Storage operation management program and method and a storage management computer

• US 7,191,198 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2003
• Issued: 03/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Shinohara, Daisuke, Asano, Masayasu, Shimooka, Kenichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Coby; Frantz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Cindy
• Application Number:
  US10/650,851
• Publication Number:
  US 20040225697A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,292 Days
• Field of Search: 707/200, 707/201, 707/202, 707/203, 707/204
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2007 using redundant communication media
• 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: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

A managing computer (manager) manages replication of data areas inside a storage or among storages. A storage volume management module of the manager manages policy of the volume and its properties. When replication of a volume is set, a volume of a replication destination appropriate for a volume of a replication source is generated using the policy and the properties to form a replication pair. A route management module of the manager and its volume management module bring the policy and the properties of the volumes, and the policies and conditions of lines into conformity with one another. When any fault occurs in a line route used for data transfer during replication of the volume, a separate line route is utilized, and a fault countermeasure is taken for replication of the volumes in accordance with the policy and properties of the volumes.

Claims

1. A processor-readable storage medium embodying executable code of a storage operation management program for operating and managing replication of a volume inside a storage device or among a plurality of storage devices, the executable program code comprising:

code for receiving a request for a copy source volume based on information indicating a feature of said copy source volume;

code for one of creating and selecting said copy source volume based on said information;

code for receiving a request for a copy destination volume;

code for one of creating and selecting said copy destination volume to have said feature of said copy source volume, based on said request for a copy destination volume, based on a prestored relationship between said copy source volume and said information, and based on possible/impossible pairing information indicating that said copy destination volume has a pairing capability of forming a replication pair with said copy source volume to make possible the copying of contents of said copy source volume to said copy destination volume, said pairing information being specified by one of a user and an application; and

code for copying the contents of said copy source volume to said copy destination volume.

2. A storage operation management program according to claim 1, which further includes:

code for judging whether a copy destination volume exists having said feature of said created or selected copy source volume, based on said request for a copy destination volume and based on said prestored relationship between said created or selected copy source volume and said information.

3. A storage operation management program according to claim 1, which further includes:

code for retrieving a route capable of connecting a storage device having the created or selected copy source volume and a storage device having the created or selected copy destination volume; and

code for acquiring information of said route and judging whether replication of data of the created or selected copy source volume to the data area of the created or selected copy destination volume is possible by use of said route based on said information of the created or selected copy source volume and based on said information of said route.

4. A storage operation management program according to claim 1, further comprising:

code for acquiring information of a route for connecting a storage device having said created or selected copy source volume to a storage device having said created or selected copy destination volume; and

code for judging whether connection of said route for connecting the created or selected copy source volume to the created or selected copy destination volume is made through a different route in response to said information of the created or selected copy source volume and information of a communication line forming the route.

5. A storage operation management program according to claim 4, further comprising:

code for judging existence/absence of omission of data stored in a storage area in accordance with information of the created or selected copy source volume, the operation condition of the replication and the operation condition of the storage area.

6. A storage operation management program according to claim 1, further comprising:

code for judging whether or not a different copy destination volume can be substituted for the created or selected copy destination volume.

7. A storage operation management program according to claim 1, further comprising code for selecting one of said plurality of storage devices from which to create or select said copy destination volume, said selected storage device being different from the storage device having said created or selected copy source volume;

wherein said code for creating or selecting said copy destination volume, creates or selects said copy destination volume from said selected storage device.

8. A storage operation management program according to claim 1, further comprising code for performing a copy function from said created or selected copy source volume to said created or selected copy destination volume.

9. A storage operation management program according to claim 1, wherein said pairing information includes a use policy of said copy destination volume indicating that said copy destination volume is not constrained to be a copy source volume, and wherein said pairing information includes a pairing indicator indicating that said copy destination volume is a possible replication destination for pairing with said copy source volume.

10. A processor-readable storage medium embodying executable code of a storage operation management program for operating and managing replication of a volume inside a storage device or among a plurality of storage devices, wherein when executed, the executable program code causes a computer to perform a method comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for a copy source volume based on information indicating a feature of said copy source volume;

creating or selecting said copy source volume based on said information;

receiving a request for a copy destination volume;

creating or selecting said copy destination volume to have said feature of said copy source volume, based on said request for a copy destination volume, based on a prestored relationship between said copy source volume and said information, and based on possible/impossible pairing information indicating that said copy destination volume has a pairing capability of forming a replication pair with said copy source volume to make possible the copying of contents of said copy source volume to said copy destination volume, said pairing information being specified by one of a user and an application; and

setting a route capable of connecting a storage device having the copy source volume and a storage device having the copy destination volume based on said feature of the copy source volume.

11. A storage operation management program according to claim 10, wherein the method further comprises the step of selecting one of said plurality of storage devices from which to create or select said copy destination volume, said selected storage device being different from the storage device having said created or selected copy source volume;

and wherein said step of creating or selecting said copy destination volume, creates or selects said copy destination volume from said selected storage device.

