Backup / restore control system and backup / restore control method

Abstract

Restore the volumes to be restored by appropriately distributing them across multiple destination storage devices. [Solution] The backup / restore control system controls the creation of backup data for the volume to be backed up in the first storage system and stores it in the datastore, and controls the storage of I / O statistics related to the I / O of the volume created by the first storage system, associating the backup data with the statistics. When restoring a volume using the backup data, the backup / restore control system selects a second storage system from among multiple storage systems to be the restore destination for the first volume based on the I / O statistics, and controls the restoration of the volume to be restored from the backup data to the second storage system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a backup / restore control method and a backup / restore control system.

Background Art

[0002] An operation mode called a hybrid cloud has emerged, in which on-premises IT assets and public cloud services are combined and used according to costs and usage. The public cloud is characterized in that the necessary computer resources can be flexibly utilized on a pay-per-use basis compared with on-premises IT assets.

[0003] In recent years, as a utilization form of the public cloud, an Active / Passive type disaster recovery (DR) has emerged, in which data backups are created in advance, and when a disaster occurs, the necessary computer resources are allocated to restore the data and operate a recovery site (secondary site). For example, Non-Patent Document 1 discloses Backup&Restore as an example of an Active / Passive type DR strategy (see Figure 2, Figure 3, etc.).

[0004] Also, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a method of backing up data to the cloud and restoring it when necessary. Information for identifying the volume of the backup source storage (for example, a backup volume number) and the usage amount / provisioning size of the volume are saved as a catalog together with the backup data. Then, at the time of restoration, by referring to this information, it is possible to select the restoration target and determine the capacity required for the restoration destination storage.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Non-Patent Documents

[0006] [Non-Patent Document 1] Amazon Web Services, “Disaster Recovery (DR) Architecture on AWS, Part I: Strategies for Recovery in the Cloud.”, [online], 05 APR. 2021, [Accessed: October 17, 2024], Internet <URL:https: / / aws.amazon.com / jp / blogs / architecture / disaster-recovery-dr-architecture-on-aws-part-i-strategies-for-recovery-in-the-cloud / > [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] However, with the conventional technology described above, the system functions properly if the capacity and I / O processing performance of the destination storage are equal to or better than those of the source storage. However, if the capacity and I / O processing performance of the destination storage are inferior to those of the source storage, and it is necessary to distribute the volume to be restored across multiple storage devices, there is a problem in that the data cannot be restored to the appropriate storage.

[0008] This invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to restore a volume to be restored by appropriately distributing it across multiple destination storage devices. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] To achieve the above objective, the present invention, in one embodiment, provides a backup / restore control system for controlling the creation and restoration of backups of volumes in a storage system, wherein the processor in the backup / restore control system controls the creation of backup data of the volume to be backed up in a first storage system and stores it in a datastore, controls the storage of I / O statistics related to the I / O of the volume created by the first storage system in association with the backup data and the I / O statistics, and when restoring a volume using the backup data, selects a second storage system from a plurality of storage systems to be the restore destination of the volume based on the I / O statistics, and controls the restoration of the volume to be restored from the backup data to the second storage system. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, for example, the volume of a destination storage device can be appropriately distributed and restored to multiple destination storage devices. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] A diagram showing the overall system configuration according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] A diagram showing the configuration of the storage system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 3] A diagram showing the configuration of the storage control program according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 4] A diagram showing the configuration of the backup / restore control system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 5] A diagram showing a backup / restore control system executed by multiple computers according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 6] A diagram showing the configuration of the backup / restore control program according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 7]Figure showing the configuration of the backup settings screen according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 8] Figure showing the configuration of the backup catalog according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 9] Figure showing the configuration of the statistical information according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 10] Figure showing the configuration of the backup data store according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 11] Flowchart showing the backup process according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 12] Figure showing the configuration of the restore settings screen according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 13] Figure showing the configuration of the statistical information screen according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 14] Flowchart showing the statistical information display process according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 15] Figure showing the configuration of the backup / restore control program according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 16] Figure showing the configuration of the restore settings screen according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 17] Flowchart showing the recommendation degree determination process according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 18] Figure showing the configuration of the recommendation determination condition table according to Variant 2 of Embodiment 2. [Figure 19A] Figure showing the configuration of the restore settings screen according to Embodiment 3. [Figure 19B] Figure showing the configuration of the restore settings screen according to Embodiment 3. [Figure 20] Figure showing the configuration of the statistical information screen according to Embodiment 3. [Figure 21] Flowchart showing the recommendation degree update process according to Embodiment 3. [Figure 22A] Figure showing the screen change of the restore settings screen according to Embodiment 3. [Figure 22B] Figure showing the screen change of the restore settings screen according to Embodiment 3.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] In the following description, "interface device" may refer to one or more communication interface devices. One or more communication interface devices may be one or more identical communication interface devices (for example, one or more NICs (Network Interface Cards)) or two or more different communication interface devices (for example, a NIC and an HBA (Host Bus Adapter)).

[0013] In the following explanation, "memory" refers to one or more memory devices, which are examples of one or more storage devices, and may typically be main memory devices. At least one memory device in memory may be a volatile memory device or a non-volatile memory device.

[0014] In the following explanation, "disk" refers to a persistent storage device. A persistent storage device is typically a non-volatile storage device (e.g., an auxiliary storage device), specifically, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), or NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express) drive.

[0015] Furthermore, in the following explanation, "processor" may refer to one or more processor devices. At least one processor device may typically be a microprocessor device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), but may also be other types of processor devices such as a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). At least one processor device may be single-core or multi-core. At least one processor device may be a processor core. At least one processor device may be a broad-sense processor device such as a hardware circuit that performs some or all of the processing (e.g., FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device), or ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit)).

