U.S. patent application number 10/988704 was filed with the patent office on 2005-03-24 for storage system.
Invention is credited to Mannen, Akihiro, Matsunami, Naoto, Yagisawa, Ikuya, Yamamoto, Masayuki.
Application Number | 20050065984 10/988704 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32844444 |
Filed Date | 2005-03-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050065984 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Yagisawa, Ikuya ; et
al. |
March 24, 2005 |
Storage system
Abstract
A disk array includes a drive management unit, which is a
program for identifying kinds of disk devices and managing
different disk devices separately, and a drive management table for
storing information to be utilized by the drive management unit.
The disk array further includes a program for managing accumulated
time of disk devices. The program includes a drive lifetime setting
portion for setting lifetimes of drives, a drive start/stop portion
for intentionally starting/stopping ATA disk devices, and an
operation time measurement portion for measuring accumulated
operation time. Since it is necessary to be conscious of difference
in reliability and performance among disk devices when forming a
RAID, a drive kind notification unit, which is a program for
notifying of the kind of a disk device when forming the RAID, is
provided.
Inventors: |
Yagisawa, Ikuya; (Tokyo,
JP) ; Matsunami, Naoto; (Hayama, JP) ; Mannen,
Akihiro; (Yokohama, JP) ; Yamamoto, Masayuki;
(Sagamihara, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ANTONELLI, TERRY, STOUT & KRAUS, LLP
1300 NORTH SEVENTEENTH STREET
SUITE 1800
ARLINGTON
VA
22209-9889
US
|
Family ID: |
32844444 |
Appl. No.: |
10/988704 |
Filed: |
November 16, 2004 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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10988704 |
Nov 16, 2004 |
|
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|
10419096 |
Apr 21, 2003 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 ;
707/999.104; 707/999.2; 707/999.202 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 3/0661 20130101;
G06F 3/0607 20130101; G06F 11/2069 20130101; G06F 3/0653 20130101;
G06F 3/0616 20130101; G06F 3/0647 20130101; G06F 3/0634 20130101;
G06F 3/0689 20130101; G06F 11/1456 20130101; G06F 11/2071 20130101;
G06F 3/0617 20130101; G06F 3/0658 20130101; G06F 3/0629 20130101;
G06F 3/065 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
707/200 ;
707/104.1; 707/205 |
International
Class: |
G06F 007/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Feb 17, 2003 |
JP |
2003-037602 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A configuration management method for a storage system including
at least one first type of disk devices each having a first type of
interface, at least one second type of disk devices each having a
second type of interface, and a disk control unit coupled to said
at least one first type of disk devices and said at least one
second type of disk devices, wherein a command type executed by a
disk device of said at least one first type of disk devices is
different from a command type executed by a disk device of said at
least one second type of disk devices, said configuration
management method comprising steps of: recognizing an interface
type of each disk device coupled to said disk control unit;
transmitting information indicating the recognized interface type
of each disk device from said disk control unit to a management
computer coupled to said storage system; and outputting the
information indicating the interface type of each disk device at
said management computer.
2. The configuration management method according to claim 1,
wherein in said recognizing step, said disk control unit issues a
command and receives information associated with the interface type
of each disk device in response to said command.
3. The configuration management method according to claim 1,
further comprising steps of: issuing an instruction to configure a
RAID group by using a plurality of disk devices selected based on
the output information indicating the interface type of each disk
device from said management computer to said storage system; and
configuring a RAID group by using the selected plurality of disk
devices according to the issued instruction.
4. The configuration management method according to claim 3,
further comprising the steps of: receiving a use of said RAID group
to be configured according to the instruction from said management
computer; and outputting a warning when performance of said
selected plurality of disk devices is unsuitable for the received
use of said RAID group, wherein said performance of said selected
plural disk devices is based on an interface type of each of said
selected plurality of disk devices.
5. The configuration management method according to claim 1,
further comprising a step of: at said storage system, receiving an
acquisition instruction to obtain information indicating the
recognized interface type of each disk device, and wherein in said
transmitting step, said storage system transmits the information
indicating the recognized interface type of each disk device, which
is obtained according to the acquisition instruction, to said
management computer.
6. The configuration management method according to claim 1,
further comprising a step of: obtaining information indicating
configuration of each logical storage area configured in said
storage system from said storage system, wherein said information
includes information indicating at least one of the disk devices,
on which the logical storage area is configured.
7. The configuration management method according to claim 6,
further comprising the steps of: receiving condition information
for a logical storage area to be assigned to a host computer
coupled to said storage system; and selecting a logical storage
area for assigning to said host computer based on the received
condition information and the interface type of each disk device on
which said logical storage area is configured.
8. A storage system comprising: at least one first type of disk
devices each including a first type of interface; at least one
second type of disk devices each including a second type of
interface; and a disk control unit coupled to said at least one
first type of disk devices and at least one second type of disk
devices, wherein a command type of said at least one first type of
disk devices is different from a command for said at least one
second type of disk devices, wherein said disk control unit
includes an interface coupled to a management computer, and wherein
said disk control unit is configured to output information
indicating an interface type of each disk device, coupled to said
disk control unit, to said management computer via said
interface.
9. The storage system according to claim 8, wherein said disk
control unit is configured to issue a command, receive information
associated with the interface type of the each disk device in
response to said command, and send the information indicating the
interface type of the each disk device to said management computer
based on the received information.
10. The storage system according to claim 9, wherein said disk
control unit comprises: a memory which stores said information
indicating the interface type of each disk device, and wherein said
disk control unit is configured to obtain said information
indicating the interface type of each disk device from said memory
and send said information to said management computer via said
interface.
11. The storage system according to claim 8, wherein said disk
control unit is configured to form at least one first type of RAID
groups from said at least one first type of disk devices, and to
form at least one second type of RAID groups from said at least one
second type of disk devices, based on the recognized interface type
of each disk device.
12. The storage system according to claim 8, wherein at least one
first type of logical storage areas are configured in said at least
one first type of disk devices, at least one second type of logical
storage areas are configured in said at least one second type of
disk devices, and wherein said disk control unit is configured to
output configuration information of each logical storage area to
said management computer, said configuration information includes
an indication of a type of each logical storage area associated
with an interface type of disk devices constituting each logical
storage area.
13. The -storage system according to claim 12, wherein said disk
control unit is configured to assign a logical storage area to a
host computer coupled to said storage system based on the type of
each logical storage area.
14. A storage system according to claim 12, wherein said disk
control unit further includes a memory storing said configuration
information of each logical storage area.
Description
[0001] The present application is a continuation of application
Ser. No. 10/419,096, filed Apr. 21, 2003, the contents of which are
incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates mainly to a control method for
storage system and a storage system.
Description of Related Art
[0003] As a kind of a storage system connected to a computer, there
are disk arrays. Disk arrays are called RAID (Redundant Arrays of
Inexpensive Disks). The disk array is a storage system including a
plurality of disk devices arranged in an array form and a control
unit for controlling them. In the disk array, read requests (data
readout requests) and write requests (data write requests) are
processed at high speed by parallel operation of disk devices, and
redundancy is added to data. The disk arrays are classified into
five levels in accordance with the kind and configuration of the
added data, as disclosed in "A case for Redundant Arrays of
Inexpensive Disks (RAID)", David A. Patterson, Garth Gibson, and
Randy H. Katz, Computer Science Division Department of Electrical
Engineering and Computer Sciences, University of California
Berkeley. By the way, disk devices are storages having a hard disk,
an optical magnetic disk, or the like.
[0004] On the other hand, in disk devices, there are some kinds
differing in interface used for connection to other devices. For
example, there are disk devices (hereafter referred to as FC disk
devices) each having a fibre channel (hereafter referred to as FC)
interface for which standardization work is being conducted by ANSI
T11, and Advanced Technology Attachment disk devices (hereafter
referred to as ATA disk devices) each having an ATA (Advanced
Technology Attachment) interface for which standardization work is
being conducted by ANSI T13.
[0005] ATA disk devices are comparatively inexpensive and used in
desktop computers for homes. On the other hand, FC disk devices are
used in business servers of which reliability is required. As
compared with the ATA disk devices, therefore, the FC disk devices
have higher processing performance in data input/output (hereafter
referred to as I/O) and such higher reliability that they can
withstand continuous operation over 24 hours on 365 days. In the
case where these disk devices are used in storage systems such as
disk arrays, disk devices are used properly sometimes in accordance
with the performance, price or the like required of the disk array.
