Method for assigning storage area and computer system using the same
AssigneeHitachi, Ltd.
InventorsAi Satoyama, Yoshiaki Eguchi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
When a method for relocating data to a preferable storage area based on access frequency is applied to virtual machines, it takes a long time for determining volumes that are not accessed, and the access performance is deteriorated. The present invention provides a system and method in which a utilization status of a virtual machine is checked by the storage system, and pages used by virtual machines not being utilized are relocated promptly to lower tiers and pages used by virtual machines being utilized are relocated promptly to higher tiers, according to which the performance of the system is improved.
Claims16
A computer system comprising a host computer on which at least one virtual machine is operated, a management server and a storage system mutually coupled to one another;
- wherein the storage system comprises a control unit, a cache memory unit, a shared memory unit, a physical memory device unit composed of multiple types of devices, and a virtual machine status management unit;
- the control unit generates multiple logical volumes to be assigned to the host computer;
- the physical memory device unit composed of the multiple types of devices having tier assigned to each type of devices;
- the logical volumes are mapped to the virtual machines;
- and
- the type of the physical memory device assigned to the logical volume mapped to the virtual machine is changed based on a status information of the virtual machine that the virtual machine status management unit acquires from the virtual machine.
A method for assigning a storage area in a computer system comprising a host computer on which a plurality of virtual machines are operated, a management server, and a storage system composed of a control unit, a cache memory unit, a shared memory unit and a physical memory device unit composed of multiple types of devices, which are mutually coupled to one another;
- the method comprising:
- a step of the storage system generating multiple logical volumes to be assigned to the host computer;
- a step of assigning tier to each type of devices of the physical memory device unit composed of the multiple types of devices;
- a step of mapping the logical volumes to the virtual machines;
- and
- a step of changing the type of the memory device assigned to the logical volume mapped to the virtual machine based on a status information of the virtual machine that the virtual machine status management unit acquires from the virtual machine.
A computer system comprising a host computer on which multiple virtual machines are operated, a management server and a storage system mutually coupled to one another;
- wherein the storage system comprises a control unit, a cache memory unit, a shared memory unit, a physical memory device unit composed of multiple types of devices, and a virtual machine status management unit;
- the control unit generates multiple logical volumes to be assigned to the host computer;
- the physical memory device unit composed of the multiple types of devices having tier assigned to each type of devices;
- the logical volumes are mapped to the virtual machines;
- and
- wherein the logical volume is composed of one of the following:
- (V0) a real volume;
- (V1) a virtual volume;
- (V2) a first real snapshot volume of the real volume;
- (V3) a second real snapshot volume of the first real snapshot volume;
- (V4) a first virtual snapshot volume of the virtual volume;
- and
- (V5) a second virtual snapshot volume of the first virtual snapshot volume;
- wherein one of more of the following status information of the virtual machine is acquired at a timing of change of the status information:
- (VC1) power on or power off information of the host computer;
- (VC2) logon or logoff information of the virtual machine;
- (VC3) OS start information of the virtual machine;
- (VC4) suspended or resumed information of the virtual machine;
- (VC5) path information of the virtual machine;
- (VC6) failure information of the virtual machine;
- and
- (VC7) usage information of the virtual port of the virtual machine;
- and wherein the target area for changing the type of the memory device assigned to the logical volume is selected from one of the following areas upon changing the type of the memory device to be assigned to the logical volume:
- (1) page unit as minimum size constituting the logical volume;
- (2) only a single shared page when pages are duplicated;
- (3) replication volume unit of a real volume when the logical volume is set as the real volume;
- and
- (4) area corresponding to a real data section of a file format data.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.