Storage apparatus and control method of the same

• US 8,768,883 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2010
• Issued: 07/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Mori, Mioko, Nakagawa, Hirotaka, Emaru, Hironori
• Primary Examiner(s): Hwa, Shyue Jiunn
• Application Number:
  US12/921,636
• Publication Number:
  US 20120185426A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,559 Days
• Field of Search: 707/609
• US Class Current: 707/609
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/023 Free address space management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0866 for peripheral storage systems, e.g. disk cache
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/061 Improving I/O performance
• 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 3/0685 Hybrid storage combining heterogeneous device types, e.g. hierarchical storage, hybrid arrays

Abstract

A storage management system, if the required response performance of the file is added to the access request from the host computer, compares the required response performance of the file with the response performance of the pool volume assigned to the page. If the response performance of the compared pool volume does not satisfy the required response performance, the storage management system selects a pool volume whose response performance satisfies the required response performance from the pool volumes, migrates the page to the selected pool volume, and stores the data in the page to which the pool volume is assigned.

Claims

1. A storage apparatus connected to an access request terminal via a communication network, the storage apparatus being an access request source, the storage apparatus comprising:

a plurality of types of storage devices, each of the plurality of types of storage devices having a different response performance; and

a controller configured to;

provide at least one pool volume from each of the plurality of types of storage devices;

divide a virtual storage area of a virtual volume into a plurality of blocks,

wherein the virtual volume includes the virtual storage area as an access target of the access request source; and

manage each of the plurality of blocks by associating each of the plurality of blocks with a storage area formed in the at least one pool volume, the storage area being a page allocated for the virtual storage area for storing real data of a file designated in an access request from the access request source,

wherein the controller;

receives a request from the access request source, the request designating a file and a required response performance set for the designated file,

wherein the real data of the designated file has an access frequency, the access frequency of the data being different from the required response performance set for the designated file;

compares the required response performance set for the file designated in the request, and a response performance of a first pool volume of the associated page for storing the real data of the file designated in the request when the required response performance set for the file designated in the request is included in the request;

selects a pool volume satisfying the required response performance, as a second pool volume, when the response performance of the first pool volume does not satisfy the required response performance;

migrates the real data stored in the page in the first pool volume, to the selected second pool volume; and

stores the real data of the file designated in the request, in a page in the second pool volume.

2. The storage apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the controller:

manages the response performance of each of the plurality of types of storage devices by associating the response performance of each of the plurality of types of storage devices with a respective logical volume of the plurality of logical volumes configuring a logical storage area of the plurality of types of storage devices;

allocates a storage area of a logical volume of the plurality of logical volumes formed in one type of storage device, to each page, as the pool volume;

compares a required response performance of each page, and the response performance of each first pool volume of each associated page when the real data of the file is divided into a plurality of pages;

selects the pool volume satisfying the required response performance, as the second pool volume, by associating the second pool volume with the storage area formed in the at least one pool volume, as each page;

migrates the real data stored in each page in each first pool volume, to each selected second pool volume; and

stores the real data of the file designated in the request, in each page in each second pool volume.

3. The storage apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the controller:

manages the response performance of the plurality of types of storage devices by associating the response performance of the plurality of types of storage devices with the plurality of logical volumes configuring the logical storage area of the plurality of types of storage devices;

allocates the storage area of the logical volume among the plurality of logical volumes formed in the one type of storage device, to each page, as the pool volume;

compares the required response performance required of each page, and the response performance of each first pool volume of each associated page when the real data of the file is divided into the plurality of pages;

selects the pool volume satisfying the required response performance, and selects the pool volume in which a response time as the response performance is the fastest, as the second pool volume, when the response performance of each first pool volume does not satisfy the required response performance;

migrates the real data stored in each page in each first pool volume, to each selected second pool volume; and

stores the real data of the file designated in the request, in each page in each second pool volume.

4. The storage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the controller selects two or more pool volumes satisfying the required response performance, the controller selects a pool volume of the selected two or more pool volumes in which the response time as the response performance is the slowest, as the second pool volume.

5. The storage apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the controller:

upon receiving, from the access request source, notification to an effect of changing the storage area of the page for storing the real data of the file, and a command for re-execution, requests the access request source to send an access request including information concerning the storage area of the changed page; and

upon receiving, from the access request source, the access request including the information concerning the storage area of the changed page, compares required response performance of the storage area of the page changed with the access request, and response performance of a new first pool volume of the associated storage area of the page changed with the access request, selects a pool volume satisfying the required response performance, as a new second pool volume on condition that the response performance of the new first pool volume does not satisfy the required response performance, migrates the real data stored in the page in the new first pool volume, to the selected new second pool volume, and stores the real data of the file designated in the access request in the page in the new second pool volume.

6. The storage apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the controller:

upon receiving, from the access request source, the notification to the effect of changing the storage area of the page for storing the real data of the file, and the command for the re-execution, and the information concerning the storage area of the changed page, compares required response performance of the storage area of the page changed with the notification, and the response performance of the new first pool volume of the associated storage area of the page changed with the notification, selects the pool volume satisfying the required response performance, as the new second pool volume, on the condition that the response performance of the new first pool volume does not satisfy the required response performance, migrates the real data stored in the page in the new first pool volume, to the selected new second pool volume, and stores the real data of the file designated in the access request in the page in the new second pool volume.

