External storage and data recovery method for external storage as well as program
First Claim
1. A storage system to be connected to a host computer, comprising:
- a storage device which stores data to be used by the host computer; and
a controller which controls the storage device,wherein the controller comprises;
a memory which stores a recoverable point to be set by the host computer, concerning data stored in the storage device, said recoverable point corresponding to journal data which includes journal control information having information necessary for recovering data on the storage device to the recoverable point and data size information indicating a size of write data corresponding to said journal data,wherein said controller sends information, for selection related to the journal data at the recoverable point, to the host computer in response to a request from the host computer, and recovers data designated by the host computer to a designated recoverable point based on the information for selection related to the journal data at the recoverable point,wherein the storage device includes a journal data area for storing journal data, and a backup data area for storing backup data, andwherein, if a free space of the journal data area becomes insufficient, said controller transfers oldest journal data from the journal data area to the backup data area by an amount necessary to accommodate a size of the oldest journal data based on said data size information.
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Abstract
The data is automatically recovered to a desired arbitrary point in an external storage without imposing a burden on the host computer. An application on a host computer instructs data recovery control processing of a disk control apparatus to set a recovery opportunity. It is possible to register arbitrary plural points as a recoverable point by setting a recovery flag included in journal data. In the case in which data is recovered due to occurrence of a failure or the like, the application requests a list showing recovery opportunities which have already been set. The application designates a point to which data is recovered on the basis of the recovery opportunity list. The disk control apparatus recovers the data to the designated point on the basis of a backup disk and a journal disk.
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Citations
97 Claims
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1. A storage system to be connected to a host computer, comprising:
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a storage device which stores data to be used by the host computer; and a controller which controls the storage device, wherein the controller comprises; a memory which stores a recoverable point to be set by the host computer, concerning data stored in the storage device, said recoverable point corresponding to journal data which includes journal control information having information necessary for recovering data on the storage device to the recoverable point and data size information indicating a size of write data corresponding to said journal data, wherein said controller sends information, for selection related to the journal data at the recoverable point, to the host computer in response to a request from the host computer, and recovers data designated by the host computer to a designated recoverable point based on the information for selection related to the journal data at the recoverable point, wherein the storage device includes a journal data area for storing journal data, and a backup data area for storing backup data, and wherein, if a free space of the journal data area becomes insufficient, said controller transfers oldest journal data from the journal data area to the backup data area by an amount necessary to accommodate a size of the oldest journal data based on said data size information. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9)
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8. A storage system to be connected to a host computer, comprising:
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a storage device which stores data to be used by the host computer; and a controller which controls the storage device, wherein the controller comprises; a memory which stores a recoverable point to be sent by the host computer, concerning data stored in the storage device, said recoverable point corresponding to journal data which includes journal control information having information necessary for recovering data on the storage device to the recoverable point and data size information indicating a size of a write data corresponding to the journal data, wherein said controller sends information, for selection related to the journal data at the recoverable point, to the host computer in response to a request from the host computer and recovers data designated by the host computer to a designated recoverable point based on the information for selection related to the journal data of the recoverable point, wherein the storage device includes a journal data area for storing journal data and a backup data area for storing backup data, and wherein, if a free space of the journal data area becomes insufficient, said controller searches for an unused area capable of storing the oldest journal data, extends a logical size of the journal data area to a capacity of the unused storage area and updates the journal control information based on the extended logical size of the journal data area. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A storage system to be coupled to a host computer, comprising:
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a storage device which stores data; and a controller coupled to the storage device, wherein the controller manages a plurality of recoverable points each concerning data at a point in time, the recoverable points each corresponding to journal data which includes information necessary for recovering data related to one of the recoverable points, wherein the controller sends information, for selection of data related to at least one of the recoverable points, to the host computer in response to a request received from the host computer, and recovers data related to a designated recoverable point designated by the host computer, wherein the storage device includes a journal data area for storing journal data, and a backup data area for storing backup data, wherein an oldest journal data stored in the journal data area is deleted from the journal data area, after data corresponding to the oldest journal data is written to the backup data area, and wherein the data related to the designated recoverable point is recovered by using journal data stored in the journal data area and backup data stored in the backup data area. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A storage system to be coupled to a host computer, comprising:
