Storage system and snapshot configuration migration method

• US 8,006,054 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2008
• Issued: 08/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Ishii, Kenji, Nonaka, Yusuke, Nagata, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): RUTZ, JARED IAN
• Application Number:
  US12/076,177
• Publication Number:
  US 20090193206A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,257 Days
• Field of Search: 711161-162, 711/165
• US Class Current: 711/162
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1451 by selection of backup contents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0607 by facilitating the process of upgrading existing storage systems, e.g. for improving compatibility between host and storage device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0629 Configuration or reconfiguration of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0647 Migration mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0683 Plurality of storage devices

Abstract

A migration controller 4C creates, inside a migration-destination storage controller 2, a migration-destination volume 7A, a migration-destination snapshot volume 7B and a pool 7C corresponding to a migration-source volume 5A, a migration-source snapshot volume 5B, and a pool 5C, respectively. The migration controller 4C reproduces an update history of a migration-targeted generation as a write process of difference data to the migration-destination volume 7A. The migration-destination storage controller 2 constructs the migration-destination snapshot volume 7B in accordance with the update of the migration-destination volume 7A.

Claims

1. A storage system, which comprises a first storage controller and a second storage controller,

the first storage controller comprising:

a first volume, which is used by a host computer;

a first pool volume;

a first snapshot controller, which;

providing a first snapshot volume and a second snapshot volume to the host computer, the first snapshot volume logically storing the storage contents of the first volume at a first point in time, the second snapshot volume logically storing the storage contents of the first volume at second point in time, the second point in time is later than the first point in time;

saving update-targeted data and an update location of the first volume in the first pool volume when the first volume is updated; and

relating saved update-targeted data and update location to the first snapshot volume and the second snapshot volume,

the second storage controller comprising;

a second volume;

a second pool volume; and

a second snapshot controller, which;

providing at least one snapshot volume which logically storing the storage contents of the first volume at a point in time to the host computer;

saving update-targeted data and an update location in the second volume in the second pool volume when the second volume is updated; and

relating saved update-targeted data and update location to the at least one snapshot volume,

the storage system further comprising;

a migration controller for migrating data and a snapshot-related configuration from the first storage controller to the second storage controller, the migration controller configured to;

generate a third snapshot volume corresponding to the first snapshot volume and a forth snapshot volume corresponding to the second snapshot volume;

detect difference data between the contents of the first snapshot volume and content of the present first volume;

send the contents of the first snapshot volume from the first storage controller to the second storage controller as an update request to the second volume, the contents of the first snapshot volume provided with the data stored in the first volume and detected difference data stored in the first pool volume;

detect difference data between the contents of the second snapshot volume and the content of the first snapshot volume;

send the detected difference data between the contents of the second snapshot volume and the content of the first snapshot volume from the first storage controller to the second storage controller as an update request to the second volume, while the status between the second volume and the third snapshot volume is suspend status and the status between the second volume and the forth snapshot volume is pair status, so that the update-targeted data and the update location in the second volume to be saved in the second pool volume by the second snapshot controller in response to the update of the second logical volume with the difference data between the contents of the second snapshot volume and the content of the first snapshot volume sent from the first storage is not related to the forth snapshot volume but the third snapshot volume.

2. The storage system according to claim 1, wherein the migration controller creates in advance the second volume and the second snapshot volume inside the second storage controller by issuing a prescribed indication to the second storage controller.

3. The storage system according to claim 2, wherein the migration controller configures the relationship between the second volume and the second snapshot volume to a pair status for suspending difference management, and changes the relationship between the second volume and the second snapshot volume to a suspend status for executing difference management.

4. The storage system according to claim 1, wherein when an update request is issued from the host computer while the difference data related to the first snapshot volume is being migrated to a second snapshot volume, the migration controller manages new difference data which is generated in accordance with this update request, and writes the new difference data to the second snapshot volume.

5. The storage system according to claim 4, when the host computer requests an update for the difference data being migrated from the first snapshot volume to the second snapshot volume, the migration controller returns a busy response to the host computer, and when the host computer requests an update for the difference data other than the difference data being migrated, the migration controller manages the difference data related to the update request for the difference data other than the difference data being migrated as the new difference data.

6. The storage system according to claim 5, wherein the migration controller can use a management table for managing the difference data being migrated, and can use a separate management table for managing the new difference data.

7. The storage system according to claim 1, wherein the migration controller is disposed in either one of the first storage controller or the second storage controller.

8. The storage system according to claim 1, wherein the first storage controller and the second storage controller comprise a plurality of storage devices which are non-replaceably fixed inside an enclosure.

9. A snapshot configuration migration method for migrating data and a snapshot-related configuration from a first storage controller to a second storage controller, the snapshot configuration migration method comprising:

a preparation step of creating, inside the second storage controller, a second volume corresponding to a first volume inside the first storage controller, and a second snapshot volume corresponding to a first snapshot volume of the first storage controller;

a generation step for generating a third snapshot volume corresponding to the first snapshot volume and a forth snapshot volume corresponding to the second snapshot volume;

a difference data detection step of detecting difference data between the contents of the first snapshot volume and content of the present first volume, and detecting the difference data between the contents of the second snapshot volume and the content of the first snapshot volume;

a copying step of writing the detected difference data to the second volume by transferring same from the first storage controller to the second storage controller while the status between the second volume and the third snapshot volume is suspend status and the status between the second volume and the forth snapshot volume is pair status.

10. The snapshot configuration migration method according to claim 9, further comprising a step of managing an update request issued by a host computer during migration, detecting new difference data related to this update request, and writing this new difference data to the second snapshot volume.

11. A snapshot configuration migration method for migrating data and a snapshot-related configuration from a first storage controller to a second storage controller, the snapshot configuration migration method comprising:

a preparation step of creating, inside the second storage controller, a second volume corresponding to a first volume inside the first storage controller, and a second snapshot volume corresponding to a first snapshot volume of the first storage controller, and of configuring the relationship between the second volume and the second snapshot volume to a pair status for suspending difference management;

a generation step for generating a third snapshot volume corresponding to the first snapshot volume and a fourth snapshot volume corresponding to the second snapshot volume;

a status change step of changing the relationship between the second volume and the second snapshot volume to a suspend status for executing difference management;

a difference data detection step of detecting difference data between the contents of the first snapshot volume and content of the present first volume, and detecting the difference data between the contents of the second snapshot volume and the content of the first snapshot volume;

a detection data transfer step of transferring the detected difference data from the first storage controller to the second storage controller;

a saving step of copying and saving old data updated by the difference data to the second snapshot volume by using the snapshot function of the second storage controller, prior to writing the difference data to the second volume;

a copying step of writing the difference data to the second volume while the status between the second volume and the third snapshot volume is suspend status and the status between the second volume and the forth snapshot volume is pair status.