Storage control system including virtualization and control method for same
First Claim
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1. A storage system comprising:
- a plurality of storage devices; and
a controller that provides a virtual logical unit including a plurality of virtual storage areas to a host computer, and manages one or more logical devices configured on a physical storage area provided by said storage devices, and a storage pool including said logical devices;
wherein in response to receiving a write command which requests to write data to said virtual logical unit, said controller allocates a logical storage area in said storage pool to a virtual storage area of said virtual logical unit on an allocation size basis, and writes data to said allocated logical storage area,wherein said controller releases said allocated logical storage area from said virtual storage area of said virtual logical unit on said allocation size basis, if data stored in said allocated logical storage area is a specific data pattern, andwherein after said allocated logical storage area is released from said virtual storage area, in response to receiving a first read command which requests to read data from said virtual storage area, said controller returns said specific data pattern to said host computer.
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Abstract
A storage control system judges whether the data pattern of data exchanged with a higher-level device (hereafter “data”) conforms to one or a plurality of write-excluded data patterns comprised in write-excluded data pattern information prepared in advance. If a negative judgment result is obtained, the storage control subsystem stores the data in a logical device formed on a disk storage device. If, on the other hand, a positive judgment result is obtained, the storage control subsystem erases the data without storing in a logical device.
38 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A storage system comprising:
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a plurality of storage devices; and a controller that provides a virtual logical unit including a plurality of virtual storage areas to a host computer, and manages one or more logical devices configured on a physical storage area provided by said storage devices, and a storage pool including said logical devices; wherein in response to receiving a write command which requests to write data to said virtual logical unit, said controller allocates a logical storage area in said storage pool to a virtual storage area of said virtual logical unit on an allocation size basis, and writes data to said allocated logical storage area, wherein said controller releases said allocated logical storage area from said virtual storage area of said virtual logical unit on said allocation size basis, if data stored in said allocated logical storage area is a specific data pattern, and wherein after said allocated logical storage area is released from said virtual storage area, in response to receiving a first read command which requests to read data from said virtual storage area, said controller returns said specific data pattern to said host computer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A storage system comprising:
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a plurality of storage devices; and a controller that provides a virtual logical unit including a plurality of virtual storage areas to a host computer, and manages one or more logical devices configured on a physical storage area provided by said storage devices, and a storage pool including said logical devices; wherein in response to receiving a write command which requests to write data to said virtual logical unit, said controller allocates a logical storage area in said storage pool to a virtual storage area of said virtual logical unit on allocation size basis, and writes data to said allocated logical storage area, wherein said controller releases said allocated logical storage area from said virtual storage area of said virtual logical unit on said allocation size basis, if data stored in said allocated logical storage area is a specific data pattern.
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14. A storage system comprising:
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a plurality of storage devices; and a controller that provides a virtual logical device including a plurality of virtual chunks to a host computer, and manages one or more logical devices configured on a physical storage area provided by said storage devices, and a storage pool including said logical devices; wherein in response to receiving a write command which requests to write data to said virtual logical device, said controller allocates a logical chunk in said storage pool to a virtual chunk of said virtual logical device on an allocation size basis, and writes data to said allocated logical chunk, wherein said controller releases said allocated logical chunk from said virtual chunk of said virtual logical device on said allocation size basis, if data stored in said allocated logical chunk is a specific data pattern, wherein after said allocated logical chunk is released from said virtual chunk, in response to receiving a read command which requests to read data from said virtual chunk, said controller returns said specific data pattern to said host computer.
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15. A control method for a storage system including a plurality of storage devices and a controller, the control method comprising the steps of:
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providing a virtual logical unit including a plurality of virtual storage areas to a host computer; managing one or more logical devices configured on a physical storage area provided by said storage devices, managing a storage pool including said logical devices; allocating, in response to receiving a write command which requests to write data to said virtual logical unit, a logical storage area in said storage pool to a virtual storage area of said virtual logical unit on an allocation size basis, and writes data to said allocated logical storage area; releasing said allocated logical storage area from said virtual storage area of said virtual logical unit on said allocation size basis, if data storage in said allocated logical storage area is a specific data pattern, returning, after said allocated logical storage area is released from said virtual storage area, in response to receiving a first read command which requests to read data from said virtual storage area, said specific data pattern to said host computer. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification