Storage system, file migration method and computer program product

• US 7,590,671 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2005
• Issued: 09/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Achiwa, Kyosuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam; Hosain T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Johnson; Johnese
• Application Number:
  US11/286,338
• Publication Number:
  US 20070055715A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,390 Days
• Field of Search: 714/6
• US Class Current: 707/822
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/119 Details of migration of file systems migration mechanisms in storage systems G06F3/0647
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

A storage system including a file migration server, a file migration client, and an LDEV migration engine. The file migration client displays on a management terminal a GUI for guiding a file migration. The file migration server, upon receipt of a file migration command to migrate a part of files stored in a source logical device to a destination logical device, migrates all of the files stored in the source logical device to the destination logical device without involving a change in directory path.

Claims

1. A storage system for moving files between storage tiers, comprising:

a plurality of physical devices providing a plurality of logical devices for storing one or more files;

a file system for managing the files stored in the logical devices with a directory tree structure;

a file migration server for controlling migration of the files stored in the logical devices to move the files between storage tiers;

a file migration client for displaying a GUI for guiding file migration, and conveying an administrator'"'"'s file migration command to the file migration server; and

first file migration means for migrating all of one or more files stored in a source logical device selected from the logical devices by the administrator to a destination logical device, which is a different storage tier than the storage logical device, selected from the logical devices by the administrator, without a change in directory path for any of the files;

wherein, upon a file migration command to select and migrate the one or more files stored in the source logical device to the destination logical device being input to the file migration client via the GUI, the file migration server controlling the first file migration means to migrate the selected files stored in the source logical device to the destination logical device, by performing the steps of;

referring to a directory-LDEV (logical device) correspondence table to obtain an LDEV number for the source logical device in which the selected files are stored;

obtaining storage capacity information corresponding to the obtained LDEV number;

displaying an LDEV file list display window including a list of directories mounted in the source logical device corresponding to the LDEV number and the obtained storage capacity information;

displaying a file migration means selection dialogue for the administrator to select or not select the first file migration means; and

,

if the administrator selects the first file migration means, controlling the first file migration means to migrate the selected files stored in the source logical device to the destination logical device,

wherein each of the physical devices is logically classified into one of a plurality of storage tiers;

wherein the GUI includes a screen for displaying, in relation to each other. the directory paths of the files and the storage tiers to which the physical devices storing the files belong;

wherein the GUI includes a screen for, subject to any storage tier from among the list of storage tiers having been selected after the selection of the first file migration means as the file migration means, displaying a list of one or more unassigned logical devices belonging to the selected storage tier which have not yet been assigned to a file migration client,

said storage system further comprising;

a logical volume which has a correspondence relationship with one of the logical devices and is mounted in the directory tree structure in the file system;

an LDEV-storage tier correspondence table;

an LDEV-logical volume correspondence table; and

a logical volume-directory tree structure correspondence table,

wherein, based on the destination storage tier to which a file is migrated, the file migration server, referring to the storage tier-LDEV correspondence table, obtains a plurality of LDEV numbers,

wherein the file migration server, referring to the LDEV-logical volume correspondence table, obtains the logical volumes respectively corresponding to the obtained LDEV numbers; and

wherein the file migration server, referring to the logical volume-directory tree structure correspondence table, judges, as unassigned logical devices, logical devices corresponding to the logical volumes that are not mounted in the directory tree among the plurality of logical volumes obtained by the file migration server and shows to the file migration client a list of unassigned logical devices as file migration destination logical devices.

2. The storage system according to claim 1 further comprising second file migration means for executing file migration involving a change in directory path.

3. The storage system according to claim 2, wherein the GUI includes a screen for displaying a list of one or more other files stored in the logical device storing a file designated as a file move target.

4. The storage system according to claim 3 further comprising third file migration means for creating a new file system containing a file to be moved, and mounting the new file system in a source directory.

5. The storage system according to claim 4, wherein the GUI includes a screen for requesting selection of which of the first file migration means, the second file migration means, and the third file migration means is to be used for file migration.

6. The storage system according to claim 5, wherein the GUI includes a screen for, subject to any of the first file migration means, the second file migration means, and the third file migration means having been selected as the file migration means, displaying a list of one or more storage tiers to which one or more candidate destination physical devices for the file, from among the physical devices, belong.

7. The storage system according to claim 6, wherein the GUI includes a screen for, subject to any storage tier from among the list of storage tiers having been selected after the selection of the second file migration means as the file migration means, displaying a list of one or more directory paths belonging to the selected tier.

8. The storage system according to claim 2 further comprising a storage controller for controlling data input/output to/from the physical devices, and a NAS (Network Attached Storage) server for processing a file access request from a NAS client, wherein the first file migration means is a function of the storage controller, and the second file migration means is a function of the NAS server.

