Computer system, storage system and method for extending volume capacity

• US 8,082,394 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2009
• Issued: 12/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Nagai, Takayuki, Yamamoto, Masayuki, Asano, Masayasu
• Primary Examiner(s): Rojas, Midys
• Application Number:
  US12/538,238
• Publication Number:
  US 20090300285A1
• Time in Patent Office: 862 Days
• Field of Search: 711/4, 711/112, 711/114
• US Class Current: 711/114
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers

Abstract

The object of the present invention is to prevent distribution of a storage range to a volume from an inappropriate disk drive based on use of the volume as a result of an automatic extension of a volume capacity. A computer system has a storage system including a physical storage device, a host computer, and a management computer. The storage system includes a plurality of kinds of physical storage devices physically dividing into two segments or more the volume and records as constitution information the correspondence between each segment and the volume using the segment. And the storage system records the kind of physical storage device to be allocated to the volume and selects the physical storage device according to the kind of stored physical storage device for allocation of the segment when the host computer performs an I/O access to the volume. Access frequency is monitored and data is copied based on the monitored access frequency.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

at least one first type of drive including a plurality of first storage regions;

at least one second type of drive including a plurality of second storage regions; and

a processor providing a logical volume which is accessed from a computer, controlling mapping information regarding a portion of said logical volume, and monitoring an access frequency of first storage regions and second storage regions that are mapped to said portion of said logical volume,

wherein, when said access frequency of at least one first storage region, that is monitored by said processor, is higher than a predetermined value, said processor copies data in said at least one first storage region mapped to said portion of said logical volume, from said at least one first storage region to at least one second storage region which is not mapped to said portion of said logical volume, and

wherein said processor changes said mapping information concerning said copied data from said at least one first storage region to said at least one second storage region.

2. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein,

said processor receives a volume creation directive from a management computer and stores a volume capacity and a specifying characteristic for a created logical volume in a volume characteristic list.

3. The computer system according to claim 1, further comprising a switch for changing networks connections between the plurality of first storage regions and the plurality of second storage regions with a plurality of computers,

wherein the switch provides at least one logical volume as a virtual volume to at least one of the plurality of computers.

4. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the first type of drive is an FC drive.

5. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein said processor determines that a secured region of the logical volume is smaller than a logical block address which is to be accessed, and determines whether or not a volume address list has an unallocated segment for the logical volume.

6. The computer system according to claim 5, wherein said processor issues an error indicating writing to the logical volume failed when it is determined that the volume address list does not have an unallocated segment for the logical drive.

7. The computer system according to claim 1, further comprising a management computer, connected to the processor, having an I/O frequency record, a permissible range of I/O frequency list, and a storage system configuration list,

wherein the management computer registers a volume address list, a volume list, and a disk drive list in the storage system configuration list.

8. The computer system according to claim 7, wherein the management computer determines whether an I/O frequency of a computer and a storage region allocated to a specified logical volume exceeds a range defined in the permissible range of I/O frequency list, and

the management computer determines whether the storage region is the first type of drive or the second type of drive.

9. The computer system according to claim 8, wherein the management computer, if the storage region is the first type of drive, determines whether there is an unallocated portion of the second type of drive, and directs that data from the storage region is transferred to the unallocated portion of the second type of drive.

10. The computer system according to claim 8, wherein the management computer, if the storage region is the second type of drive, determines whether there is an unallocated portion of the first type of drive, and directs that data from the storage region is transferred to the unallocated portion of the first type of drive.

11. A method for a computer system, comprising:

controlling mapping information regarding a portion of a logical volume which is accessed from a computer and a plurality of first storage regions and a plurality of second storage regions, where the plurality of first storage regions includes at least one first type of drive and the plurality of second storage regions includes at least one second type of drive which is a different type of drive from said at least one first type of drive;

monitoring an access frequency of first storage regions and second storage regions mapped to said portion of said logical volume;

copying, when said access frequency of at least one first storage region, that is monitored by said processor, is higher than a predetermined value, data in at least one first storage region mapped to said portion of said logical volume, from said at least one first storage region to at least one second storage region which is not mapped to said portion of said logical volume; and

changing mapping information concerning said copied data from said at least one first storage region to said at least one second storage region.

12. The method for a computer system according to claim 11, further comprising:

receiving a volume creation directive from a management computer, and storing a volume capacity and a specifying characteristic for a created logical volume in a volume characteristic list.

13. The method for a computer system according to claim 11, further comprising:

changing network connections between the plurality of first storage regions and the plurality of second storage regions with a plurality of computers via a switch,

wherein the switch provides at least one logical volume as a virtual volume to at least one of the plurality of computers.

14. The method for a computer system according to claim 11, wherein the first type of drive is an FC drive.

15. The method for a computer system according to claim 11, further comprising:

determining whether or not a secured region of the logical volume is smaller than a logical block address which is to be accessed; and

determining whether or not a volume address list has an unallocated segment for the logical volume.

16. The method for a computer system according to claim 15, further comprising:

issuing an error indicating writing to the logical volume failed when it is determined that the volume address list does not have an unallocated segment for the logical drive.

17. The method for a computer system according to claim 11, further comprising:

storing an I/O frequency record, a permissible range of I/O frequency list, and a storage system configuration list; and

registering a volume address list, a volume list, and a disk drive list in the storage system configuration list.

18. The method for a computer system according to claim 17, further comprising:

determining whether an I/O frequency of a computer and a storage region allocated to a specified logical volume exceeds a range defined in the permissible range of I/O frequency list; and

determining whether the storage region is the first type of drive or the second type of drive.

19. The method for a computer system according to claim 18, further comprising:

determining whether there is an unallocated portion of the second type of drive, if the storage region is the first type of drive; and

directing that data from the storage region is transferred to the unallocated portion of the second type of drive.

20. The method for a computer system according to claim 18, further comprising:

determining whether there is an unallocated portion of the first type of drive, if the storage region is the second type of drive, and

directing that data from the storage region is transferred to the unallocated portion of the first type of drive.