Snapshot acquisition method, storage system and disk apparatus

A storage system comprising:

• a storage apparatus for storing data, the storage apparatus including a copy device that copies data;
• and
• a NAS processing apparatus that provides file service via a communication path and is connected to the storage apparatus, the NAS processing apparatus including a snapshot management device that manages snapshots,
• wherein, upon receiving a data renewal request to renew data targeted for snapshot, the snapshot management device issues a data copy instruction to the copy device of the storage apparatus to copy the data targeted for snapshot;
• and
• the copy device receives the data copy instruction from the snapshot management device and copies the data based on the received data copy instruction, and preserves the data in a separate region of the storage apparatus.

A snapshot acquisition method in a storage system including a storage apparatus for storing data and a NAS processing apparatus that provides file service via a communication path and is connected to the storage apparatus, the snapshot acquisition method comprising:

• managing snapshots by the NAS processing apparatus;
• issuing from the NAS processing apparatus a physical address of data targeted for duplication;
• duplicating by a copy unit of the storage apparatus the data targeted for duplication based on the physical address of the data targeted for duplicating, in a separate region of the storage apparatus;
• wherein the duplicating step is performed by the copy unit of the storage apparatus;
• isolating by the copy unit of the storage apparatus the duplicated data based on an instruction from the NAS processing apparatus;
• and
• setting by the copy unit of the storage apparatus one of the duplicated data as a snapshot.

A storage system comprising:

• a storage apparatus for storing data, the storage apparatus including a data duplicating device that duplicates data;
• and
• a NAS processing apparatus that provides file service via a communication path and is connected to the storage apparatus, the NAS processing apparatus including a snapshot management device that manages snapshots,
• wherein the snapshot management device issues to the data duplicating device a duplication instruction including a physical address of data targeted for duplication;
• the duplicating device of the storage apparatus receives the duplication instruction from the snapshot management device and duplicates the data targeted for duplication based on the physical address of the data targeted for duplication issued from the snapshot management device of the NAS processing apparatus, isolates the duplicated data based on the duplication instruction from the NAS processing apparatus, and sets one of the duplicated data as a snapshot.