[0016] Furthermore, in the following explanation, the process may be described using "program" as the subject. A program, when executed by a processor, performs defined processes using memory devices and / or interface devices as appropriate. For this reason, the subject of the process may be the processor (or a device such as a controller that has that processor). A program may be installed from a program source into a device such as a computer. The program source may be, for example, a program distribution server or a computer-readable (e.g., non-temporary) recording medium. Also, in the following explanation, two or more programs may be implemented as a single program, or one program may be implemented as two or more programs.

[0017] Furthermore, in the following explanation, we may use expressions such as "xxx table" to describe information from which an output is obtained for a given input. However, this information can be data of any structure (for example, structured data or unstructured data), or it can be a neural network that generates an output for a given input, a learning model such as a genetic algorithm or a random forest. Therefore, "xxx table" can be called "xxx information." Also, in the following explanation, the structure of each table is just an example, and one table may be divided into two or more tables, or all or part of two or more tables may be a single table.

[0018] Furthermore, in the following explanation, the process may be described using "program" as the subject. However, a program, when executed by a processor, performs defined processes using memory and / or interface devices as appropriate. For this reason, the subject of the process may be the processor (or a device such as a controller having that processor). A program may be installed from a program source into a device such as a computer. The program source may be, for example, a program distribution server or a computer-readable (e.g., non-temporary) recording medium. Also, in the following explanation, two or more programs may be implemented as a single program, or one program may be implemented as two or more programs.

[0019] Furthermore, in the following explanation, when distinguishing between multiple identical components, we will use codes that assign different branch numbers to the same code body. On the other hand, when distinguishing between multiple identical components, we will use only the same code body.

[0020] [Embodiment 1] Embodiment 1 describes a configuration in which, when backing up a storage volume, statistical information about the target volume is obtained and saved together with the backup data, and the statistical information is made available for reference during restoration.

[0021] (Configuration of the overall system S according to Embodiment 1) Figure 1 shows the configuration of the overall system S according to Embodiment 1. The overall system S consists of a control terminal 2, host groups 7 and 8, a backup / restore control system 10, a backup source system 20, a restore destination system 30, and a backup data store 40.

[0022] The backup / restore control system 10 manages the backup / restore according to Embodiment 1. The backup / restore control system 10 is connected to the backup source system 20 via network 3a and data access network 4a.

[0023] The backup source system 20 is a storage system that stores the data to be backed up in this embodiment, and includes at least one storage system 50. The storage system 50 provides the host group 7 with an accessible logical volume that will serve as secondary storage area via the data access network 4a.

[0024] The backup / restore control system 10 is also connected to the restore destination system 30 via network 3b and data access network 4b. The restore destination system 30 is the storage system that serves as the restore destination in this embodiment and includes at least one storage system 51.

[0025] For the sake of explanation, in this embodiment, there are multiple storage systems 51, and the capacity of each storage system 51 is assumed to be smaller than that of storage system 50.

[0026] The storage system 51 provides logical volumes to the host group 8 via the data access network 4b. The host group 8 may be the same as the host group 7, or it may be installed on demand as needed.

[0027] The backup / restore control system 10 is also connected to the backup data store 40 via the communication network 5. The backup data store 40 is a storage area for storing backed-up data, and can be, for example, a file storage device such as a NAS (Network Attached Storage), object storage, or a server that provides proprietary storage space.

[0028] The backup / restore control system 10 is also connected to the control terminal 2 via network 3c. The control terminal 2 is a terminal used by the user to input instructions to the backup / restore control system 10 via a GUI (Graphical User Interface) or CLI (Command Line Interface), and is, for example, a PC (Personal Computer) or a tablet terminal. The control terminal 2 is equipped with a display unit that displays various GUIs, which will be described later.

[0029] The backup / restore control system 10, the backup source system 20, the restore destination system 30, and the backup data store 40 may be located at the same site, or some of them may be located at a remote site such as the cloud. For example, the backup / restore control system 10 and the backup source system 20 may be located in a data center owned by the user, while the restore destination system 30 and the backup data store 40 may be located in the cloud. Depending on the placement of each system, some of the networks 3a-3c and 4a, 4b, and 5 may be configured as a common network. Furthermore, the backup / restore control system 10 may be configured as part of the backup source system 20 and the restore destination system 30.

[0030] (Configuration of storage systems 50 and 51 according to Embodiment 1) Figure 2 shows the configuration of the storage systems 50 and 51 according to Embodiment 1.

[0031] The storage systems 50 and 51 consist of a storage controller 60 that performs various controls and a group of disks 70 that store data.

[0032] The storage controller 60 comprises a processor group 610, memory 620, a management interface 630, and an I / O interface 640 for data access. Although only one storage controller 60 is shown in Figure 2, multiple controllers may be used to improve availability, connectivity, and performance.

[0033] The processor group 610 consists of multiple processors, such as a CPU, a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), and an AI (Artificial Intelligence) computing chip, and performs various calculations by executing the storage control program P10 on the memory 620. The memory 620 is, for example, DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) and caches the results of various calculations, data read from the disk group 70, and data to be stored on the disk group 70.

[0034] The management interface 630 is an interface for connecting to networks 3a and 3b, and is used to send and receive various instructions to and from the storage control program P10. Networks 3a and 3b are constructed using, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) or a mobile network.

[0035] The I / OIF640 is an interface for connecting to data access networks 4a and 4b, and is used to exchange data between the host group 7, the backup / restore control system 10, and the storage controller 60. For communication between data access networks 4a and 4b, technologies such as iSCSI and Fibre Channel are used.

[0036] The disk group 70 consists of multiple disks, including non-volatile physical storage media such as SSDs (Solid State Drives) and HDDs (Hard Disk Drives). The disk group 70 is connected to and controlled by the storage controller 60.