For example, a technique of improving the reliability of data
stored in a disk array by using a disk device that is higher in
performance than a data storing disk device as a disk device for
storing parities, which are redundant data, is disclosed in
JP-A-10-301720.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] In recent years, there is a demand that a data stored in
disk devices in the hosts should be consolidated into one disk
array in order to decrease the cost of data management. If the disk
arrays are merely collected into one disk array physically,
however, flexibility is impaired as compared with the case where a
plurality of disk arrays differing in kind or performance are used.
Therefore, there are increased demands that a more flexible array
construction should be conducted while holding down the price of
the disk array, by providing disk devices having high price, high
reliability, and high performance and disk devices having low price
and low reliability mixedly in one disk array and properly using
the disk devices according to use.
[0007] In the conventional technique, however, it is difficult to
unitarily manage the reliability of disk devices. Therefore, it has
not been considered to provide mixedly disk devices differing in
reliability of disk device itself, such as, for example, device
lifetime, and construct and manage a storage system, such as a disk
array.
[0008] Therefore, the present invention provides a storage system
including a plurality of storages differing in reliability of
storage itself, and a control unit connected to the storages. The
control unit further includes an interface to which the storages
are connected, and the control unit detects information concerning
the reliability of each of the storages and manages the detected
information. To be concrete, it is conceivable that the control
unit detects a kind of each of the storages and thereby determines
a lifetime (predetermined available time given by the storage type)
of the storage. Furthermore, it is also conceivable that the
control unit manages the detected lifetime of each of the storages
and time when the storage has been used, and thereby manages a
remaining available time (remaining lifetime) of the disk
device.
[0009] Furthermore, the control unit in the storage system
according to the present invention alters a use form of each of the
storages according to its remaining lifetime. For example, if the
remaining lifetime of a managed storage has become shorter than a
certain predetermined time, then the storage is used for obtaining
backup of data, or the use of the storage is stopped and
replaced.
[0010] Furthermore, the control unit in the storage system
according to the present invention previously determines use of
each of the storages according to its available time. For example,
storages each having a long available time are discriminated from
storages each having a short available time. A group of storages
each having a long available time are designated as usually used
storages, whereas a group of storages each having a short available
time are designated as storages for storing backup data.
[0011] Furthermore, the control unit in the storage system
according to the present invention controls these storages on the
basis of detected kinds of the storages. For example, the control
unit issues a command peculiar to a storage according to the
detected kind of the storage.
[0012] Furthermore, the control unit in the storage system
according to the present invention may have a program for
identifying kinds of storages and managing different storages
separately, and a drive management table that stores management
information.
[0013] Furthermore, the storage system according to the present
invention, for example, sets a lifetime of each of the drives,
intentionally start/stops each of ATA disk devices, and measures
accumulated operation time.
[0014] Furthermore, a storage management server for managing an
environment including a mixture of storage systems described above
may also be provided.
[0015] Furthermore, the storage system conducts data duplication
between storage systems or within the storage system, and assigns
logical storage regions that become subjects of data duplication on
the basis of lifetime management.
[0016] By the way, both logical storages and physical storages,
such as disk devices, are included in "storages."
[0017] Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will
become apparent from the following description of the embodiments
of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram in a first
embodiment of the invention;
[0019] FIG. 2 is a diagram of a drive management table in the first
embodiment;
[0020] FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of an input unit in the
first embodiment;
[0021] FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of an output unit in the
first embodiment;
[0022] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of an LU management
table in the first embodiment;
[0023] FIG. 6 is a flow chart of a drive lifetime management
operation in the first embodiment;
[0024] FIG. 7 is a system configuration diagram in a second
embodiment of the invention;
[0025] FIG. 8 is a diagram of a port bypass circuit in the second
embodiment;
[0026] FIG. 9 is a diagram of an FC-ATA conversion I/F in the
second embodiment;
[0027] FIG. 10 is a system configuration diagram in the third
embodiment of the invention;
[0028] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of an LU pair
management table in the third embodiment;
[0029] FIG. 12 is a diagram of a storage management server in the
third embodiment;
[0030] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a device list in
the third embodiment;
[0031] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of an LU evaluation
item table in the third embodiment;
[0032] FIG. 15 is a flow chart of logical unit (LU) assignment
processing in the third embodiment;
[0033] FIG. 16 is a flow chart of host LU assignment processing in
the third embodiment;
[0034] FIG. 17 is a flow chart of copy destination LU assignment
processing in the third embodiment;
[0035] FIG. 18 is a flow chart of assignment candidate LU search
processing in the third embodiment;
[0036] FIG. 19 is a diagram showing an example of an LU remaining
lifetime watermark table in the third embodiment; and
[0037] FIG. 20 is a flow chart of LU lifetime management processing
in the third embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0038] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a first embodiment of a storage
system according to the present invention. A disk array 700, which
is an example of a storage system, is connected to a computer
(hereafter referred to as host) 100 and a management terminal 500.
As for an interface used for connection to the host 100, an FC or a
SCSI is conceivable. The disk array 700 includes a disk array
control unit 200, an FC disk group 310, and an ATA disk group
410.
[0039] The FC disk group 310 includes a plurality of FC disk
devices 301. The ATA disk group 410 includes a plurality of ATA
disk devices 401. In the present embodiment, FC disk devices and
ATA disk devices are exemplified. In application of the present
invention, however, disk devices used in the disk array are not
limited to these disk devices.
[0040] The management terminal 500 includes an input unit 510, such
as a keyboard device, used by the user when inputting setting
concerning the disk array 700, and an output unit 520, such as a
display device, for showing information concerning the disk array
700 to the user.
[0041] The disk array control unit 200 includes a CPU 201 for
executing a program to control the disk array 700, a memory 202, a
cache 203 for temporarily storing input and output data of the host
100, a host FC I/F 204 for controlling data transmission and
reception between the host 100 and the disk array control unit 200,
a drive FC I/F 205 for controlling data transmission and reception
between the FC disk group 310 and the disk array control unit 200,
a drive ATA I/F 206 for controlling data transmission and reception
between the ATA disk group 410 and the disk array control unit 200,
and a management interface (I/F) 207 for controlling information
transmission and reception between the management terminal 500 and
the disk array control unit 200. These components are connected to
each other via an internal bus.
[0042] The drive FC I/F 205 is connected to the FC disk group 310
via an FC. In the present embodiment, the fibre channel arbitration
loop is used as a protocol for the FC. However, the protocol is not
limited to this, but another protocol, such as the point-to-point
or fabric of the FC, also may be used.
[0043] The drive ATA I/F 206 is connected to ATA disk devices
included in the ATA disk group 410 via an ATA bus.
[0044] Various programs to be executed by the CPU 201 to control
the disk array 700 are stored in the memory 202. To be concrete, a
RAID control program 210 for controlling the operation of the disk
array 700, and a management agent 800 for managing the
configuration of the disk array 700 are stored in the memory 202.
Various kinds of information is also stored in the memory 202. To
be concrete, a drive management table 240 for recording information
concerning the FC disk group 310 and the ATA disk group 410, and an
LU management table 245 for recording information concerning a
logical storage region (hereafter referred to as FCLU) 320 created
in the FC disk group 310 and a logical storage region (hereafter
referred to as ATA LU) 420 created in the ATA disk group 410 are
also stored in the memory 202.
[0045] The RAID control program 210 is formed of several
subprograms. To be concrete, the RAID control program 210 includes
a drive command issuance program 220 to be executed by the CPU 201
when issuing a command to the FC disk group 310 or the ATA disk
group 410, a drive management program 230 to be executed to manage
the FC disk group 310 and the ATA disk group 410, and an LU
management program 225 to be executed to manage logical storage
regions (hereafter referred to as LU) preset in respective disk
groups.
[0046] The management agent 800 is formed of several subprograms.
To be concrete, the management agent 800 includes a drive
information setting program 250 to be executed when setting
information (hereafter referred to as drive information) concerning
a disk device in response to an input from the management terminal
500, a drive information notification program 260 to be executed
when outputting drive information to the management terminal 500,
an array information setting program 270 to be executed when
setting information (hereafter referred to as array information)
concerning the disk array 700, and an array information
notification program 280 to be executed when outputting array
information to the management terminal 500.
