Method for controlling storage system, and storage control apparatus

• US 7,457,899 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2006
• Issued: 11/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Satoyama, Ai, Tabuchi, Hideo, Yamamoto, Yasutomo, Ohno, Hiroshi, Eguchi, Yoshiaki, Nakano, Toshio, Arai, Kouji, Shimada, Akinobu
• Primary Examiner(s): Sorrell; Eron J
• Application Number:
  US11/338,796
• Publication Number:
  US 20060168369A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,035 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 710/74
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0866 for peripheral storage systems, e.g. disk cache
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/312 In storage controller
• 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 3/0635 by changing the path, e.g. traffic rerouting, path reconfiguration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/064 Management of blocks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0659 Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling
• 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

A method for controlling a storage system including a host computer, and a first and a second storage control apparatuses each receiving a data input/output request from the host computer and executing a data input/output process for a storage device in response to the request, comprises connecting a first communication path between the host computer and the first apparatus; connecting a second communication path between the first apparatus and the second apparatus; receiving by the first apparatus a first data input/output request from the host computer through the first path; when the first apparatus has judged that the first request is not for the first apparatus, transmitting by the first apparatus a second data input/output request corresponding to the first request, to the second apparatus through the second path; and by the second apparatus, receiving the second request and executing a data input/output process corresponding to the second request received.

Claims

1. A first storage control apparatus adapted to be coupled to a second storage control apparatus comprising second plurality of storage devices and executing data read/write processes to said second plurality of storage devices based on a Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) scheme, said first storage control apparatus comprising:

a cache memory;

a first plurality of storage devices;

said first storage control apparatus receiving a first data write request, storing first data corresponding to said first data write request in said cache memory, transmitting a first completion notice of said first data write request, and executing a data write processes of said first data stored in said cache memory to said first plurality of storage devices provided with a first logical volume, having a first Logical Unit Number (LUN), of said first storage control apparatus; and

said first storage control apparatus receiving a second data write request, storing second data corresponding to said second data write request in said cache memory, transmitting a third data write request corresponding to said second data write request to said second storage control apparatus by referring to mapping information between a second LUN, designated by said second data write request, and a third LUN of a second logical volume to which said second storage control apparatus executes a data write process of said second data,

wherein said first storage control apparatus transmits a second completion notice of said second data write request without waiting for a third completion notice from said second storage control apparatus, said third completion notice corresponding to the said third data write request,

wherein when said first storage control apparatus receives a first data read request, said first storage control apparatus transmits a second data read request corresponding to said first data read request to said second storage control apparatus by referring to said mapping information.

2. A first storage control apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said first storage control apparatus transmits said second data stored in said cache memory to said second storage control apparatus.

3. A first storage control apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein, after storing said second data in said cache memory, said first storage control apparatus refers to said mapping information and transmits said third data write request corresponding to said second data write request to said second storage control apparatus based on said mapping information.

4. A first storage control apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said first storage control apparatus transmits said third data write request, designating said third LUN and corresponding to said second data write request, after converting said second LUN designated by said second data write request to said third LUN.

5. A first storage control apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein, after storing said second data in said cache memory, said first storage control apparatus converts said second LUN designated by said second data write request to said third LUN.

6. A first storage control apparatus adapted to be coupled to a second storage control apparatus comprising a second plurality of storage devices and executing data read/write processes to said second plurality of storage devices based on a Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) scheme, said first storage control apparatus comprising:

a cache memory;

said first storage control apparatus receiving a first data write request, storing first data corresponding to said first data write request in said cache memory, transmitting a first completion notice of said first data write request, and executing data write processing of said first data stored in said cache memory to a first plurality of storage devices provided with a first logical volume, having a first Logical Unit Number (LUN), of said first storage control apparatus;

said first storage control apparatus receiving a second data write request, storing second data corresponding to said second data write request in said cache memory, transmitting a third data write request corresponding to said second data write request to said second storage control apparatus by referring to mapping information between a second LUN, designated by said second data write request, and a third LUN of a second logical volume to which said second storage control apparatus executes data write processing of said second data; and

said first storage control apparatus transmitting a second completion notice of said second data write request without waiting for a third completion notice from said second storage control apparatus, said third completion notice corresponding to said third data write request,

wherein when said first storage control apparatus receives a first data read request, said first storage control apparatus transmits a second data read request corresponding to said first data read request to said second storage control apparatus by referring to said mapping information.

