Information processing system and management device for managing relocation of data based on a change in the characteristics of the data over time

• US 7,730,275 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2009
• Issued: 06/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Kaneda, Yasunori, Nozawa, Masafumi, Furuhashi, Ryoji
• Primary Examiner(s): Chace; Christian P
• Assistant Examiner(s): RUTZ, JARED IAN
• Application Number:
  US12/362,603
• Publication Number:
  US 20090187639A1
• Time in Patent Office: 487 Days
• Field of Search: 711/165, 710/18, 709/226
• US Class Current: 711/165
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1076 Parity data used in redundant arrays of independent storages, e.g. in RAID systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2211/1023 Different size disks, i.e. non uniform size of disks in RAID systems with parity
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99956 File allocation

Abstract

In an information processing system including a computer device, and a storage device storing data used by the computer device, the region in which the data is held is managed in association with a change, over the passage of time in the performance and availability required of the data holding region. The computer device includes a storage device managing unit for managing the storage device which stores data used by the computer device. The storage device managing unit periodically monitors temporal characteristics information, and moves data, if the storage region having functional characteristics corresponding to the temporal characteristics information is different from the storage region to which the data is currently assigned.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

a plurality of storage systems having a plurality of disk units which are configured into a plurality of physical storage regions for storing data and a storage controller which provides data files to at least one of a plurality of external devices via a network;

a plurality of host computers coupling to at least one of the storage systems via a network and accessing data files for using the data, the data files being provided by at least one of the storage systems; and

a management computer coupling the host computers and the storage systems via network,

wherein said management computer checks a period between a present time and a predetermined time for data in a first data file, the predetermined time being later than the present time and sends to the storage system, an instruction for migration of the data to a second data file from the first data file according to the period,

wherein a property of the second data file is different from that of the first data file, and

wherein the storage system migrates the data responsive to the instruction.

2. A management computer managing, via a network, a plurality of storage systems each including data files, and a plurality of host computers storing data in either of the data files, said management computer comprising:

a network interface to be coupled to the network;

a processor coupled to the network interface; and

a memory coupled to the network interface,

wherein the memory holds property of the data files, and data property related to the data stored in a first data file, the data property including a predetermined time defined according to data property,

wherein the processor checks a period between a present time and the predetermined time which is later then the present time, and sends, to a storage system via a network, an instruction of migrating data to a second data file from the first data file according to the period, and

wherein a property of the second data file is different from that of the first data file.

3. In a computer system including a host computer, and a plurality of storage systems each including a data file in which data for the host computer is to be stored, and a management computer coupled to the host computer and the storage systems, a method for data management comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for assigning a first data file for data used by the host computer, a type of which data stored in the volume to be assigned, and a predetermined time for data;

specifying a pattern of temporal change corresponding to the received type of data and the received time of related data;

allocating the first data file to the host computer for storing the data; and

checking a period between a present time and a predetermined time for data in the first data file,

wherein the predetermined time is later than the present time and migrating data to a second data file from the first data file according to the period, and

wherein a property of the second data file is different from that of the first data file.

4. A method for data management according to claim 3, wherein a specified time at which data is finished to be stored in a computer system.

5. A method for data management according to claim 3, wherein a type of data is related to audit data and the predetermined time is a specified time at which data is to be audited.