System managing a plurality of virtual volumes and a virtual volume management method for the system

• US 8,122,214 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2010
• Issued: 02/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Umemura, Shoko
• Primary Examiner(s): SONG, HUA JASMINE
• Application Number:
  US12/908,450
• Publication Number:
  US 20110093676A1
• Time in Patent Office: 489 Days
• Field of Search: 711/100, 711/114, 711/154, 711/162, 711/165, 711/170, 711/202
• US Class Current: 711/162
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2069 Management of state, configuration or failover
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2071 using a plurality of controllers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• 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 3/0632 by initialisation or re-initialisation of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0635 by changing the path, e.g. traffic rerouting, path reconfiguration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/065 Replication mechanisms
• 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]

Abstract

This invention provides a control technique of a data processing system, in which functions of a highly-functional high-performance storage system are achieved in an inexpensive storage system so as to effectively use the existing system and reduce the cost of its entire system. This system has a RAID system, an external subsystem, a management server, a management client and the like. The management server includes an information management table for storing mapping information of the RAID system and the external subsystem. When performing copy process, the pair creation in which a logical volume of the RAID system is set as a primary volume of copy source and a logical volume of a mapping object of the RAID system mapped from the logical volume of the external subsystem is set as a secondary volume of copy destination is executed from the management client by using the information management table.

Claims

1. A first storage system comprising:

at least one first port to be coupled to a plurality of information processing units;

at least one second port to be coupled to at least one second storage system; and

a control unit managing a plurality of virtual volumes, one of the plurality of virtual volumes being mapped to a logical volume which is in the second storage system and being adapted to be used for inputting/outputting data by at least one of the plurality of information processing units so that the data are inputted/outputted to/from the logical volume,

wherein the control unit operates a copy function between a copy source volume and a copy destination volume, the copy source volume being selectable from a plurality of volumes including at least one of the plurality of virtual volumes, the copy destination volume being selectable from a plurality of volumes including at least one of the plurality of virtual volumes displayed with a storage location of a logical volume mapped to the at least one of the plurality of virtual volumes selectable as the copy destination.

2. A first storage system according to claim 1, wherein the copy source volume is selectable from the plurality of volumes including the at least one of the plurality of virtual volumes displayed with a storage location of a logical volume mapped to the at least one of the plurality of virtual volumes selectable as the copy source.

3. A first storage system according to claim 1, wherein the storage location, of the logical volume mapped to the at least one of the plurality of virtual volumes selectable as the copy destination, identifies the second storage system.

4. A first storage system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit receives a write command from the at least one of the plurality of information processing units, the write command including a first write destination address information of the one of the plurality of virtual volumes, and

wherein the control unit changes the first write destination address information of the one of the plurality of virtual volumes to a second write destination address information of the logical volume mapped to the one of the plurality of virtual volumes.

5. A first storage system according to claim 1:

wherein the control unit receives a first read command sent from the at least one of the plurality of information processing units, and sends a second read command, corresponding to the first read command, to the second storage system, and

wherein the control unit receives data from the second storage system, and converts an address of data received from the second storage system, and transmits data of the converted address to the at least one of the plurality of information processing units sending the first read command.

6. A first storage system according to claim 1, wherein the one of the plurality of virtual volumes corresponds to a first Logical Unit Number (LUN), and

wherein the logical volume, mapped to the one of the plurality of virtual volumes, corresponds to a second LUN.

7. A control method for a first storage system, the control method comprising:

managing a plurality of virtual volumes, one of the plurality of virtual volumes being mapped to a logical volume which is in at least one second storage system and being adapted to be used for inputting/outputting data by at least one of a plurality of information processing units so that the data are inputted/outputted to/from the logical volume; and

operating a copy function between a copy source volume and a copy destination volume, the copy source volume being selectable from a plurality of volumes including at least one of the plurality of virtual volumes, the copy destination volume being selectable from a plurality of volumes which include at least one of the plurality of virtual volumes displayed with a storage location of a logical volume mapped to the at least one of the plurality of virtual volumes selectable as the copy destination.

8. A control method for a first storage system according to claim 7, wherein the copy source volume is selectable from the plurality of volumes including the at least one of the plurality of virtual volumes displayed with a storage location of a logical volume mapped to the at least one of the plurality of virtual volumes selectable as the copy source.

9. A control method for a first storage system according to claim 7, wherein the storage location, of the logical volume mapped to the at least one of the plurality of virtual volumes selectable as the copy destination, identifies the second storage system.

10. A control method for a first storage system according to claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a write command from the at least one of the plurality of information processing units, the write command including a first write destination address information of the one of the plurality of virtual volumes; and

changing the first write destination address information of the one of the plurality of virtual volumes to a second write destination address information of the logical volume mapped to the one of the plurality of virtual volumes.

11. A control method for a first storage system according to claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a first read command sent from the at least one of the plurality of information processing units;

sending a second read command, corresponding to the first read command, to the second storage system;

receiving data from the second storage system;

converting an address of data received from the second storage system; and

transmitting data of the converted address to the at least one of the plurality of information processing units sending the first read command.

12. A control method for a first storage system according to claim 7, wherein the one of the plurality of virtual volumes corresponds to a first Logical Unit Number (LUN), and

wherein the logical volume, mapped to the one of the plurality of virtual volumes, corresponds to a second LUN.

13. A computer program stored in a computer readable storage medium and executable by a first storage system, the computer program comprising:

code for managing a plurality of virtual volumes, one of the plurality of virtual volumes being mapped to a logical volume which is in at least one second storage system and being adapted to be used for inputting/outputting data by at least one of a plurality of information processing units so that the data are inputted/outputted to/from the logical volume; and

code for operating a copy function between a copy source volume and a copy destination volume, the copy source volume being selectable from a plurality of volumes including at least one of the plurality of virtual volumes, the copy destination volume being selectable from a plurality of volumes which include at least one of the plurality of virtual volumes displayed with a storage location of a logical volume mapped to the at least one of the plurality of virtual volumes selectable as the copy destination.

14. A computer program according to claim 13, wherein the copy source volume is selectable from the plurality of volumes including the at least one of the plurality of virtual volumes displayed with a storage location of a logical volume mapped to the at least one of the plurality of virtual volumes selectable as the copy source.

15. A computer program according to claim 13, wherein the storage location, of the logical volume mapped to the at least one of the plurality of virtual volumes selectable as the copy destination, identifies the second storage system.

16. A computer program according to claim 13, further comprising:

code for receiving a write command from the at least one of the plurality of information processing units, the write command including a first write destination address information of the one of the plurality of virtual volumes; and

code for changing the first write destination address information of the one of the plurality of virtual volumes to a second write destination address information of the logical volume mapped to the one of the plurality of virtual volumes.

17. A computer program according to claim 13, further comprising:

code for receiving a first read command sent from the at least one of the plurality of information processing units;

code for sending a second read command, corresponding to the first read command, to the second storage system;

code for receiving data from the second storage system;

code for converting an address of data received from the second storage system; and

code for transmitting data of the converted address to the at least one of the plurality of information processing units sending the first read command.

18. A computer program according to claim 13, wherein the one of the plurality of virtual volumes corresponds to a first Logical Unit Number (LUN), and

wherein the logical volume, mapped to the one of the plurality of virtual volumes, corresponds to a second LUN.