Disk subsystems and their integrated system

• US 7,167,902 B1
• Filed: 02/28/2000
• Issued: 01/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Tabuchi, Hideo, Nozawa, Masafumi, Shimada, Akinobu
• Primary Examiner(s): Jaroenchonwanit; Bunjob
• Assistant Examiner(s): Neurauter, Jr.; George C.
• Application Number:
  US09/513,932
• Time in Patent Office: 2,521 Days
• Field of Search: 711/162, 711/118, 711/161, 711/165, 711/114, 714/6, 714/13, 714/5, 709/202, 709/211
• US Class Current: 709/211
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2064 while ensuring consistency
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2074 Asynchronous techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2076 Synchronous techniques

Abstract

An asynchronous remote copy system is provided which can ensure the data renewal order and data integrity of the disk subsystems and are easy to be incorporated and free from degradation of the process performance of host computers. To this end, in the remote copy system for data mirroring, a main center has one gateway subsystem and a remote center has one gateway subsystem, and disk subsystems in each center to be remotely copied are connected to the corresponding gateway subsystem. Data is mirrored through synchronous type remote copy between a volume of the disk subsystem of each center to be remotely copied and a desired volume of the corresponding gateway subsystem, and the gateway subsystem of the main center sends the renewal data to the gateway subsystem of the remote center in accordance with the order of renewal of volumes of the gate way subsystem of the main center, to make the gateway subsystem of the remote center reflect the renewal data upon the volumes thereof through asynchronous type remote copy.

Claims

1. An integrated system comprising:

a main center; and

a remote center,

wherein said main center comprises;

(a) a first host computer for issuing a data write request for requesting a storage system to write data therein,

(b) a plurality of first storage systems connected to said first host computer, each first storage system comprises a storage and a controller which controls said storage to store data therein, and

(c) a first gateway storage system connected to each of said first storage systems of said main center,

wherein said first gateway storage system comprises an interface control unit for conducting data transfer to and from the first storage systems and to and from a second gateway storage system of the remote center, a storage for storing data and a controller for controlling the storing of data in the storage,

wherein each first storage system of said main center, upon receipt of said data write request issued by said first host computer, controls by said controller, said first storage system to perform a synchronous remote copy function including storing, data on said storage based on said data write request, and issuing said data write request to said interface control unit of said first gateway storage system, and

wherein said first gateway storage system, upon receipt of said data write request issued by said first storage system, controls by said controller, said first gateway storage system to perform an asynchronous remote copy function including storing data on said storage of said first gateway storage system, based on said data write request and then subsequently, when said data is to be copied to a storage of at least one second storage system of said remote center, reading said data stored in said storage of said first gateway storage system and issuing a data write request, corresponding to said data write request from said first storage system, to said second gateway storage system under control of said controller of said first gateway storage system to write said data read from said storage of said first gateway storage system to the storage of the at least one second storage system of said remote center, and

wherein said remote center comprises;

(d) said second gateway storage system connected to said first gateway storage system of said main center,

wherein said second gateway storage system comprises an interface control unit for conducting data transfer to and from second storage systems of the remote center and to and from said first gateway storage system of the main center, a storage for storing data and a controller for controlling the storing of data in the storage,

(e) said second storage systems connected to said second gateway storage system, each of said second storage systems comprises a storage and a controller which controls said storage to store data therein, and

(f) a second host computer for issuing a data read request for requesting a storage system to read data stored therein,

wherein said second gateway storage system of said remote center, upon receipt, by the interface control unit, of said data write request issued by said first gateway storage system of said main center, controls, by said controller, said second gateway storage system to perform a synchronous remote copy function including storing data, in the storage of said second gateway storage system, based on said data write request, and issuing said data write request, to at least one second storage system of said remote center to write said data to said storage of the at least one second storage system of said remote center based on said data write request,

wherein said at least one second storage system of said remote center, upon receipt of said data write request issued by said second gateway storage system of said remote center, controls, by said controller, said storage to store data on said storage based on said data write request, and

wherein said second host computer issues a data read request to one of the second storage systems to read data stored therein.

2. An integrated system according to claim 1, wherein a second gateway storage system is located at each of a plurality of remote sites.

3. An integrated system according to claim 1, wherein said gateway storage system are connected by a communication line.

4. An integrated system according to claim 1, wherein data order information is added to data to be transferred between said gateway storage systems.

5. A data copy method comprising the steps of:

receiving a data write request from a first host computer in one of a plurality of first storage systems of a first group of storage systems, each first storage system of the first group of storage systems comprising a controller controlling data received from said first host computer, and a storage storing data thereon under control by said controller;

performing a synchronous remote copy function in said first storage system in response to the data write request including;

writing data in said storage of said first storage system based on the data write request, and

issuing the data write request to a first gateway storage system;

wherein said first gateway storage system comprises an interface control unit for conducting data transfer to and from the first group of storage systems and to and from a second gateway storage system, a storage for storing data and a controller for controlling the storing of data in the storage,

performing an asynchronous remote copy function in said first gateway storage system in response to the data write request including;

storing data in said storage of said first gateway storage system based on the data write request, and

subsequently, when the data is to be copied to a storage of a second storage system of a second group of storage systems, reading the data stored in said storage of said first gateway storage system and issuing a data write request to said second gateway storage system to write data read from said storage of said first gateway storage system to the storage of said second gateway storage system;

wherein each of a plurality of second storage systems of said second group of storage systems comprises a controller controlling data received from said second gateway storage system, and a storage storing data thereon under control by said controller;

writing a copy of the data written in the storage of the first gateway storage system, in response to the data write request, in said storage of said second gateway storage system,

wherein said second gateway storage system comprises an interface control unit for conducting data transfer to and from a second group of storage systems and to and from said first gateway storage system, the storage for storing data and a controller for controlling the storing of data in the storage,

performing a synchronous remote copy function in said second gateway storage system in response to the data write request including;

writing data in said storage of said second gateway storage system based on the data write request, and

issuing the data write request to a second storage system of the second group of storage systems to write the data read from the storage of the second gateway storage system to the storage of said second storage system of the second group of storage system;

writing a copy of the data in the storage of the second storage system based on the data write request, and

reading data stored in said second storage systems of said second group of storage systems by said second host computer.

