Storage system, and method for controlling the same

• US 7,231,465 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2003
• Issued: 06/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Tabuchi, Hideo, Shimada, Akinobu, Innan, Masataka, Nakano, Toshio
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh; Kim
• Assistant Examiner(s): SORRELL, ERON J
• Application Number:
  US10/661,154
• Publication Number:
  US 20050102479A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,369 Days
• Field of Search: 710 5- 7, 711/100, 711/111, 711/112, 711/113
• US Class Current: 710/5
• 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 3/061 Improving I/O performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0611 in relation to response time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/065 Replication mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0664 at device level, e.g. emulation of a storage device or system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0665 at area level, e.g. provisioning of virtual or logical volumes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD

Abstract

Disclosed is a method A method for controlling a storage system including a host computer; a first storage controller connected communicably to the host computer, for receiving a data frame transmitted from the host computer and executing data input to and data output from a first storage device in response to a data input/output request described in the data frame; and a second storage controller connected communicably to the first storage controller, comprising relaying by the first storage controller, upon receipt of the data frame transmitted from the host computer, the data frame to the second storage controller in response to information described in the data frame.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a storage system including

a host computer;

a first storage controller, connected communicably to said host computer, for receiving a data frame transmitted from said host computer and executing data input to and data output from a first storage device in response to a data input/output request described in said data frame; and

a second storage controller connected communicably to said first storage controller,

the method comprising;

relaying by said first storage controller, upon receipt of said data frame transmitted from said host computer, said data frame to said second storage controller in response to information described in said data frame;

wherein said data frame is a data frame conforming to Fiber Channel Protocol, and wherein said relaying is conducted by a Fiber Channel switch included in said first storage controller;

wherein said data frame includes therein described as said information, at least one of;

information for specifying a Fiber Channel port of the source of said data frame;

information for specifying a Fiber Channel port of the destination of said data frame; and

information for specifying said storage devices, and wherein

said first storage controller stores access limit information indicating permission/rejection of an access of a Fiber Channel port of the source to said Fiber Channel port of the destination or to said storage device of the destination, comprising;

by said first storage controller, when receiving said data frame from said host computer, referring to said access limit information to check whether said Fiber Channel port of the source of said data frame is permitted to make access to said Fiber Channel port of the destination or to said storage device of the destination; and

relaying by said first storage controller said data frame to said second storage controller only when said access is permitted,

wherein said access limit information indicates permission/rejection of an access to said storage device of the destination by relating said Fiber Channel port of the source and said Fiber Channel port of the destination to a Logical Unit Number of said storage device of the destination.

2. A method for controlling a storage system including:

a host computer;

a first storage controller, connected communicably to said host computer, for receiving a data frame transmitted from said host computer and executing data input to and data output from a first storage device in response to a data input/output request described in said data frame; and

a second storage controller connected communicably to said first storage controller

the method comprising;

relaying by said first storage controller, upon receipt of said data frame transmitted from said host computer, said data frame to said second storage controller in response to information described in said data frame;

wherein said data frame is a data frame conforming to Fiber Channel Protocol, and wherein said relaying is conducted by a Fiber Channel switch included in said first storage controller;

wherein said information is at least one of;

information for specifying a Fiber Channel port of said source of said data frame;

information for specifying a Fiber Channel port of said destination of said data frame; and

information for specifying said storage devices;

wherein

said data frame includes therein described as the information;

information for specifying a Fiber Channel port of the source of said data frame; and

information for specifying a Fiber Channel port of the destination of said data frame; and

wherein

said first storage controller stores information indicating priority of a data input/output process corresponding to said data frame, by relating to a combination of a Fiber Channel port of the source and a Fiber Channel port of the destination, comprising;

by said first storage controller, when receiving said data frame from said host computer, executing a data input/output process for said storage device connected to said port of the destination of said data frame, in conformity with said information indicating said priority,

wherein said information indicating priority indicates priority of a data input/output process for said storage device connected to said port of the destination of said data frame by relating said Fiber Channel port of the source and said Fiber Channel port of the destination to a delay time after which the data input/output process for said storage device is executed.

3. A method according to claim 2, further comprising:

checking, by the first storage controller, whether another data frame is waiting to be processed;

if another data frame is waiting to be processed, delaying a start of execution of processing of said data frame for a period of time corresponding to the contents of said data frame;

after the delay has passed, executing, by the first storage controller, the processing including data input/output of said data frame; and

if another data frame is not waiting to be processed, executing without delay, by the first storage controller, the processing including data input/output of said data frame.

4. A storage controller comprising:

means connected communicably to a host computer, for receiving a data frame transmitted from said host computer and executing data input to and data output from a first storage device in response to a data input/output request described in said data frame;

means connected communicably to another storage controller, for receiving a data frame and executing data input to and data output from a second storage device in response to a data input/output request described in said data frame;

means for, when receiving a data frame transmitted from said host computer, relaying said data frame to said another storage controller in response to information described in said data frame,

wherein said data frame is a data frame conforming to Fiber Channel Protocol, said relaying being conducted by a Fiber Channel switch included in the first storage controller, wherein said information is at least one of;

information for specifying a Fiber Channel port of the source of said data frame;

information for specifying a Fiber Channel port of the destination of said data frame; and

information for specifying said storage device, and wherein

said data frame includes therein described as the information;

information for specifying a Fiber Channel port of the source of said data frame; and

information for specifying a Fiber Channel port of the destination of said data frame;

means for storing information indicating priority of a data input/output process corresponding to said data frame, by relating to a combination of said Fiber Channel port of the source and said Fiber Channel port of the destination; and

means for, when receiving said data frame from said host computer, executing a data input/output process for said storage device connected to a port of the destination of said data frame, in conformity with said information indicative of priority,

wherein said information indicating priority indicates priority of a data input/output process for said storage device connected to said port of the destination of said data frame by relating said Fiber Channel port of the source and said Fiber Channel port of the destination to a delay time after which the data input/output process for said storage device is executed.

5. A storage controller according to claim 4, further comprising:

means for checking whether another data frame is waiting to be processed;

means for, if another data frame is waiting to be processed, delaying a start of execution of processing of said data frame for a period of time corresponding to the contents of said data frame;

means for, after the delay has passed, executing the processing including data input/output of said data frame; and

means for, if another data frame is not waiting to be processed, executing, without delay, the processing including data input/output of said data frame.