Data migration in a storage system with dynamically expansible volumes

• US 8,312,235 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2012
• Issued: 11/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Shibayama, Tsukasa, Okada, Wataru, Sakashita, Yukinori, Hiraiwa, Yuri, Sato, Masahide
• Primary Examiner(s): SCHNEE, HAL W
• Application Number:
  US13/359,231
• Publication Number:
  US 20120124287A1
• Time in Patent Office: 292 Days
• Field of Search: 711/161, 711/162, 711/165, 711/112, 711/E12.002
• US Class Current: 711/161
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0608 Saving storage space on storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0647 Migration mechanisms
• 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

A data processing system includes a first storage system configured with a virtual logical volume that includes a dynamically expandable volume, a second storage system coupled to the first storage system through a data copy network, a host computer configured to input data to the virtual logical volume, and a management server coupled to the host computer, configured to manage the virtual logical volume.

Claims

1. A data processing system comprising:

a first storage system configured with a virtual logical volume that comprises a dynamically expandable volume;

a second storage system coupled to the first storage system through a data copy network;

a host computer configured to input data to the virtual logical volume; and

a management server coupled to the host computer, configured to manage the virtual logical volume,

wherein the first storage system comprises;

a first pool configured from a plurality of physical disks and comprising a plurality of segments of a first storage region each with a respective capacity,

wherein the first storage system is configured to assign one or more of the plurality of segments in the first pool as a current capacity to the virtual logical volume, in response to a request from the host computer to input data,

wherein the second storage system comprises;

a second pool configured from a plurality of physical disks and comprising a plurality of segments of a second storage region each with a respective capacity,

wherein the management server is configured to perform a migration of data comprising;

(A) confirming a connection status of the host computer and the virtual logical volume upon receiving a request from the host computer for migrating data corresponding to at least a part of the virtual logical volume, from the first storage region to the second storage region;

(B) transmitting to the first storage system, as a reservation capacity, when the host computer and the virtual logical volume are coupled, a maximum capacity of the data held in the one or more segments of the first storage region requested by the host computer to be assigned to the virtual logical volume for the migration, and transmitting to the first storage system, as the reservation capacity, if the host computer and the virtual logical volume are not coupled, the current capacity of the one or more segments of the first storage region which are currently assigned to the virtual logical volume,

wherein the first storage system is configured to reserve the second storage region, with a capacity based at least in part on the reservation capacity transmitted from the management server, and

wherein the first storage system is configured to execute a migrating of at least a portion of the data corresponding to the virtual logical volume from the first storage region to the second storage region, after the reservation of the second storage region.

2. The data processing system of claim 1, wherein the first storage system is configured to check for an unassigned segment existing in the second storage region, and release the unassigned segment after the data is migrated.

3. The data processing system of claim 2, wherein the first storage system is configured to calculate an unassigned capacity of the second storage region, and notify the management server that the reservation capacity cannot be secured when the reservation capacity transmitted from the management server cannot be secured.

4. The data processing system of claim 1, wherein the first storage system is configured to assign a segment of the second storage region to the virtual logical volume.

5. The data processing system of claim 1, wherein the first storage system comprises a mapping table for the second storage system.

6. The data processing system of claim 1, wherein the management server comprises:

a confirmation unit configured to confirm a connection status of the host computer and the virtual logical volume; and

a transmission unit configured to transmit to the first storage system a maximum capacity of the virtual logical volume preset as requested by the host computer.

7. The data processing system of claim 6, wherein the first data storage system further comprises:

a migration unit configured to migrate to the second storage region the data stored in the first storage region assigned to the virtual logical volume; and

a release unit configured to release the reservation of unused capacity when the unused capacity exists in the capacity reserved with the reservation unit after the data are migrated with the migration unit.

8. The data processing system of claim 7, wherein the migration unit is configured to copy the data stored in the first storage region assigned to the virtual logical volume to the second storage region.

9. The data processing system of claim 6, wherein the management server is configured to issue a warning if the maximum or current capacity is not secured.

