System for information life cycle management model for data migration and replication

• US 7,007,048 B1
• Filed: 05/29/2003
• Issued: 02/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Storage Technologies Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Murray, Thomas J., Farnum, William C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rones, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ortiz, Belix M.
• Application Number:
  US10/447,553
• Time in Patent Office: 1,006 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0649 Lifecycle management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0685 Hybrid storage combining heterogeneous device types, e.g. hierarchical storage, hybrid arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

The invention provides a system for information lifecycle management of storage data on a storage network architecture. The system provides for bi-directional data transfer between an information lifecycle management controller, a host file system storage area network and an information lifecycle management storage area network. The information lifecycle management controller helps manage the data storage file transfers between the subsystems of the host file system storage area network and information lifecycle management storage area network. The method provides an information lifecycle management shim program, which resides in the host computer of the host file system storage area network, for hostless information lifecycle management of the data storage files. The system further provides a user-defined information lifecycle management of the migration, replication, copying, and backing up of the storage data files.

Claims

1. A tiered information lifecycle management system comprising:

a host file system (HFS) storage area network (SAN);

an information lifecycle management (ILM) SAN connected to the HFS SAN;

an ILM controller connected to the ILM SAN and the HFS SAN, wherein the ILM controller controls hostless data transfer between the HFS SAN and the ILM SAN, the ILM controller further controlling hostless data transfer within the HFS SAN, the ILM controller further controlling hostless data transfer within the ILM SAN, and the ILM controller further controlling hostless transfer of data between the HFS SAN and the ILM SAN for storage of the data in at least one of the HFS SAN and the ILM SAN in accordance with storage policies; and

an ILM database (DB) connected to the ILM controller, wherein the ILM DB is operable with the ILM controller for tracking data storage information regarding the data stored in the HFS SAN and the ILM SAN.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the HFS SAN comprises:

a switch;

a host computer connected to the switch and the ILM controller with a bi-directional communication network link; and

an HFS SAN subsystem connected to the switch and the ILM controller with a network link, wherein the HFS SAN subsystem includes of a logical unit number (LUN) port, a host file system, and an ILM head having an ILM control port and an ILM data port.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the switch is a fibre channel switch.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the connection between the HFS SAN subsystem and the ILM controller is between the ILM control port of the ILM head of the HFS SAN subsystem and the ILM controller.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the connection between the HFS SAN subsystem and the switch is between the LUN port of the HFS SAN subsystem and the switch.

6. The system of claim 2 wherein the ILM SAN comprises:

an ILM switch connected to the ILM data port of the HFS SAN subsystem with a bi-directional communication network link; and

an ILM SAN subsystem connected to the ILM switch with a bi-directional communication network link, wherein the ILM SAN subsystem includes an ILM file system and an ILM head having an ILM control port and an ILM data port.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the connection between the ILM SAN subsystem and the ILM controller is between the ILM control port of the ILM SAN subsystem and the ILM controller.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the connection between the ILM SAN subsystem and the ILM switch is between the ILM data port of the ILM SAN subsystem and the ILM switch.

9. The system of claim 2 wherein the host computer includes a plurality of host computers.

10. The system of claim 2 wherein the HFS SAN subsystem includes a plurality of HFS SAN subsystems.

11. The system of claim 6 wherein the ILM SAN subsystem includes a plurality of ILM SAN subsystems.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the HFS SAN subsystem includes a plurality of host file systems.

13. The system of claim 6 wherein the host computer includes an ILM shim program, the ILM shim program being operable for monitoring all data storage activities in the HFS SAN;

and

the ILM shim program being operable for communicating with the ILM controller information regarding any data storage activity occurring in the HFS SAN.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the ILM controller is operable with the ILM shim program for tracking the location of stored data on the HFS SAN subsystem which was written by the host computer.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the ILM controller hostlessly transfers the stored data on the HFS SAN subsystem to the ILM SAN subsystem according to storage policies associated with the stored data.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the ILM controller is operable with the ILM shim program for identifying a request by the host computer for the stored data from the HFS SAN subsystem, when in response to the request, the ILM controller hostlessly transfers the stored data from the ILM SAN subsystem to the HFS SAN subsystem for access by the host computer.

17. A tiered information lifecycle management system comprising:

a host file system (HFS) storage area network (SAN) including a switch connected to a plurality of host computers and a plurality of HFS SAN subsystems;

an information lifecycle management (ILM) SAN connected to the HFS SAN, the ILM SAN includes an ILM switch connected to the plurality of HFS SAN subsystems and a plurality of ILM SAN subsystems;

an ILM controller connected to the plurality of host computers, the plurality of ILM SAN subsystems, and the plurality of HFS SAN subsystems, wherein the ILM controller controls hostless data transfer between the HFS SAN and the ILM SAN for data storage in accordance with a storage policy; and

an ILM database (DB) connected to the ILM controller, wherein the ILM DB is operable with, the ILM controller for tracking information of storage files stored in the HFS SAN subsystems and the ILM SAN subsystems.