[0037] Logical volumes 700a to 700c are storage areas logically configured on the disk group 70 under the control of the storage controller 60. Logical volumes 700a to 700c are configured in a distributed manner to protect against loss, for example, by technologies such as RAID (Redundant Arrays of Inexpensive Disks). The number of logical volumes 700 is not limited to three, such as logical volumes 700a to 700c. Furthermore, technologies such as thin provisioning, compression, and deduplication may be applied to logical volumes 700 to efficiently utilize storage capacity.

[0038] The storage systems 50 and 51 may be configured as devices using physical hardware, or they may be built using virtual machines configured on a hypervisor or computing resources on the cloud.

[0039] Furthermore, the storage systems 50 and 51 may be configured as node-connected storage systems, where multiple systems are interconnected via a network.

[0040] (Configuration of the storage control program P10 according to Embodiment 1) Figure 3 shows the configuration of the storage control program P10 according to Embodiment 1.

[0041] The storage control program P10 includes an I / O command control program 1010, a logical volume control program 1020, a disk storage control program 1030, and a snapshot control program 1040. The storage control program P10 also includes a configuration management and fault monitoring control program 1050, a resource monitor program 1060, a statistics and learning processing control program 1080, and a group of control APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) 1090. The storage control program P10 operates on storage systems 50 and 51.

[0042] The I / O command control program 1010 interprets I / O commands such as read and write from the host group 7 and the backup / restore control system 10, and processes data exchange via the data access network 4.

[0043] The logical volume control program 1020 performs all operations related to accessing logical volume 700, including creating and deleting logical volume 700, caching data to memory 620, and monitoring the capacity of logical volume 700.

[0044] The disk storage control program 1030 performs a process to convert read and write operations to logical volume 700 into read and write operations to disk, taking into account configurations such as RAID.

[0045] The snapshot control program 1040 is a function that creates a quiescent image (point-in-time copy or snapshot) of the logical volume 700 at a specific point in time, and is used to obtain a volume where data updates are guaranteed to be stopped during backup. Generally, a running volume (i.e., a volume that is constantly being updated) cannot be backed up directly because it may be overwritten during the backup process, so a quiescent image (snapshot) of the volume is used to create the backup.

[0046] The configuration management and fault monitoring control program 1050 maintains configuration information related to the storage systems 50 and 51, and also monitors for any failures in each part of the storage systems 50 and 51. The resource monitor program 1060 monitors the time-series changes in the processor load and memory usage of the storage controller 60, the amount of I / O from each host in the host group 7, and the amount of I / O of each logical volume 700.

[0047] The statistical and learning processing control program 1080 performs necessary statistical processing on the data acquired by the resource monitor program 1060, and also performs machine learning to analyze trends, make future predictions, and detect anomalies.

[0048] The control API group 1090 receives instructions to the storage control program P10 via the management IF630, reflects the instructions in each control performed by the storage control program P10, and responds with the result of the instruction reflection.

[0049] (Configuration of the backup / restore control system 10 according to Embodiment 1) Figure 4 shows the configuration of the backup / restore control system 10 according to Embodiment 1.

[0050] The backup / restore control system 10 is a general-purpose computer and includes a group of processors 101, memory 102, a network interface 103, a data access connection interface 104, a data store connection interface 105, and non-volatile media 107.

[0051] The processor group 101 consists of multiple processors, such as a CPU, GPU, and AI computing chip, and performs various calculations by executing the backup / restore control program P20 on the memory 102. The memory 102 is, for example, DRAM, and is used to temporarily store various calculation results and data transferred between interfaces.

[0052] The network interface 103 is an interface for sending and receiving instructions to and from the storage control program P10 via networks 3a to 3c, or for sending and receiving instructions to and from the backup / restore control program P20 from the control terminal 2. The network interface 103 is, for example, a network interface card (NIC). Network 3c is constructed using, for example, a LAN or mobile network, similar to 3a and 3b.

[0053] The data access connection IF104 is an interface for reading and writing logical volume 700 by issuing read I / O and write I / O to the storage system 50 of the backup source system 20 and the storage system 51 of the restore destination system 30 via the data access networks 4a and 4b. The data access connection IF104 is, for example, a NIC or HBA.

[0054] The non-volatile media 107 is, for example, an SSD or NVRAM, and is used for the main body of the backup / restore control program P20, storage of configuration information, caching of backup information, etc.

[0055] The backup / restore control system 10 may be configured as a device using physical hardware, or it may be configured using a virtual machine configured on a hypervisor. Furthermore, the backup / restore control system 10 may be built using computing resources on the cloud. Although the backup / restore control system 10 is shown as a single computing system in Figure 4, it may be configured distributed across multiple computing systems.

[0056] (A backup / restore control system 10 executed by multiple computers according to Embodiment 1) Figure 5 shows a backup / restore control system 10 that is executed by multiple computers according to Embodiment 1.

[0057] The backup / restore control system 10 comprises a central control server 110, a backup data mover 120A, and a restore data mover 120B. Each of the central control server 110, the backup data mover 120A, and the restore data mover 120B has a processor and memory.

[0058] The overall control server 110 is connected to networks 3a-3c, backup data mover 120A, and restore data mover 120B, and gives instructions for overall management and control. The backup data mover 120A is connected to the backup source system 20 and the backup data store 40, and processes data transfer during backup between the backup source system 20 and the backup data store 40 based on instructions from the overall control server 110. The restore data mover 120B is connected to the restore destination system 30 and the backup data store 40, and processes data transfer during restoration between the restore destination system 30 and the backup data store 40 based on instructions from the overall control server 110.

[0059] The backup / restore control program P20 (Figures 4 and 6) operates on the overall control server 110, the backup data mover 120A, and the restore data mover 120B, coordinating and executing processes according to their respective purposes.

