Storage system and data replication method that refuses one or more requests for changing the first logical configuration information until the first storage apparatus and second storage apparatus are synchronized

A data replication method for a storage system having a first storage apparatus connected to a host system, that stores data transmitted from the host system, and a second storage apparatus connected to the first storage apparatus, that stores backup data for the first storage apparatus, the method comprising:

• a first step of identifying one or more requests for changing a first logical configuration information of a first data storage area from among one or more requests transmitted from the host system;
• a second step of, based on each of the one or more requests for changing the first logical configuration information identified in the first step, changing the first logical configuration information for the first storage apparatus;
• a third step of transmitting each of the one or more requests for changing the first logical configuration information to the second storage apparatus;
• a fourth step of changing a second logical configuration information for a second storage area to be the same as for the first logical configuration information in the first storage apparatus, based on each of the one or more requests for changing the first logical configuration information transmitted in the third step;
• a fifth step of managing the one or more requests for changing the first logical configuration information with a request queue;
• a sixth step of processing the one or more requests for changing the first logical configuration information in an order of the requests in the request queue;
• a seventh step of starting refusing the one or more requests for changing the first logical configuration information;
• an eighth step of transmitting the first logical configuration information to the second storage apparatus;
• a ninth step of creating a replica of the data transmitted from the host system;
• and
• a tenth step of ceasing refusing the requests for changing the first logical configuration information.

A storage system comprising:

• a first storage apparatus connected to a host system, that stores data transmitted from the host system;
• and
• a second storage apparatus connected to the first storage apparatus, that stores backup data for the first storage apparatus,
• wherein the first storage apparatus includes:
• first logical configuration information for a first data storage area,
• an identification unit that identifies one or more requests for changing the first logical configuration information from among one or more requests transmitted from the host system,
• a first change unit that changes the first logical configuration information based on each of the one or more requests for changing the first logical configuration information identified by the identification unit,
• a transmission unit that transmits each of the one or more requests for changing the first logical configuration information to the second storage apparatus,
• a request queue with which the one or more requests for changing the first logical configuration information are managed,
• a request processing unit that processes the one or more requests for changing the first logical configuration information in an order of the requests in the request queue, and
• a synchronization unit that starts refusing the one or more requests for changing the first logical configuration information from the host system, transmits the first logical configuration information to the second storage apparatus via the transmission unit, creates a replica of the data transmitted from the host system and stored in the first storage apparatus, for storage into the second storage apparatus and sends the replica of the data to the second storage apparatus, and then ceases refusing the one or more requests for changing the first logical configuration information from the host system;
• and the second storage apparatus includes:
• a second logical configuration information for a second data storage area,
• a second change unit that changes the second logical configuration information to be the same as for the first logical configuration information in the first storage apparatus, based on each of the one or more requests for changing the first logical configuration information transmitted from the transmission unit;
• and
• a synchronization processing unit that changes data in the second storage apparatus to the replica of the data sent by the synchronization unit.