Storage area dynamic assignment method

A method of allocating a data storage area in a storage system, the storage system being connected to a plurality of host computers and a management computer, and the storage system comprising an interface unit which is coupled to the plurality of host computers and the management computer via a network, a control unit which is coupled to said interface unit and provides virtual volumes to the plurality of host computers, and a plurality of physical storage devices in which data used by the plurality of host computers is stored, the method comprising:

• sending, by a management computer, a request to migrate data;
• managing, by the control unit, a plurality of volumes prepared by the plurality of physical storage devices in response to the request,
• wherein the plurality of volumes includes a plurality of pool volumes constituting a storage area pool for providing chunks of the physical storage devices to the virtual volumes,
• wherein virtual volume address information is provided which includes logical addresses of storage areas allocated to the virtual volumes and information regarding the chunks corresponding to the logical addresses,
• wherein storage area pool information is provided which includes information showing a correspondence relationship between the logical addresses of storage areas provided by the pool volumes and the chunks of the physical storage devices;
• and
• migrating, by the control unit, data stored in a chunk allocated to one of the virtual volumes to one of the plurality of volumes based on the virtual volume address information and the storage area pool information, and identifying, from the virtual volume address information, a first logical address of a storage area allocated to a migration source virtual volume of the virtual volumes and a chunk corresponding to the migration source virtual volume;
• using the chunk corresponding to the migration source volume to identify, from the storage area pool information, a pool volume corresponding to the chunk and a second logical address of the pool volume corresponding to the chunk;
• and
• copying, by the control unit, the data at the second logical address of the pool volume to a third logical address of a real volume, the real volume being a migration destination real volume, wherein the storage area pool information further includes an allocation status for each virtual volume, the allocation status providing an indication of whether the chunks are allocated or unallocated to the respective virtual volumes.