Storage system including storage adapters, a monitoring computer and external storage

• US 7,464,223 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2007
• Issued: 12/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Fujimoto, Kazuhisa, Yamamoto, Yasutomo, Watanabe, Yasuo
• Primary Examiner(s): KIM, HONG CHONG
• Application Number:
  US11/654,050
• Publication Number:
  US 20070118694A1
• Time in Patent Office: 693 Days
• Field of Search: 711/144, 711/119, 711/170, 711/145, 711/120, 711/129, 711/171, 709/219, 709/224, 709/226, 370/351, 370/242, 718/105, 710/220
• US Class Current: 711/114
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3414 Workload generation, e.g. scripts, playback
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3433 for load management allocation of a server based on load conditions G06F9/505; load rebalancing G06F9/5083; redistributing the load in a network by a load balancer H04L67/1029
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3471 Address tracing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3485 for I/O devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/88 Monitoring involving counting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/885 Monitoring specific for caches

Abstract

A storage system having a cluster configuration that prevents a load from concentrating on a certain storage node and enhances access performance is disclosed. The storage system is provided with plural storage adaptors having a cache memory for storing data read/written according to an I/O request from a host and a device for holding the data stored in the cache memory, means for connecting an external storage having a logical device that handles the read/written data and a cache memory to the storage adaptor, means for monitoring and grasping a usage situation of each cache memory of the plural storage adaptors and means for referring to information of the usage situation of each cache memory acquired by the grasping means and selecting any of the storage adaptors so that usage of each cache memory is equalized, and the logical device of the external storage is controlled by the storage adaptor selected by the selection means via connection means.

Claims

1. A storage system comprising:

plural storage adaptors, each of which is provided with a cache memory that stores data according to a request from a host;

an external storage coupled to said plural storage adapters, said external storage including at least one logical device that handles data and an external cache memory to one of said storage adaptors; and

a monitoring computer coupled to said storage adapters, said monitoring computer configured to collect usage information relating to said cache memories of said plural storage adapters,

wherein said at least one logical device of said external storage is selected based on said usage situation of said cache memory and is controlled by one of said plural storage adaptors,

wherein said monitoring computer is further configured to acquire for each of said cache memories a first dirty data amount indicative of how much first dirty data is stored in said each of said cache memories and to select, based on said first dirty data amounts, a first storage adaptor having the smallest amount of dirty data, wherein said first storage adaptor serves to control said at least one logical device of said external storage.

2. The storage system according to claim 1, wherein:

said monitoring computer is further configured to acquire a second dirty data amount indicative of how much second dirty data is stored in said at least one logical device, wherein said second dirty data is also stored among said cache memories of said storage adaptors,

said monitoring computer is further configured to select said storage adaptor for controlling said at least one logical device logical device based upon said first dirty data amount and said second dirty data amount.

3. The storage system according to claim 1, wherein said first storage adaptor is configured to:

perform an asynchronous remote copy of said data stored in said at least one logical device to another storage; and

acquire an amount indicative of how much side file data is contained in said cache memory of said storage adaptor which has not yet been transmitted to said other storage,

wherein said monitoring computer is further configured to select said storage adaptor for controlling said at least one logical device of said external storage based on said amount of side file data.

4. The storage system according to claim 3, further comprising:

a management apparatus coupled to said monitoring computer and configured to execute an instruction for selecting said storage adaptor received from said monitoring computer,

wherein said storage adaptor transfers said usage information of said cache memory, said dirty data amount or said amount of side file data to said monitoring computer,

wherein said management apparatus executes said instruction received from said monitoring computer.

5. The storage system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a management apparatus coupled to said monitoring computer and configured to execute an instruction for selecting said storage adaptor received from said monitoring computer,

wherein said storage adaptor transfers said usage information of said cache memory, said dirty data amount to said monitoring computer,

wherein said management apparatus executes said instruction received from said monitoring computer.

6. A storage system having a cluster configuration, comprising:

plural storage nodes, each of which is provided with a cache memory that temporarily stores read/written data according to an I/O (input/output) request from a host and a device that holds said data of said cache memory;

an interface for connecting an external storage provided with an external cache memory that stores read/written data according to an I/O request from said host and an external device coupled to said plural storage nodes;

a monitor configured to monitor and acquire a usage situation of each of said cache memories of said plural storage nodes; and

a selector configured to select a storage node so that usage of said cache memories is equalized, based on information of said usage situation of said cache memories,

wherein said external device of said external storage is controlled by said selected storage node via said interface,

wherein said monitor is further configured to acquire a dirty data quantity for each of said cache memories; and

said selector is further configured to select said storage node having the smallest amount of dirty data based upon said acquired dirty data quantities.

7. The storage system according to claim 6, further comprising a program module configure to perform an asynchronous remote copy operation from a second storage including said plural storage nodes to a third storage, said storage system configured to acquire a data amount indicative of the amount of side file data held in said cache memory of said storage node that has not yet been transmitted to said third storage,

wherein said selector is further configured to select said storage node based on said data amount.

8. The storage system according to claim 7, wherein said usage situation of said cache memory, said dirty data quantity or said data amount is displayed on a service terminal or a management server to provide it to a manager, wherein said selector is configured to select said storage node based on information from said service terminal or said management server.

9. The storage system according to claim 6, wherein said usage situation of said cache memory, said dirty data quantity is displayed on a service terminal or a management server to provide it to a manager, wherein said selector is configured to select said storage node based on information from said service terminal or said management server.

10. A storage system having a cluster configuration, comprising:

plural storage adaptors each of which is provided with a cache memory that stores read/written data according to an I/O (input/output) request from a host and a device that holds said data stored in said cache memory;

means for connecting an external storage having a logical device that handles read/written data and an external cache memory to one of said plural storage adaptors;

means for monitoring and for grasping a usage situation of said cache memories of said plural storage adaptors; and

selection means for referring to information of said usage situation of said cache memories acquired by said grasping means and for selecting any of said storage adaptors so that usage of said cache memories is equalized, wherein;

said logical device of said external storage is controlled by said storage adaptor selected by said selection means via said connection means, wherein;

said grasping means acquire an amount of dirty data (a first amount of dirty data) for each of said cache memories of said plural storage adaptors;

said selection means select said storage adaptor having a smaller amount of dirty data based upon said acquired amount of dirty data and controls said logical device of said external storage;

said grasping means further grasp an amount of dirty data (a second amount of dirty data), which is data to be stored in said logical device of said external storage and which is stored in said cache memory with which any of said storage adaptors is provided; and

said selection means select said storage adaptor for controlling said logical device of said external storage based upon said first amount of dirty data and said second amount of dirty data.