7. The storage apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the controller:

stores required response performance concerning the page designated in the access request; and

upon receiving, from the access request source, notification to an effect of changing the storage area of the page designated in the access request, and the command for the re-execution, compares required response performance of the stored page, and the response performance of the new first pool volume of the associated storage area of the page changed with the notification, selects the pool volume satisfying the required response performance, as the new second pool volume, on the condition that the response performance of the new first pool volume does not satisfy the required response performance, migrates the real data stored in the page in the new first pool volume, to the selected new second pool volume, and stores the real data of the file designated in the access request in the page in the new second pool volume.

8. The storage apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the controller:

stores required response performance concerning the file designated in the request; and

when a command for migrating the file is given from the access request source, sets an existing file as a migration source file, and sets a file to become a migration destination of the migration source file, as a migration destination file, manages the stored required response performance as a required response performance of the migration source file, and required response performance of the migration destination file, sets a new page for storing real data of the migration destination file and manages the new page, as a migration destination page, allocates a third pool volume, as a new pool volume, to the migration destination page, and migrates real data of the migration source file, to the migration destination page.

9. A method for controlling a storage apparatus comprising:

a plurality of types of storage devices with different response performance; and

a controller configured to;

provide at least one pool volume from each of the plurality of types of storage devices;

divide a virtual storage area of a virtual volume into a plurality of blocks,

wherein the virtual volume includes the virtual storage area as an access target of an access request source; and

manage each of the plurality of blocks by associating each of the plurality of blocks with a storage area formed in the at least one pool volume, the storage area being a page allocated for the virtual storage area for storing real data of a file designated in an access request from the access request source,

wherein the controller;

receives a request from the access request source, the request designating a file and a required response performance set for the designated file,

wherein the real data of the designated file has an access frequency, the access frequency of the data being different from the required response performance set for the designated file;

compares the required response performance set for the file designated in the request, and a response performance of a first pool volume of the associated page for storing the real data of the file designated in the request when the required response performance set for the file designated in the request is included in the request;

selects a pool volume satisfying the required response performance, as a second pool volume, when the response performance of the first pool volume does not satisfy the required response performance;

migrates the real data stored in the page in the first pool volume, to the selected second pool volume; and

stores the real data of the file designated in the request, in a page in the second pool volume.

10. The method for controlling the storage apparatus according to claim 9,

wherein the controller:

manages the response performance of the plurality of types of storage devices by associating the response performance of the plurality of types of storage devices with a plurality of logical volumes configuring a logical storage area of the plurality of types of storage devices;

allocates a storage area of a logical volume among the plurality of logical volumes formed in one type of storage device, to each page, as the pool volume;

compares a required response performance of each page, and the response performance of each first pool volume of each associated page when the real data of the file is divided into a plurality of pages;

selects the pool volume satisfying the required response performance, and selects the pool volume in which a response time as the response performance is the fastest, as the second pool volume, when the response performance of each first pool volume does not satisfy the required response performance;

migrates the real data stored in each page in each first pool volume, to each selected second pool volume; and

stores the real data of the file designated in the request, in each page in each second pool volume.

11. The method for controlling the storage apparatus according to claim 9, wherein, when the controller selects two or more pool volumes satisfying the required response performance, the controller selects a pool volume of the selected two or more pool volumes in which the response time as the response performance is the slowest, as the second pool volume.

12. The method for controlling the storage apparatus according to claim 9,

wherein the controller:

upon receiving, from the access request source, notification to an effect of changing the storage area of the page for storing the real data of the file, and a command for re-execution, requests the access request source to send an access request including information concerning the storage area of the changed page; and

upon receiving, from the access request source, the access request including the information concerning the storage area of the changed page, compares a required response performance of the storage area of the page changed with the access request, and a response performance of a new first pool volume of the allocated storage area of the page changed with the access request, selects a pool volume satisfying the required response performance, as a new second pool volume, when the response performance of the new first pool volume does not satisfy the required response performance, migrates the real data stored in the page in the new first pool volume, to the selected new second pool volume, and stores the real data of the file designated in the request in the page in the new second pool volume.

13. The method for controlling the storage apparatus according to claim 9,

wherein the controller:

upon receiving from the access request source, the notification to the effect of changing the storage area of the page for storing the real data of the file, the command for the re-execution, and the information concerning the storage area of the changed page, compares a required response performance of the storage area of the page changed with the notification, and the response performance of the new first pool volume of the associated storage area of the page changed with the notification, selects the pool volume satisfying the required response performance, as the new second pool volume, when the response performance of the new first pool volume does not satisfy the required response performance, migrates the real data stored in the page in the new first pool volume, to the selected new second pool volume, and stores the real data of the file designated in the request in the page in the new second pool volume.

14. The method for controlling the storage apparatus according to claim 9,

wherein the controller:

stores a required response performance concerning the page designated in the access request; and

upon receiving, from the access request source, notification to an effect of changing the storage area of the page designated in the access request, and the command for the re-execution, compares required response performance of the stored page, and the response performance of the new first pool volume of the associated storage area of the page changed with the notification, selects the pool volume satisfying the required response performance, as the new second pool volume, on the condition that the response performance of the new first pool volume does not satisfy the required response performance, migrates the real data stored in the page in the new first pool volume, to the selected new second pool volume, and stores the real data of the file designated in the request in the page in the new second pool volume.

15. The method for controlling the storage apparatus according to claim 9,

wherein the controller:

stores required response performance concerning the file designated in the request; and

when a command for migrating the file is given from the access request source, sets an existing file, as a migration source file, and sets a file to become a migration destination of the migration source file, as a migration destination file, manages the stored required response performance, as a required response performance of the migration source file, and required response performance of the migration destination file, sets a new page for storing real data of the migration destination file and manages the new page, as a migration destination page, allocates a third pool volume, as a new pool volume, to the migration destination page, and migrates real data of the migration source file, to the migration destination page.