Storage system

• US 8,234,318 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2009
• Issued: 07/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Tokuda, Seisuke, Nakamura, Takaki
• Primary Examiner(s): WILSON, KIMBERLY LOVEL
• Application Number:
  US12/580,061
• Publication Number:
  US 20100036897A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,020 Days
• Field of Search: 707/823, 707/999.2
• US Class Current: 707/823
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99956 File allocation

Abstract

At least two devices having different characteristics are provided as one file system, and the file system stores a file in a device according to the file purpose. In file system operation, a device characteristic acquiring unit acquires characteristic information of the respective devices by using a device characteristic database, a device characteristic acquiring interface, and stores the information in the device characteristic holding. In file operation for preparing file management information in file storing process, a file purpose interpreting unit interprets the purpose and attribute of the file and registers a characteristic flag representing the characteristic of the file in the file management information. In file operation for actually writing a file, a storage device decision unit decides a file storage location device on the characteristic flag in the file management information and information of the device characteristic holding unit to perform a device free region securing process.

Claims

1. A storage system comprising:

a plurality of physical devices having different device characteristics from one another; and

a computer connected to and accessing the plurality of physical devices,

wherein the computer forms, in a kernel space, a device driver to operate the plurality of physical devices, and at least one logical file system comprised of at least two of the plurality of physical devices, and

wherein the logical file system includes;

a device characteristic acquiring means for acquiring, through the device driver, each of the device characteristics regarding the types of the physical devices configuring the file system when a file system modifying operation of the file system is performed wherein the types of the physical devices include at least two of a device for sequential access, a device for random access, and a device for WORM (Write Once Read Many);

a device characteristic holding means for storing the device characteristics for the respective physical devices obtained by the device characteristic acquiring means;

a file purpose interpreting means for interpreting a purpose and attribute of a file to register each device characteristic as a characteristic flag in file management information when a file operation for preparing the file management information of a file storing process is performed, wherein the purpose and attribute of the file includes information identifying an access type as being sequential, random, or WORM (Write Once Read Many); and

a storage device decision means for deciding and determining one of the physical devices for storing the file on the basis of the characteristic flag of the file management information and information from the device characteristic holding means when a file operation for actually writing a file in the file storing process is performed,

wherein the file system includes means for causing, when a file operation for preparing the file management information of the file storing process is performed, a user to designate a flag representing the device characteristic of the file as an argument of the file operation, and

when the flag representing the device characteristic of the file is additionally written, the file purpose interpreting means operates to register the flag representing the device characteristic of the file as a characteristic flag in the file management information without interpreting the purpose and attribute of the file.

2. A storage system comprising:

a plurality of physical devices having different device characteristics from one another; and

a computer connected to and accessing the plurality of physical devices,

wherein the computer forms, in a kernel space, a device driver to operate the plurality of physical devices, and at least one logical file system comprised of at least two of the plurality of physical devices, and

wherein the logical file system includes;

a device characteristic acquiring unit to acquire, through the device driver, each of the device characteristics regarding the types of the physical devices configuring the file system when a file system modifying operation of the file system is performed wherein the types of the physical devices include at least two of a device for sequential access, a device for random access, and a device for WORM (Write Once Read Many);

a device characteristic holding unit to store the device characteristics for the respective physical devices obtained by the device characteristic acquiring unit;

a file purpose interpreting unit to interpret a purpose and attribute of a file to register each device characteristic as a characteristic flag in file management information when a file operation for preparing the file management information of a file storing process is performed, wherein the purpose and attribute of the file includes information identifying an access type as being sequential, random, or WORM (Write Once Read Many); and

a storage device decision unit to decide and determine one of the physical devices for storing the file on the basis of the characteristic flag of the file management information and information from the device characteristic holding unit when a file operation for actually writing a file in the file storing process is performed,

wherein the file system includes;

means for locking, when the characteristic flag in the file management information is changed, the file and for migrating the file to a logical device according to contents of change of the characteristic flag; and

an interface to refer to and to change the characteristic flag in the file management information.

3. A storage system according to claim 2, wherein the file system modifying operation includes at least one of formation, extension and mounting of the file system.

4. The storage system according to claim 2,

wherein, when the device characteristic information is registered in a region which the physical devices can be referred to, the device driver includes device characteristic acquiring unit to acquire pieces of device characteristic information of the physical devices, and a device characteristic acquiring interface to receive characteristic information acquiring requests of the respective physical devices.

5. The storage system according to claim 4,

wherein the device characteristic acquiring unit operates to request the device driver to acquire the pieces of device characteristic information for the respective physical devices by using the device characteristic acquiring interface to obtain the pieces of device characteristic information of the respective physical devices.

6. The storage system according to claim 4, further comprising a device characteristic database in which pieces of device characteristic information of general-purpose physical devices are registered, wherein the device characteristic acquiring unit inquires at the device characteristic database by using information for identifying a device to acquire a device characteristic.

7. The storage system according to claim 4,

wherein, when the physical devices are a plurality of logical devices in a RAID apparatus connected to the computer, and when control of RAID caches is changed in units of logical devices, the device characteristic acquiring means include means for instructing the RAID apparatus to change the control of the RAID caches for the respective devices.

8. The storage system according to claim 4,

wherein the device characteristic acquiring means includes means for issuing a plurality of access patterns to the device driver and for evaluating the characteristics for the respective physical devices by measuring response times for the access patterns.