9. A file migration method for moving files between storage tiers of a storage system comprising a plurality of physical devices providing a plurality of logical devices for storing one or more files, a file system for managing the files stored in the logical devices with a directory tree structure, and a file migration server for controlling migration of the files stored in the logical devices to move the files between storage tiers, said file migration method comprising the steps of:

displaying a GUI in a file migration client for guiding file migration;

receiving via the GUI a file migration command to select and migrate a part of one or more files stored in a source logical device to a destination logical device which is in a different storage tier than the source logical device; and

migrating the selected files stored in the source logical device to the destination logical device via a first file migration means without a change in directory path for any of the files,

including the steps of;

referring to a directory-LDEV (logical device) correspondence table to obtain an LDEV number for the source logical device in which the selected files are stored;

obtaining storage capacity information corresponding to the obtained LDEV number;

displaying an LDEV file list display window including a list of directories mounted in the source logical device corresponding to the LDEV number and the obtained storage capacity information;

displaying a file migration means selection dialogue for the administrator to select or not select the first file migration means; and

,

if the administrator selects the first file migration means, controlling the first file migration means to migrate the selected files stored in the source logical device to the destination logical device,

wherein each of the physical devices is logically classified into one of a plurality of storage tiers;

wherein the GUI includes a screen for displaying, in relation to each other, the directory paths of the files and the storage tiers to which the physical devices storing the files belong,

wherein the GUI includes a screen for, subject to any storage tier from among the list of storage tiers having been selected after the selection of the first file migration means as the file migration means, displaying a list of one or more unassigned logical devices belonging to the selected storage tier which have not yet been assigned to a file migration client,

said storage system further comprising;

a logical volume which has a correspondence relationship with one of the logical devices and is mounted in the directory tree structure in the file system,

an LDEV-storage tier correspondence table;

an LDEV-logical volume correspondence table; and

a logical volume-directory tree structure correspondence table,

said file migration method further comprising;

based on the destination storage tier to which a file is migrated, the file migration server, referring to the storage tier-LDEV correspondence table, obtaining a plurality of LDEV numbers,

referring, via the file migration server, to the LDEV-logical volume correspondence table, to obtain the logical volumes respectively corresponding to the obtained LDEV numbers; and

referring, via the file migration server, to the logical volume-directory tree structure correspondence table, to judge, as unassigned logical devices, logical devices corresponding to the logical volumes that are not mounted in the directory tree among the plurality of logical volumes obtained by the file migration server and to show to the file migration client a list of unassigned logical devices as file migration destination logical devices.

10. The file migration method according to claim 9,

wherein the GUI includes a screen for displaying a list of one or more other files stored in a logical device storing a file designated as a file move target.

11. The file migration method according to claim 10, wherein the GUI includes a screen for requesting selection of which of the first file migration means for migrating all of the files stored in the source logical device to the destination logical device without a change in directory path for any of the files, second file migration means for executing file migration involving a change in directory path, and third file migration means for creating a new file system containing a file to be moved and mounting the new file system in a source directory, in order to conduct file migration.

12. The file migration method according to claim 11, wherein the GUI displays a screen for, subject to any of the first file migration means, the second file migration means, and the third file migration means having been selected as the file migration means, displaying a list of one or more storage tiers to which one or more candidate destination logical devices for the file belong.

13. The file migration method according to claim 12, wherein the GUI includes a screen for, subject to any storage tier from among the list of storage tiers having been selected after the selection of either of the first file migration means or the third file migration means as the file migration means, displaying a list of one or more “

free”

logical devices belonging to the selected storage tier.

14. The file migration method according to claim 12, wherein the GUI includes a screen for, subject to any storage tier from among the list of storage tiers having been selected after the selection of the second file migration means as the file migration means, displaying a list of one or more directory paths belonging to the selected tier.

15. A computer program embodied in a computer-readable medium comprising a computer program to make a storage system comprising a plurality of physical devices providing a plurality of logical devices for storing one or more files, a file system for managing the files stored in the logical devices with a directory tree structure, and a file migration server for controlling migration of the files stored in the logical devices to move the files between storage tiers, move files between storage tiers by executing the steps of:

displaying a GUI for guiding file migration;

receiving via the GUI a file migration command to select and migrate a part of one or more files stored in a source logical device to a destination logical device which is in a different storage tier than the source logical device; and

migrating the selected files stored in the source logical device to the destination logical device via a first file migration means without a change in directory path for any of the migrated files,

including the steps of;

referring to a directory-LDEV (logical device) correspondence table to obtain an LDEV number for the source logical device in which the selected files are stored;

obtaining storage capacity information corresponding to the obtained LDEV number;

displaying an LDEV file list display window including a list of directories mounted in the source logical device corresponding to the LDEV number and the obtained storage capacity information;

displaying a file migration means selection dialogue for the administrator to select or not select the first file migration means; and

,

if the administrator selects the first file migration means, controlling the first file migration means to migrate the selected files stored in the source logical device to the destination logical device,

wherein each of the physical devices is logically classified into one of a plurality of storage tiers;

wherein the GUI includes a screen for displaying, in relation to each other, the directory paths of the files and the storage tiers to which the physical devices storing the files belong;

wherein the GUI includes a screen for, subject to any storage tier from among the list of storage tiers having been selected after the selection of the first file migration means as the file migration means, displaying a list of one or more unassigned logical devices belonging to the selected storage tier which have not yet been assigned to a file migration client,

said storage system further comprising;

a logical volume which has a correspondence relationship with one of the logical devices and is mounted in the directory tree structure in the file system,

an LDEV-storage tier correspondence table;

an LDEV-logical volume correspondence table; and

a logical volume-directory tree structure correspondence table,

wherein the program executes the further steps of;

based on the destination storage tier to which a file is migrated, the file migration server, referring to the storage tier-LDEV correspondence table, obtaining a plurality of LDEV numbers,

referring, via the file migration server, to the LDEV-logical volume correspondence table, to obtain the logical volumes respectively corresponding to the obtained LDEV numbers; and

referring, via the file migration server, to the logical volume-directory tree structure correspondence table, to judge, as unassigned logical devices, logical devices corresponding to the logical volumes that are not mounted in the directory tree among the plurality of logical volumes obtained by the file migration server and to show to the file migration client a list of unassigned logical devices as file migration destination logical devices.