[0060] (Configuration of backup / restore control program P20 according to Embodiment 1) Figure 6 shows the configuration of the backup / restore control program P20 according to Embodiment 1.

[0061] The backup / restore control program P20 includes the GUI control program 2010, the backup / restore management program 2020, the backup catalog creation control program 2030, and the statistics acquisition control program 2040. The backup / restore control program P20 also includes the backup control program 2050, the restore control program 2060, the control API group 2070, and the information management database 2080. The backup / restore control program P20 operates on the backup / restore control system 10.

[0062] The GUI control program 2010 works in conjunction with other controls to draw and provide an operational GUI via the control terminal 2. The backup / restore management program 2020 manages the overall flow of the backup / restore control program P20. This management process includes, for example, managing the scheduled execution of backups, issuing control instructions to storage systems 50 and 51 for each backup and restore, and exchanging user settings via the GUI control program 2010. The management process also includes issuing instructions to the backup control program 2050 and the restore control program 2060, and issuing instructions to acquire and create various management information via the backup catalog creation control program 2030 and the statistics acquisition control program 2040.

[0063] The backup catalog creation control program 2030 retrieves necessary information and creates a backup catalog during the backup process. The backup catalog includes the volume number and defined capacity to identify the logical volume 700 that was the source of the backup, the actual size of the backed-up data, and the date and time the backup was performed. The backup catalog will be described later.

[0064] The statistical information acquisition control program 2040 determines the period for which statistics will be compiled based on the date and time of the previous backup, and acquires period statistical data related to the I / O processing of the source logical volume from the storage system 50.

[0065] It should be noted that the information in the backup catalog is instantaneous information at the time of the backup process, whereas the information acquired by the statistical information acquisition control program 2040 represents the overall trend over a period that includes time periods when backup processing is not being performed.

[0066] The backup control program 2050 reads the updated blocks contained in the source logical volume 700 and writes the backup data to the backup data store 40 using a known method, along with metadata such as block storage location information. The backup control program 2050 also saves the backup data, backup catalog, and statistical information in association with the backup data, as instructed by the backup / restore management program 2020, to the backup data store 40.

[0067] The restore control program 2060 reads the specified backup data from the backup data store 40, interprets the metadata, and writes the block set to the restore destination logical volume 700. The restore control program 2060 also retrieves the backup catalog and statistics stored in the backup data store 40, as instructed by the backup / restore control program P20.

[0068] The control API group 2070 performs processing to interpret the instructions received via the control terminal 2.

[0069] The information management database 2080 manages various information related to the backup / restore control program P20. The information managed by the information management database 2080 includes, for example, backup schedule information and copies (caches) of backup catalogs and statistical information stored in the backup data store 40.

[0070] (Configuration of backup settings screen D30 according to Embodiment 1) Figure 7 shows the configuration of the backup settings screen D30 according to Embodiment 1. The backup settings screen D30 is provided by the GUI control program 2010 of the backup / restore control system 10.

[0071] The backup settings screen D30 includes the logical volume selection area D310, the backup datastore selection area D320, and the backup schedule setting area D330.

[0072] The logical volume selection area D310 is the area where the logical volumes 700 to be backed up are selected. In the example in Figure 7, two logical volumes 700, Volume B (32TB) indicated by logical volume number 15 and Volume C (16TB) indicated by logical volume number 20, are selected as backup targets in the logical volume selection area D310.

[0073] The backup data store selection area D320 is, for example, a dropdown box where the backup data store 40 is selected as the backup storage location for logical volume 700. In the backup data store selection area D320, backup data stores 40 are pre-registered using another management screen (not shown), and these are displayed as selectable options. In the example in Figure 7, the object storage indicated as “ABC Cloud Object Storage (1940032)” is selected as the backup data store 40.

[0074] The backup schedule setting area D330 is where you configure the backup schedule. In the backup schedule setting area D330, you will see buttons such as the One-shot button D3301 for setting up a one-time backup and the Periodically button D3302 for setting up periodic backups.

[0075] If the One-shot button D3301 is selected, you can choose to execute immediately (Now) or execute at a specified start time. If the Periodically button D3302 is selected, you can specify the repetition interval (e.g., daily, weekly, monthly), the start time, the execution interval, and the maximum number of repetitions. In the example in Figure 7, periodic execution is selected as the backup schedule, and it is specified to be performed daily, at 60-minute intervals starting at 0:00 every day.

[0076] (Configuration of backup catalog 420B according to Embodiment 1) Figure 8 shows the configuration of the backup catalog 420B according to Embodiment 1. The backup catalog 420B is created when the backup is completed and stores various information for identifying the target during restoration.

[0077] Backup catalog 420B is stored in the backup data store 40 with the filename “vol15-002.catalog”, as shown in Figure 8, for example. Backup catalog 420B records the device product number T610, the volume number T611 of the logical volume 700 to be backed up, the defined capacity (allocated capacity) T612, the name T613, and the snapshot number T614 used to acquire the static image. Backup catalog 420B also records the backup acquisition date and time T615, the backup generation number T616, the filename of the backup data T617, the backup capacity T618, and the backup catalog T619 of the parent generation backup. From the information in backup catalog 420B, it can be seen that the backup of “vol15-002.catalog” is a backup of logical volume number 15 of the device with device product number “VSP56342”, the defined capacity of the volume is “32TB”, and the volume name is “Volume B”.

[0078] Furthermore, in this backup, the snapshot indicated by Snapshot number 15-02 is used as a quiescent image (copy) of logical volume number 15, and the acquisition date and time is "2024-04-28 01:00". In addition, this backup has backup generation "002", and the read binary data is stored as the filename "vo15-002.bin", and it can be seen that restoring it will require 3.2TB of capacity. It can also be seen that a parent backup of this backup exists, and its contents can be found by referring to "vol15-001.catalog".