[0047] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of contents of the
drive management table 240. The drive management table 240 has
items for registering various kinds of information for each of disk
devices included in the disk array 700. To be concrete, the drive
management table 240 has a "drive No." column 240a for registering
a number assigned to the disk device, a "drive type" column 240b
for registering a type of the disk device, an "array configuration"
column 240c for registering an RAID group (a set of disk devices
forming redundancy) including the disk device and its RAID level
(hereafter referred to as array configuration), a "use" column 240d
for registering a user's use (hereafter referred to as array use)
of a RAID group including the disk device, a "start situation"
column 240e for registering a situation as to whether the disk
device is started or stopped, an "accumulated time" column 240f for
registering accumulated operation time of the disk device, a
"lifetime setting" column 240g for registering lifetime of the disk
device, a "remaining lifetime" column 240h for registering a
remaining lifetime of the disk device, and an "automatic migration
specification" column 240i for registering whether data should be
automatically migrated (hereafter referred to as automatic
migration) to another disk device when the disk device is judged to
have arrived at the lifetime.
[0048] To be concrete, information indicating FC or ATA is
registered in the "drive kind" column 240b. A number indicating an
order in which the RAID group has been created, and information
indicating the RAID level are registered in the "array
configuration" column 240c. For example, a disk device for which
"(1)RAID5" has been registered is a disk device included in a RAID
group having a RAID level 5 created first. In the disk array 700, a
plurality of RAID groups can be created. For example, RAID groups
RAID1 and RAID5 can be created. Disk devices included in the RAID
group may be all devices included in the disk array 700 or may be a
part of them.
[0049] In the "use" column 240d, to be concrete, information, such
as DB indicating the use of the database and FS indicating the use
of the file system, is registered. In the "start situation" column
240e, information indicating ON is registered in the case where the
disk device is started, and information indicating OFF is
registered in the case where the disk device is stopped. In the
"remaining lifetime" column 240h, a value indicating a difference
between time registered in the "lifetime setting" column 240g and
time registered in the "accumulated time" column 240f is stored. In
the "automatic migration specification" column 240i, 1 is
registered when setting automatic migration of data stored in the
disk device, and 0 is registered when not setting automatic
migration of data stored in the disk device.
[0050] The drive management program 230 is executed in the CPU 201,
when the disk array control unit 200 discriminates the kind of the
disk device, when the disk array control unit 200 measures the
operation time of the disk device, when the disk array control unit
200 controls the start and stop of the disk device, and when the
disk array control unit 200 executes the automatic migration in
response to arrival of the disk device at the lifetime.
[0051] The drive information setting program 250 is executed in the
CPU 201, when the disk array control unit 200 sets the kind of the
disk device in the drive management table 240 in accordance with an
input from the management terminal 500, when the disk array control
unit 200 sets the lifetime of the disk device in the drive
management table 240, and when the disk array control unit 200 sets
the situation of start and stop of the disk device in the drive
management table 240.
[0052] The drive information notification program 260 is executed
in the CPU 201, when the disk array control unit 200 notifies the
management terminal 500 of the kind of the disk device, when the
disk array control unit 200 notifies the management terminal 500 of
the accumulated operation time of the disk device, when the disk
array control unit 200 notifies the management terminal 500 of the
situation of start and stop of the disk device, when the disk array
control unit 200 orders exchange of the disk device, and when the
disk array control unit 200 notifies that automatic migration of
data to another disk device has been conducted because of arrival
of the disk device at the lifetime.
[0053] The array information setting program 270 is executed in the
CPU 201, when the disk array control unit 200 sets the array
configuration in accordance with an input from the management
terminal 500, and when the disk array control unit 200 sets the use
of the array in accordance with an input from the management
terminal 500.
[0054] The array information notification program 280 is executed
in the CPU 201, when the disk array control unit 200 notifies the
management terminal 500 of information concerning the array
configuration, and when the disk array control unit 200 notifies
the management terminal 500 of information concerning the use of
the array.
[0055] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a picture
displayed on the output unit 520 of the management terminal 500
when the user or manager of the disk array 700 conducts setting of
the disk array 700. In this case, the following regions are
displayed on the output unit 520. The regions are a drive kind
setting region 551 for displaying an input kind of the disk device,
a drive lifetime setting region 552 for displaying an input
lifetime of the disk device, a drive start/stop setting region 553
for displaying a start/stop condition of the disk device specified
by the user, an array configuration setting region 571 for
displaying an input array configuration, and an array use setting
region 572 for displaying an input array use. While watching the
picture, the user inputs necessary data via the input unit, and
ascertains contents of the input data.
[0056] FIG. 4 shows an example of a picture displayed on the output
unit 520 when the user or manager of the disk array 700 acquires
information of the disk array 700 via the management terminal 500.
In this case, the following regions are displayed on the output
unit 520.
[0057] The regions are a drive kind display region 561 for
displaying a kind of a disk device included in the disk array 700,
an operation time display region 562 for displaying accumulated
operation time of a disk device included in the disk array 700, a
drive state display region 563 for displaying a start/stop
situation of the disk device, an exchange order display region 564
for displaying an exchange order of the disk device, an automatic
migration notification display region 565 for displaying that
automatic migration of data to another disk device has been
conducted because of arrival of some disk device at the lifetime,
an array configuration display region 581 for displaying a preset
array configuration, and an array use display region 582 for
displaying a preset array use. By displaying this picture on the
management terminal 500, the manager or user can ascertain the
state of the disk array 700.
[0058] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of contents of the LU
management table 245 used by the disk array control unit 200 to
manage the FCLU 320 and the ATA LU 420. In the LU management table
245, the following items for registering information is provided
for each LU in order that the disk array control unit 200 may
manage respective LUs.
[0059] In "LU No." column 245a, identifiers arbitrarily assigned to
respective LUs are registered. In "host assignment situation"
column 245b, information of "presence" or "absence" indicating
whether an LU has been assigned to the host 100 is registered
(hereafter referred to as used if assigned, and referred to as
unused if not assigned). In "SCSI ID" column 245c, a SCSI ID
number, which is assigned to a logical storage including an LU, is
registered if the LU is assigned to the host 100. In "LUN" column
245d, a SCSI logical unit number required for the host 100 to
access an LU is registered if the LU is assigned to the host
100.
[0060] In "capacity" column 245e, a storage capacity assigned to an
LU is registered. In "LU kind" column 245f, information indicating
the kind as to whether the LU is the FCLU 320 or the ATA LU 420 is
registered. In "LU remaining lifetime" column 245g, remaining
lifetime of the LU is registered. To be concrete, the disk array
control unit 200 acquires remaining lifetime values of respective
disk devices forming the LU registered in a "drive No. list" column
245h, from the drive management table 240, and registers a minimum
value among them.
[0061] In the "drive No. list" column 245h, information that
indicates disk devices forming the LU is registered as a list of
drive Nos. In "evaluation value" column 245i, information
indicating an evaluation value, which serves as a criterion of LU
selection, is registered. A method for calculating the evaluation
value will be described later. In the case of a used LU, a maximum
value (+99999 in the example of FIG. 5) which can be registered is
registered in "evaluation value" column 245i.
[0062] Hereafter, the case where the disk array control unit 200
conducts construction of the drive management table 240, the LU
management table 245, and the RAID group in accordance with an
order from the user or manager will be described.
[0063] When a power supply of the disk array 700 is turned on, the
disk array control unit 200 executes the drive management program
230, and makes inquiries about disk devices connected to the drive
FC I/F 205 and the drive ATA I/F 206. As an example of inquiries
about the disk devices, there is an example in which a ModeSelect
command is used. To be concrete, the disk array control unit 200
issues the ModeSelect command to respective disk devices. Upon
receiving the ModeSelect command, the disk device transmits page
information stored in the disk device to the disk array control
unit 200. Page information contains information concerning the kind
of the disk device. The disk array control unit 200 discriminates
the kind of the inquired disk device on the basis of page
information acquired from the disk device.
[0064] Furthermore, the disk array control unit 200 executes the
drive information setting program 250, and registers pertinent
information in the "drive No." and the "drive kind" items of the
drive management table 240 with respect to all of the detected disk
devices.
[0065] The kind of the disk device may be input by the user via the
input unit of the management terminal 500. In this case, the disk
array control unit 200 registers information in the drive
management table 240 on the basis of information received from the
management terminal 500.
[0066] After detection or registration of the kind of the disk
device has been conducted, the disk array control unit 200 sets the
array configuration and array use on the basis of an order from the
user.