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a storage device; and a controller coupled to the storage device, wherein the controller manages a plurality of recoverable points each concerning data, at a point in time, of a data storage area used for writing data, wherein the controller sends information, for selection of data related to one or more the recoverable points, to the host computer in response to a request received from the host computer, and recovers data, at a point in time, related to a designated recoverable point designated by the host computer, wherein the storage device includes a journal data area for storing journal data, and a backup data area for storing backup data corresponding to data stored in the data storage area, wherein an oldest journal data stored in the journal data area is removed from the journal data area, after data corresponding to the oldest journal data is written to the backup data area, and wherein the data, at a point in time, related to the designated recoverable point is recovered by using journal data stored in the journal data area and back up data stored in the backup data area. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A storage system to be coupled to a host computer, comprising:
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a storage device; and a controller coupled to the storage device, wherein the controller manages a plurality of recoverable points, at least one of the recoverable points concerning data image, at a point in time, of a data storage area used for writing data, wherein the controller sends information, for selection of data image related to one or more the recoverable points, to the host computer in response to a request received from the host computer, and recovers data image, at a point in time, related to a designated recoverable point designated by the host computer, wherein the storage device includes a journal data area for storing journal data, and a backup data area for storing backup data corresponding to data stored in the data storage area, wherein an oldest journal data stored in the journal data area is deleted from the journal data area for a new journal data to be stored in the journal data area, and wherein the data image, at a point in time, related to the designated recoverable point is recovered by using journal data stored in the journal data area and backup data stored in the backup data area. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
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52. A controller, comprising:
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at least one first port coupled to a host computer; and at least one second port coupled to a storage device, the storage device includes a journal data area, for storing journal data, and a backup data area for storing backup data related to data stored in a data storage area used for writing data, wherein the controller manages a plurality of recoverable points each concerning data, at a point in time, of the data storage area, the recoverable points each corresponding to journal data, wherein the controller sends information, for selection of data related to at least one of the recoverable points, to the host computer in response to a request received from the host computer, and recovers data, at a point in time, related to a designated recoverable point designated by the host computer, wherein an oldest journal data stored in the journal data area is removed from the journal data area for a new journal data to be stored in the journal data area, and wherein the data, at a point in time, related to the designated recoverable point is recovered by using journal data stored in the journal data area and backup data stored in the backup data area. - View Dependent Claims (53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63)
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64. A controller, comprising:
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at least one first port coupled to a host computer; and at least one second port coupled to a storage device, the storage device includes a journal data area, for storing journal data, and a backup data area for storing backup data; wherein the controller manages a plurality of recoverable points, one or more the recoverable points concerning data image, at a point in time, of a data storage area used for writing data, wherein the controller sends information, for selection of data image related to at least one of the recoverable points, to the host computer in response to a request received from the host computer, and recovers data image, at a point in time, related to a designated recoverable point designated by the host computer, wherein an oldest journal data stored in the journal data area is deleted from the journal data area, after data corresponding to the oldest journal data is written to the backup data area, and wherein the data image, at a point in time, related to the designated recoverable point is recovered by using journal data stored in the journal data area and backup data stored in the backup data area. - View Dependent Claims (65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75)
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76. A computer program stored on a computer readable storage medium and implemented in a controller, the controller to be coupled to a host computer and a storage device, the computer program comprising:
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code controlling to manage a plurality of recoverable points each concerning data, at a point in time, of a data storage area used for writing data, the recoverable points each corresponding to journal data to be stored in a journal data area in the storage device; code controlling to remove an oldest journal data stored in the journal data area from the journal data area, after data corresponding to the oldest journal data is written to a backup data area in the storage device, the backup data area for storing backup data related to data stored in the data storage area; code controlling to send information, for selection of data related to at least one of the recoverable points, to the host computer in response to a request received from the host computer; and code controlling to recover data, at a point in time, related to a designated recoverable point, designated by the host computer, by using journal data stored in the journal data area and backup data stored in the backup data area. - View Dependent Claims (77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86)
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87. A computer program stored on a computer readable storage medium and implemented in a controller, the controller to be coupled to a host computer and a storage device, the computer program comprising:
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code controlling to manage a plurality of recoverable points each concerning data image, at a point in time, of a data storage area used for writing data; code controlling to delete an oldest journal data, stored in a journal data area storing journal data, from the journal data area for a new journal data to be stored in the journal data area; code controlling to send information, for selection of data image related to at least one of the recoverable points, to the host computer in response to a request received from the host computer; and code controlling to recover data image, at a point in time, related to a designated recoverable point, designated by the host computer, by using journal data stored in the journal data area and backup data stored in a backup data area of the storage device, the backup data area storing backup data corresponding to data stored in the data storage area. - View Dependent Claims (88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97)
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Specification