Storage area network system

• US 7,315,960 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2004
• Issued: 01/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Uchigiri, Tatsumi, Sato, Takao, Takamoto, Yoshifumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Bonzo; Bryce P
• Application Number:
  US10/901,046
• Publication Number:
  US 20050022057A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,251 Days
• Field of Search: 714/7, 714/8, 711/162
• US Class Current: 714/6.32
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2074 Asynchronous techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2089 Redundant storage control functionality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2094 Redundant storage or storage space G06F11/2056 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2097 maintaining the standby controller/processing unit updated initialisation or re-synchronisation thereof G06F11/1658 and subgroups

Abstract

In remote copy systems connected with a dedicated interface, reliability is reduced for the time until the disk system that caused an error will be recovered. Therefore, when an error occurs in a primary disk system, it is replaced with a standby disk system connected to a storage area network. As a result, a remote copy system with high reliability is obtained.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a computer;

a primary storage system;

a secondary storage system; and

a standby storage system,

wherein said computer, said primary storage system, said secondary storage system and said standby storage system are connected to each other by a network,

wherein said primary storage system performs a remote copy by performing a write in response to a write request from said computer via said network, and transferring a write command to said secondary storage system via said network,

wherein said computer sends the write request to said primary storage system, checks whether the write request has terminated in said primary storage system, and judges whether an error has occurred in said primary storage system or said secondary storage system if the write request has not terminated,

wherein, if the error has occurred in said primary storage system, then said computer changes said standby storage system into a new secondary storage system, changes said secondary storage system into a new primary storage system and re-sends the write request to said new primary storage system, and

wherein, if the error has occurred in said secondary storage system, then said computer changes said standby storage system into a new secondary storage system and re-sends the write request to said primary storage system.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said new primary storage system executes the remote copy with said new secondary storage system when said new primary storage system receives the write request re-sent by said computer.

3. A storage system according to claim 2, wherein said computer assigns a device identifier (ID), which was assigned to said primary storage system, to said new primary storage system and assigns a second device ID, which was assigned to said secondary storage system, to said new secondary storage system if the error is occurred in said primary storage system.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein said primary storage system executes the remote copy with said new secondary storage system when said primary storage system receives the write request re-sent by said computer.

5. A storage system according to claim 4, wherein said computer assigns a device ID, which was assigned to said secondary storage system, to said new secondary storage system if the error occurred in said secondary storage system.

6. A system comprising:

a computer;

a primary storage system;

a secondary storage system; and

a plurality of standby storage systems,

wherein said computer, said primary storage system, said secondary storage system and said standby storage systems are connected to each other by a network,

wherein said primary storage system performs a remote copy by performing a write in response to a write request from said computer via said network, and transferring a write command to said secondary storage system via said network,

wherein said computer sends the write request to said primary storage system, checks whether the write request has terminated in said primary storage system and judges whether an error has occurred in said primary storage system or said secondary storage system if the write request has not terminated,

wherein, if the error is occurred in said primary storage system, then said computer selects one of said standby storage systems, changes said one standby storage system into a new secondary storage system, changes said second storage system into a new primary storage system and re-sends the write request to said new primary storage system, and

wherein, if the error has occurred in said secondary storage system, then said computer selects one of said standby storage systems, changes said one standby storage system into a new secondary storage system and re-sends the write request to said primary storage system.

7. A system according to claim 6, wherein said computer calculates distances from each of said standby storage systems to the computer and said primary storage system and selects said one of said standby storage systems which has the largest value of the distances.

8. A system according to claim 6, wherein said new primary storage system executes the remote copy with said new secondary storage system when said new primary storage system receives the write request re-sent by said computer.

9. A storage system according to claim 8, wherein said computer assigns a device identifier (ID), which was assigned to said primary storage system, to said new primary storage system and assigns a second device ID, which was assigned to said secondary storage system, to said new secondary storage system if the error is occurred in said primary storage system.

10. A system according to claim 6, wherein said primary storage system executes the remote copy with said new secondary storage system when said primary storage system receives the write request re-sent by said computer.

11. A storage system according to claim 10, wherein said computer assigns a device ID, which was assigned to said secondary storage system, to said new secondary storage system if the error is occurred in said secondary storage system.