[0067] First, upon receiving an acquisition order of information of
"drive No." and "drive kind" input by the user via the input unit
510 in the management terminal 500, the disk array control unit 200
executes the drive information notification program 260, acquires
requested information from the drive management table 240, and
transfers the requested information to the management terminal 500
via the management I/F 207. The management terminal 500 displays
received information in a portion for displaying the "drive No."
and "drive kind" in the drive kind display region 561, which is
displayed on the output unit 520. In the case where the user
defines the kind of the disk device, the present processing may be
omitted.
[0068] Thereafter, the user selects an arbitrary disk device on the
basis of information displayed in the drive kind display region
561, which is displayed on the output unit 520 of the management
terminal 500, and inputs an order for constructing a RAID group by
using the selected disk device, from the input unit 510 by using
the array configuration setting region 571. Furthermore, the user
inputs the use of the RAID group to be constructed. The disk array
control unit 200 executes the array information setting program,
and registers array information, such as the RAID group and use,
received via the management I/F 207 in the "array configuration"
and "use" columns of the drive management table 240.
[0069] The user constructs a RAID group on the basis of the kind of
the disk device displayed in the drive kind display picture 561. At
this time, however, it is possible to prevent an ATA disk device,
which is low in reliability and performance, from being set for
array use, which is required to be high in reliability and
performance, such as array use for a database. To be concrete, in
the case where "use" is specified by the user, a decision is made
as to whether the lifetime of the disk device meets the use, on the
basis of information concerning the lifetime of the disk device
described later. And warning is given to the user in accordance
with a result of the decision.
[0070] For example, in the case where it is attempted to set an ATA
disk device for array use, which is high in reliability and
performance, the management terminal 500 may issue caution or
warning to the user via the output unit 520. Furthermore, when
displaying disk devices in the drive kind display picture 561, disk
devices differing in kind may have different patterns so as to be
able to be discriminated from each other.
[0071] It is also possible to consider a method of disregarding the
lifetime of the disk device when first creating a RAID group and
adding the remaining lifetime of the disk device as a decision
criterion for new use setting when remaking a RAID group again.
[0072] Upon receiving information for ordering information
acquisition of "array configuration" and "use" input by the user
via the input unit 510 of the management terminal 500, the disk
array control unit 200 retrieves information requested from the
management terminal 500 via the management I/F 207, from the drive
management table 240 and transfers the retrieved information, by
executing the array information notification program. Upon
receiving the information, the management terminal 500 displays the
acquired information in the array configuration display region 581
and the array use display region 582 of the output unit 520.
[0073] Lifetime management of the disk device conducted by the disk
array control unit 200 will now be described. As described earlier,
the disk array control unit 200 controls the management of the
accumulated operation time and planned start/stop of disk devices,
and automatic migration of data.
[0074] The "lifetime" of a disk device refers to time preset by a
manufacturer of the disk device on the basis of specifications,
such as the mean time between failures and recommended service
time, of the disk device, or time preset by the disk array manager
on the basis of time preset by a manufacturer of the disk device.
The "lifetime" of a disk device is defined as "time serving as a
criterion of preventive maintenance for preventing a failure caused
by a long time operation of the disk device." For a disk device
that has exceeded the "lifetime," therefore, it is necessary to
execute migration of stored data and the maintenance personnel must
execute exchange to a new disk device.
[0075] For conducting the lifetime management, first, the disk
array 700 conducts lifetime setting and automatic migration
specification for each disk device. The present processing may be
conducted together when the disk array control unit 200 conducts
setting of various tables according to a user's order, or the
present processing may be conducted before the disk array control
unit 200 conducts setting of various tables according to a user's
order. The lifetime setting and automatic migration specification
for each disk device are conducted as described below.
[0076] Upon receiving the order for acquiring information of "drive
No." and "drive kind" input from the input unit 510 of the
management terminal 500 by the user, the disk array control unit
200 transfers the requested information to the management terminal
500 via the management I/F 207. Upon receiving the information, the
management terminal 500 displays the received information
concerning "drive No." and "drive kind" in the drive kind display
region 561 of the output unit 520.
[0077] The user discriminates the kind of the disk device on the
basis of the information displayed in the drive kind display region
561, and conducts setting as to the lifetime of the disk device and
as to whether automatic migration is necessary via the input unit
510 of the management terminal 500. Upon receiving information
concerning the lifetime of the disk device and whether automatic
migration in the disk device is necessary via the management I/F
207, the disk array control unit 200 executes the drive information
setting program 252, and registers the received information in
"lifetime setting" and "automatic migration specification" columns
of the drive management table 240. The information of "lifetime
setting" and "automatic migration specification" may not be
specified by the user, but the disk array control unit 200 may
determine the information of "lifetime setting" and "automatic
migration specification" uniquely on the basis of the kind of the
disk device and set the information in the drive management table
240. For example, in the case of an FC disk device, it is
considerable to predict from the beginning that the lifetime is
long and set the information in the drive management table 240.
[0078] FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing a procedure of the drive
lifetime management conducted by the disk array control unit
200.
[0079] First, the disk array control unit 200 starts measurement of
the operation time of respective disk devices included in the disk
array 700 and accumulates results of the measurement in the
"accumulated time" of the drive management table 240, by executing
the drive management program 230. When measuring the operation
time, the disk array control unit 200 measures the operation time
on the basis of a clock included in the disk array 700 (step 1003).
Thereafter, the disk array control unit 200 compares values in the
"accumulated time" and "lifetime setting" in the drive management
table 240, and determines whether the accumulated time has reached
the preset lifetime. Timing for the comparison may be arbitrary
timing that is asynchronous with other processing (step 1004).
[0080] If the accumulated time has not reached the lifetime, then
the processing returns to the step 1003. If the accumulated time
has reached the preset life-time, then the disk array control unit
200 determines whether there is 1 registered in the "automatic
migration specification" column 240i for the disk device (step
1005). If the automatic migration is not specified (i.e., the
registered value is 0), then the disk array control unit 200
executes the drive information notification program 260, and
thereby notifies the management terminal 500 of a disk device that
has reached in accumulated time the preset lifetime as a disk
device to be exchanged, via the management I/F 207.
[0081] The management terminal 500 displays the disk device that
has reached in accumulated time the preset lifetime as a disk
device to be exchanged, in the exchange order display region 564 of
the output unit 520 (step 1006). If the automatic migration is
specified for the disk device that has reached in accumulated time
the preset lifetime (i.e., the registered value is 1), then the
disk array control unit 200 executes the drive management program
230 and the RAID control program 210, and thereby transfers data
stored in the disk device that has reached in accumulated time the
preset lifetime to a disk device serving as the automatic migration
destination. The disk device that serves as the automatic migration
destination is specified beforehand by the user or the like. In
this case, one disk device may be specified as an automatic
migration destination device for a plurality of disk devices (step
1010).
[0082] After the data transfer has been completed, the disk array
control unit 200 notifies the management terminal 500 of
information concerning the disk device designated as the automatic
migration destination, via the management I/F 270 (step 1011). Upon
being notified of the information, the management terminal 500
displays the information concerning the disk device designated as
the automatic migration destination, in the automatic migration
notification display region 565 on the output unit 520. The drive
management program 230 clears the "accumulated time" in the drive
management table 240 concerning the drive subjected to the
automatic migration (step 1012), and the processing returns to the
step 1003.
[0083] In the present embodiment, automatic migration is conducted
with respect to a disk device that has reached in accumulated time
the lifetime. However, automatic migration may be conducted with
respect to a disk device that is less in remaining lifetime than a
certain threshold. In this case, the disk array control unit 200
ascertains values registered in the "remaining lifetime" 240h, and
discriminates a disk device that is less in remaining lifetime than
the threshold.
[0084] On the other hand, the disk array control unit 200 controls
the start/stop of the operation of the disk devices in order to
prevent an increase in the accumulated operation time of the disk
devices. This control is conducted independently from the lifetime
management shown in FIG. 6.
[0085] The disk array control unit 200 conducts start/stop of a
disk device on the basis of a preset trigger. The trigger for
starting/stopping a disk device may be, for example, time when
user's access is completely stopped, such as nighttime. Or the fact
that the remaining lifetime of some disk device has become shorter
than a certain threshold may be used as a trigger of start/stop of
the disk device.