7. A first storage control apparatus according to claim 6,

wherein said first storage control apparatus transmits said second data stored in said cache memory to said second storage control apparatus.

8. A first storage control apparatus according to claim 6,

wherein, after storing said second data in said cache memory, said first storage control apparatus refers to said mapping information and transmits said third data write request corresponding to said second data write request to said second storage control apparatus based on said mapping information.

9. A first storage control apparatus according to claim 6,

wherein said first storage control apparatus transmits said third data write request, designating said third LUN and corresponding to said second data write request, after converting said second LUN designated by said second data write request to said third LUN.

10. A first storage control apparatus according to claim 9,

wherein, after storing said second data in said cache memory, said first storage control apparatus converts said second LUN designated by said second data write request to said third LUN.

11. A control method of a first storage control apparatus adapted to be coupled to a second storage control apparatus comprising a second plurality of storage devices and executing data read/write processes to said second plurality of storage devices based on a (Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) scheme, said control method comprising the steps of:

receiving a first data write request;

storing first data corresponding to said first data write request in a cache memory;

transmitting a first completion notice of said first data write request;

executing data write processing of said first data stored in said cache memory to a first plurality of storage devices provided with a first logical volume having a first Logical Unit Number (LUN) of said first storage control apparatus;

receiving a second data write request;

storing second data corresponding to said second data write request in said cache memory;

transmitting a third data write request corresponding to said second data write request to said second storage control apparatus by referring to mapping information between a second LUN, designated by said second data write request, and a third LUN of a second logical volume to which said second storage control apparatus executes data write processing; and

transmitting a second completion notice of said second data write request without waiting for a third completion notice from said second storage control apparatus, the third completion notice corresponding to said third data write request,

wherein when said first storage control apparatus receives a first data read request, said first storage control apparatus transmits a second data read request corresponding to said first data read request to said second storage control apparatus by referring to said mapping information.

12. A control method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of:

transmitting said second data stored in said cache memory to said second storage control apparatus.

13. A control method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of:

after storing said second data in said cache memory, referring to said mapping information.

14. A control method according to claim 11,

wherein said third data write request, designating said third LUN and corresponding to said second data write request, is transmitted after converting said second LUN designated by said second data write request to said third LUN.

15. A control method according to claim 14,

wherein, after storing said second data in said cache memory, said converting of said second LUN designated by said second data write request to said third LUN is processed.

16. A first storage control apparatus adapted to be coupled to a second storage control apparatus comprising a second plurality of storage devices and executing data read/write processes to said second plurality of storage devices based on a Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) scheme, said first storage control apparatus comprising:

a cache memory;

said first storage control apparatus receiving a first data write request, storing first data corresponding to said first data write request in a cache memory, transmitting a second data write request corresponding to said first data write request to said second storage control apparatus by referring to mapping information between a first Logical Unit Number (LUN), designated by said first data write request, and a second LUN of a virtual volume to which said second storage control apparatus executes data write processing of said first data; and

said first storage control apparatus transmitting a first completion notice of said first data write request without waiting for a second completion notice from said second storage control apparatus, said second completion notice corresponding to said second data write request,

wherein when said first storage control apparatus receives a first data read request, said first storage control apparatus transmits a second data read request corresponding to said first data read request to said second storage control apparatus by referring to said mapping information.

17. A first storage control apparatus according to claim 16,

wherein said first storage control apparatus transmits said first data stored in said cache memory to said second storage control apparatus.

18. A first storage control apparatus according to claim 16,

wherein, after storing said first data in said cache memory, said first storage control apparatus refers to said mapping information and transmits said second data write request corresponding to said first data write request to said second storage control apparatus based on said mapping information.

19. A first storage control apparatus according to claim 16,

wherein said first storage control apparatus transmits said second data write request, designating second LUN and corresponding to said first data write request, after converting said first LUN designated by said first data write request to said second LUN.

20. A first storage control apparatus according to claim 19,

wherein, after storing said first data in said cache memory, said first storage control apparatus converts said first LUN designated by said first data write request to said second LUN.