Data processing method providing remote copy in a system having first, second, and third storage systems

• US 7,447,855 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2006
• Issued: 11/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Hirakawa, Yusuke, Asaka, Yoshihiro, Suishu, Kazuhito
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim; Matt
• Assistant Examiner(s): Krofcheck; Michael C
• Application Number:
  US11/581,413
• Publication Number:
  US 20070038824A1
• Time in Patent Office: 749 Days
• Field of Search: 711/162
• US Class Current: 711/162
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/201 between storage system components
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2058 using more than 2 mirrored copies
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2064 while ensuring consistency
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2066 Optimisation of the communication load
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2069 Management of state, configuration or failover
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2071 using a plurality of controllers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2082 Data synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/855 Details of asynchronous mirroring using a journal to transfer not-yet-mirrored changes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

A data processing system includes at least a first storage system, a second storage system and a third storage system. The third storage system maintains a replication of data stored in the first storage system. When updating data in the first storage system, the first storage system updates the replication of data stored in the third storage system and creates a journal. The journal is formed from a copy of data used for update and update information such as a write command for update, etc. The second storage system also maintains a replication of data stored in the first storage system. The second storage system obtains the journal, and updates data stored therein corresponding to data stored in the first storage system in the order of data update performed in the first storage system. When updating data stored in the third storage system corresponding to data stored in the first storage system, the third storage system creates a journal using data update numbers created in the first storage system. When the first storage system fails, the second storage system obtains the journal from the third storage system, and updates data stored therein corresponding to data stored in the first storage system in the order of data update performed in the first storage system.

Claims

1. A data processing method in a system having a first storage system that is configured to couple to a host device and configured to send and receive data to and from the host device;

a second storage system that is coupled to the first storage system and configured to receive data from the first storage system; and

a third storage system that is coupled to the first storage system and configured to receive data from the first storage system, wherein the first storage system includes a first storage area that is configured to store data written from the host device, and a second storage area that is configured to store the data written from the host device and update information relating to a write order of the data,

the data processing method comprising the steps of;

transmitting, by the first storage system, the data to the second storage system synchronously with receiving the data from the host device, and transmitting the data and the update information relating to the write order of the data to the third storage system asynchronously with receiving the data from the host device,

storing, by the second storage system, the data received from the first storage system in a third storage area, and storing data received from the first storage system and update information relating to the write order of the data in a fourth storage area in order to transmit the data and the update information stored in the fourth storage area to the third storage system in case of failure of the first storage system,

storing, by the third storage system, the data and the update information read from the second storage area in a fifth storage area and storing the data included in the fifth storage area in a sixth storage area according to the update information included in the fifth storage area, and

writing, by the third storage system, the data and the update information received from the first storage system in the fifth storage area, and writing the data stored in the fifth storage area in the sixth storage area according to the update information stored in the fifth storage area.

2. A data processing method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

requesting, by the first storage system upon receiving from the host device a data write request to write data, the second storage system to write the data therein, and notifying, after receiving a write response from the second storage system, the host device of a completion of the data write request, and

writing, by the first storage system, in the first storage area the data written from the host device, and writing in the second storage area the data written from the host device and the update information relating to the write order of the data.

3. A data processing method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of:

generating, by the first storage system, upon receiving from the host device the data write request, an update number that is used for identifying the write order of the data, and including the update number in a data write request that is sent to the second storage system,

wherein the update information written in the fourth storage area of the second storage system includes the update number received from the first storage system.

4. A data processing method according to claim 2, further comprising the steps of writing, by the second storage system upon receiving from the first storage system a data write request, in the third storage area the data received from the first storage system, writing in the fourth storage area the data received from the first storage system and the update information relating to the write order of the data, and sending a response to the first storage system.

5. A data processing method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of, reading, by the third storage system, at specified time intervals from the first storage system the data and the update information stored in the second storage area.

6. A data processing method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

generating, by the first storage system upon receiving a data write request from the host device, an update number that is used for identifying the write order of the data,

wherein the update information written in the second storage area in the first storage system includes the update number generated by the first storage system.