[0086] Or the user may directly specify the start/ stop of the disk
device via the input unit 510 of the management terminal 500. The
management terminal 500 transmits an order concerning the
start/stop of the disk device to the disk array control unit 200
via the management I/F 207. The disk array control unit 200
controls the start/stop of the disk device on the basis of the
received order. Thereafter, the disk array control unit 200
registers the start/stop situation of the disk device in the "start
situation" in the drive management table 240. Start/stop of a drive
is conducted by issuing a Start/StopUnit command to the drive.
[0087] When acquiring the start situation and accumulated operation
time of a drive, the user issues an order at the input unit 510 in
the management terminal 500 to acquire information of the "start
situation" and "accumulated time." The disk array control unit 200
transfers the specified information to the management terminal 500
via the management I/F 207. The management terminal 500 displays
the received start situation of the disk device and the accumulated
operation time of the disk device in the drive state display region
563 and the operation time display region 562 of the output unit
520.
[0088] The user may execute disk device exchange beforehand on the
basis of the displayed accumulated operation time or remaining
lifetime of the drive.
[0089] The case where the disk array control unit 200 issues a
command to a disk device having a different interface will now be
described.
[0090] For example, the ATA disk device 401 cannot conduct
processing on a command having a plurality of tags. Upon receiving
a command that orders to write data from the host 100, therefore,
the disk array control unit 200 executes the drive command issuance
program 220 and determines a command to be issued to a disk device.
To be concrete, when issuing a command to the disk device, the disk
array control unit 200 refers to the "drive kind" in the drive
management table 230, and determines whether issuance destination
of the command is an FC disk device 301 or an ATA disk device 401.
In the case of an ATA disk device 401, the disk array control unit
200 does not issue a command having a plurality of tags, but issues
a single command.
[0091] According to the present embodiment, it becomes possible to
provide disk devices differing in reliability, such as in lifetime,
mixedly and manage the disk devices in the same disk array 700.
Furthermore, it is possible to determine the use of LUs by
considering the reliability of disk devices that form a RAID group.
Furthermore, it becomes possible to provide disk devices differing
in control scheme mixedly and manage the disk devices in the same
disk array.
[0092] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a second embodiment of a
computer system according to the present invention. Hereafter, only
differences from the first embodiment will be described. In FIG. 7,
a disk array 700' includes an FC drive chassis 300 for storing an
FC disk group 310, and an ATA drive chassis 400 for storing an ATA
disk drive group 410. FC disk devices 301 stored in the FC drive
chassis 300 are connected to a drive FC I/F 205 and the ATA drive
chassis 400 via a port bypass circuit 330 included in the FC drive
chassis 300. Furthermore, the FC drive chassis 300 and the ATA
drive chassis 400 are connected to each other by an FC loop 600, to
be concrete, a fibre cable.
[0093] ATA disk devices 401 stored in the ATA drive chassis 400
cannot be connected directly to the FC loop 600. Therefore, the ATA
drive chassis 400 includes an FC-ATA conversion I/F 430 for
converting conversion between the FC interface and the ATA
interface. Therefore, the ATA disk devices 401 are connected to the
drive chassis 300 via the I/F 430 and the FC loop 600.
[0094] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a configuration of the port
bypass circuit 330. The port bypass circuit 330 shown in FIG. 8
includes five ports. Furthermore, the port bypass circuit includes
as many selectors 331 as ports, and thereby executes loop wiring
for each port. The selector 331 forms a signal path through a port
when wiring is connected to the port, and forms a signal path
through an internal circuit, which does not through a port, when
the port is not connected.
[0095] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a configuration of the FC-ATA
conversion I/F 430. The FC-ATA conversion I/F 430 functions to
connect ATA disk devices to the FC I/F. The FC-ATA conversion I/F
430 includes an FC I/F 431 serving as an interface to the FC, an
ATA I/F 438 serving as an interface to the ATA, a memory 441, a CPU
440 for executing programs stored in the memory 441, and an
internal bus 442 for connecting the FC I/F 431, the ATA I/F 438,
the memory 441 and the CPU 440.
[0096] In the memory 441, an FC command reception program 432 to be
executed when receiving a command from the FC, an FC data transfer
program 433 to be executed when transmitting/receiving data to/from
the FC, a command conversion program 434 to be executed when
converting an FC command to a command for the ATA, a data buffer
435 for conducting data buffering between the FC and ATA, an ATA
command issuance program 436 to be executed when issuing a command
obtained by the conversion to the ATA side, an ATA data transfer
program 437 to be executed when transmitting/receiving data to/from
the ATA, and a command buffer 439 for conducting temporary
buffering to hold and regenerate a command.
[0097] The CPU 440 executes the FC command reception program 432 to
receive a command from the FC, and executes the FC data transfer
program 433 to conduct data transfer between the FC I/F 431 and the
data buffer 435. Furthermore, the CPU 440 executes the command
conversion program 434 to convert an FC command to a command for
the ATA, and executes the ATA command issuance program 436 to issue
a command obtained by the conversion to the ATA side. Furthermore,
the CPU 220 executes the ATA data transfer program 437 to conduct
data transfer between the ATA I/F 438 and the data buffer 435.
[0098] In the present embodiment, it is possible to connect the
disk array control unit 200' to the ATA disk devices 401 via the FC
by using the FC-ATA conversion I/F 430. The FC-ATA conversion I/F
430 converts a command received from the disk array control unit
200' to a command for ATA disk device. Furthermore, data
transmitted and received between the disk array control unit 200'
and an ATA disk device are also converted by the FC-ATA conversion
I/F 430.
[0099] According to the present embodiment, it is possible to
connect an ATA disk device to a fibre channel arbitrated loop,
which is an interface for connecting an FC disk device.
[0100] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a third embodiment of a
computer system according to the present invention. Hereafter,
differences from the first embodiment will be described. In
addition to the configuration of the first embodiment, the computer
system of the present embodiment includes another disk array 701B
connected to a disk array 701A, a host computer 100 connected to
the disk array 701B, and a storage management server 10000, which
is a computer connected to the disk arrays 701A and 701B via a
management network 20000. The two disk arrays are connected to each
other via a host FC I/F 204 included in each disk array and a
remote copy connection 30000. As for a method for the remote copy
connection 30000, for example, a fibre channel, an ESCON, or the
like can be considered. In the present embodiment, however, a
distinction is not especially made among them. Furthermore, for
connection between each disk array 701 and the management network
20000, a management I/F 207 included in each disk array 701 is
used.
[0101] In addition to the configuration of the first embodiment,
the disk array 701 in the present embodiment newly includes an LU
pair management table 246 in a memory 202 in a disk array control
unit 2001. Furthermore, in a RAID control program, a program module
for controlling duplication (hereafter referred to as remote copy)
of data between the disk array 701A and the disk array 701B
connected thereto, and a program module for managing duplication
(hereafter referred to as intra-device replication) of data in the
disk array 701A or 701B are newly added. As for methods for
implementing the remote copy, there are variations, such as
synchronous operation (in which data write request completion is
not reported to a host computer until data duplication is
completed) and asynchronous operation (in which data write request
completion is reported to a host computer without waiting for the
data duplication completion). In the present embodiment, however, a
distinction is not especially made among them.
[0102] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the LU pair
management table 246. By using the LU pair management tables 246
registered in respective memories 202, the disk arrays 701A and
701B manage a pair of LUs (hereafter referred to as LU pair) that
hold the same data between disk arrays used for remote copy, or a
pair of LUs that hold the same data in the disk array 701 generated
by the intra-device replication.
[0103] The LU pair management table 246 has items of "LU pair No.",
"copy source LU information", "copy destination LU information",
and "pair state".
[0104] In an "LU pair No." column 246a, an identifier assigned
arbitrarily to an LU pair is registered. In the present embodiment,
identifiers are assigned without discriminating LU pairs between
the disk arrays 701 from LU pairs in the disk array 701.
[0105] The "copy source LU information" item has three sub-items
described below. In an "LU pair No." column 246b, an LU No.
assigned to an LU (hereafter referred to as copy source LU) that
stores original data included in an LU pair provided with some
identifier is registered. In a "pair attribute" column 246c,
information for determining whether the LU pair is an LU pair based
on the remote copy or an LU pair based on the intra-device
replication, to be concrete, a value indicating "remote" in the
case of the remote copy or a value indicating "local" in the case
of the intra-device replication is registered. In a "LU kind"
column 246d, a kind of a disk device that stores the copy source LU
is registered.
