Remote copy method and remote copy system

• US 8,234,471 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2009
• Issued: 07/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Ito, Ryusuke, Hirakawa, Yusuke, Asaka, Yoshihiro, Kaga, Takashi, Arakawa, Hiroshi, Takeda, Takahiko, Sato, Takao
• Primary Examiner(s): SONG, HUA JASMINE
• Application Number:
  US12/570,461
• Publication Number:
  US 20100199038A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,035 Days
• Field of Search: 711/112, 711/114, 711161-162, 711/165, 711/E12.001, 711/E12.013, 707/656, 707/658
• US Class Current: 711/162
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2066 Optimisation of the communication load
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2074 Asynchronous techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/855 Details of asynchronous mirroring using a journal to transfer not-yet-mirrored changes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

A remote copy system includes: a first storage system having a first logical volume accompanied with a first plurality of disk drives in the first storage system; a second storage system having a second logical volume, which is a virtual volume not accompanied with a second plurality of disk drives in the second storage system, the virtual volume configuring a first remote copy pair with the first logical volume; and a third storage system having a third logical volume accompanied with a third plurality of disk drives in the third storage system, the third logical volume configuring a second remote copy pair with the virtual volume and storing a copied data of data stored in the first logical volume. If the second storage system receives write data sent from the first storage system to the virtual volume, the second storage system transfers the write data to the third logical volume in the third storage system.

Claims

1. A remote copy system comprising:

a first storage system having a first logical volume accompanied with a first plurality of disk drives in the first storage system;

a second storage system having a second logical volume, which is a virtual volume not accompanied with a second plurality of disk drives in the second storage system, the virtual volume configuring a first remote copy pair with the first logical volume; and

a third storage system having a third logical volume accompanied with a third plurality of disk drives in the third storage system, the third logical volume configuring a second remote copy pair with the virtual volume and storing a copied data of data stored in the first logical volume,

wherein, if the first storage system receives a write data sent from a host computer to the first logical volume, the first storage system stores the write data in the first plurality of disk drives and sends the write data to the virtual volume in the second storage system according to a synchronous remote copy procedure,

wherein, if the second storage system receives the write data sent from the first storage system to the virtual volume, the second storage system transfers the write data to the third logical volume in the third storage system according to an asynchronous remote copy procedure, and

wherein, if the third storage system receives the write data transferred from the second storage system to the third logical volume, the third storage system stores the write data in the third plurality of disk drives.

2. A remote copy system according to claim 1,

wherein the virtual volume functions as a secondary volume to the first logical volume and as a primary volume to the third logical volume.

3. A remote copy system according to claim 1,

wherein the second storage system stores the write data in a cache memory of the second storage system.

4. A remote copy system according to claim 1,

wherein the third storage system is to be coupled to another host computer, and

wherein, if a failure occurs in the first storage system, the third storage system takes over for the first storage system with the copied data of the first logical volume being stored in the third logical volume.

5. A remote copy system according to claim 1,

wherein the second storage system manages a volume identifier of the virtual volume as if the second logical volume, corresponding to the virtual volume, is accompanied with a plurality of disk drives.

6. A remote copy system comprising:

a first storage system having a first logical volume;

a second storage system having a second logical volume, which is a virtual volume and configures a first remote copy pair with the first logical volume; and

a third storage system having a third logical volume, which configures a second remote copy pair with the second logical volume,

wherein, if the first storage system receives a write data sent from a host computer to the first logical volume, the first storage system writes the write data to the first logical volume and sends the write data to the virtual volume in the second storage system according to a first remote copy procedure,

wherein, if the second storage system receives the write data sent from the first storage system to the virtual volume, the second storage system transfers the write data to the third logical volume in the third storage system according to an second remote copy procedure, the second storage system does not hold a duplicate of the first logical volume in the virtual volume, and

wherein, if the third storage system receives the write data transferred from the second storage system to the third logical volume, the third storage system writes the write data to the third logical volume so that the third storage system holds a duplicate of the first logical volume in the third volume.

7. A remote copy system according to claim 6,

wherein the virtual volume functions as a secondary volume to the first logical volume and as a primary volume to the third logical volume.

8. A remote copy system according to claim 6,

wherein the second storage system stores the write data in a cache memory of the second storage system.

