Storage system

• US 7,272,686 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2004
• Issued: 09/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Masayuki, Yagisawa, Ikuya, Matsunami, Naoto, Mannen, Akihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis; Kevin L.
• Application Number:
  US10/988,495
• Publication Number:
  US 20050066128A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,036 Days
• Field of Search: 711/114, 711/112
• US Class Current: 711/114
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1456 Hardware arrangements for backup
• 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: 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 3/0616 in relation to life time, e.g. increasing Mean Time Between Failures [MTBF]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0617 in relation to availability
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0629 Configuration or reconfiguration of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0634 by changing the state or mode of one or more devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0647 Migration mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/065 Replication mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0653 Monitoring storage devices or systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0658 Controller construction arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0661 Format or protocol conversion arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD

Abstract

A disk array includes a drive management unit, which is a program for identifying kinds of disk devices and managing different disk devices separately, and a drive management table for storing information to be utilized by the drive management unit. The disk array further includes a program for managing accumulated time of disk devices. The program includes a drive lifetime setting portion for setting lifetimes of drives, a drive start/stop portion for intentionally starting/stopping ATA disk devices, and an operation time measurement portion for measuring accumulated operation time. Since it is necessary to be conscious of difference in reliability and performance among disk devices when forming a RAID, a drive kind notification unit, which is a program for notifying of the kind of a disk device when forming the RAID, is provided.

Claims

1. A storage system comprising:

at least one first type disk devices each including an FC interface;

at least one second type disk devices each including an ATA interface; and

a controller coupled to said at least one first type disk devices and said at least one second type disk devices;

wherein said at least one second type disk devices configures a second type RAID group different from a first type RAID group configured with said at least one first type disk devices, and

wherein a copy of data for a first type logical storage area, which is configured in said first type RAID group, is stored in a second type logical storage area configured in said second type RAID group.

2. A storage system according to claim 1, wherein said second type RAID group and said first type RAID group are both in a RAID 5 configuration.

3. A storage system according to claim 1, wherein said controller is configured to take a snapshot of data stored in said first type logical storage area, by changing a state of a pair between said first type logical storage area and said second type logical storage area from a pair state to a split state, and keep data stored in said second type logical storage area as backup data of data stored in said first type logical storage area.

4. A storage system according to claim 1, wherein said controller is configured to take a snapshot of data stored in said first type logical storage area, by changing a state of a pair between said first type logical storage area and said second type logical storage area from a pair state to a split state, and after taking the snapshot, data stored in said second type logical storage area is written into a tape device to keep backup data of data stored in said first type logical storage area in said tape device.

5. A storage system according to claim 1, wherein a copy of data for said second type logical storage area is further stored in a tape device as a backup by writing data stored in said second type logical storage area into said tape devices.

6. A storage system according to claim 1, wherein said controller includes an FC interface, to which said at least one first type disk devices and said at least one second type disk devices are coupled.

7. A storage system according to claim 6, wherein said at least one first type disk devices and said at least one second type disk devices are coupled to said FC interface via an FC loop.

8. A storage system according to claim 6, wherein said at least one second type disk devices are coupled to said FC interface via an FC-ATA conversion interface.

9. A data backup system comprising:

a source storage system including at least one first type disk devices each comprising an FC interface and a source controller coupled to said at least one first type disk devices; and

a destination storage system including at least one second type disk devices each comprising an ATA interface and a destination controller coupled to said at least one second type disk devices,

wherein said at least one first type disk devices configures a first type RAID group and said at least one second type disk devices configures a second type RAID group,

wherein said source controller is configured to send replicated data for a first type logical storage area configured in said first type RAID group to said destination storage system to store said replicated data into a second type logical storage area configured in said second type RAID group,

wherein the second type logical storage area is selected for storing said replicated data based on an interface type of said second type logical storage area.

10. A data backup system according to claim 9 wherein both of said first type RAID group and said second type RAID group are in a RAID 5 configuration.

11. A data backup system according to claim 9, wherein said at least one second type disk devices configures at least one second type RAID groups, and plural second type logical storage areas are configured in said at least one second type RAID groups,

said source controller is configured to send said replicated data for said first type logical storage area to said destination storage system to store said replicated data into one of said plural second type logical storage areas,

said destination controller is configured to take a snapshot of data stored in said one of said plural second type logical storage areas, by changing a state of a pair between said one of said plural second type logical storage areas and another one of said plural second type logical storage areas, from a pair state to a split state, and keep data stored in said another one of said plural second type logical storage areas as backup data for data of said first type logical storage area.