[0106] The "copy destination LU information" item has three
sub-items described below. In a "device ID" column 246e, an
identifier assigned to a disk array 701 to which an LU (hereafter
referred to as copy destination LU) paired with the copy source LU
belongs is registered. For example, in the case of the remote copy,
an identifier assigned to a disk array 701 of the remote copy
destination is registered. In the case of an intra-device
replication, an identifier assigned to a disk array 701 having a
copy source LU is registered. In an "LU pair No." column 246f, an
LU No. assigned to a copy destination LU is registered. In a "LU
kind" column 246g, a kind of a disk device that holds the copy
destination LU is registered.
[0107] In a "pair state" column 246h, the current state of the LU
pair is registered. For example, a value indicating whether the
current state is a state (hereafter referred to as pair state) in
which synchronization of data stored in respective LUs of the LU
pair is attained and contents of data stored in the respective LUs
coincide with each other, or a state (hereafter referred to as
split state) in which synchronization of data is not attained
between the LUs of the LU pair is registered.
[0108] The disk array 701 conducts the following operations by
using the function of the intra-device replication. For example,
the disk array 701 changes an LU pair that assumes the pair state
to the split state at arbitrary time. By doing so, data held by the
LU pair at arbitrary time is preserved in the copy destination LU
(such processing is referred to as snapshotting). Thereafter, the
host 100 reads out data from the copy destination LU, and writes
the data into another storage, such as a tape device. As a result,
it is possible to obtain a backup of data stored in the LU pair at
time of snapshot acquisition. Furthermore, the copy destination LU
itself after the snapshot has been acquired may be preserved as the
backup of the data.
[0109] It is also possible to combine an LU pair of the remote copy
with an LU pair of the intra-device replication. For example, in
the case where remote copy is conducted between the disk arrays
701A and 701B, the copy destination LU held by the disk array 701B
is used as the copy source LU of the intra-device application to be
executed by the disk array 701B. And within the disk array 701B,
the copy destination LU that serves as an LU pair for the
intra-device application may be created. The copy destination LU
thus created can be used for data backup by attaining the split
state as described above.
[0110] The user can freely combine the FCLU 320 and the ATA-LU 420,
and set the copy source LU and the copy destination LU (hereafter
referred to as LU pair). Especially, the user can set the
assignment of the LU pair with due regard to features of respective
LUs via the storage management server 10000 described later. For
example, it is possible to set the LU kind to the feature, and
assign the fibre channel LU 320 using a FC disk device of high
performance and high reliability to the copy source LU and assign
the ATA-LU 420 using an ATA disk device of low price to the copy
destination LU. Furthermore, it is possible to set the LU remaining
time to the feature, and conduct setting so as not to select an LU
having a disk device that is short in remaining lifetime as a
subject of assignment, or use the LU having a disk device that is
short in remaining lifetime, only for the copy destination of the
intra-device replication.
[0111] The storage management server 10000 will now be described.
FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a configuration of the storage
management server 10000.
[0112] The storage management server 10000 includes a CPU 11000, a
main memory 12000, a storage unit 13000, a management I/F 14000 for
connection to a management network 20000, an output unit 15000, and
an input unit 16000. These components are connected to each other
via a communication line, such as a bus. In the storage unit 13000,
a storage manager 13100 serving as a program executed by the CPU
11000, a storage repository 13200 serving as a region for storing
information collected from the disk array 701, a device list 13300
for holding a list of the disk array 700 to be managed by the
storage manager 13100, an LU evaluation item table 13400, and an LU
remaining lifetime watermark table 13500 for managing the remaining
lifetime of the LU.
[0113] In the storage repository 13200, information stored in the
drive management table 240, the LU management table 245, and the LU
pair management table 246, which are included in the disk arrays
701A and 701B, is periodically collected, and duplications of these
tables are created. Furthermore, the device list 13300, the LU
evaluation item table 13400, and the LU remaining lifetime
watermark table 13500 are created by execution of the storage
manager 13100 conducted by the storage management server 10000 on
the basis of a user's order.
[0114] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the device list
13300. The device list 13300 is used by the storage management
server 10000 to ascertain the disk array 701 to be managed by the
storage management server 10000 itself and refer to information
required to communicate with the disk array 701. In a "subject
device No." column 13300a, an identifier assigned arbitrarily to
the disk array 701, which is managed by the storage management
server 10000, is registered. In a "device ID" column 13300b, a
peculiar identifier assigned to the disk array 701 is registered.
In an "IP address" column 13300c, information required for the
storage management server 10000 to communicate with the disk array
701, such as information concerning an IP address assigned to the
disk array 700 in the case where an IP network is used as the
management network 20000, is registered.
[0115] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of the LU evaluation
item table 13400. In the LU evaluation item table 13400, items to
be considered when selecting LUs of the LU pair and evaluation
contents in the items are registered beforehand. When retrieving an
LU that meets a user's order, the storage management server 1000
evaluates respective LUs with respect to items registered in the LU
evaluation item table 13400, and registers evaluation contents
specified by the table in the item of the evaluation value 245i in
the duplication (hereafter referred to as LU management table 245')
of the LU management table 245. Thereafter, the storage management
server 10000 selects a suitable LU, and exhibits the selected LU to
the user.
[0116] In an "evaluation item" column 13400a, evaluation items at
the time of LU specification which can be selected by the user are
registered. In an "evaluation subject LU management table column"
column 13400b, an item in the LU management table 245, such as the
LU kind 245f, which becomes the evaluation subject in the
evaluation item, is registered. In an "input condition reading with
expression changed" column 13400c, it is registered whether reading
a condition input by the user,-while changing its expression is
needed when evaluating LUs registered in the LU management table
245'. In a "penalty at the time of condition satisfaction" column
13400d, a value to be added to the value of the "evaluation value"
column 245i in the LU management table 245' when the condition
input by the user agrees with a content registered in an item of
the LU management table 245' to be evaluated is stored. In a
"penalty at the time of condition unsatisfaction" column 13400e, a
value to be added to the value of the "evaluation value" column
245i in the LU management table 245' when the condition input by
the user does not agree with a content registered in the column of
the LU management table 245' to be evaluated is registered. A
concrete LU evaluation method will be described later.
[0117] FIG. 19 is a diagram showing an example of the LU remaining
lifetime watermark table 13500. The LU remaining lifetime watermark
table 13500 is used when the storage management server 10000
manages the remaining lifetimes of LUs included in respective disk
arrays 701. To be concrete, the LU remaining lifetime watermark
table 13500 has the following items for registering
information.
[0118] In a "watermark No." column 13500a, an identifier assigned
arbitrarily to each of a plurality of preset watermarks is
registered. In a "device ID" column 13500b, an identifier assigned
to a disk array 701 to be managed in remaining lifetime is
registered. In a "monitoring subject LU list" column 13500c,
information indicating an LU that is included in LUs of the disk
array 701 to be managed and that is actually managed in remaining
lifetime is registered. In a "remaining lifetime watermark" column
13500d, information that indicates a watermark corresponding to the
identifier is registered.
[0119] In the present embodiment, the storage management server
10000 ascertains the remaining lifetime of the LU registered as the
management subject, and if the ascertained remaining lifetime
becomes shorter than a preset watermark, the storage management
server 10000 outputs a warning to the user. According to
circumstances, the storage management server 10000 urges the user
to set the LU migration or issues an automatic migration order to
the disk array device. In the case where the importance of data
stored in the LU is low, the lifetime of disk devices included in
the LU may be used as a decision criterion instead of using the
lifetime as the decision criterion. In this case, however, fast
exchange of disk devices becomes necessary.
[0120] In the present embodiment, the user can consider parameters
concerning performance and reliability of disk devices, when
creating LUs of the disk array 701 including a mixture of disk
devices having different input/output I/Fs by using the storage
management server 10000. Hereafter, this processing is referred to
as LU assignment processing. Unless otherwise stated, processing
described hereafter with reference to a flow chart is processing
conducted by execution of the storage manager 13100 effected by the
storage management server 10000.
[0121] FIG. 15 is a flow chart showing a procedure of LU assignment
processing 2000. First, on the basis of an order from the user, the
storage management server 10000 determines whether processing to be
executed is processing of assigning the copy source LU to the host
100 or processing of assigning the copy destination LU in the
remote copy or the intra-device replication (step 2100).