9. A remote copy system according to claim 6,

wherein the third storage system is to be coupled to another host computer, and

wherein, if a failure occurs in the first storage system, the third storage system takes over for the first storage system with the duplicate of the first logical volume in the third logical volume.

10. A remote copy system according to claim 6,

wherein the second storage system manages a volume identifier of the virtual volume as if the second logical volume, corresponding to the virtual volume, is accompanied with a plurality of disk drives.

11. A remote copy system according to claim 6, wherein the first remote copy procedure is a synchronous remote copy procedure.

12. A remote copy system according to claim 11, wherein the second remote copy procedure is an asynchronous remote copy procedure.

13. A method for remote copy in a remote copy system including a first storage system, a second storage system, and a third storage system, the method comprising:

providing, by the first storage system, a first logical volume accompanied with a first plurality of disk drives in the first storage system to a host computer;

providing, by the second storage system, a second logical volume to the first storage system, the second logical volume managed as a virtual volume not accompanied with a second plurality of disk drives in the second storage system and configuring a first remote copy pair with the first logical volume;

providing, by the third storage system, a third logical volume to the second storage system, the third logical volume accompanied with a third plurality of disk drives in the third storage system, configuring a second remote copy pair with the virtual volume, and storing a copied data of data stored in the first logical volume;

storing, by the first storage system, in response to receiving a write data sent from the host computer to the first logical volume, the write data in the first plurality of disk drives;

sending, by the first storage system, in response to receiving the write data sent from the host computer to the first logical volume, the write data to the virtual volume in the second storage system according to a first remote copy procedure;

transferring, by the second storage system, in response to receiving the write data sent from the first storage system to the virtual volume, the write data to the third logical volume in the third storage system according to a second remote copy procedure; and

storing, by the third storage system, in response to receiving the write data transferred from the second storage system to the third logical volume, the write data in the third plurality of disk drives.

14. A method for remote copy according to claim 13,

wherein the virtual volume functions as a secondary volume to the first logical volume and as a primary volume to the third logical volume.

15. A method for remote copy according to claim 13,

further comprising storing, by the second storage system, the received write data in a cache memory of the second storage system.

16. A method for remote copy according to claim 13,

wherein the third storage system is to be coupled to another host computer,

wherein, if a failure occurs in the first storage system, the third storage system takes over for the first storage system with the copied data of the first logical volume being stored in the third logical volume.

17. A method for remote copy according to claim 13,

further comprising managing a volume identifier of the virtual volume as if the second logical volume, corresponding to the virtual volume, is accompanied with a plurality of disk drives.

18. A method for remote copy according to claim 13, wherein the first remote copy procedure is a synchronous remote copy procedure.

19. A method for remote copy according to claim 18, wherein the second remote copy procedure is an asynchronous remote copy procedure.

20. A second storage system in a remote copy system, the remote copy system including a first storage system, a second storage system, and a third storage system,

the second storage system comprising:

a second logical volume which is a virtual volume, the virtual volume configuring a first remote copy pair with a first logical volume in the first storage system and a second remote copy pair with a third logical volume in the third storage system; and

a controller managing data transfer corresponding to the virtual volume,

wherein, if the first storage system receives a write data sent from a host computer to the first logical volume, the first storage system writes the write data to the first logical volume and sends the write data to the virtual volume in the second storage system according to a synchronous remote copy procedure,

wherein, if the second storage system receives the write data sent from the first storage system to the virtual volume, the second storage system transfers the write data to the third logical volume in the third storage system according to an asynchronous remote copy procedure, the second storage system does not hold a duplicate of the first logical volume in the virtual volume, and

wherein, if the third storage system receives the write data sent from the second storage system to the third logical volume, the third storage system writes the write data to the third logical volume so that the third storage system holds a duplicate of the first logical volume in the third logical volume.

21. A second storage system according to claim 20,

wherein the virtual volume functions as a secondary volume to the first logical volume and as a primary volume to the third logical volume.

22. A second storage system according to claim 20,

wherein the second storage system stores the received write data in a cache memory of the second storage system.

23. A second storage system according to claim 20,

wherein the third storage system is to be coupled to another host computer, and

wherein, if a failure occurs in the first storage system, the third storage system takes over for the first storage system with the duplicate of the first logical volume in the third logical volume.

24. A second storage system according to claim 20,

wherein the second storage system manages a volume identifier of the virtual volume as if the second logical volume, corresponding to the virtual volume, is accompanied with a plurality of disk drives.