# US 8,572,417 B2 · Storage system and power consumption reduction method for the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,572,417 B2 - Document ID: US8572417B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/214,863 - Filed: 2011-08-22 - Published: 2011-12-15 - Granted: 2013-10-29 - Earliest claimed: 2008-01-24 - Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd. - Applicants: Keiichi Matsuzawa; Takahiro Nakano - Inventors: Keiichi Matsuzawa; Takahiro Nakano - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8572417B2 ## CPC - G06F 3/0625: {Power saving in storage systems} - G06F 1/3221: of disk drive devices - G06F 1/3268: {Power saving in hard disk drive} - G06F 1/3287: by switching off individual functional units in the computer system - G06F 3/0635: {by changing the path, e.g. traffic rerouting, path reconfiguration} - G06F 3/067: {Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]} - G06F 2206/1012: Load balancing - Y02D 10/00: Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - Y02D: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE ## Abstract In a storage system that includes two or more file servers each including an arbitrary number of operating virtual file servers, a management server: holds a load information table regarding a load on each virtual file server for each time period and redundancy information table for the storage system; judges, with reference to the load information table and redundancy information table, whether or not the loads on the virtual file servers can be handled by a smaller number of file servers than the number of currently-operating file servers; selects, if the judgment result is positive, a power-off target file server and makes another file server fail over a virtual file server in the power-off target file server; and turns off the power-off target file server. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A storage system, comprising: a storage apparatus; a computer that includes a file system controller for storing a file in the storage apparatus and a virtual file server; and a power management computer that includes a first shift controller; wherein the first shift controller refers to a load on the computer, and when the load on the computer is low, the first shift controller stops the virtual file server or performs failover for the virtual file server, and reduces the storage apparatus and the computer to a power-off state or a low power consumption state. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The storage system according to claim 1, wherein the power management computer further includes a second shift controller; and the second shift controller refers to the load on the computer, and when the load increases in a certain time period, the second shift controller sets the storage apparatus and the computer to a power-on state, or cancels their low power consumption state, and starts the virtual file server or performs failover for the virtual file server. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The storage system according to claim 1, wherein the power management computer further includes a memory; the memory stores virtual file server load information including a server name, a time period, and a load, and a redundancy information including a resource name, a minimum value, and a maximum value; and the first shift controller refers to the virtual file server information and the redundancy information and performs shift control. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The storage system according to claim 3, wherein the redundancy information further includes a number of storage apparatuses, a used amount in memory, and a network bandwidth. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The storage system according to claim 1, wherein the power management computer further includes a memory; the memory stores a redundancy information including a virtual file server name, and a number indicating a maximum number of virtual file servers that can operate in the computer; and the first shift controller refers to the redundancy information, and performs shift control when the number of virtual file servers is less than the maximum number of virtual file servers. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The storage system according to claim 1, wherein the power management computer further includes the file system controller and the virtual file server; and the first shift controller refers to a load on the computer and the power management computer, and when the load on the computer is low, the first shift controller stops the virtual file server or performs failover for the virtual file server, and reduces the storage apparatus, the computer, and the power management computer to a power-off state or a low power consumption state. ### Claim 7 A power management computer coupled to storage apparatuses and a computer which stores a file in the storage apparatuses, the power management computer comprising: a first shift controller which refers to a load on the computer, and when the load on the computer is low, the first shift controller stops the virtual file server or performs failover for the virtual file server, and reduces the storage apparatus and the computer to a power-off state or a low power consumption state. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The power management computer according to claim 7, further comprising: a second shift controller, which refers to the load on the computer, and when the load on the computer increases in a certain time period, the second shift controller sets the storage apparatus and the computer to a power-on state, or cancels the low power consumption state and, starts the virtual file server or performs failover for the virtual file server. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The power management computer according to claim 7, further comprising: a memory, which stores virtual file server load information including a server name, a time period, and a load, and a redundancy information including a resource name, a minimum value, and a maximum value; wherein the first shift controller refers to the virtual file server information and the redundancy information and performs shift control. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The power management computer according to claim 9, wherein the redundancy information further includes a number of storage apparatuses, a used amount in memory, and a network bandwidth. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The power management computer according to claim 7, further comprising: a memory, which stores a redundancy information including a virtual file server name, and a number indicating a maximum number of virtual file servers that can operate in the computer; wherein the first shift controller refers to the redundancy information and performs shift control when the number of virtual file servers is less than the maximum number of virtual file servers. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The power management computer according to claim 7, further comprising: a file system controller, wherein the first shift controller refers to a load on the computer and the power management computer, and when the load on the computer and the power management computer is low, the first shift controller stops the virtual file server or performs failover for the virtual file server, and reduces the storage apparatus, the computer, and the power management computer to a power-off state or a low power consumption state. ### Claim 13 A power consumption reduction method for a storage system, wherein the storage system includes a storage apparatus, a computer that includes a controller for storing a file in the storage apparatus and a virtual file server, and a power management computer that controls the storage apparatus and the computer, the power consumption reduction method comprising the steps of: referring to a load on the computer; and when the load on the computer is low, stopping the virtual file server or performing failover for the virtual file server; and reducing the storage apparatus and the computer to a power-off state or a low power consumption state. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The power consumption reduction method according to claim 13, further comprising the steps of: when the load on the computer increases in a certain time period, setting the storage apparatus and the computer to a power-on state, or canceling their low power consumption state; and starting the virtual file server or performing failover for the virtual file server. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The power consumption reduction method according to claim 13, wherein the power management computer further includes a memory, which stores virtual file server load information including a server name, a time period, and a load, and a redundancy information including a resource name, a minimum value, and a maximum value, the power consumption reduction method further comprising the steps of: referring to the virtual file server information and the redundancy information; and performing shift control. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The power consumption reduction method according to claim 15, wherein the redundancy information further includes a number of storage apparatuses, a used amount in memory, and a network bandwidth. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The power consumption reduction method according to claim 13, wherein the power management computer further includes a memory, which stores a redundancy information including a virtual file server name and a number indicating a maximum number of virtual file servers that can operate in the computer, the power consumption reduction method further comprising the steps of: referring to the redundancy information; and performing shift control when the number of virtual file servers is less than the maximum number of virtual file servers. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The power consumption reduction method according to claim 13, wherein the power management computer further includes the controller and the virtual file server, and wherein the first shift controller refers to a load on the computer and the power management computer, the power consumption reduction method further comprising the steps of: referring to a load on the computer and the power management computer; and reducing the storage apparatus, the computer, and the power management computer to a power-off state or a low power consumption state.