18. A tiered information lifecycle management system operable for hostless data transfer comprising:

a host file system (HFS) storage area network (SAN) including a host computer with an information lifecycle management ILM shim program operable for monitoring data activities in the HFS SAN and a plurality of HFS SAN subsystems;

an information lifecycle management (ILM) SAN connected to the HFS SAN, wherein the ILM SAN includes a plurality of ILM SAN subsystems;

an ILM controller is connected to the ILM SAN and the HFS SAN, wherein the ILM controller controls hostless data transfer between the HFS SAN and the ILM SAN, the ILM controller further controlling hostless data transfer between the HFS SAN and the ILM SAN for data storage in accordance with storage policies when notified by the ILM shim program of data activities; and

an ILM database (DB) connected to the ILM controller, wherein the ILM DB is operable with the ILM controller to catalog data storage information of data stored in the HFS SAN subsystems and the ILM SAN subsystems.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the ILM controller recognizes a migration command for a data storage file based on a storage policy;

the ILM controller obtains information regarding stored location in a source HFS SAN subsystem of the data storage file from the ILM shim program;

the ILM controller selects a sink ILM SAN subsystem for the data storage file to be migrated according to the storage policy;

the source HFS SAN subsystem communicates the migration command with the sink ILM SAN subsystem;

the ILM controller commands the source HFS SAN subsystem to transfer the data storage file to be migrated to the sink ILM SAN subsystem;

the sink ILM SAN subsystem notifies the ILM controller of completed data storage file transfer; and

the ILM DB stores information regarding the migration of the data storage file.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the ILM controller recognizes a recall command for a data storage file from the ILM shim program based on a storage policy;

the ILM controller obtains information regarding stored location in either the plurality of HFS SAN subsystems or the plurality of ILM SAN subsystems of the data storage file from the ILM DB;

the ILM controller selects a sink HFS SAN subsystem for the data storage file to be recalled according to the storage policy;

either the HFS SAN subsystem or the ILM SAN subsystem, where the storage file to be recalled is stored, communicates the recall command with the sink HFS SAN subsystem;

the ILM controller commands either the HFS SAN subsystem or the ILM SAN subsystem, where the data storage file to be recalled is stored, to transfer the data storage file to be recalled to the sink HFS SAN subsystem;

an ILM control port of the sink HFS SAN subsystem notifies the ILM controller of completed data storage file transfer;

the ILM controller notifies the ILM shim that the storage data file transfer is complete and to proceed with the file recall; and

the ILM shim notifies the host computer to access the recalled data storage file.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the ILM controller recognizes a replication command for a data storage file based on a storage policy;

the ILM controller obtains information regarding the stored location in either the plurality of HFS SAN subsystems or the plurality of ILM SAN subsystems of the data storage file to be replicated from either the ILM shim or the ILM DB;

the ILM controller selects either a sink ILM SAN subsystem or a sink HFS SAN subsystem for the data storage file to be replicated according to the storage policy;

the ILM controller commands either the HFS SAN subsystem or the ILM SAN subsystem, where the data storage file to be replicated is stored, to copy the data storage file to be replicated to either the sink HFS SAN subsystem or the sink ILM SAN subsystem according to the storage policy;

either the sink HFS SAN subsystem or the sink ILM SAN subsystem notifies the ILM controller of a completed storage data file copy; and

the ILM DB stores the information regarding the replication of the storage data file.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the ILM controller recognizes a move command for a data storage file based on a storage policy;

the ILM controller obtains information regarding the stored location, in either the plurality of HFS SAN subsystems or the plurality of ILM SAN subsystems, of the data storage file to be moved from either the ILM DB or the ILM shim program based on the storage policy;

the ILM controller selects either a sink HFS SAN subsystem or a sink ILM SAN subsystem for the data storage file to be moved according to the storage policy;

the ILM controller commands either the HFS SAN subsystem or the ILM SAN subsystem, where the storage data file is stored, to transfer the data storage file to be moved to either the sink HFS SAN subsystem or the sink ILM SAN subsystem according to the storage policy;

either the sink HFS SAN subsystem or the sink ILM SAN subsystem notifies the ILM controller of completed data storage file move; and

the ILM DB stores information regarding the movement of the data storage file.

23. The system of claim 18, wherein the ILM controller recognizes a promotion command for a data storage file from the ILM shim program of one of the plurality of host computers based on a storage policy;

the ILM controller obtains information regarding the stored location in the ILM SAN subsystem of the data storage file to be promoted from the ILM DB;

the ILM controller commands the ILM SAN subsystem, where the data storage file to be promoted is stored, to transfer the data storage file to the HFS SAN subsystem for the host computer based on the storage policy;

the ILM controller notifies the ILM shim program of completed promotion of the data storage file; and

the ILM shim program notifies the host computer to access the promoted data storage file.

24. The system of claim 18, wherein the ILM controller performs a hostless back up of a storage data file in the plurality of HFS SAN subsystems to the plurality of ILM SAN subsystems defined by a storage policy.

25. The system of claim 18, wherein the ILM shim program recognizes a copy-on-X event command for a data storage file according to a copy-on-X event storage policy;

the ILM shim notifies the ILM controller of the copy-on-X event command for the data storage file; and

the ILM controller copies the data storage file to the one of the plurality of HFS SAN subsystems or one of the plurality of ILM SAN subsystems according to the copy-on-X event storage policy.