[0122] If the processing to be executed is judged to be processing
of assigning the copy source LU to the host 100 at the step 2100,
then the storage management server 10000 conducts processing of
assigning an LU to the host. Details of the present processing will
be described later (step 2200). Thereafter, the storage management
server 10000 inquires of the user whether a copy destination LU
should be assigned. To be concrete, display for inquiring whether
processing should be conducted is output to the output unit 15000
(step 2300).
[0123] If the copy destination LU assignment is ordered by the user
at the step 2100, or if the copy destination LU assignment is
ordered by the user at the step 2300, then the storage management
server 10000 conducts copy destination LU assignment processing. As
for the present processing as well, details will be described later
(step 2400). Thereafter, the storage management server 10000
finishes the LU assignment processing. If the copy destination LU
assignment processing is judged at the step 2300 to be unnecessary,
then the storage management server 10000 finishes the LU assignment
processing immediately.
[0124] FIG. 16 is a flow chart showing a detailed procedure of the
processing of assigning an LU to the host executed at the step 2200
shown in FIG. 15. The storage management server 10000 receives a
condition (hereafter referred to as parameters) required of the
copy source LU, from the user. In addition to basic information
required for LU creation, such as a subject device in which an LU
is created, a storage capacity of the LU, a host FC I/F, a SCSI ID,
and a LUN, the parameters include information concerning evaluation
items registered in the "item" column of the LU evaluation item
table 13400 (step 2210).
[0125] Thereafter, the storage management server 10000 conducts
assignment candidate LU search process-ing of selecting a suitable
LU as a candidate of the copy source LU on the basis of the
parameters given by the user. Details of the present processing
will be described later (step 2220). Thereafter, the storage
management server 10000 exhibits the selected LU candidate to the
user, and requests user's ascertain-ment (step 2230).
[0126] If the user has admitted the exhibited LU candidate as the
copy source LU at the step 2230, then the storage management server
10000 updates the LU management table 245 stored in the disk array
701 having the admitted LU, and its duplication 245'. To be
concrete, with respect to the LU management table 245' stored in
the storage repository 13200, the storage management server 10000
first alters the "host assignment situation" column 245b for the
admitted LU to "present", and registers values of parameters given
by the user in the "SCSI ID" column 245c and the "LUN" column 245d.
Thereafter, the storage management server 10000 orders the disk
array 701 having the admitted LU to reflect update contents of the
LU management table 245' in the LU management table 245 (step
2240).
[0127] Thereafter, the storage management server 10000 orders the
disk array control unit 200 to execute the LU management on the
basis of the LU management table 245 in which update has been
reflected, and finishes the processing of assigning an LU to the
host (step 2250).
[0128] If the exhibited LU is rejected by the user at the step
2230, then the storage management server 10000 discontinues the
processing of assigning an LU to the host (step 2260). In order to
achieve automatization of the processing, processing of setting the
selected LU as the copy source LU may be conducted without
exhibiting the selected LU to the user.
[0129] FIG. 17 is a flow chart showing a detailed procedure of the
copy destination LU assignment processing indicated by the step
2400 in FIG. 15.
[0130] The storage management server 10000 receives parameters for
selecting the copy destination LU from the user. The parameters are
the information described above with reference to the copy source
LU (step 2410).
[0131] Thereafter, the storage management server 10000 conducts
assignment candidate LU search processing for selecting a candidate
that can become the copy destination LU on the basis of the
parameters given by the user. Details of the present processing
will be described later (step 2420). Thereafter, the storage
management server 10000 exhibits the candidate of the copy
destination LU selected at the step 2420 to the user, and requests
ascertainment of use of the selected LU (step 2430).
[0132] If the user admits the exhibited LU as the copy destination
LU at the step 2430, then the storage management server 10000
updates the LU pair management table 246, the LU pair management
table 245, and their duplications 246' and 245'. Furthermore, the
storage management server 10000 orders the disk array 701 that
stores the selected LU to reflect the updated contents in
respective tables. To be concrete, with respect to the LU pair
management table 246', the storage management server 10000 newly
creates an LU pair entry for the selected copy destination LU, and
registers parameters specified by the user and information of the
selected copy destination LU. With respect to the LU management
table 245', the storage management server 10000 alters the "host
assignment situation" column 245b of the selected LU to "present",
and registers parameter values in the "SCSI ID" column 245c and the
"LUN" column 245d (step 2440).
[0133] Thereafter, the storage management server 10000 orders the
disk array control unit 200 in the disk array 701 having a copy
source LU paired with the selected copy destination LU to execute
remote copy processing or intra-device replication processing on
the basis of the pair LU management table 246 obtained after the
update, and finishes the copy destination LU assignment processing
(step 2450).
[0134] If the storage management server 10000 has rejected the
exhibited copy destination LU at the step 2430, then it
discontinues the copy destination LU assignment processing, and
finishes the copy destination LU assignment processing (step 2460).
In order to achieve the automatization of the processing,
processing of setting the selected LU as the copy destination LU
may be conducted without exhibiting the selected LU to the
user.
[0135] FIG. 18 is a flow chart showing a detailed procedure of the
assignment candidate LU search processing shown in the step 2220 in
FIG. 16 and the step 2420 in FIG. 17.
[0136] First, the storage management server 10000 extracts an LU
that is not being used by the host 100 from the LU management table
245' stored in the storage repository 13200. To be concrete, an LU
having "present" registered in the "host assignment situation"
column 245b in the LU management table 245' is judged to have been
already used, and a maximum value (+99999 in FIG. 9) is registered
in the evaluation value. An LU having "absent" registered in the
"host assignment situation" column 245b is judged to have not been
used yet, and the evaluation value is reset to 0 (step 3020).
[0137] Subsequently, the storage management server 10000 gives an
evaluation value to every unused LU extracted at the step 3020,
with respect to each of items registered in the LU evaluation item
table 1340. A concrete example will be described later (step
3030).
[0138] Thereafter, the storage management server 10000 outputs an
LU that is minimum in the value of the "evaluation value" column
245i and that is included in all LUs registered in the LU
management table 245' as a candidate for the copy source LU or the
copy destination LU (step 3040).
[0139] The evaluation values registered in the LU management table
245' are updated together when the storage management server 10000
orders each disk array 701 to update the LU management table 245
(steps 2240 and 2440).
[0140] Hereafter, four concrete examples of the step 3030 will be
described.
[0141] As a first example, evaluation conducted when the user has
specified the "kind" as "FC" will now be described. By ascertaining
the "evaluation subject LU management table" column 13400b, the
storage management server 10000 ascertains that a column in the LU
management table 245' to be compared with the user's specification
value "FC" is the "LU kind" column. Thereafter, the storage
management server 10000 selects one of extracted unused LUs, and
ascertains the content of the "LU kind" column in the LU management
table 245' that corresponds to the LU. If information registered in
the "LU kind" column is "FC", then the condition specified by the
user is met, and the storage management server 10000 adds 0 to the
evaluation value column 245i in the LU management table 245' with
respect to the unused LU, in accordance with a value that is
registered in the "penalty at the time of condition satisfaction"
column 13400d and that corresponds to the "kind" item. If
information registered in the "LU kind" column is "ATA", then the
condition input by the user is not met, and consequently the
storage management server 10000 adds +100 to the evaluation value
column 245i in the LU management table 245' with respect to the
unused LU, in accordance with a value that is registered in the
"penalty at the time of condition unsatisfaction" column 13400e and
that corresponds to the "kind" item.
[0142] The storage management server 10000 repeats the processing
described above, i.e., processing of making a decision as to
whether the condition specified by the user is met from item to
item, and adding a predetermined value to the evaluation value
column 245i in the LU management table 245' as an evaluation value
in accordance with a result of the decision, until evaluation of
all items shown in the LU evaluation item table 13400 has been
applied to all extracted unused LUs. As a result of the present
processing, the values of the evaluation value column 245i in the
LU management table 245' for all unused LUs are determined. It is
shown in this concrete example that the storage management server
10000 can provide an LU including FC disk devices as a candidate as
a result of selection of the kind of the disk device as "FC"
conducted by the user.
