Storage controller

• US 8,352,678 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2011
• Issued: 01/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Furuhashi, Ryoji
• Primary Examiner(s): SONG, HUA JASMINE
• Application Number:
  US13/233,554
• Publication Number:
  US 20120005446A1
• Time in Patent Office: 481 Days
• Field of Search: 711/114, 711/170, 711/E12.016, 711/4, 711/100, 711/112, 711/154, 711/E12.013
• US Class Current: 711/112
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0684 with feedback, e.g. presence or absence of unit detected by addressing, overflow detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0608 Saving storage space on storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0613 in relation to throughput
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0614 Improving the reliability of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0631 by allocating resources to storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0644 Management of space entities, e.g. partitions, extents, pools
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

Provided is a storage controller that will not impair the operation of a storage control system even when a new storage area is added to a pool corresponding to an AOU volume. This storage controller includes a logical volume accessible by a host system; a pool associated with the logical volume and including one or more physical storage areas configuring a storage area of the logical volume; and a memory for storing attribute information showing an attribute of a physical storage area included in the pool; wherein the controller is configured to add a new physical storage area to the pool based on the attribute information.

Claims

1. A storage system adapted to be coupled to a host computer, comprising:

a plurality of disk drives; and

a controller being configured to;

manage a plurality of storage areas configured from the plurality of disk drives;

further manage a first storage group and a second storage group, the first storage group including a first plurality of storage areas of the plurality of storage areas, and the second storage group including a second plurality of storage areas of the plurality of storage areas; and

provide a first logical volume and a second logical volume to the host computer, the first plurality of storage areas in the first storage group being configured to be allocated to the first logical volume in accordance with a first write request to the first logical volume from the host computer and to store data of the first write request, the second plurality of storage areas in the second storage group being configured to be allocated to the second logical volume in accordance with a second write request to the second logical volume from the host computer and to store data of the second write request,

wherein an attribute of the first plurality of storage areas of the first group is a first attribute and the first attribute is also assigned to the first storage group, an attribute of the second plurality of storage areas of the second group is a second attribute and the second attribute is also assigned to the second storage group,

wherein the plurality of storage areas further comprises another plurality of storage areas and the controller further manages an attribute of each of the other plurality of storage areas,

wherein the controller adds a third storage area of the other plurality of storage areas, whose attribute complies to the first attribute, of the plurality of storage areas to the first storage group if needed,

wherein the controller adds a fourth storage area of the other plurality of storage areas, whose attribute complies to the second attribute, of the plurality of storage areas to the second storage group if needed.

2. A storage system according to claim 1,

wherein the controller adds the third storage area to the first storage pool when a shortage of the first storage areas in the first storage group is detected.

3. A storage system according to claim 1,

wherein the controller adds the third storage area to the first storage pool according to the size of an unused capacity of the first storage areas in the first storage group.

4. A storage system according to claim 1,

wherein an attribute of each of the plurality of storage areas depends on the attribute of the disk drives configuring each of the plurality of storage areas.

5. A storage system according to claim 1,

wherein attribute of each of the plurality of storage areas depends on reliability of each of the plurality of storage areas.

6. A storage system according to claim 1,

wherein a plurality of storage drives configuring the first plurality of storage areas are a first type of disk drive and a plurality of storage drives configuring the second plurality of storage areas are a second type of disk drive.

7. A method of managing a storage system adapted to be coupled to a host computer, where the storage system has a plurality of disk drives, and a controller, the method comprising:

managing a plurality of storage areas configured from the plurality of disk drives;

managing a first storage group and a second storage group, the first storage group including a first plurality of storage areas of the plurality of storage areas, and the second storage group including a second plurality of storage areas of the plurality of storage areas; and

providing a first logical volume and a second logical volume to the host computer, the first plurality of storage areas in the first storage group being configured to be allocated to the first logical volume in accordance with a first write request to the first logical volume from the host computer and to store data of the first write request, the second plurality of storage areas in the second storage group being configured to be allocated to the second logical volume in accordance with a second write request to the second logical volume from the host computer and to store data of the second write request,

where an attribute of the first plurality of storage areas of the first group is a first attribute and the first attribute is also assigned to the first storage group, an attribute of the second plurality of storage areas of the second group is a second attribute and the second attribute is also assigned to the second storage group, and

where the plurality of storage areas further comprises another plurality of storage areas and the controller manages an attribute of each of the other plurality of storage areas;

adding a third storage area of the other plurality of storage areas, whose attribute complies to the first attribute, of the plurality of storage areas to the first storage group if needed; and

adding a fourth storage area of the other plurality of storage areas, whose attribute complies to the second attribute, of the plurality of storage areas to the second storage group if needed.

8. The method according to claim 7,

wherein the controller adds the third storage area to the first storage pool when a shortage of the first storage areas in the first storage group is detected.

9. The method according to claim 7,

wherein the controller adds the third storage area to the first storage pool according to the size of an unused capacity of the first storage areas in the first storage group.

10. The method according to claim 7,

wherein an attribute of each of the plurality of storage areas depends on the attribute of the disk drives configuring each of the plurality of storage areas.

11. The method according to claim 7,

wherein attribute of each of the plurality of storage areas depends on reliability of each of the plurality of storage areas.

12. The method according to claim 7,

wherein a plurality of storage drives configuring the first plurality of storage areas are a first type of disk drive and a plurality of storage drives configuring the second plurality of storage areas are a second type of disk drive.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium with an executable program stored thereon, the executable program causing a storage system adapted to be coupled to a host computer, where the storage system has a plurality of disk drives, and a controller, to perform a method comprising:

managing a plurality of storage areas configured from the plurality of disk drives;

managing a first storage group and a second storage group, the first storage group including a first plurality of storage areas of the plurality of storage areas, and the second storage group including a second plurality of storage areas of the plurality of storage areas; and

providing a first logical volume and a second logical volume to the host computer, the first plurality of storage areas in the first storage group being configured to be allocated to the first logical volume in accordance with a first write request to the first logical volume from the host computer and to store data of the first write request, the second plurality of storage areas in the second storage group being configured to be allocated to the second logical volume in accordance with a second write request to the second logical volume from the host computer and to store data of the second write request,

where an attribute of the first plurality of storage areas of the first group is a first attribute and the first attribute is also assigned to the first storage group, an attribute of the second plurality of storage areas of the second group is a second attribute and the second attribute is also assigned to the second storage group, and

where the plurality of storage areas further comprises another plurality of storage areas and the controller manages an attribute of each of the other plurality of storage areas;

adding a third storage area of the other plurality of storage areas, whose attribute complies to the first attribute, of the plurality of storage areas to the first storage group if needed; and

adding a fourth storage area of the other plurality of storage areas, whose attribute complies to the second attribute, of the plurality of storage areas to the second storage group if needed.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 13,

wherein the controller adds the third storage area to the first storage pool when a shortage of the first storage areas in the first storage group is detected.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 13,

wherein the controller adds the third storage area to the first storage pool according to the size of an unused capacity of the first storage areas in the first storage group.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 13,

wherein an attribute of each of the plurality of storage areas depends on the attribute of the disk drives configuring each of the plurality of storage areas.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 13,

wherein attribute of each of the plurality of storage areas depends on reliability of each of the plurality of storage areas.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 13,

wherein a plurality of storage drives configuring the first plurality of storage areas are a first type of disk drive and a plurality of storage drives configuring the second plurality of storage areas are a second type of disk drive.