Storage controller and method for controlling the same

a storage controller and controller technology, applied in the field of storage controllers and methods for controlling the same, can solve the problems of increasing the number of additions between the interval between adding hard disk drives, imposing a heavy burden on the storage system manager, etc., and achieves the effect of facilitating the extension of storage capacity, reducing the burden on the storage controller manager caused by the gradual extension of the storage capacity of the storage device unit, and increasing the number of additions

Inactive Publication Date: 2010-01-21
FUJIMOTO TAKEO +1
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0009]Recently, as a result of technological progress, hard disk drive performance has been improved daily, while the cost per unit storage capacity for a storage system has been reduced daily. Accordingly, for a storage system user, it is advantageous in terms of performance and cost to gradually add on hard disk drives to a minimal hard disk drive while monitoring the usage status of the storage capacity, rather than providing in advance storage capacity that would be needed in the future.
[0013]As a result, in this storage controller, the storage capacity of a virtual volume is initially communicated to a host system as the storage capacity of the storage device unit. Therefore, when the storage capacity of the storage device unit is extended to that of the virtual volume, the extension can be conducted irrespective of the host system. Furthermore, until that extension, a pool area is used for a data input / output request designating an address in the virtual volume other than the real volume, as a buffer until the storage capacity of the storage device unit is extended, so no failure will arise even when a data input / output request designating an address in the virtual volume other than the real volume is received from the host system.
[0015]As a result, according to this method for controlling a storage controller, the storage capacity of a virtual volume is initially communicated to a host system as the storage capacity of a storage device unit. Therefore, when the storage capacity of the storage device unit is extended to that of the virtual volume, the extension can be conducted irrespective of the host system. Furthermore, until that extension, a pool area is used for a data input / output request designating an address in the virtual volume other than the real volume, as a buffer until the storage capacity of the storage device unit is extended, so no failure will arise even when a data input / output request designating an address in the virtual volume other than the real volume is received from the host system.
[0016]According to the present invention, even when the storage capacity of a storage device unit is gradually extended, the accompanying work on the host system can be omitted, and thus, the burden on a storage controller manager caused by the gradual extension of the storage capacity of the storage device unit can be reduced. Thus, a storage controller that can facilitate an extension of storage capacity while suppressing the accompanying investment, and a method for controlling that storage controller can be achieved.

Problems solved by technology

Thus, a problem arises in that a decrease in the interval between adding hard disk drives increases the number of additions of hard disk drives and will impose a heavy burden on a storage system manager.

Method used

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  • Storage controller and method for controlling the same
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  • Storage controller and method for controlling the same

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Embodiment Construction

[0025]An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(1) Configuration of a Network System 1 According to the Embodiment

[0026]FIG. 1 indicates an example of a network system 1 configuration using a storage system according to the embodiment. The network system 1 includes a plurality of host systems 2, a storage system 3 and a management console 4.

[0027]Each host system 2 is a computer system including information processing resources, such as a CPU (central processing unit) and memory, and consists of a personal computer, work station, main frame or similar. The host system 2 has an information input device (not shown), such as a keyboard, switch, pointing device, or microphone, and an information output device (not shown), such as a monitor display, or a speaker.

[0028]The host systems 2 are connected to a storage system 3 via a network 5 formed of, for example, a SAN, a LAN, the Internet, or a public or dedicated line. The communicatio...

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Abstract

A storage controller facilitating extending storage capacity while suppressing investment related to storage capacity is provided. System configuration information, including content of a definition of a virtual volume having a storage capacity that is larger than a real storage capacity including the storage capacity of a storage device unit, and content of a definition of at least one of a real volume formed by dividing the real storage capacity, and a pool area, is stored. Based on the system configuration information, relevant data is written to or read from an address position in the storage device unit in response to a data input / output request from the host system designating an address in the real volume, and data is written to or read from the pool area in response to a data input / output request from the host system designating an address in the virtual volume other than the real volume.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION[0001]This application relates to and claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-172092, filed on Jun. 13, 2005 and is a continuation application of U.S. Ser. No. 11 / 214,002, filed Aug. 30, 2005, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]1. Field of the Invention[0003]The present invention relates to a storage controller and a method for controlling the same, and specifically relates to those that are suitable to be adopted in a storage system wherein a storage area is virtualized and provided to a host system.[0004]2. Description of the Related Art[0005]In recent years, in the storage field, a technique called “virtualization” has been studied and advocated for storage management simplification and load distribution.[0006]As a conventional example of virtualization, a method where a SAN (storage area network) including storage systems and host systems using those storage s...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & AuthorityApplications(United States)
IPC IPC(8): G06F12/02G06F12/00G06F12/16
CPCG06F3/0608G06F3/067G06F3/0665
InventorFUJIMOTO, TAKEONAKANO, TOSHIO
OwnerFUJIMOTO TAKEO