12. A data backup system according to claim 9, wherein said at least one second type disk devices configures at least one second type RAID groups, and plural second type logical storage areas are configured in said at least one second type RAID groups,

said source controller is configured to send said replicated data for said first type logical storage area to said destination storage system to store said replicated data into one of said plural second type logical storage areas,

said destination controller is configured to take a snapshot of data stored in said one of said plural second type logical storage areas, by changing a state of a pair between said one of said plural second type logical storage areas and another one of said plural second type logical storage areas, from a pair state to a split state, and

after taking said snapshot, data stored in said another one of said plural second type logical storage areas are written into a tape device to keep a backup of data for said first type logical storage area in said tape device.

13. A data backup system according to claim 9 wherein said replicated data is further stored in a tape device as backup data by writing data stored in said second type logical storage area into said tape device.

14. A data backup system comprising:

a source storage system including at least one first type disk devices each having a FC interface and a source controller coupled to said at least one first type disk devices; and

a destination storage system including at least one first type disk devices each having FC interface, at least one second type disk devices each having an ATA interface, and a destination controller coupled to said at least one first type disk devices, said at least one second type disk devices, and said source controller,

wherein said at least one first type disk devices in said source storage system configures a source first type RAID group, in which a source first type logical storage area is configured,

said at least one first type disk devices in said destination storage system configures a destination first type RAID group, in which a destination first type logical storage area is configured, and

said at least one second type disk devices in said destination storage system configures a second type RAID group, in which a second type logical storage area is configured, and

wherein said source controller is configured to send replicated data for said source first type logical storage area to said destination storage system to store into said destination first type logical storage area, and

said destination controller is configured to take a snapshot of data stored in said destination first type logical storage area by changing a pair state of a pair between said destination first type logical storage area and said second type logical storage area from a pair state to a split state.

15. A data backup system according to claim 14, wherein said destination controller is configured to keep data stored in said second type logical storage area as a backup for data of said source first type logical storage area.

16. A data backup system according to claim 14, wherein data stored in said second type logical storage area are written into a tape device to keep backup data for said source first type logical storage area in said tape device.

17. A storage system comprising:

first type disk devices each including a first type interface;

second type disk devices each including a second type interface; and

a controller coupled to the first type disk devices and the second type disk devices;

wherein the controller configures a first type disk group with the first type disk devices and a second type disk group with the second type disk devices, based on interface types of the first type disk devices and the second type disk devices, and

wherein a data copy operation from a first type logical storage area, which is configured in the first type disk group, to a second type logical storage area, which is configured in the second type disk group, is performed by the controller.

18. A storage system according to claim 17, wherein the controller manages interface types of the first type disk devices and the second type disk devices, and configures the first type disk group and the second type disk group based on the interface types managed by the controller.

19. A storage system according to claim 17, wherein the controller further manages types of logical storage areas, and the second type logical storage area is selected as a destination of the data copy operation based on the types of logical storage areas managed by the controller.

20. A method for storing a copy of data for a logical storage area in a storage system, which comprises first type disk devices each including a first type interface, second type disk devices each including a second type interface, and a controller coupled to the first type disk devices and the second type disk devices, comprising:

configuring, by the controller, a first type disk group with the first type disk devices and a second type disk group with the second type disk devices based on interface types of the first type disk devices and the second type disk devices;

configuring, by the controller, a first type logical storage area by using the first type disk group and a second type logical storage area by using the second type disk group; and

executing, by the controller, a copy operation from the first type logical storage area to the second type logical storage area.

21. A method according to claim 20, wherein the controller manages the interface types of the first type disk devices and the second type disk devices, and configures the first type disk group and the second type disk group based on the interface types.

22. A method according to claim 20, further comprising:

obtaining information related to the interface types of the first type disk devices and the second type disk devices, and the first type disk group and the second type disk group are configured based on the information related to the interface types.

23. A method according to claim 20, wherein the controller manages types of logical storage areas, and the second type logical storage area is selected to store a copy of data for the first type logical storage area based on the types of logical storage areas.

24. A method according to claim 20, wherein the first type interface is an FC interface and the second type interface is an ATA interface.

25. A method according to claim 24, wherein the first type disk group is an FC type RAID group and the second type disk group is an ATA type RAID group.