information relating to the data from the second storage area in the first storage system, reads data and update information relating to the data from the fourth storage area in the second storage system and writes the data and the update information read from the fourth storage area, and writes data generated based on the data and the update information relating to the data written in the fifth storage area.

9. A data processing system according to claim 8, wherein the update information written in the fourth storage area in the second storage system includes an update number generated by the second storage system to be used for identifying a data update order,

the update information written in the second storage area in the first storage system includes the update number generated by the second storage system, and

the update information written in the fifth storage area in the third storage system includes the update number generated by the second storage system.

10. A data processing system according to claim 8, wherein data writing in the third storage area in the second storage system is performed synchronously with data writing in the second storage area in the first storage system.

11. A data processing system according to claim 10, wherein the second storage system requests, upon receiving from the second host device a data write request to write data, the first storage system to write the data therein, and notifies, after receiving a write response from the first storage system, the second host device of a completion of the data write request.

12. A data processing system according to claim 11, wherein the second storage system generates, upon receiving from the second host device the data write request, an update number that is used for identifying a data update order, and includes the update number in the data write request that is sent to the first storage system, wherein the update information written in the fourth storage area includes the update number generated by the second storage system.

13. A data processing system according to claim 12, wherein the first storage system sends, upon receiving the data write request from the second storage system, the write response to the second storage system, and obtains an update number that is included in the data write request sent from the second storage system to be used for identifying a data update order, wherein the update information written in the second storage area includes the update number obtained by the first storage system.

14. A data processing system according to claim 8, wherein data writing in the third storage area in the second storage system is performed asynchronously with data writing in the sixth storage area in the third storage system.

15. A data processing system according to claim 14, wherein

the second storage system sends to the third storage system the data and the update information relating to the data written in the fourth storage area, and

the third storage system writes in the fifth storage area the data and the update information relating thereto sent from the second storage system, and writes in the sixth storage area data generated based on the data and the update information relating thereto written in the fifth storage area.

16. A data processing system according to claim 15, wherein the third storage system controls to read at specified time intervals from the second storage system the data and the update information relating thereto written in the fourth storage area in the second storage system.

17. A data processing system according to claim 15, wherein the second storage system generates, upon receiving a data write request from the second host device, an update number that is used for identifying a data update order, wherein the update information written in the fourth storage area in the second storage system includes the update number generated by the second storage system.

18. A data processing system according to claim 15, wherein the update information written in the fifth storage area in the third storage system includes the update number generated by the second storage system.

19. A remote copy system comprising:

a first storage system including a first storage area for storing data received from a host computer, and a second storage area for storing the data and order information relating to an order of receiving the data written to the first storage area;

a second storage system including a third storage area for storing data received from the first storage system, and a fourth storage area for storing the data and order information of the data received from the first storage system; and

a third storage system including a fifth storage area for storing data and order information of the data received from the first storage system, and a sixth storage area for storing data received from the first storage system according to order information of the data stored in the fifth storage area,

wherein when the first storage system receives data written from the host computer to the first storage area, the first storage system writes the data in the first storage area, transmits the data and order information of the data to the second storage system, and writes the data and the order information of the data in the second storage area, and

when the first storage system receives a transmission request from the third storage system, the first storage system transmits data and order information of the data from the second storage area to the third storage system,

wherein when the second storage system receives data and order information of the data from the first storage system, the second storage system writes the data in the third storage area and writes the data and the order information of the data in the fourth storage area, and

when the second storage system receives a transmission request from the third storage system, the second storage system transmits data and order information of the data from the fourth storage area to the third storage system, and

wherein the third storage system transmits a transmission request to the first storage system, receives data and order information of the data from the first storage system in response to the transmission request, writes the data and the order information of the data in the fifth storage area, and writes the data in the sixth storage area according to the order information of the data stored in the fifth storage area, and

in case of a failure relating to the first storage system, the third storage system changes a destination of a transmission request from the first storage system to the second storage system to receive data and order information of the data stored in the fourth storage area of the second storage system.

20. A remote copy system according to claim 19,

wherein if the first storage area is defined as a copy source of a synchronous copy pair, the first storage system transmits data and order information of the data to a storage system including a storage area defined as a copy target of the identical synchronous copy pair with a synchronous timing of receiving the data from the host computer,

wherein if the sixth storage area is defined as a copy target of an asynchronous copy pair, the third storage system transmits a transmission request to a storage system including a storage area defined as a copy source of the identical asynchronous copy pair, and

wherein before the failure relating to the first storage system, a synchronous copy pair including the first storage area defined as a copy source and the third storage area defined as a copy target and an asynchronous copy pair including the first storage area defined as a copy source and the sixth storage area defined as a copy target are configured.

21. A remote copy system according to claim 20,

wherein in case of the failure relating to the first storage system, data transmission in the asynchronous copy pair including the first storage area defined as a copy source and the sixth storage area defined as a copy target is suspended, another asynchronous copy pair including the third storage area defined as a copy source and the sixth storage area defined as a copy target is configured, and the third storage system changes the destination of a transmission request from the first storage system to the second storage system.

22. A remote copy system according to claim 19,

wherein after the failure relating to the first storage system, the third storage system transmits a transmission request to the second storage system, the second storage system transmits data and order information of the data from the fourth storage area to the third storage system in response to the transmission request, the third storage system writes the data and the order information of the data received from the second storage system in the fifth storage area, and the third storage system writes the data in the sixth storage area according to the order information of the data stored in the fifth storage area.

