Virtualization controller and data transfer control method

• US 8,190,852 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2007
• Issued: 05/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Honda, Kiyoshi, Iwami, Naoko, Serizawa, Kazuyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Bragdon, Reginald
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bernard, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US11/723,229
• Publication Number:
  US 20070192558A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,898 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 711/205
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/061 Improving I/O performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0613 in relation to throughput
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0617 in relation to availability
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0647 Migration mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0649 Lifecycle management
• 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]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD

Abstract

System for controlling data transfer between a host system and storage devices. A virtualization controller implements the data transfer and includes first ports for connection with the storage devices, a second port for connection with the host system, a processor, and a memory configured to store volume mapping information which correlates first identification information used by the host system to access a first storage area in one of the storage devices, with second identification information for identifying the first storage area, the correlation being used by the processor to access the first storage area. When data stored in the first storage area is transferred to a second storage area, the processor correlates the first identification information with a third identification information for identifying the second storage area and registers the first identification information and the third identification information in the volume mapping information.

Claims

1. A virtualization system comprising:

a plurality of sections, each section of the plurality of sections including a processing circuit,

wherein a first section of the plurality of sections is configured to store first mapping information, and a second section of the plurality of sections is configured to store second mapping information, each of the first and second mapping information including a relationship between first volume identification information, which is used by a computer system to access a virtual volume in the virtualization system, and second volume identification information for identifying a first logical volume of a first storage device, the first storage device having a first disk controller and a plurality of first disk drives related to the first logical volume, the relationship being used for transferring data, which is sent from the computer system and is related to the first volume identification information, to the first logical volume,

wherein the virtualization system receives the data, which is sent from the computer system and is related to the first volume identification information, during a data transfer phase in which data stored in the first logical volume is transferred to a second logical volume of a second storage device, the second storage device having a second disk controller and a plurality of second disk drives related to the second logical volume, and wherein the data received during the data transfer phase is adapted to be written to the second logical volume,

wherein the virtualization system changes the relationship and transfers the data, which is sent from the computer system and is related to the first volume identification information, to the second logical volume, the changed relationship relating the first volume identification information to third volume identification information for identifying the second logical volume, and

wherein the plurality of sections are a plurality of port sections comprising the processing circuit and an interface control part, the interface control part being configured to be coupled to at least one of the computer system and the first and second storage devices.

2. The virtualization system according to claim 1, wherein

the first and second mapping information are changed based on the data transfer phase.

3. The virtualization system according to claim 1, wherein

the first section is a first port section comprising a first interface control part, the first interface control part being configured to be coupled to at least one of the computer system and the first and second storage devices.

4. The virtualization system according to claim 3, wherein

the second section is a second port section comprising a second interface control part, the second interface control part being configured to be coupled to at least one of the computer system and the first and second storage devices.

5. The virtualization system according to claim 1, wherein

the volume identification information corresponds to a Logical Unit Number (LUN).

6. The virtualization system according to claim 1, wherein

the data received during the data transfer phase is adapted to be written to the first logical volume and the second logical volume.

7. A data transfer method of a virtualization system comprising a plurality of sections, each section of the plurality of sections including a processing circuit, the data transfer method comprising:

storing first mapping information in a first section of the plurality of sections;

storing second mapping information in a second section of the plurality of sections, each of the first and second mapping information including a relationship between first volume identification information, which is used by a computer system to access a virtual volume in the virtualization system, and second volume identification information for identifying a first logical volume of a first storage device, the first storage device having a first disk controller and a plurality of first disk drives related to the first logical volume;

transferring data, which is sent from the computer system and is related to the first volume identification information, to the first logical volume based on the relationship;

receiving the data, which is sent from the computer system and is related to the first volume identification information, during a data transfer phase in which data stored in the first logical volume is transferred to a second logical volume of a second storage device, the second storage device having a second disk controller and a plurality of second disk drives related to the second logical volume, and wherein the data received during the data transfer phase is adapted to be written to the second logical volume; and

changing the relationship and transferring the data, which is sent from the computer system and is related to the first volume identification information, to the second logical volume, the changed relationship relating the first volume identification information to third volume identification information for identifying the second logical volume,

wherein the plurality of sections is a plurality of port sections comprising the processing circuit and an interface control part, the interface control part being configured to be coupled to at least one of the computer system and the first and second storage devices.

8. The data transfer method according to claim 7, wherein

the first and second mapping information are changed based on the data transfer phase.

9. The data transfer method according to claim 7, wherein

the first section is a first port section comprising a first interface control part, the first interface control part being configured to be coupled to at least one of the computer system and the first and second storage devices.

10. The data transfer method according to claim 9, wherein

the second section is a second port section comprising a second interface control part, the second interface control part being configured to be coupled to at least one of the computer system and the first and second storage devices.

11. The data transfer method according to claim 7, wherein

wherein the volume identification information corresponds to a Logical Unit Number (LUN).

12. The data transfer method according to claim 7, wherein

the data received during the data transfer phase is adapted to be written to the first logical volume and the second logical volume.

13. A computer program product stored in a computer readable storage medium and executable by a virtualization system including a plurality of sections, each section of the plurality of sections including a processing circuit, the computer program product comprising:

a code for storing first mapping information in a first section of the plurality of sections;

a code for storing second mapping information in a second section of the plurality of sections, each of the first and second mapping information including a relationship between first volume identification information, which is used by a computer system to access a virtual volume in the virtualization system, and second volume identification information for identifying a first logical volume of a first storage device, the first storage device having a first disk controller and a plurality of first disk drives related to the first logical volume;

a code for transferring data, which is sent from the computer system and is related to the first volume identification information, to the first logical volume based on the relationship;

a code for receiving the data, which is sent from the computer system and is related to the first volume identification information, during a data transfer phase in which data stored in the first logical volume is transferred to a second logical volume of a second storage device, the second storage device having a second disk controller and a plurality of second disk drives related to the second logical volume, and wherein the data received during the data transfer phase is adapted to be written to the second logical volume; and

a code for changing the relationship and transferring the data, which is sent from the computer system and is related to the first volume identification information, to the second logical volume, the changed relationship relating the first volume identification information to third volume identification information for identifying the second logical volume,

wherein the plurality of sections is a plurality of port sections comprising the processing circuit and an interface control part, the interface control part being configured to be coupled to at least one of the computer system and the first and second storage devices.

14. The computer program product according to claim 13, wherein

the first and second mapping information are changed based on the data transfer phase.

15. The computer program product according to claim 13, wherein

the first section is a first port section comprising a first interface control part, the first interface control part being configured to be coupled to at least one of the computer system and the first and second storage devices.

16. The computer program product according to claim 15, wherein

the second section is a second port section comprising a second interface control part, the second interface control part being configured to be coupled to at least one of the computer system and the first and second storage devices.

17. The computer program product according to claim 13, wherein

wherein the volume identification information corresponds to a Logical Unit Number (LUN).

18. The computer program product according to claim 13, wherein

the data received during the data transfer phase is adapted to be written to the first logical volume and the second logical volume.