7. A data processing method according to claim 1, wherein the update information written in the fifth storage area in the third storage system includes an update number that is used for identifying the write order of the data.

8. A data processing method according to claim 1,

wherein the first storage system includes a plurality of first storage areas, and

wherein the update information written in the second storage area includes an update number used for identifying write order of data written in the plurality of first storage areas.

9. A data processing method according to claim 1,

wherein the second storage system includes a plurality of third storage areas, and

wherein the update information written in the fourth storage area is created for data that is written in the plurality of third storage areas.

10. A data processing method according to claim 1, wherein

the update information written in the second storage area in the first storage system includes an update number that is generated by the first storage system to be used for identifying the write order of the data,

the update information written in the fourth storage area in the second storage system includes the update number included in the update information written in the second storage area, and

the update information written in the fifth storage area in the third storage system includes the update number included in the update information written in the second storage area.

11. A data processing method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of transmitting, by the third storage system, a read request to the first storage system, and in response to the read request, transmitting, by the first storage system, the data and the update information stored in the second storage area to the third storage system.

12. A data processing method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

transmitting, in case of failure of the first storage system, the data and the update information, which are not received by the third storage system before the failure but stored in the fourth storage area of the second storage system before the failure, from the fourth storage area of the second storage system to the third storage system, storing the data and the update information received from the second storage system in the fifth storage area of the third storage system, and storing the data included in the first storage area in the sixth storage area of the third storage system according to the update information included in the fifth storage area.

13. A data processing method according to claim 12,

wherein in the update information, which the third storage system reads from the second storage area of the first storage system, a number indicating the write order of the data is included, and

wherein in case of failure of the first storage system, the data and the update information, which the third storage system does not read from the first storage system before the failure , are specified by using a number included in the update information, which the third storage system reads from the second storage area of the first storage system before the failure.

14. A data processing method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

transmitting in case of failure of the first storage system, the data and the update information stored in the fourth storage area of the second storage system to the third storage system, and storing the data transmitted from the fourth storage area to the third storage system in the sixth storage area of the third storage system in an order related to the write order of the data based on the update information transmitted from the fourth storage area.

15. A data processing method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of:

receiving the data stored in the fourth storage area of the second storage system, which is transmitted to the third storage system and stored in the sixth storage area of the third storage system in the order related to the write order of the data, by the second storage system from the first storage system before the failure of the first storage system.

16. A data processing method according to claim 1,

wherein each of the first storage system, the second storage system, and the third storage system includes at least one disk, and each of the first storage area, the third storage area, and the sixth storage area is a logical volume configured by a disk.

17. A data processing method according to claim 16,

wherein the second storage area is a logical volume configured by a disk.

18. A data processing method according to claim 17,

wherein each of the fourth storage area and the fifth storage area is a logical volume configured by a disk.

19. A data processing method in a system having a first storage system that is configured to couple to a host device and configured to send and receive data to and from the host device;

a second storage system that is coupled to the first storage system and configured to receive data from the first storage system; and

a third storage system that is coupled to the first storage system and configured to receive data from the first storage system, wherein the first storage system includes a first storage area that is configured to store data written from the host device, and a second storage area that is configured to store the data written from the host device and update information relating to a write order of the data,

the data processing method comprising the steps of;

transmitting, by the first storage system, the data to the second storage system synchronously with receiving the data from the host device, and transmitting the data and the update information to the third storage system asynchronously with receiving the data from the host device,

storing, by the second storage system, the data received from the first storage system in a third storage area, and storing the data received from the first storage system and update information relating to the write order of the data in a fourth storage area in order to transmit the data and the update information stored in the fourth storage area to the third storage system in case of failure of the first storage system,

storing, by the third storage system, the data and the update information read from the second storage area in a third storage area, and storing the data included in the fifth storage area in a plurality of sixth storage areas according to the update information included in the fifth storage area, and

writing data stored in the fifth storage area in the plurality of sixth storage areas according to the update information stored in the fifth storage area.