[0079] The backup catalog 420B may be stored in the backup data store 40, or it may be held by the backup / restore control system 10. In this case, the format of the data may be a database record or the like, rather than a file.

[0080] (Configuration of statistical information 420C related to Embodiment 1) Figure 9 shows the configuration of statistical information 420C according to Embodiment 1. Statistical information 420C stores I / O-related statistical information acquired from the backup source system 20 over a predetermined period during backup.

[0081] Statistical information 420C is stored in the backup datastore 40 with a filename such as "vol15-002.stat". Statistical information 420C records the device serial number T710, the logical volume number being statistically analyzed T720, the start / end period of the statistics T730, statistics related to read I / O T740~T74x, ..., statistics related to write I / O T750~T75y, ...

[0082] Read I / O statistics T740... include minimum IOPS (IO Per Second) T740, maximum IOPS T741, average IOPS T742, 25th percentile T743, ..., 75th percentile T745, average I / O size T746....

[0083] Similarly, the write I / O statistics T750... include minimum IOPST750, maximum IOPST751, average IOPST752, 25th percentile T753, ..., 75th percentile T755, average I / O size T756, etc.

[0084] The statistical information 420C shown in Figure 9 can be seen as statistics for logical volume number 15 of device serial number "VSP56342" for the period from "2024-04-28 00:00" to "2024-04-28 01:00". In other words, it is statistics for the past hour of the volume backed up at "2024-04-28 01:00" as shown in Figure 8. As shown in Figure 7, this backup is performed every 60 minutes, so the statistical information 420C shown in Figure 9 represents the trends during the period from the previous backup to the current backup.

[0085] Furthermore, the statistical information 420C shown in Figure 9 reveals that the minimum IOPS for reads is 30, the maximum IOPS is 29,500, the average is 13,200, the 25th percentile is 9,830, the 50th percentile (median) is 13,213, and the 75th percentile is 16,570. The statistical information 420C shown in Figure 9 also reveals that the average IO size is 17.4KB.

[0086] Similarly, for write operations, the minimum IOPS is 0, the maximum IOPS is 14,300, the average is 4,300, the 25th percentile is 2,131, the 50th percentile (median) is 4,324, and the 75th percentile is 6,516. The average IO size is 8.7KB.

[0087] Statistical information 420C may also include statistics on throughput (MB / s), histograms of I / O size, and statistics on I / O commands other than read and write (e.g., Trim command).

[0088] (Configuration of the backup data store 40 according to Embodiment 1) Figure 10 is a diagram showing the configuration of the backup data store 40 according to Embodiment 1. Figure 10 schematically shows how backup data, backup catalogs, and statistical information are stored in the backup data store 40.

[0089] The backup data store 40 contains an area 300 where the device serial number, which is unique information, is used as the folder name (or prefix in object storage). The backup data store 40 stores backup data 410A, 420A, 430A related to logical volume number 15, along with their corresponding backup catalogs 410B, 420B, 430B and statistical information 410C, 420C, 430C. Similarly, the backup data store 40 stores backup data 510A, 520A, 530A related to logical volume number 20, along with their corresponding backup catalogs 510B, 520B, 530B and statistical information 510C, 520C, 530C.

[0090] In the example in Figure 10, area 300 is “VSP56342 / ”, and the backup data for the first generation backup of logical volume number 15 is “vol15-001.bin”, the backup catalog is “vol15-001.catalog”, and the statistics are “vol15-001.stat”. Similarly, the backup data, backup catalog, and statistics for the second and third generations are stored there. In this way, the first part of the filename indicates the relationship between the backup data, backup catalog, and statistics, and the extension in the latter part indicates the classification (whether it is backup data, backup catalog, or statistics). The same applies to the backup of logical volume number 20.

[0091] (Backup process according to Embodiment 1) Figure 11 is a flowchart illustrating the backup process according to Embodiment 1. The backup process is performed by the backup / restore control system 10 according to the settings of the backup schedule on the backup settings screen D30 in Figure 7.

[0092] First, in step S101, when the backup is started, the backup / restore control system 10 instructs the storage system 50 of the backup source system 20 to create a quiescent image, i.e., a snapshot, of the logical volume to be backed up.

[0093] Next, in step S102, once the creation of the snapshot is complete, the backup / restore control system 10 instructs the storage system 50 to extract the differences in data blocks that have been updated since the last backup, and obtains update bitmap information representing those differences. The update bitmap information is, for example, information that compares the previously obtained snapshot with the currently obtained snapshot on a block-by-block basis, representing areas that have been updated with 1 and areas that have not with 0.

[0094] Next, in step S103, the backup / restore control system 10 obtains the previous backup date and time by referring to its own information management database 2080 and backup data store 40. Next, in step S104, the backup / restore control system 10 determines the start / end dates and times for statistics from the previous backup date and time, the current backup date and time, and (the creation date and time of each snapshot), and instructs the storage system 50 to perform statistical processing. Next, in step S105, after the statistical processing is completed, the backup / restore control system 10 obtains the statistical information 420C created by the statistical processing.

[0095] Next, in step S106, the backup / restore control system 10 collects the information necessary for catalog creation. This information includes, for example, the device serial number, the name and defined capacity of the logical volume to be backed up, and the snapshot number.

[0096] Next, in step S107, the backup / restore control system 10 reads the backup data from the snapshot based on the updated bitmap information (metadata) extracted in step S102. The backup / restore control system 10 then starts transferring the backup data and updated bitmap information to the backup data store 40 for storage (start backup).

[0097] Next, in step S108, the backup / restore control system 10 determines whether backups have started for all target volumes to be backed up according to the current schedule. If there are any logical volumes for which backups have not yet started (step S107 NO), the backup / restore control system 10 returns to step S101. On the other hand, if backups have started for all logical volumes (step S107 YES), the backup / restore control system 10 moves to step S109.