6. A data copy method according to claim 5, further comprising a step of:

adding a number to data in the order the data is written into the first gateway storage system.

7. An integrated system comprising:

a first system; and

a second system,

wherein said first system comprises;

a plurality of first storage systems each connected to first host computer, each of said first storage systems comprising a storage and a controller which controls said storage to store data therein, and

a first gateway storage system connected to each of said plurality of first storage systems of said first system,

wherein said first gateway storage system of the first system comprises an interface control unit for conducting data transfer to and from the storage systems of the first system and to and from a second gateway storage system of said second system, a storage for storing data and a controller for controlling the storing of data in the storage,

wherein each first storage system of said first system, upon receipt of said data write request issued by said first host computer, controls, by said controller, said first storage system to perform a synchronous remote copy function including storing, data on said storage based on said data write request, and issuing said data write request to said interface control unit of said first gateway storage system of said first system,

wherein said first gateway storage system, upon receipt of said data write request issued by said at least one storage system, controls by said controller, said first gateway storage system to perform an asynchronous remote copy function including storing, data on the storage of said first gateway storage system based on said data write request, and then subsequently, when said data is to be copied to a storage of at least one second storage system of said second system, reading said data stored in said storage of said first gateway storage system and issuing a data write request corresponding to said data write request from said at least one storage system of said first system under control of said controller of said first gateway storage system to write said data read from said storage of said first gateway storage system to the storage of the at least one second storage system of said second system; and

wherein said second system comprises;

said second gateway storage system connected to said first gateway storage system of said first system,

wherein said second gateway storage system of said second system comprises an interface control unit for conducting data transfer to and from second storage systems of said second system and to and from said first gateway storage system, a storage for storing data and a controller for controlling the storing of data in the storage,

a plurality of said second storage systems each connected to said second gateway storage system of said second system and a second host computer, each of said second storage systems comprising a storage and a controller which controls said storage to store data therein,

wherein said second gateway system of said second system, upon receipt, by the interface control unit, of said data write request issued by said first gateway storage system of said first system, controls by said controller said second gateway storage system to perform a synchronous remote copy function including storing data in the storage of said second gateway storage system of said second system, based on said data write request, and issuing said data write request to at least one second storage system of said second system under control of said controller of said second gateway storage,

wherein said storage of the at least one second storage system of said second system, upon receipt of said data write request issued by said second gateway storage system of said second system, controls, by said controller, said storage to store data on said storage based on said data write request, and

wherein said second host computer issues a data read request to one of the second storage systems to read data stored therein.

8. An integrated system according to claim 7, wherein a second gateway storage system is located at each of a plurality of remote sites.

9. An integrated system according to claim 7, wherein said gateway storage systems are connected by a communication line.

10. An integrated system according to claim 7, wherein data order information is added to data to be transferred between said gateway storage systems.

11. A gateway storage system for use in an integrated system including a main center which includes a first host computer for issuing a data write request for requesting a storage system to write data therein, a plurality of first storage systems connected to said first host computer, each of said storage systems including a storage and a controller which controls said storage to store data therein, and a first gateway storage system connected to each of said storage systems of said main center, and a remote center which includes a second gateway storage system connected to said first gateway storage system of said main center, a plurality of second storage systems connected to said second gateway storage system of said remote center, and a second host computer, connected to said second storage systems, for issuing a data read request for requesting a storage system to read data stored therein, each of said second storage systems of said remote center including a storage and a controller which controls said storage to store data therein, each gateway storage system comprising:

an interface control unit for conducting data transfer to and from the storage systems of the center within which said gateway storage system is included and to and from a gateway storage system of the other center;

a storage for storing data therein; and

a controller for controlling the storage,

wherein if said gateway storage system is the first gateway storage system then;

at least one of said first storage systems of said main center, upon receipt of a data write request issued by said first host computer, controls by said controller, said first storage system to perform a synchronous remote copy function including storing, data on said storage based on said data write request, and issuing said data write request to said interface control unit of said first gateway storage system, and

said first gateway storage system, upon receipt of said data write request issued by said at least one first storage system, controls by said controller said first gateway storage system to perform an asynchronous remote copy function including storing data, on said storage of said first gateway storage system based on said data write request, and then subsequently, when said data is to be copied to a storage of at least one second storage system of said remote center, reading said data stored in said storage of said first gateway storage system and issuing a data write request corresponding to said data write request to said second gateway storage system, under control of said controller of said first gateway storage system, to write said data read from said storage of said first gateway storage system to said storage of the at least one second storage system of said remote center,

wherein if said gateway storage system is the second gateway storage system then;

said second gateway storage system, upon receipt, by the interface control unit, of said data write request issued by said first gateway storage system, controls by said controller said second gateway storage system to perform a synchronous remote copy function including storing data, in the storage of said second gateway storage system, based on said data write request, and issuing said data write request to a second storage system of said remote center to write said data to the storage of said second storage system of said remote center based on said data write request, and

said at least one second storage system of said remote center, upon receipt of said data write request issued by said second gateway storage system, controls, by said controller, said storage to store data on said storage based on said data write request, and

said second host computer issues a data read request to one of the second storage systems to read data stored therein.