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

• US 7,930,506 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2010
• Issued: 04/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Furuhashi, Ryoji, Kaneda, Yasunori, Nozawa, Masafumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Rutz; Jared I
• Application Number:
  US12/758,887
• Publication Number:
  US 20100199055A1
• Time in Patent Office: 371 Days
• Field of Search: 711/165, 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 management computer managing, via a network, a plurality of storage systems including a plurality of first storage devices and a plurality of second storage devices, the first storage devices and the second storage devices having a plurality of disk units which are configured into a plurality of physical storage regions for storing data, the first storage devices storing a first data file which stores data and the second storage devices storing a second data file which stores data and a storage controller which provides a first data file in the first storage devices to at least one of a plurality of second storage devices via a network, 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 an availability of the first data file during a period between a present time and the predetermined time which is later than the present time, and sends, to a storage system via a network, an instruction of migrating data to the second data file from the first data file according to the availability during the period, and

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

2. In a computer system including a host computer, and a plurality of storage systems including a plurality of first storage devices and a plurality of second storage devices, the first storage devices and the second storage devices having a plurality of disk units which are configured into a plurality of physical storage regions for storing data, the first storage devices storing a first data file which stores data and the second storage devices storing a second data file which stores data and a storage controller which provides a first data file in the first storage devices to at least one of a plurality of second storage devices via a network, and a plurality of host computers storing data in either of the data files, 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 the 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 an availability of the first data file during 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 availability during the period, and

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