23. A remote copy system according to claim 19,

wherein the failure relating to the first storage system is a failure of a host computer, from which data is written to the first storage area.

24. A remote copy system according to claim 23,

after the failure relating to the first storage system, the second storage system receives data written from a host computer to the third storage area, writes the data in the third storage area, and writes the data and order information of the data in the fourth storage area, and

wherein when the second storage system receives a transmission request from the third storage system, the second storage system transmits data and order information of the data from the fourth storage area to the third storage system.

25. A storage system according to claim 24,

after the failure relating to the first storage system, the second storage system further transmits the data received from the host computer to the first storage system, the first storage system writes the data received from the second storage system in the first storage area, and the first storage system writes the data and order information of the data in the second storage area.

26. A remote copy system comprising:

a first storage system including a plurality of logical volumes, one of which is a first logical volume for storing data written from a host computer, and another one of which is a second logical volume for storing the data and write order information of the data;

a second storage system including a plurality of logical volumes, one of which is a third logical volume for storing data received from the first storage system, and another one of which is a fourth logical volume for storing the data and write order information of the data; and

a third storage system including a plurality of logical volumes, one of which is a fifth logical volume for storing data and write order information of the data received from the first storage system, and another one of which is a sixth logical volume for storing data received from the first storage system according to write order information of the data stored in the fifth logical volume,

wherein a synchronous remote copy pair including the first logical volume defined as a copy source and the third logical volume defined as a copy target is configured, and an asynchronous remote copy pair including the first logical volume defined as a copy source and the sixth logical volume defined as a copy target is configured,

wherein the first storage system receives data written to the first logical volume from the host computer, stores the data in the first logical volume, transmits the data to the second storage system to store the data in the third logical volume, stores the data and write order information of the data in the second logical volume, and in response to a request from the third storage system, transmits data and write order information of the data from the second logical volume to the third storage system to store the data in the sixth logical volume,

wherein the second storage system receives data from the first storage system, stores the data in the third logical volume, and stores the data and write order information of the data in the fourth logical volume,

wherein the third storage system transmits a request to the first storage system to receive data and write order information of the data from the second logical volume, stores the data and the write order information of the data received from the first storage system in the fifth logical volume, and stores data received from the first storage system in the sixth logical volume according to write order information of the data stored in the fifth logical volume, and

wherein, if a failure related to the first storage system occurs, the third storage system stops transmitting a request to the first storage system, another asynchronous remote copy pair including the third logical volume defined as a copy source and the sixth logical volume defined as a copy target is configured, the third storage system starts to transmit a request to the second storage system according to the another asynchronous remote copy pair, and the second storage system transmits data and write order information of the data from the fourth logical volume to the third storage system to store the data in the sixth logical volume.

27. A remote copy system according to claim 26, wherein if a failure related to the first storage system occurs, the third storage system receives data and write order information of the data from the second storage system in response to a request transmitted from the third storage system to the second storage system, stores the data and the write order information of the data in the fifth logical volume, and stores data in the sixth logical volume according to write order information of the data stored in the fifth logical volume.

28. A remote copy system according to claim 27, wherein each of the first logical volume, the second logical volume, the third logical volume, the fourth logical volume, the fifth logical volume and the sixth logical volume is configured by a plurality of hard disk devices.

29. A remote copy system comprising:

a first storage system including a first storage area for storing data received from a host computer, and a second storage area for storing the data and order information relating to an order of receiving the data written to the first storage area;

a second storage system including a third storage area for storing data received from the first storage system, and a fourth storage area for storing the data and order information of the data received from the first storage system; and

a third storage system, which sends a request to receive data and order information of the data, and includes a fifth storage area for storing received data and order information of the data and a sixth storage area for storing received data according to order information of the data stored in the fifth storage area,

wherein, when data written to the first storage area are received at the first storage system, the data and order information of the data are transmitted to the second storage system and stored in the second storage area of the first storage system,

wherein, in response to a request from the third storage system to the first storage system, the data and order information of the data stored in the second storage area are transmitted to the third storage system, and

wherein, in case of a failure related to the first storage system, the third storage system changes a destination of a request to receive data and order information of the data from the first storage system to the second storage system, and in response to a request from the third storage system to the second storage system, data and order information of the data stored in the fourth storage area are transmitted to the third storage system.

30. A remote coy system according to claim 29,

wherein, to a storage system including a storage area configuring an asynchronous remote copy pair with the sixth storage area, the third storage system sends a request to receive data and order information of the data,

wherein, before the failure related to the first storage system, an asynchronous remote copy pair including the first storage area and the sixth storage area is configured, and

wherein, after the failure related to the first storage system, the asynchronous remote copy pair including the first storage area and the sixth storage area is suspended and another asynchronous remote copy pair including the third storage area and the sixth storage area is configured.

31. A remote copy system according to claim 29,

wherein the failure related to the first storage system is a failure of a host computer, from which data is written to the first storage area.

32. A remote copy system according to claim 29,

wherein after the failure related to the first storage system, the second storage system receives data written from a host computer to the third storage area, stores the data in the third storage area and stores the data and order information of the data in the fourth storage area, and

wherein in response to a request from the third storage system to the second storage system, the data and order information of the data stored in the fourth storage area are transmitted to the third storage system.

33. A remote copy system according to claim 32,

wherein, after the failure related to the first storage system, the second storage system further transmits the data received from the host computer and the order information of the data to the first storage apparatus, and the first storage apparatus stores the data in the first storage area and stores the data and the order information of the data in the second storage area.