Virtual volume control method involving device stop

A computer system, comprising:

• at least one host computers;
• a storage system connected to at least one host computers via a first network;
• and
• a management server connected to the at least one host computers and the storage system via a second network, wherein:
• the host computer comprises a first port connected to the first network, a first interface connected to the second network, a first processor connected to the first port and the first interface, and a first memory connected to the first processor;
• the storage system comprises a second port connected to the first network, a second interface connected to the second network, a second processor connected to the second port and the second interface, a second memory connected to the second processor, and at least one first physical devices that comprises one or more disk drives that each is capable of being controlled to start and stop rotation of a disk while power is being supplied to the disk drives and that stores data written by the host computer and at least one second physical device that comprises one or more disk drives that are incapable of being controlled for start and stop of rotation of a disk while power is being supplied to said one or more disk drives and that stores data written by the host computer,
• the management server comprises a third interface connected to the second network, a third processor connected to the third interface, and a third memory connected to the third processor;
• the third processor receives a request to define a logical device with respect to the storage system, refers to information included in the received request, judges whether or not it is necessary to control start and stop of a physical device corresponding to the logical device, transmits a request to define a pool area with respect to the first physical devices and to associate the defined pool area with the logical device, to the storage system through the third interface when it is necessary to control start and stop of the disk drive corresponding to the logical device, and transmits a request to define one or more pool areas with respect to the second physical device and to associate the defined one or more pool areas with the logical device, to the storage system through the third interface when it is not necessary to control start and stop of the disk drive corresponding to the logical device.

A method of controlling a computer system,

• the computer system including:
• at least one of host computers;
• and a storage system connected to at least one of the host computers via a network,
• the storage system including at least one first physical device that each has one or more disk drives each is capable of being controlled to start and stop rotation of a disk while power is being supplied to said one or more disk drives and that stores data written by the host computer, and at least one second physical device that comprises one or more disk drives that are incapable of being controlled for start and stop of rotation of a disk while power is being supplied to said one or more disk drives and that stores data written by the host computer,
• a plurality of logical devices being set in the storage system,
• at least one of the logical devices corresponding to a pool area,
• the method comprising:
• receiving a path release request with respect to the logical device;
• referring to information included in the received path release request to judge whether or not it is necessary to stop the logical device;
• releasing a path definition of the logical device designated by the path release request;
• judging whether or not the logical device designated by the path release request corresponds to the pool area when it is necessary to stop the logical device;
• specifying a physical device corresponding to the logical device designated by the received path release request when the logical device designated by the received path release request does not correspond to the pool area;
• judging whether or not the specified physical device is the first physical device;
• stopping rotation of the disk drives comprising the first physical device when the specified physical device is the first physical device;
• searching for the first physical device when the specified physical device is the second physical device;
• migrating data stored in the logical device designated by the path release request to the first physical device;
• and
• associating the logical device designated by the path release request with the first physical device of the migration destination.