Information processing system and management device for managing relocation of data based on a change in the characteristics of the data over time

• US 8,607,010 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2011
• Issued: 12/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Furuhashi, Ryoji, Kaneda, Yasunori, Nozawa, Masafumi
• Primary Examiner(s): RUTZ, JARED IAN
• Application Number:
  US13/045,612
• Publication Number:
  US 20110161460A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,005 Days
• Field of Search: 711/162
• US Class Current: 711/162
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1076 Parity data used in redundant arrays of independent storages, e.g. in RAID systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2211/1023 Different size disks, i.e. non uniform size of disks in RAID systems with parity
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99956 File allocation

Abstract

In an information processing system including a computer device, and a storage device storing data used by the computer device, the region in which the data is held is managed in association with a change, over the passage of time in the performance and availability required of the data holding region. The computer device includes a storage device managing unit for managing the storage device which stores data used by the computer device. The storage device managing unit periodically monitors temporal characteristics information, and moves data, if the storage region having functional characteristics corresponding to the temporal characteristics information is different from the storage region to which the data is currently assigned.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

a first storage apparatus including a plurality of first storage devices and a first logical volume that is a portion of the plurality of first storage devices and that is configured to store file data,

wherein a computer is coupled to the first storage apparatus and the first logical volume is provided to the computer by the first storage apparatus; and

a second storage apparatus including a plurality of second storage devices and a second logical volume that is a portion of the plurality of second storage devices,

wherein the second storage apparatus is coupled to the first storage apparatus,

wherein the first storage apparatus is coupled to a fourth storage apparatus which is a back-up destination of the file data stored in the first logical volume, and the second storage apparatus is coupled to a third storage apparatus which is a back-up destination of the file data stored in the second logical volume,

wherein the first storage apparatus copies the file data in the first logical volume to the second logical volume based on;

(1) an availability of the file data in the first storage apparatus, which indicates a recovery speed related to a performance of the fourth apparatus from which the backed-up file data in the first logical volume is to be recovered; and

(2) an availability of the file data in the second storage apparatus, which indicates a recovery speed related to a performance of the third apparatus from which the backed-up file data in the second logical volume is to be recovered, and

wherein the availability of the file data in the first storage apparatus is different from the availability of the file data in the second storage apparatus.

2. A computer system according to claim 1, wherein the second storage apparatus deletes the copied file data stored in the second logical volume based on a change of availability of the file data stored in the first logical volume.

3. A method in a computer system including a first storage apparatus having a plurality of first storage devices and a first logical volume that is a portion of the plurality of first storage devices, a computer being coupled to the first storage apparatus and the first logical volume being provided to the computer by the first storage apparatus, and a second storage apparatus including a plurality of second storage devices and a second logical volume that is a portion of the plurality of second storage devices, the second storage apparatus being coupled to the first storage apparatus, the first storage apparatus being coupled to a fourth storage apparatus which is a back-up destination of the file data stored in the first logical volume, and the second storage apparatus being coupled to a third storage apparatus which is a back-up destination of the file data stored in the second logical volume, said method comprising:

storing file data in the first logical volume of the first storage devices which are configured to store the file data; and

copying, by the first storage apparatus, the file data in the first logical volume to the second logical volume based on;

(1) an availability of the file data in the first storage apparatus, which indicates a recovery speed related to a performance of the fourth apparatus from which the backed-up file data in the first logical volume is to be recovered; and

(2) an availability of the file data in the second storage apparatus, which indicates a recovery speed related to a performance of the third apparatus from which the backed-up file data in the second logical volume is to be recovered, and

wherein the availability of the file data in the first storage apparatus is different from the availability of the file data in the second storage apparatus.

4. A method according to claim 3, further comprising:

deleting, by the second storage apparatus, the copied file data stored in the second logical volume based on a change of availability of the file data stored in the first logical volume.