Installation method of new storage system into a computer system

• US 7,177,991 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2003
• Issued: 02/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Satoyama, Ai, Yamamoto, Yasutomo, Ohno, Hiroshi, Eguchi, Yoshiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Bragdon; Reginald
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vo; Thanh D.
• Application Number:
  US10/636,758
• Publication Number:
  US 20040143832A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,285 Days
• Field of Search: 714/7, 711/163, 711/112, 711/154, 711/167
• US Class Current: 711/161
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0604 Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. storage management
• 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 3/0631 by allocating resources to storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0632 by initialisation or re-initialisation of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0637 Permissions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0647 Migration mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

A new storage unit is installed such that installation costs are suppressed and functions of the new storage unit can be utilized sufficiently. An access right is changed such that the new storage unit (second storage unit) can access an existing first storage unit (S502). A logical device relating to a storage device of the first storage unit is assigned to a logical device of the second storage unit (S503). Path definition and device recognition in a host computer are performed such that the host computer can access the assigned logical device of the second storage unit (S504, 505). Input-output setting of the host computer is changed such that processing of an input-output from the host computer to the device of the first storage unit is requested to the second storage unit (S506). Seleted figure: FIG. 5.

Claims

1. A storage system installation method for installing a second storage system into a computer system which includes a host computer and a first storage system which is coupled to the host computer, wherein the first storage system includes a first physical disk device, and the second storage system includes a second physical disk device and a disk controller coupled to the second physical disk device, said storage system installation method comprising the steps of:

coupling the second storage system to the host computer;

coupling the second storage system to the first storage system such that the second storage system can access the first storage system;

correlating a first logical device configured in at least the first physical disk device of the first storage system with a second logical device in the second storage system, the second logical device being provided to the host computer for transferring data from the host computer to the first logical device, wherein said second logical device is not assigned to any exclusive storage area of the second physical disk device of the second storage system;

defining a path between the second logical device and the host computer;

changing an access target of the host computer from the first logical device of the first storage system to the second logical device of the second storage system;

receiving a write request from the host computer to write data to the second logical device, wherein upon receiving the write request, the data is transferred by the disk controller of the second storage system to the first logical device of the first storage system; and

writing, at the first storage system, the data received from the second storage system into the first physical disk device of the first storage system related to the first logical device.

2. The storage system installation method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of:

setting an access restriction that restricts an access from the host computer to the first storage system at the first storage system.

3. The storage system installation method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

selecting, in the second storage system, the second physical disk device of the second storage system;

migrating data stored in the first logical device to the second physical disk device of the second storage system; and

after completion of the data migration, correlating the second logical device with the second physical disk device instead of the first logical device.

4. The storage system installation method according to claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a read request for reading target data from the host computer at the second storage system during the data migration;

converting the received read request to another read request to the first logical device and transmitting the another read request to the first storage system if the target data of the received read request has not been migrated; and

reading the target data of the received read request from the second physical disk device if the target data has already been migrated.

5. The storage system installation method according to claim 1,

wherein the second storage system can access the first logical device of the first storage system based upon an access permission stored in said first storage system.

6. A computer program stored on a computer readable medium and executable by a computer for installing a second storage system into a computer system which includes a first storage system and a host computer which is coupled to the first storage system, wherein the first storage system includes a disk controller and a first physical disk device, and the second storage system includes a disk controller and a second physical disk device, said computer program comprising:

code that correlates a first logical device configured in at least the first physical disk device of the first storage system with a second logical device in the second storage system, the second logical device being provided to the host computer for transferring data from the host computer to the first logical device, wherein said second logical device is not assigned to any exclusive storage area of the second physical disk device of the second storage system;

code that sets an access permission that permits an access from the second storage system to the first storage system at the first storage system;

code that defines a path from the host computer to the second logical device;

code that pertains to transferring data, at the disk controller of the second storage system, from the host computer with a write request which instructs the disk controller of the second storage system to write the data into the second logical device to the first storage system; and

code that pertains to writing the data, by the disk controller of the first storage system, received from the second storage system into the first physical disk device of the first storage system related to the first logical device.

7. The computer program according to claim 6, further comprising:

code that sets an access restriction that restricts an access from the host computer to the first storage system at the first storage system.