10. A data processing system comprising:

a first storage system configured with a virtual logical volume that comprises a dynamically expandable volume;

a second storage system coupled to the first storage system through a data copy network;

a host computer configured to input data to the virtual logical volume; and

a management server coupled to the host computer, configured to manage the virtual logical volume,

wherein the first storage system comprises;

a first pool configured from a plurality of physical disks and comprising a plurality of segments each with a respective capacity;

wherein the second storage system comprises;

a second pool configured from a plurality of physical disks and comprising a plurality of segments each with a respective capacity,

wherein the first storage system is configured to assign one or more of the plurality of segments of a first storage region in the first pool as a current capacity to the virtual logical volume, in response to a request from the host computer to input data,

wherein the management server is configured to copy data in an operation comprising;

(A) confirming a connection status of the host computer and the virtual logical volume upon receiving a request from the host computer for copying data corresponding to the virtual logical volume, from the first storage region to a second storage region in the second pool;

(B) transmitting to the first storage system, as a reservation capacity, if the host computer and the virtual logical volume are coupled, a maximum capacity of the data held in the one or more segments of the first storage region requested by the host computer to be assigned to the virtual logical volume for the copying, and transmitting to the first storage system, as the reservation capacity, if the host computer and the virtual logical volume are not coupled, the current capacity of the one or more segments of the first storage region which are currently assigned to the virtual logical volume,

wherein the first storage system is configured to reserve the second storage region, with a capacity that is the reservation capacity transmitted from the management server, and

wherein the first storage system is configured to execute a copying of the data corresponding to the virtual logical volume from the first storage region to the second storage region, after the reservation of the second storage region.

11. The data processing system of claim 10, wherein the first storage system is configured to check for an unassigned segment existing in the second storage region, and release the unassigned segment after the data are copied.

12. The data processing system of claim 10, wherein the first storage system is configured to calculate an unassigned capacity of the second storage region, and notify the management server if the reservation capacity transmitted from the management server cannot be secured.

13. The data processing system of claim 10, wherein the first pool is configured in a first storage device of the first storage system, and wherein the second pool is configured in a second storage device of the second storage system.

14. A data management method of a data processing system, the data processing system comprising:

a first storage system configured with a virtual logical volume that comprises a dynamically expandable volume;

a second storage system coupled to the first storage system through a data copy network;

a host computer configured to input data to the virtual logical volume; and

a management server coupled to the host computer, configured to manage the virtual logical volume,

wherein the first storage system comprises;

a first pool configured from a plurality of physical disks and comprising a plurality of segments each with a respective capacity;

wherein the second storage system comprises;

a second pool configured from a plurality of physical disks and comprising a plurality of segments each with a respective capacity,

the method comprising;

assigning, using the first storage system, one or more of the plurality of segments of a storage region in the first pool as a current capacity to the virtual logical volume, in response to a request from the host computer to input data;

copying, using the management server, data in an operation comprising;

(A) confirming a connection status of the host computer and the virtual logical volume upon receiving a request from the host computer for copying data corresponding to the virtual logical volume, from the storage region in the first pool to another storage region in the second pool; and

(B) transmitting to the first storage system, as a reservation capacity, if the host computer and the virtual logical volume are coupled, a maximum capacity of the data held in the one or more segments of the first storage region in the first pool requested by the host computer to be assigned to the virtual logical volume for the copying, and transmitting to the first storage system, as the reservation capacity, if the host computer and the virtual logical volume are not coupled, the current capacity of the one or more segments of the first storage region which are currently assigned to the virtual logical volume,

reserving, using the first storage system, the second storage region, with a capacity that is the reservation capacity transmitted from the management server; and

executing, using the first storage system, a copying of the data corresponding to the virtual logical volume from the first storage region to the second storage region, after the reservation of the second storage region.

15. The data management method of claim 14, further comprising:

checking, using the first storage system, an unassigned segment existing in the second storage region; and

releasing the unassigned segment after the data are copied.

16. The data management method of claim 14, further comprising:

calculating, using the first storage system, an unassigned capacity of the second storage region; and

notifying the management server that the reservation capacity cannot be secured if the reservation capacity transmitted from the management server cannot be secured.

17. The data management method of claim 14, wherein the first pool is configured in a first storage device of the first storage system, and wherein the second pool is configured in a second storage device of the second storage system.

18. The data management method of claim 14, further comprising:

migrating to the second storage region the data stored in the first storage region assigned to virtual logical volume; and

releasing the reservation of unused capacity if the unused capacity exists in the capacity reserved after the data are migrated in said migrating.

19. The data management method of claim 18, wherein in said migrating, the data stored in the first storage region assigned to the virtual logical volume is copied to the second storage region.

20. The data management method of claim 17, wherein in said reserving, the unused capacity of the second storage region is calculated, and capacity in the second storage region is reserved if the capacity transmitted in said transmitting can be secured, and wherein the management server is notified to the effect that capacity cannot be secured if the capacity transmitted in said transmitting cannot be secured.