Storage system performing remote copying bypassing controller

• US 7,085,954 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2003
• Issued: 08/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Kitamura, Manabu, Furukawa, Hiroshi, Akagawa, Etsutaro
• Primary Examiner(s): PEIKARI, BEHZAD
• Application Number:
  US10/649,649
• Publication Number:
  US 20040215673A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,069 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 714/5.11
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication

Abstract

A storage system according to an embodiment of the present invention has a storage and a controller. The storage has an interface for connecting it to a storage of another storage system via a communication line, and a remote copy module transferring predetermined data to the another storage system, not via the controller, based on a data transfer command from the controller. The controller has a remote copy control module transmitting to the remote copy module, at reception of a notification of account attribute movement from an account monitor module monitoring the account attribute movement, a data transfer command for transferring predetermined data to the other storage system, not via the controller.

Claims

1. A storage system having a first storage and a controller,

wherein said first storage has an interface connecting said first storage to a second storage of a destination storage system via a communication line, and a remote copy module transferring predetermined data to the second storage of said destination storage system via said communication line, not via said controller, in response to a data transfer command from said controller, and

wherein said controller has a remote copy control module transmitting to said remote copy module, in response to a determination by an account monitor module that an authentication account has moved, a data transfer command for transferring predetermined data from said first storage via said communication line to said destination storage system, said determination being made by said account monitor detecting a change of an attribute of said authentication account with movement of said authentication account.

2. The storage system according to claim 1,

wherein said remote copy control module transmits to said remote copy module, at reception of said account movement notification from said account monitor module, a data transfer command to said destination storage system, for transferring data corresponding to an authentication account that has moved, and

wherein said remote copy module transfers the data corresponding to said authentication account to said destination storage system in response to said data transfer command.

3. The storage system according to claim 1,

wherein said remote copy control module transmits to said remote copy module, at reception of said account movement notification from said account monitor module and an ID indicating a storage system storing data corresponding to an authentication account that has moved, a data transfer command for transferring the data corresponding to the authentication account that has moved, to the storage system corresponding to the ID, and

wherein said remote copy module transfers the data corresponding to said authentication account to the storage system corresponding to the ID in response to said data transfer command.

4. The storage system according to claim 1,

wherein said remote copy control module instructs, at reception of said account movement notification from said account monitor module, a destination storage system storing data corresponding to an authentication account to transmit, to said remote copy module, a data transfer command for transferring, to said specified destination storage system, the data corresponding to the authentication account that has moved, and

wherein said remote copy module transfers the data corresponding to said authentication account to said specified storage system in response to said data transfer command.

5. The storage system according to claim 1, wherein said remote copy control module creates pseudo difference information in which the data corresponding to said authentication account is erased only from the first storage to command said remote copy module to data transfer said difference information.

6. The storage system according to claim 1, wherein said authentication account is a user ID, and an attribute of said authentication account is information related to authentication of said user.

7. The storage system according to claim 1, wherein said authentication account is an application ID, and an attribute of said authentication account is information related to an application environment.

8. The storage system according to claim 1, wherein said remote copy control module issues, to said management computer, at reception of an account movement notification from said account monitor module, an inquiry whether predetermined data stored in said first storage is data transferred via said communication line to said destination storage system to decide whether said data transfer command is transmitted to said remote copy module based on a response to said inquiry from said management computer.

9. The storage system according to claim 8, wherein said controller further has a performance monitor module arranged to monitor a performance value for each component in said storage system from which the authentication account is moving, to transmit the monitored performance value to a management computer.

10. The storage system according to claim 1, wherein said account monitor module is provided in said controller.

11. A computer-readable recording medium containing a management program for allowing a management computer to manage a plurality of storage systems, including an originating storage system having a first storage and a controller, wherein when run on the management computer, said management program causes the management computer to execute:

a policy of receiving a notification from an account monitor module that an authentication account has moved, said account monitor module determining that the authentication account has moved by monitoring the change of an attribute of the account with movement of said account; and

a policy of transmitting to said originating storage system from which the authentication account is moving, at reception of said account movement notification, a data transfer command for transferring to a second storage of a destination storage system to which the authentication account has moved, predetermined data from said first storage via a communication line connecting the first and second storages of said originating and destination storage systems, respectively, not via said controller.

12. The management program according to claim 11, which causes said management computer to further execute a step of deciding whether a data transfer command of said command module is transmitted based on a condition about data transfer.

13. The management program according to claim 12, which causes said management computer to further execute a policy of receiving said condition about data transfer from a manager.

14. The management program according to claim 12, which causes said management computer to further execute:

a policy of acquiring a performance value for each component in said originating storage system; and

a policy of deciding whether a data transfer command of said command module is transmitted based on the performance value for each component in said originating storage system and said condition about data transfer in place of said decision policy.

15. The management program according to claim 12, wherein said condition about data transfer includes a condition for deciding data transfer or data untransfer based on information indicating the locations of the originating and destination storage systems.