US 2007/0168598 A1 · Storage system that is connected to external storage

Abstract

A first storage system is connected to a second storage system, and an external device within the first storage system is provided to a host as a device of the second storage system. The second storage system includes a cache control section having cache adaptors, each controlling a disk and a cache, a protocol conversion section including protocol adaptors that switch requests from the host to appropriate ones of the cache adaptors, a management adaptor, and an internal network that mutually connects the cache adaptors, the protocol adaptors and the management adaptor. The first storage system being connected to any of the protocol adaptors is connected to the second storage system. The second storage system executes a processing for the external device by the cache control section, or connects to the first storage system through the protocol conversion section without the cache control section executing processing for the external device.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A method for controlling a storage device to be coupled to an external storage device, said storage device comprising a protocol adapter and a cache adapter, said method comprising:

determining whether said external storage device requires an input/output processing via cache adapter based on a request function level against said external storage device during logical unit path setting;
and
if said input/output processing via said cache adapter is required for said external storage device, conducting said input/output processing to said external storage device via said cache adapter, and if said input/output processing via said cache adapter is not required for said external storage, device, conducting said input/output processing to said external storage device not via said cache adapter,
wherein said protocol adapter comprises a port receiving input/output commands from a host computer, one of said input/output commands requesting said input/output processing,
wherein said cache adapter comprises a disk array, and
wherein said external storage device is to be coupled to said protocol adapter.

3 more elements

A method for controlling a storage device to be coupled to an external storage device, said storage device comprising a protocol adapter and a cache adapter, said method comprising:

determining whether said external storage device requires an input/output processing via said cache adapter based on a request function level against said external storage device during logical unit path setting;
and
setting an access mode based on said determining step,
wherein if said input/output processing via said cache adapter is required for said external storage device, then said access mode is set to a first mode so that said input/output is conducted to said external storage device via said cache adapter, and if said input/output processing via said cache adapter is not required for said external storage device, then said access mode is set to a second mode so that said input/output processing is conducted to said external storage device not via said cache adapter,
wherein said protocol adapter comprises a port receiving input/output commands from a host computer, one of said input/output commands requesting said input/output processing,
wherein said cache adapter comprises a disk array, and
wherein said external storage device is to be coupled to said protocol adapter.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Storage system that is connected to external storage

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Storage system that is connected to external storage

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims14