US 8,078,809 B2Granted

System for accessing an offline storage unit through an online storage unit

AssigneeHitachi, Ltd.

InventorsAkihiro Mori, Kiyohisa Miyamoto, Masashi Kimura

Life of this patent

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Abstract

By the same method as that of making data access to a data storage area in an online state, it is performed to access a data storage area other than the data storage area. A plurality of logical volumes carried by a disk array apparatus includes an online volume that is in an online state to a host and an offline state that is in an offline state to the host. The host transmits an access command including target information designating a target volume to the disk array apparatus as an access command to a starting volume other than the target volume. The disk array apparatus receives the access command to the starting volume and offers the data access to the target volume on the basis of the target information carried by that access command to the host.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A storage system comprising:

a controller coupled to a host computer;
a plurality of disk drives storing data sent from the host computer;
a plurality of logical volumes relating to at least one of the disk drives;
a first logical volume of the plurality of logical volumes, the first logical volume being recognized as an online logical volume by the host computer, and being a destination of a read/write command sent from the host computer;
and
a second logical volume of the plurality of logical volumes, the second logical volume being recognized as an offline logical volume by the host computer,
wherein when the controller receives from the host computer a first read/write command to read/write a first data corresponding to the first read/write command from/to the first logical volume, the first read/write command including a first identifier of the first logical volume as a destination of the first read/write command and a first target information designating a first access address in the first logical volume as a first read/write target, the controller reads/writes the first data corresponding to the first read/write command from/to the first logical volume by referring to the first target information included in the first read/write command, and
wherein when the controller receives from the host computer a second read/write command to read/write a second data corresponding to the second read/write command from/to the first logical volume, the second read/write command including the first identifier of the first logical volume as destination of the second read/write command and a second target information including a second identifier of the second logical volume and designating a second access address in the second logical volume as a second read/write target, the controller reads/writes the second data corresponding to the second read/write command from/to the second logical volume, instead of from/to the first logical volume, by referring the second target information included in the second read/write command.

5 more elements

A storage system comprising:

a controller coupled to a host computer;
a plurality of disk drives storing data sent from the host computer;
a plurality of logical volumes relating to at least one of the disk drives;
a first logical volume of the plurality of logical volumes, the first logical volume being recognized as an online logical volume by the host computer, and being a destination of a read/write command sent from the host computer;
and
a second logical volume of the plurality of logical volumes, the second logical volume being recognized as an offline logical volume by the host computer,
wherein the second logical volume cannot be the destination of the read/write command,
wherein when the controller receives from the host computer a first read/write command to read/write a first data corresponding to the first read/write command from/to the first logical volume, the first read/write command including a first identifier of the first logical volume as a destination of the first read/write command and a first target information designating a first access address in the first logical volume as a first read/write target, the controller reads/writes the first data corresponding to the first read/write command from/to the first logical volume by referring to the first target information included in the first read/write command, and
wherein when the controller receives from the host computer a second read/write command to read/write a second data corresponding to the second read/write command from/to the first logical volume, the second read/write command including the first identifier of the first logical volume as a destination of the second read/write command and a second target information including a second identifier of the second logical volume and designating a second access address in the second logical volume as a second read/write target, the controller reads/writes the second data corresponding to the second read/write command from/to the second logical volume, instead of from/to the first logical volume, by referring the second target information included in the second read/write command.

6 more elements

A storage system comprising:

a controller coupled to a host computer;
a plurality of disk drives storing data sent from the host computer;
a plurality of logical volumes relating to at least one of the disk drives;
an online logical volume of the plurality of logical volumes, the online logical volume being a destination of a read/write command sent from the host computer;
and
an offline logical volume of the plurality of logical volumes,
wherein the offline logical volume cannot be the destination of the read/write command,
wherein when the controller receives from the host computer a first read/write command to read/write a first data corresponding to the first read/write command from/to the online logical volume, the first read/write command including a first identifier of the online logical volume as a destination of the first read/write command and a first target information designating a first access address in the online logical volume as a first read/write target, the controller reads/writes the first data corresponding to the first read/write command from/to the online logical volume by referring the first target information included in the first read/write command, and
wherein when the controller receives from the host computer a second read/write command to read/write a second data corresponding to the second read/write command from/to the online logical volume, the second read/write command including the first identifier of the online logical volume as a destination of the second read/write command and a second target information including a second identifier of the offline logical volume and designating a second access address in the second logical volume as a second read/write target, the controller reads/writes the second data corresponding to the second read/write command from/to the offline logical volume, instead of from/to the online logical volume, by referring the second target information included in the second read/write command.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/073,823Filed 11 Mar 2008 · continuation
Priority: JP 2003-17334718 Jun 2003
Published: US 2008/0183946 A131 Jul 2008
Granted: 13 Dec 2011
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

G06F 3/065
Horizontal data movement in storage systems, i.e. moving data in between storage devices or systems: replication mechanisms
G06F 3/0604
Specifically adapted to achieve a particular effect: improving or facilitating administration, e.g. storage management
G06F 3/0605
Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. storage management: by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
G06F 3/0617
Improving the reliability of storage systems: in relation to availability

Family

Application10/769,806Parent of this continuation · filed 3 Feb 2004
Application11/357,152Parent of this continuation · filed 21 Feb 2006
US 2008/0183946 A1Pre-grant publication · published 31 Jul 2008
US 7,366,870 B2Parent of this continuation
US 7,058,753 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2004/0260874 A1Published application
US 2006/0143381 A1Published application
US 8,078,809 B2This patent

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