US 2008/0178041 A1Published application

Data processing system and copy processing method thereof

AssigneeHitachi, Ltd.

InventorsMasamitsu Takahashi, Koji Ozawa, Takao Satoh

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Abstract

The invention is a copy processing technique in a data processing system, which can simultaneously achieve long-distance communication and no data loss when disaster occurs. Among a production site, a local site, and a remote site, long-distance remote copying from a disk array device at the production site to a disk array device at the remote site without data loss is achieved via a disk array device at the local site in combination with synchronous remote copying and asynchronous remote copying. Also, in the disk array devices at the local site and the remote site, copying is performed through a replica function. Even if the production site is affected by disaster, tasks can be continued at the local site having the same data as that of the production site and at the remote site a long distance away from the production site.

Claims7

Dependent claims

A data processing system comprising:

a plurality of disk array devices each including a storage device in which a plurality of logical volumes for storing data are set and a controlling unit for controlling storage of data into the logical volumes set in said storage device,
wherein said plurality of disk array devices include at least a first disk array device, a second disk array device, and a third disk array device, said first disk array device being disposed at a first site, said second disk array device being disposed at a second site, and said third disk array device being disposed at a third site,
wherein said first disk array device includes a first logical volume, said second disk array device includes a second logical volume and a third logical volume, and said third disk array device includes a fourth logical volume and a fifth logical volume,
wherein said data processing system is capable of bidirectional data transfer among said first disk array device, said second disk array device, and said third disk array device,
wherein a controlling unit of said first disk array device includes a function of, upon reception of a command having a remote command function issued from a host apparatus connected to said first disk array device, analyzing the command, transferring the command to said second disk array device when an instruction command for remote transfer to said second disk array device is added, and performing a process within said first disk array device when it is not added,
wherein a controlling unit of said second disk array device includes a function of, upon receipt of the command having the remote command function transferred from said first disk array device, analyzing the command to transfer the command to said third disk array device when an instruction command for remote transfer to said third disk array device is added, and performing a process within said second disk array device when it is not added,
wherein a controlling unit of said third disk array device has a function of, upon receipt of the command having the remote command function transferred from said second disk array device, performing a process within said third disk array device, and
wherein the command having said remote command function includes a first control command to said first disk array device for synchronous remote copying, a second control command to said second disk array device for asynchronous remote copying, a third control command to said second disk array device for a replica function, and a fourth control command to said third disk array device for the replica function.

5 more elements

A data processing system comprising:

a plurality of disk array devices each including a storage device in which a plurality of logical volumes for storing data are set and a controlling unit for controlling storage of data into the logical volumes set in said storage device,
wherein said plurality of disk array devices include at least a first disk array device, a second disk array device, and a third disk array device, said first disk array device being disposed at a first site, said second disk array device being disposed at a second site, and said third disk array device being disposed at a third site,
wherein said first disk array device includes a first logical volume, said second disk array device includes a second logical volume and a third logical volume, and said third disk array device includes a fourth logical volume and a fifth logical volume,
wherein said data processing system is capable of bidirectional data transfer among said first disk array device, said second disk array device, and said third disk array device,
wherein a controlling unit of said first disk array device includes a function of, upon reception of a command having a remote command function issued from a host apparatus connected to said first disk array device, analyzing the command, transferring the command to said second disk array device when an instruction command for remote transfer to said second disk array device is added, and performing a process within said first disk array device when it is not added,
wherein a controlling unit of said second disk array device includes a function of, upon receipt of the command having the remote command function transferred from said first disk array device, analyzing the command to transfer the command to said third disk array device when an instruction command for remote transfer to said third disk array device is added, and performing a process within said second disk array device when it is not added,
wherein a controlling unit of said third disk array device has a function of, upon receipt of the command having the remote command function transferred from said second disk array device, performing a process within said third disk array device, and
wherein data transfer from said second disk array device to said third disk array device is performed by repeating:
(a) a Split state including a replica function between said second logical volume and said third logical volume;
(b) a Resync & Suspend state including asynchronous remote copying between said third logical volume and said fourth logical volume;
(c) a Resync state including a replica function between said second logical volume and said third logical volume;
and (d) a Resync & Suspend state including a replica function between the fourth logical volume and the fifth logical volume.

9 more elements

A data processing system comprising:

a plurality of disk array devices each including a storage device in which a plurality of logical volumes for storing data are set and a controlling unit for controlling storage of data into the logical volumes set in said storage device,
wherein said plurality of disk array devices include at least a first disk array device, a second disk array device, and a third disk array device, said first disk array device being disposed at a first site, said second disk array device being disposed at a second site, and said third disk array device being disposed at a third site,
wherein said first disk array device includes a first logical volume, said second disk array device includes a second logical volume and a third logical volume, and said third disk array device includes a fourth logical volume and a fifth logical volume,
wherein said data processing system is capable of bidirectional data transfer among said first disk array device, said second disk array device, and said third disk array device,
wherein a controlling unit of said first disk array device includes a function of, upon reception of a command having a remote command function issued from a host apparatus connected to said first disk array device, analyzing the command, transferring the command to said second disk array device when an instruction command for remote transfer to said second disk array device is added, and performing a process within said first disk array device when it is not added,
wherein a controlling unit of said second disk array device includes a function of, upon receipt of the command having the remote command function transferred from said first disk array device, analyzing the command to transfer the command to said third disk array device when an instruction command for remote transfer to said third disk array device is added, and performing a process within said second disk array device when it is not added,
wherein a controlling unit of said third disk array device has a function of, upon receipt of the command having the remote command function transferred from said second disk array device, performing a process within said third disk array device, and
wherein, when a function of said first disk array device is stopped due to occasion of disaster, data of said second logical volume is transferred to said third disk array device by performing (a) a Split state including a replica function between said second logical volume and said third logical volume and (b) a Resync & Suspend state including asynchronous remote copying between said third logical volume and said fourth logical volume, and resuming tasks at said third disk array device.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/055,096Filed 25 Mar 2008
Priority: JP 2004-2545211 Sep 2004
Published: 24 Jul 2008
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

G06F 3/0659
Vertical data movement, i.e. input-output transfer; data movement between one or more hosts and one or more storage devices: command handling…
G06F 3/0614
Specifically adapted to achieve a particular effect: improving the reliability of storage systems
G06F 3/065
Horizontal data movement in storage systems, i.e. moving data in between storage devices or systems: replication mechanisms
G06F 3/067
Adopting a particular infrastructure: distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]

Family

Application10/970,028Continuation · filed 22 Oct 2004
Application12/055,096Continuation
US 2006/0048014 A1Published application
US 7,370,228 B2Related patent
US 7,870,423 B2Related patent
US 2008/0178041 A1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.