Method of controlling storage device controlling apparatus, and storage device controlling apparatus

A method of controlling a storage device controlling apparatus which includes:

• a plurality of channel controllers having a circuit board on which are formed a file access processing section receiving requests to input and output data in files as units from an information processing apparatus via a network and an I/O processor outputting to a storage device I/O requests corresponding to said requests to input and output data;
• and
• a disk controller executing input and output of data into and from said storage device in response to the I/O requests sent from said I/O processors, and
• which manages a memory area provided by said storage device in logical volumes, which are memory areas logically set on the memory area, said method comprising the steps of:
• performing, when data is written into a first logical volume, by said disk controller a replication management process by which said data is also written into a second logical volume in order to store a copy of the data in a second logical volume;
• receiving, by each of at least one of said channel controllers, correspondence between a first logical volume and a second logical volume where a copy of the first logical volume is stored, which correspondence is sent from said information processing apparatus, and notifying it to said disk controller;
• and
• performing by said disk controller said replication management process according to said notified correspondence.

A method of controlling a storage device controlling apparatus which includes:

• a plurality of channel controllers having a circuit board on which are formed a file access processing section receiving requests to input and output data in files as units from an information processing apparatus via a network and an I/O processor outputting to a storage device I/O requests corresponding to said requests to input and output data;
• and
• a disk controller executing input and output of data into and from said storage device in response to the I/O requests sent from said I/O processors, and
• which manages a memory area provided by said storage device in logical volumes, which are memory areas logically set on the memory area, said method comprising the steps of:
• performing, when data is written into a first logical volume, by said disk controller a remote replication management process by which said data is sent to a second logical volume provided by another storage device controlling apparatus in order to store a copy of the data in a second logical volume in said another storage device controlling apparatus;
• receiving, by each of at least one of said channel controllers, correspondence between a first logical volume and a second logical volume where a copy of the first logical volume is stored, which correspondence is sent from said information processing apparatus, and notifying it to said disk controller;
• and
• performing, by said disk controller, said remote replication management process according to said notified correspondence.

A method of controlling a storage device controlling apparatus which includes:

• a plurality of channel controllers having a circuit board on which are formed a file access processing section receiving requests to input and output data in files as units from an information processing apparatus via a network and an I/O processor outputting to a storage device I/O requests corresponding to said requests to input and output data;
• and
• a disk controller executing input and output of data into and from said storage device in response to the I/O requests sent from said I/O processors;
• said method comprising the steps of:
• receiving, by each of at least one of said channel controllers, setting information about backup of data stored in said storage device from said information processing apparatus;
• and
• reading to-be-backed-up data stored in said storage device based on said setting information and sending the data to a backup device coupled to said network.

A method of controlling a storage device controlling apparatus which includes:

• a plurality of channel controllers having a circuit board on which are formed a file access processing section receiving requests to input and output data in files as units from an information processing apparatus via a network and an I/O processor outputting to a storage device I/O requests corresponding to said requests to input and output data;
• and
• a disk controller executing input and output of data into and from said storage device in response to the I/O requests sent from said I/O processor,
• said method being for updating a program read from said storage device and executed by hardware formed on said circuit board, said method comprising the steps of:
• receiving, by each of at least one of said channel controllers, data for updating said program and sent from said information processing apparatus;
• and
• updating, by said controlling apparatus, said program stored in said storage device according to the data for updating the program.

A method of controlling a storage device controlling apparatus which includes:

• a plurality of channel controllers implemented by, as components, a circuit board on which are formed a file access processing section receiving requests to input and output data in files as units from an information processing apparatus via a network and an I/O processor outputting to a storage device I/O requests corresponding to said requests to input and output data;
• and
• a disk controller executing input and output of data into and from said storage device in response to the I/O requests sent from said I/O processors;
• said method comprising the steps of:
• receiving, by each of at least one of said channel controllers, information specifying a second channel controller as the to-fail-over for fail-over automatically performed in association with a first channel controller's processing, said information being sent from said information processing apparatus;
• and
• automatically performing, by said storage device controlling apparatus, fail-over from the first channel controller to the second channel controller based on said specifying information.

A storage device controlling apparatus which. includes:

• a plurality of channel controllers having a circuit board on which are formed a file access processing section receiving from an information processing apparatus requests to input and output data in files as units via a network and an I/O processor outputting to a storage device I/O requests corresponding to said requests to input and output data;
• and
• a disk controller executing input and output of data into and from said storage device in response to the I/O requests sent from said I/O processors, and
• which manages a memory area provided by said storage device in logical volumes, which are memory areas logically set on the memory area, said controlling apparatus wherein at least one of said channel controllers comprises a section receiving data specifying an assignment of a logical volume to said channel controller, said data being sent from said information processing apparatus;
• and a section storing said received assignment.

A storage device controlling apparatus which includes:

• a plurality of channel controllers having a circuit board on which are formed a file access processing section receiving from an information processing apparatus requests to input and output data in files as units via a network and an I/O processor outputting to a storage device I/O requests corresponding to said requests to input and output data;
• and
• a disk controller executing input and output of data into and from said storage device in response to the I/O requests sent from said I/O processors, and
• which manages a memory area provided by said storage device in logical volumes, which are memory areas logically set on the memory area,
• said controlling apparatus wherein said disk controller comprises a section which, when data is written into a first logical volume, performs a replication management process by which said data is also written into a second logical volume in order to store a copy of the data in a second logical volume,
• wherein at least one of said channel controllers comprises a section which receives correspondence between a first logical volume and a second logical volume where a copy of the first logical volume is stored, which correspondence is sent from said information processing apparatus, and which notifies it to said disk controller, and
• wherein said disk controller further comprises a section which performs said replication management process according to said notified correspondence.

A storage device controlling apparatus which includes:

• a plurality of channel controllers having a circuit board on which are formed a file access processing section receiving from an information processing apparatus requests to input and output data in files as units via a network and an I/O processor outputting to a storage device I/O requests corresponding to said requests to input and output data;
• and
• a disk controller executing input and output of data into and from said storage device in response to the I/O requests sent from said I/O processors, and
• which manages a memory area provided by said storage device in logical volumes, which are memory areas logically set on the memory area,
• said controlling apparatus wherein said disk controller comprises a section which, when data is written into a first logical volume, performs a remote replication management process by which said data is sent to a second logical volume provided by another storage device controlling apparatus in order to store a copy of the data in a second logical volume in said another storage device controlling apparatus,
• wherein each of at least one of said channel controllers further comprises a section which receives correspondence between a first logical volume and a second logical volume where a copy of the first logical volume is stored, which correspondence is sent from said information processing apparatus, and notifies it to said disk controller, and
• wherein said disk controller further comprises a section which performs said remote replication management process according to said notified correspondence.

A method of controlling a storage device controlling apparatus which includes:

• a plurality of channel controllers having a circuit board on which are formed a file access processing section receiving from an information processing apparatus requests to input and output data in files as units via a network and an I/O processor outputting to a storage device I/O requests corresponding to said requests to input and output data;
• and
• a disk controller executing input and output of data into and from said storage device in response to the I/O requests sent from said I/O processors,
• said controlling apparatus wherein each of at least one of said channel controllers further comprises a section which receives setting information about backup of data stored in said storage device from said information processing apparatus;
• and a section which reads to-be-backed-up data stored in said storage device based on said setting information and sends the data to a backup device coupled to said network.

A storage device controlling apparatus which includes:

• a plurality of channel controllers having a circuit board on which are formed a file access processing section receiving from an information processing apparatus requests to input and output data in files as units via a network and an I/O processor outputting to a storage device I/O requests corresponding to said requests to input and output data;
• and
• a disk controller executing input and output of data into and from said storage device in response to the I/O requests sent from said I/O processors,
• said controlling apparatus being for updating a program read from said storage device and executed by hardware formed on said circuit board,
• said controlling apparatus wherein each of at least one of said channel controllers further comprises a section which receives data for updating said program and sent from said information processing apparatus, and
• said controlling apparatus further comprising a section which updates said program stored in said storage device according to the data for updating the program.

A storage device controlling apparatus which includes:

• a plurality of channel controllers implemented by, as components, a circuit board on which are formed a file access processing section receiving from an information processing apparatus requests to input and output data in files as units via a network and an I/O processor outputting to a storage device I/O requests corresponding to said requests to input and output data;
• and
• a disk controller executing input and output of data into and from said storage device in response to the I/O requests sent from said I/O processors,
• said controlling apparatus wherein each of at least one of said channel controllers further comprises a section which receives information specifying a second channel controller as the to-fail-over for fail-over automatically performed in association with a first channel controller's processing, said information being sent from said information processing apparatus, and said controlling apparatus further comprising a section which automatically performs fail-over from the first channel controller to the second channel controller based on said specifying information.