[0143] As a second example, evaluation conducted when the user
creates an LU for backup operation will now be described. In the
operation form in which the data backup is held over a plurality of
generations, it is conceivable to use an LU formed of inexpensive
disk devices or an LU formed of disk devices that are hardly usable
for ordinary business operation because of their short remaining
lifetime, as the LU for backup. For the sake of such a case, an
evaluation item "LU operation" as shown in FIG. 14 is defined in
the present example. The present evaluation item is an item for
evaluating an LU so that the storage management server 10000 may
provide an LU that is "ATA" in "LU kind" and "1000 hours or less"
in "LU remaining lifetime" preferentially as a candidate when the
user has specified "backup" as "LU operation." The evaluation
procedure is the same as that in the first example. Owing to this
evaluation item, the storage management server 10000 can exhibit an
LU candidate more suitable for backup use to the user.
[0144] As a third example, evaluation for effecting LU creation
according to the reliability requested by the user will now be
described. In such a case, it is defined that "LU remaining
lifetime" is evaluated in an evaluation item "reliability" as shown
in FIG. 14. The present evaluation item is an item for evaluating
each LU so that the storage management server 10000 may provide an
LU that is "at least 30000 hours" in "LU remaining lifetime"
preferentially as a candidate when the user has specified "high" as
"reliability." Owing to this evaluation item, the storage
management server 10000 can evaluate the remaining lifetime by
using a predefined evaluation criterion and provide a suitable LU
candidate.
[0145] As a fourth example, evaluation for conducting LU creation
according to the number of copy destinations preset by the user
will now be described. In some cases, a large number of copy
destinations are created by utilizing the function of the remote
copy or the intra-device replication in order to hold data over a
plurality of generations as described with reference to the second
example. In such a case, it is defined that "LU kind" is evaluated
in an evaluation item "the number of copy destinations" as shown in
FIG. 14. The present evaluation item is an item for evaluating each
LU so that the storage management server 10000 may preferentially
search an inexpensive ATA LU and exhibit it to the user as a
candidate when the user has specified a large number of copy
destinations. Owing to the present evaluation item, the storage
management server 10000 can evaluate the LU kind by using a
predefined evaluation criterion, on the basis of the number of copy
destinations specified by the user, and provide a suitable copy
destination LU candidate.
[0146] In the present embodiment, the storage management server
10000 implements lifetime management in the LU level in a disk
array 701 that includes a mixture of disk devices differing in
input and output I/Fs. Hereafter, this processing will be referred
to as LU lifetime management processing. Unless otherwise stated,
each processing is effected by execution of the storage manager
13100 conducted by the CPU 11000 in the storage management server
10000.
[0147] FIG. 20 is a flow chart showing a procedure of LU remaining
lifetime management processing.
[0148] The storage management server 10000 periodically monitors
the LU remaining lifetime by using information in the LU management
tables 245' respectively of the disk arrays 701A and 701B, which is
periodically updated by the storage repository 13200. To be
concrete, with respect to each LU specified in the "device ID"
column 13500b and "monitoring subject LU list" column 13500c in the
LU remaining life watermark table 13500, the storage management
server 10000 compares a value registered in the "LU remaining
lifetime" column 245g in the LU management table 245' corresponding
to each LU with a watermark preset in each LU (a value registered
in "remaining lifetime watermark" column 13500d corresponding to
each LU). If a plurality of watermarks can be applied to one LU
according to the situation preset in the "monitoring subject LU
list" column 13500c, then such a watermark as to maximize the value
in the "remaining lifetime watermark" column 13500d is applied
(step 4010).
[0149] If as a result of the comparison the remaining lifetime of
each LU is less than the value registered in the "remaining
lifetime watermark" column 13500d, then the storage management
server 10000 judges that LU to be an LU that needs a warning output
(step 4020).
[0150] If an LU that becomes a subject of warning does not exist at
the step 4020, then the storage management server 10000 returns to
the processing in the step 4010 and continues the LU remaining
lifetime management.
[0151] If an LU that becomes a subject of warning exists at the
step 4020, then the storage management server 10000 discriminates a
disk device that is less in remaining lifetime than the watermark,
with respect to the LU that needs the pertinent warning output, and
determines whether automatic migration has been specified for that
disk device. To be concrete, with respect to all disk devices
stated in the "drive No. list" column 245h in the LU management
table 245' to which the LU that is less in remaining lifetime than
the watermark belongs, the storage management server 10000 examines
the "remaining lifetime" column 240h in the drive management table
240', discriminates disk devices that are less in remaining
lifetime than the watermark, and ascertains the "automatic
migration specification" column 249 (step 4030).
[0152] If automatic migration is specified in all disk devices
included in an LU that is less in remaining lifetime than the
watermark at the step 4030, then the storage management server
10000 outputs only a warning. If the disk array device does not
start the automatic migration operation, then the storage
management server 10000 orders the disk array device to conduct
automatic migration. As concrete examples of the warning content,
"monitoring time", "device ID in disk array", "LU No.", "drive No.
that is less in remaining lifetime than watermark", and "device ID
and LU No. in the related copy source or copy destination LU" can
be mentioned.
[0153] When outputting the "device ID and LU No. in the related
copy source or copy destination LU", information in the LU pair
management table 246 held in the storage repository 13200 is used.
By outputting "device ID and LU No. in the related copy source or
copy destination LU", the user can immediately recognize the
possibility that the LU that has become the warning subject will
affect another copy source or copy destination, and in some cases
the user can execute manual alteration of LU pair caused by excess
of remaining lifetime (step 4040).
[0154] If automatic migration is not specified for even one of disk
devices included in an LU that is less in remaining lifetime than
the watermark at the step 4030, then the storage management server
10000 outputs a warning to the user, and outputs a message for
urging the migration specification or the drive exchange order. As
concrete examples of the warning content, "drive Nos. which become
candidates of migration destination" can be mentioned, besides the
contents stated in the step 4040.
[0155] In determining "drive Nos. which become candidates of
migration destination", the storage management server 10000
determines that unused disk devices that are the same in drive kind
and that are not preset in array configuration should be searched
by using the information in the drive management table 240' held in
the storage repository 13200. By using the output of "drive Nos.
which become candidates of migration destination", the user can
reduce the burden of searching for an automatic migration
destination for conducting migration specification. Since the disk
array automatically determines the automatic migration destination
of the disk device, the output of the "drive Nos. which become
candidates of migration destination" may be omitted (step
4050).
[0156] According to the present embodiment, when creating LUs of a
disk array including a mixture of disk drives differing in input
and output I/Fs and reliability, LUs can be created while
considering the performance and reliability of the disk drive, on
the basis of characteristics ordered by the user. Furthermore, in
the case where the disk array has a function of the remote copy or
intra-device replication, the copy destination LU can also be
automatically determined while considering the performance and
reliability of the disk drive, on the basis of characteristics
ordered by the user. In addition, lifetime management of disk
devices in a disk array, which is hard for the user to be conscious
of, can be conducted in the level of LU, which is a logical
volume.
[0157] Even if the disk array 700 has the configuration of the
second embodiment, the storage management server 10000 in the
present embodiment can conduct the LU creation and the lifetime
management in the LU level while considering the performance and
reliability of a disk device.
[0158] The lifetime management conducted by the storage management
server 10000 while taking an LU as the unit in the present
embodiment may be executed by the control unit 200 in the disk
array 700 in the first embodiment. In this case, the parameters in
the lifetime management conducted in the first embodiment while
taking a disk device as the unit should be altered to LU remaining
lifetime. If an LU that is less in LU remaining life than some
watermark is found, disk devices included in the LU should be
detected and processing of determining whether automatic migration
is present should be conducted for each of the disk devices.
[0159] According to the present invention, it becomes possible to
provide a mixture of disk devices differing in, for example,
lifetime and remaining lifetime, and manage them in the same disk
array. Furthermore, it is possible to determine the user's use of a
volume while considering the reliability of the disk devices
included in the array. Furthermore, it is possible to determine the
user's use of a volume while considering the performance of the
disk devices included in the array. Furthermore, it becomes
possible to provide a mixture of disk devices differing in control
scheme, and manage them in the same disk array.
[0160] Furthermore, there is an effect that an ATA disk device can
be connected to a fibre channel arbitrated loop, which is an
interface for connecting a fibre channel disk device.
[0161] In addition, it becomes possible to provide automatic
creation of LUs and lifetime management in the LU level with due
regard to the performance and reliability of disk devices, and
reduce the user's burden of management in the storage system.
[0162] It should be further understood by those skilled in the art
that although the foregoing description has been made on
embodiments of the invention, the invention is not limited thereto
and various changes and modifications may be made without departing
from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended
claims.
* * * * *