[0098] Next, in step 109, the backup / restore control system 10 determines whether the transfer of backup data to the backup data store 40 is complete. If the backup / restore control system 10 determines that the transfer of backup data to the backup data store 40 is complete for all backups (step S109 YES), it proceeds to step S110. On the other hand, if there are backups for which the transfer of backup data is not complete (step S109 NO), the backup / restore control system 10 repeats step S109.

[0099] In step S110, the backup / restore control system 10 creates a backup catalog by combining the information collected in step S106 with information such as the size of the backup created in this instance. The backup / restore control system 10 then saves this catalog to the backup data store 40 or its own information management database 2080. Next, in step S111, the backup / restore control system 10 saves the statistical information obtained and created in step S105 in association with the backup in question.

[0100] Next, in step S112, the backup / restore control system 10 checks whether processing has been completed for all target volumes. If processing has been completed for all target volumes, the backup / restore control system 10 terminates the backup process. If it has not been completed (step S112NO), it returns to step S109 and waits for the transfer to complete.

[0101] (Configuration of the restore settings screen D40 according to Embodiment 1) Figure 12 shows the configuration of the restore settings screen D40 according to Embodiment 1. The restore settings screen D40 is provided by the GUI control program 2010.

[0102] The restore settings screen D40 includes the backup datastore selection area D410, the volume selection area D420, the version (generation) selection area D430, the statistics display button D480, and the restore destination selection area D440.

[0103] The backup data store selection area D410 is where you select the backup data store 40 that contains the backup data to be used for restoration. Pre-registered backup data stores 40 are displayed as options via a dropdown box or similar. For example, in Figure 12, "ABC Cloud Object Storage (1940032)" is selected.

[0104] The volume selection area D420 is the area where the volume to be restored is selected. Based on the selection in the backup datastore selection area D410, the backup / restore control system 10 searches the backup datastore 40 or its own information management database 2080 and displays the volume information obtained. In the example in Figure 12, "Volume B (32TB)", indicated by logical volume number 15, which was backed up from "VSP56342", is selected.

[0105] The version (generation) selection area D430 is where you select the backup data for the volume to restore. The backup data displayed is filtered based on the selection in volume selection area D420. For example, in Figure 12, since volume number 15 is selected in volume selection area D420, only the backup data for logical volume number 15 is displayed in version (generation) selection area D430. Furthermore, in version (generation) selection area D430, it is selected to restore the second generation data, indicated by "Backup 02," which was taken on "2024-04-28 01:00."

[0106] The statistics display button D480 displays the I / O statistics for the logical volume selected in the volume selection area D420 when it was operating on the backup source storage device. The statistics display function will be described later, referring to Figure 13.

[0107] The restore destination selection area D440 is where you select the restore destination for the selected backup data. For example, in Figure 12, it is selected to restore to a new volume D4402, and in the selection area D450, "SDS12345-Node1" is selected as the destination for creating this volume. Note that devices with insufficient capacity to be restored, such as "VSP67890" at the bottom of the selection area D450, cannot be selected as a restore destination.

[0108] Button D460 is pressed when the restore of the backup data specified on the restore settings screen D40 is initiated. Button D470 is pressed when the specified settings on the restore settings screen D40 are to be discarded.

[0109] The restore process involves the backup / restore control system 10 reading the specified backup data from the backup data store 40, and then writing the bitmap information (metadata) contained in the backup data and the backed-up blocks to the specified restore destination volume. As this is a well-known technology, illustrations and explanations are omitted.

[0110] (Configuration of statistical information screen D50 according to Embodiment 1) Figure 13 shows the configuration of the statistics information screen D50 according to Embodiment 1. The statistics information screen D50 is displayed separately when the statistics information display button D480 (Figure 12) is pressed on the restore settings screen D40. The statistics information screen D50 includes a graph display area D510 and a display content selection area D520.

[0111] The graph display area D510 is the area where graphs are drawn according to the content selected in the display content selection area, which will be described later. In the example in Figure 13, the average IOPS for each backup generation of the volume "Volume B (32TB)" indicated by logical volume number 15 is displayed as a bar graph, and it can be seen that when backup generation number 01 was acquired, the write I / O load on the volume was higher than the read I / O load. On the other hand, in generation number 02, the read I / O was consistently high at just under 15,000 IOPS (15k IOPS), while the write I / O load was relatively low at 5,000 IOPS (5k IOPS).

[0112] Therefore, it is clear that if you are going to restore a volume from generation 02, you need to restore it to a storage system with an I / O processing capacity of approximately 15kIOPS for read I / O and 5kIOPS for write I / O. It is also clear that the I / O load of generations after generation 02 is stable and does not tend to increase significantly.

[0113] The display content selection area D520 is where items to be plotted as graphs are selected based on the content included in the statistical information. For example, these are displayed as options in a dropdown box. In the example in Figure 13, bar graphs of average IOPS, box plots of IOPS, and distribution of IO size are defined as options, and the bar graph of average IOPS is selected.

[0114] Button D530 is pressed when you finish viewing the statistics information screen D50.

[0115] (Statistical information display processing related to Embodiment 1) Figure 14 is a flowchart illustrating the statistical information display process according to Embodiment 1. The statistical information display process is executed by the backup / restore control system 10 when the statistical information screen D50 shown in Figure 13 is displayed.

[0116] First, in step S201, when the statistics display button 480 is pressed on the restore settings screen D40 (Figure 12), the backup / restore control system 10 refers to the catalog information of the selected backup volume. Next, in step S202, the backup / restore control system 10 obtains information to identify statistical information such as the device serial number, logical volume number, and backup generation number.