12. A storage operation management program according to claim 10, wherein the method further comprises the step of performing a copy function from said created or selected copy source volume to said created or selected copy destination volume.

13. A storage operation management program according to claim 10, wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

acquiring information of a route for connecting a storage device having said created or selected copy source volume to a storage device having said created or selected copy destination volume; and

judging whether connection of said route for connecting the created or selected copy source volume to the created or selected copy destination volume is made through a different route in response to said information of the created or selected copy source volume and information of a communication line forming the route.

14. A storage operation management program according to claim 13, further comprising the step of judging existence/absence of omission of data stored in a storage area in accordance with information of the created or selected copy source volume, the operation condition of the replication and the operation condition of the storage area.

15. A storage operation management program according to claim 10, further comprising the step of judging whether or not a different copy destination volume can be substituted for the created or selected copy destination volume.

16. A storage operation management program according to claim 10, wherein said pairing information includes a use policy of said copy destination volume indicating that said copy destination volume is not constrained to be a copy source volume, and wherein said pairing information includes a pairing indicator indicating that said copy destination volume is a possible replication destination for pairing with said copy source volume.

17. A processor-readable storage medium embodying executable code of a storage operation management program for operating and managing replication of a volume inside a storage device or among a plurality of storage devices, wherein when executed, the executable program code causes a computer to perform a method comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for a copy source volume based on a feature of said copy source volume, and based on first pairing information indicating a use policy of said copy source volume and indicating that said copy source volume is capable of forming a replication pair with a copy destination volume;

creating or selecting said copy source volume based on said feature and said first pairing information;

receiving a request for a copy destination volume; and

creating or selecting said copy destination volume to have said feature of said copy source volume based on said request for a copy destination volume, based on a prestored relationship among said copy source volume and said feature, and based on possible/impossible second pairing information indicating that said copy destination volume has a pairing capability of forming a replication pair with said copy source volume to make possible the copying of contents of said copy source volume to said copy destination volume, said second pairing information being specified by one of a user and an application.

18. A processor-readable storage medium embodying executable code of a storage operation management program for operating and managing replication of a volume inside a storage device or among a plurality of storage devices, wherein when executed, the executable program code causes a computer to perform a method comprising the steps of:

receiving a pair generation request for a copy source volume for which a volume identifier, a predefined use policy, and a pairing capability thereof are stored in a volume information table with a relationship to each other and to a storage capacity of the copy source volume, a read/write frequency predetermined for the copy source volume, a performance indicator for the copy source volume, and a reliability indicator of the copy source volume, wherein said pair generation request includes said volume identifier;

referring to a storage information table holding a relationship between a storage device and a storage policy;

determining, based on said step of referring to the storage information table, whether a storage device exists that has a storage policy of forming a pair with said copy source volume;

when it is determined that a storage device exists that has a storage policy of forming a pair with said copy source volume, determining from possible/impossible pairing information in the volume information table whether the storage device has a volume having a pairing capability to make possible the copying thereto of contents of said copy source volume;

when it is determined that the storage device has a volume that has a pairing capability, determining from the volume information table whether the volume that has said pairing capability has a storage capacity, a read/write frequency, a performance indicator, and a reliability indicator that at least approximate the storage capacity, read/write frequency, performance indicator, and reliability indicator of the copy source volume in the volume information table;

when the volume that has said pairing capability has a storage capacity, read/write frequency, performance indicator, and reliability indicator that at least approximate the storage capacity, read/write frequency, performance indicator, and reliability indicator related to the copy source volume in the volume information table,

generating a pairing of said volume, as a copy destination volume, and said copy source volume; and

copying the contents of said copy source volume to said copy destination volume;

when the volume that has said pairing capability does not have a storage capacity, read/write frequency, performance indicator, and reliability indicator that at least approximate the storage capacity, read/write frequency, performance indicator, and reliability indicator related to the copy source volume in the volume information table,

referring to the storage information table additionally holding a relationship between said storage device and space capacity, reliability, and a maximum performance of said storage device;

judging whether the relationship between said storage device and space capacity, reliability, and maximum performance thereof in the storage information table indicates that said storage device has a space area from which a volume can be generated that has a storage capacity, read/write frequency, performance indicator, and reliability indicator that at least approximate the storage capacity, read/write frequency, performance indicator, and reliability indicator related to the copy source volume in the volume information table;

when the relationship between said storage device and space capacity, reliability, and maximum performance thereof indicates that said storage device has a space area from which a volume can be generated that has a storage capacity, read/write frequency, performance indicator, and reliability indicator that at least approximate the storage capacity, read/write frequency, performance indicator, and reliability indicator related to the copy source volume in the volume information table, generating a copy destination volume from the space area that has a storage capacity, read/write frequency, performance indicator, and reliability indicator that at least approximate the storage capacity, read/write frequency, performance indicator, and reliability indicator related to the copy source volume in the volume information table;

generating a pairing of said copy destination volume and said copy source volume; and

copying the contents of said copy source volume to said copy destination volume.