Method of performing active data copying processing, and storage subsystem and storage control apparatus for performing active data copying processing

• US 7,447,859 B2
• Filed: 01/03/2007
• Issued: 11/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Okami, Yoshinori, Arakawa, Hiroshi, Eguchi, Yoshiaki, Tamura, Keishi, Fujita, Takahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Tanh Q
• Application Number:
  US11/649,449
• Publication Number:
  US 20070180274A1
• Time in Patent Office: 671 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 711/163
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/78 to assure secure storage of data address-based protection against unauthorised use of memory G06F12/14; record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings G06K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0622 in relation to access
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0637 Permissions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/065 Replication mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0659 Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0683 Plurality of storage devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

When an active data copy process relative to a logical storage device is performed without involving a computer, an access permission/rejection of the computer to the logical storage device is checked by referring to a correspondence between WWN of the computer and a logical storage device identifier LUN to thereby determine whether an access to a copy source logical storage device and a copy destination logical storage device is permitted or not. It is therefore possible to prevent an outflow of illegal data from a storage subsystem to be caused by an active copy instruction command.

Claims

1. A storage subsystem coupled to a computer, comprising:

a logical storage device to which an I/O process is performed by said computer;

a determination unit which determines whether an access to said logical storage device is permitted or not, in accordance with an instruction from said computer for an operation to be performed with respect to said logical storage device; and

a processing unit responsive to said instruction from said computer which processing unit performs said operation without involving said computer, in accordance with a determination result produced by said determination unit,

wherein, in response to said instruction from said computer, said determination unit determines whether or not an access to the logical storage device for said instruction is permitted based on a correspondence between identification information of said computer and identification information of said logical storage device,

wherein, if said instruction is permitted to the access to said logical storage device, said determination unit determines whether or not accesses to a source logical storage device and a destination logical storage device among said logical storage device and another logical storage device are permitted, based on a correspondence between identification information of said computer and identification information of said source logical storage device and a correspondence between said identification information of said computer and identification information of said destination logical storage device, said identification information of said source logical storage device and said destination logical storage device being indicated in said instruction, and

wherein said another logical storage device is one of a logical storage device of said storage subsystem, an external logical storage device coupled to said storage subsystem, or a logical storage device of another storage subsystem coupled to said storage subsystem.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said instruction is a data copy instruction.

3. A storage control apparatus coupled to a computer, comprising:

a unit which performs an I/O process relative to a logical storage device to which said I/O process is performed by said computer;

a determination unit which determines whether an access to said logical storage device is permitted or not, in accordance with an instruction from said computer for an operation to be performed with respect to said logical storage device; and

a processing unit responsive to said instruction from said computer which processing unit performs said operation without involving said computer, in accordance with a determination result produced by said determination unit,

wherein, in response to said instruction from said computer, said determination unit determines whether or not an access to the logical storage device for said instruction is permitted based on a correspondence between identification information of said computer and identification information of said logical storage device,

wherein, if said instruction is permitted to the access to said logical storage device, said determination unit determines whether or not accesses to a source logical storage device and a destination logical storage device among said logical storage device and another logical storage device are permitted, based on a correspondence between identification information of said computer and identification information of said source logical storage device and on a correspondence between said identification information of said computer and identification information of said destination logical storage device, said identification information of said source logical storage device and said destination logical storage device being indicated in said instruction, and

wherein said another logical storage device is one of a logical storage device of said storage control apparatus, an external logical storage device coupled to said storage control apparatus, or a logical storage device of another storage control apparatus coupled to said storage control apparatus.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said instruction is a data copy instruction.

5. A method in a storage subsystem comprising:

receiving an instruction from a computer in data communication with said storage subsystem;

in response to said instruction from said computer, determining whether or not an access to a logical storage device for said instruction is permitted based on a correspondence between identification information of said computer and identification information of said logical storage device; and

selectively accessing a source logical device and a destination logical device from among two or more logical storage devices, based at least on a correspondence between identification information of said computer and identification information of said source logical storage device and on a correspondence between said identification information of said computer and identification information of said destination logical storage device,

said instruction including information indicative of said identification information of said source logical storage device and of said destination logical storage device,

said logical storage devices comprising one or more of a logical storage device of said storage subsystem, an external logical storage device coupled to said storage subsystem, or a logical storage device of another storage subsystem coupled to said storage subsystem.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said instruction is a data copy instruction.