[0117] Next, in step S203, the backup / restore control system 10 retrieves relevant statistical information from the backup data store 40 or its own information management database 2080 based on the information obtained in steps S210 and S202. Next, in step S204, the backup / restore control system 10 draws a graph corresponding to the item selected in the display content selection area D520.

[0118] Next, in step S205, the backup / restore control system 10 determines whether the item selected in the display content selection area D520 has been changed. If the item has been changed (step S205 YES), the backup / restore control system 10 returns to step S204 and draws a new graph according to the selected item. On the other hand, if the item has not been changed (step S205 NO), the backup / restore control system 10 moves to step S206.

[0119] Next, in step S206, the backup / restore control system 10 determines whether button D530 (OK button) has been pressed. If button D530 (OK button) has been pressed (step S206YES), the backup / restore control system 10 closes the statistics information screen D50 and terminates the statistics information display process. On the other hand, if button D530 (OK button) has not been pressed (step S206NO), the backup / restore control system 10 returns to step S205 and continues displaying the information unless the selected item is changed.

[0120] As described above, according to this embodiment, the backup data is associated with statistical information regarding the I / O load when the target logical volume was operational, and this statistical information is referenced during restoration. Therefore, it is possible to select an appropriate restoration destination storage system based on the statistical information.

[0121] [Embodiment 2] In Embodiment 1, when restoring a storage volume, an appropriate destination storage system can be selected by referring to statistical information about the target volume. However, it is assumed that the user is responsible for determining and considering the appropriate destination. Embodiment 2, on the other hand, has a function that obtains information on candidate storage systems for the destination and suggests an appropriate destination. Below, only the differences from Embodiment 1 will be explained, and similar configurations will be omitted from the explanation.

[0122] (Configuration of backup / restore control program P25 according to Embodiment 2) Figure 15 shows the configuration of the backup / restore control program P25 according to Embodiment 2. Compared to the backup / restore control program P20 of Embodiment 1, the backup / restore control program P25 further includes a connected storage system information acquisition control program 3000.

[0123] The connected storage system information acquisition control program 3000 acquires device information such as vendor type and model from the connected restore destination system 30. If the statistical information acquisition control program 2040 can determine that the restore destination system 30 is supported based on the device information, it acquires information such as the performance of the device and the current I / O load.

[0124] (Configuration of the restore settings screen D45 according to Embodiment 2) Figure 16 shows the configuration of the restore settings screen D45 according to Embodiment 2. When a new volume D4402 is selected in the restore destination selection area D440, the recommendation level D4501 for each volume as a restore destination is displayed in the selection area D450.

[0125] (Recommendation level determination process according to Embodiment 2) Figure 17 is a flowchart of the recommendation level determination process according to Embodiment 2. The recommendation level determination process is the process by which the backup / restore control system 10 determines the recommendation level. The recommendation level determination process is executed by the connected storage system information acquisition control program 3000 when the restore setting screen D45 is launched, or for some processes before the restore setting screen D45 is launched. In the selection area D450, devices that do not have sufficient capacity and cannot be restored are displayed as not being selectable as a restore destination, as in Embodiment 1, and the recommendation level determination process and recommendation level display are also omitted.

[0126] First, in step S301, the backup / restore control system 10 selects a target device from which to collect information that is a candidate for volume restoration. Next, in step S302, the backup / restore control system 10 obtains device information from the target device selected in step S301 using iSCSI Discovery or the SCSI Inquiry command, etc., and identifies the device vendor, etc. Note that the identification of the device vendor is not limited to using commands; other methods may also be used.

[0127] Next, in step S303, the backup / restore control system 10 determines whether the vendor is a supported vendor from which information can be collected by this system. If the vendor is supported (step S303 YES), the backup / restore control system 10 moves the process to step S304; otherwise, it moves the process to step S307.

[0128] In step S304, the backup / restore control system 10 attempts to access the vendor's APIs using either network 3a, 3b or data access network 4a, 4b. If the backup / restore control system 10 determines that information can be collected as a result of the API attempts (step S305 YES), it proceeds to step S306. On the other hand, if information cannot be collected (step S305 NO), the backup / restore control system 10 proceeds to step S307.

[0129] In step S306, the backup / restore control system 10 acquires information such as the device's specifications and current I / O load. On the other hand, in step S307, the backup / restore control system 10 decides to display the device as unsupported. Specifications are an example of performance information, while information such as I / O load and available storage capacity are examples of operational information.

[0130] Next, in step S309, the backup / restore control system 10 obtains statistical information related to the volume selected as the target for restoration. Then, in step S309, the backup / restore control system 10 compares the information of the device that can be selected as the restore destination with the statistical information and determines whether the remaining capacity of the device meets the performance requirements of the volume to be restored. If the backup / restore control system 10 meets the performance requirements of the volume to be restored (step S309 YES), it moves the process to step S310. On the other hand, if the backup / restore control system 10 does not meet the performance requirements of the volume to be restored (step S309 NO), it moves the process to step S312.

[0131] In step S310, the backup / restore control system 10 calculates the occupancy rate of the volume's required performance relative to the remaining capacity of the volume to be restored. For example, if the device still has 100,000 IOPS of remaining capacity and the volume to be restored is expected to consume an average or maximum of 70,000 IOPS, the occupancy rate will be 70%.

[0132] The values ​​used in calculating the occupancy rate may be, for example, the average value, maximum value, or 75th percentile value calculated based on the conditional expression set in the backup / restore control system 10. Alternatively, values ​​calculated based on a unique calculation formula using any combination of various statistical values ​​may be used.

[0133] Next, in step S311, the backup / restore control system 10 determines the recommendation level to display according to the occupancy rate calculated in step S310. In the example in Figure 17, it is determined that if the occupancy rate is less than 30%, i.e., there is still sufficient capacity remaining on the device even after restoration, the highest recommendation level, "Recommended+++", will be displayed if the occupancy rate is between 30% and 50%, the second highest recommendation level, "Recommended++", if the occupancy rate is between 50% and 70%, the third highest recommendation level, "Recommended+", and if the occupancy rate is 70% or higher, the lowest recommendation level, "Not Recommended", will be displayed.