8. The computer program according to claim 6, further comprising:

code that changes a configuration of the host computer to issue an access request for data stored in the first logical device of the first storage system to the second storage system.

9. The computer program according to claim 6, further comprising:

code that selects, in the second storage system, the second physical disk device of the second storage system;

code that migrates data stored in the first logical device of the first storage system to the second physical disk device of the second storage system; and

code that, after completion of the data migration, correlates the second logical device with the second physical disk device of the second storage system instead of the first logical device.

10. The computer program according to claim 9, further comprising:

code that receives a read request for reading target data from the host computer at the second storage system during the data migration;

code that converts the received read request to another read request for the first logical device and transmits the another read request to the first storage system if the target data of the received read request has not been migrated; and

code that performs reading of the target data of the received read request from the second physical disk device of the second storage system if the target data has already been migrated.

11. A method of installing a second storage system into a computer system which includes a first storage system and a host computer which is coupled to the first storage system, wherein the first storage system includes a disk controller and a first physical disk device, and the second storage system includes a disk controller and a second physical disk device, said method comprising the steps of:

correlating a first logical device configured in at least the first physical disk devices of the first storage system with a second logical device of the second storage system, said second logical device is not assigned to any exclusive storage area of the second physical disk device of the second storage system;

setting an access permission that permits an access from the second storage system to the first storage system at the first storage system;

defining a path from the host computer to the second logical device;

transferring data to the first storage system, at the second storage system, the data being received from the host computer, with a write command which instructs the disk controller of the second storage system to store the data into the second logical device; and

writing the data, at the disk controller of the first storage system, into the first physical disk device of the first storage system related to the first logical device.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

setting an access restriction that restricts an access from the host computer to the first storage system at the first storage system.

13. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of:

changing a configuration of the host computer to issue an access request for data stored in the first logical device of the first storage system to the second storage system.

14. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

selecting, in the second storage system, the second physical disk device of the second storage system;

migrating data stored in the first logical device of the first storage system to the second physical disk device of the second storage system; and

after completion of the data migration, correlating the second logical device with the second physical disk device of the second storage system instead of the first logical device.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a read request for reading target data from the host computer at the second storage system during the data migration;

converting the received read request to another read request for the first logical device and transmitting the another read request to the first storage system, if the target data of the received read request has not been migrated; and

reading the target data of the received read request from the second physical disk device of the second storage system if the target data has already been migrated.

16. A storage system installation and data migration method for installing a second storage system between a host computer and a first storage system, wherein the first storage system includes a first physical disk device, and the second storage system includes a second physical disk device and a disk controller coupled to the at least one physical disk device, said storage system installation and data migration method comprising:

coupling the second storage system to the host computer;

coupling the second storage system to the first storage system so that the second storage system can access the first storage system;

correlating a first logical device configured in at least the first physical disk device of the first storage system with a second logical device in the second storage system the second logical device being provided for transferring data from the host computer to the first logical device, and said second logical device being not assigned to any exclusive storage area of the second physical disk device of the second storage system;

defining a path between the second logical device and the host computer;

changing an access target of the host computer from the first logical device of the first storage system to the second logical device of the second storage system;

after changing the access target, transferring data to the first storage system, the data being received at the second storage system from the host computer with a write request which instructs the disk controller of the second storage system to write the data into the second logical device;

writing, at the first storage system, the data received from the second storage system into the first physical disk device of the first storage system related to the first logical device;

after installation, selecting, in the second storage system, the second physical disk device of the second storage system in accordance with an instruction received by the disk controller of the second storage system;

migrating data in the first logical device to the second physical disk device of the second storage system after the selection step; and

after completion of the data migration, correlating the second logical device in the second storage system with the second physical disk device in the second storage system instead of the first logical device in the first storage system.

17. The storage system installation and data migration method according to claim 16, further comprising:

setting an access restriction that restricts an access from the host computer to the first storage system in the first storage system.

18. The storage system installation and data migration method according to claim 17, further comprising:

receiving a read request for reading target data from the host computer at the second storage system during the data migration;

converting the received read request to another read request to the first logical device and transmitting the another read request to the first storage system if the target data of the received read request has not been migrated; and

reading the target data of the received read request from the second physical disk device if the target data has already been migrated.

19. The storage system installation and data migration method according to claim 16,

wherein the second storage system can access the first logical device of the first storage system based upon an access permission stored in said first storage system.