[0134] On the other hand, in step S312, the backup / restore control system 10 decides to display "Not Recommended".

[0135] Once steps S307, S311, and S312 are completed, in the following step S313, the backup / restore control system 10 determines whether or not the processes in steps S301 to S312 have been performed for all target devices. If the backup / restore control system 10 has performed the processes in steps S301 to S312 for all target devices (step S313 YES), it terminates the recommendation level determination process. If there are target devices for which the processes have not been performed (step S313 NO), it returns to step S302.

[0136] According to this embodiment, when restoring to a new volume, it is possible to easily select which device is appropriate to restore to, based on the volume's operational information.

[0137] (Modification 1 of Embodiment 2) In Embodiment 2, only the recommendation level is displayed, but the system may also be configured to display the available capacity of the device. In this case, it becomes possible to select a restore destination by considering both the available capacity and the available performance. For example, if there are two devices with a recommendation level of "Recommended+++", one with 100TB of available capacity and the other with 10TB of available capacity, the device with 100TB of available capacity, which has more available capacity, can be selected.

[0138] (Modification 2 of Embodiment 2) In Embodiment 2, the recommendation level is displayed based on the degree of I / O load utilization. However, based on Modification 1, the system may be configured to display the recommendation level by considering both the degree of I / O load utilization and the available capacity.

[0139] Figure 18 shows the configuration of the recommendation judgment condition table T100 according to Modification 2 of Embodiment 2. As shown in Figure 18, in Modification 2, the recommendation level is determined in 5 stages. For example, if the I / O load occupancy rate is less than 30% and the free capacity after restoration is expected to be 60% or more of the total capacity, "Recommended +++" is displayed. Similarly, if the I / O load occupancy rate is less than 30% and the free capacity after restoration is expected to be 30% or more, "Recommended +++" is displayed.

[0140] If the I / O load utilization is "70% or higher," the device will be deemed unsuitable as a restore destination and will be displayed as "not recommended" regardless of the available space.

[0141] Note that the recommendation criteria table T100 replaces the recommendation level determination criteria in S311 of Figure 17. The remaining free capacity after restoration is calculated as "(BC) / A" from (A) the total capacity of the restoration destination device, (B) the current free capacity, and (C) the capacity consumed during restoration.

[0142] (Modification 3 of Embodiment 2) In Embodiment 2, the recommendation level was displayed, but in addition to displaying the recommendation level, or instead of displaying the recommendation level, the system may be configured to automatically determine the device to which the restore will be placed. For example, this can be achieved by the restore control program 2060 (Figure 6) automatically selecting the device with the lowest I / O load occupancy rate.

[0143] In the modified example 2 of Embodiment 2, the same can be achieved by the restore control program 2060 (Figure 6) selecting the device with the largest available capacity among the devices with the lowest I / O load occupancy. In this way, it becomes possible to quickly select an appropriate storage system as the restore destination and perform the restore.

[0144] [Embodiment 3] Embodiment 2 describes the process for restoring multiple data sets (backup data), whereas Embodiment 3 describes the process for restoring multiple data sets. Below, only the differences from Embodiment 2 will be described, and similar configurations will not be explained.

[0145] (Configuration of the restore settings screen D60 according to Embodiment 3) Figure 19A shows the configuration of the restore settings screen D60 according to Embodiment 3. In the restore settings screen D60, the volume selection area D420 and the version (generation) selection area D430 in the restore settings screen D40 (Figure 12) according to Embodiment 1 are replaced by a combined volume and version (generation) selection area D425. In the restore settings screen D60, multiple restore targets can be selected in the volume and version (generation) selection area D425. The restore settings screen D60 also has a "Next" button D465 for transitioning to the restore settings screen D61 (Figure 19B).

[0146] In the example in Figure 19A, the second generation backup data, indicated as "Backup 02" and taken on "2024-04-28 01:00", is selected from "Volume B (32TB)," indicated by logical volume number 15, which was backed up from "VSP56342". Furthermore, the second generation backup data, also indicated as "Backup 02" and taken on "2024-04-28 01:00", is selected from "Volume C (16TB)," indicated by logical volume number 20. In other words, two backup data sets have been selected as targets for restoration. The selected backup data are displayed in a way that allows for identification of the volume and version.

[0147] When button D465 is pressed, the screen transitions to the restore settings screen D61 (Figure 19B) based on the selection result.

[0148] (Configuration of the restore settings screen D61 according to Embodiment 3) Figure 19B shows the configuration of the restore settings screen D61 according to Embodiment 3. The restore settings screen D61 is a screen for selecting the restore destination. In Embodiment 3, since multiple restore targets (backup data) can be selected, the restore settings screen D61 is provided with a restore destination selection area D440 for each backup data selected previously. The restore settings screen D61 is also provided with a "back" button D466 for returning to the restore settings screen D60.

[0149] In the example in Figure 19B, there are separate restore destination selection areas D440 for backup data D610 of logical volume number 15, "Volume B (32TB)," and for backup data D611 of logical volume number 20, "Volume C (16TB)." When button D466 is pressed, the system transitions back to the restore settings screen D60 (Figure 19A), allowing the user to re-select the backup data to be restored.

[0150] (Configuration of the statistical information screen D70 according to Embodiment 3) Figure 20 shows the configuration of the statistics information screen D70 according to Embodiment 3. Similar to Embodiments 1 and 2, it is displayed separately when the statistics information display button D480 on the restore settings screens D60 and D61 is pressed. In Embodiment 3, since multiple backup data can be selected, the statistics information screen D70 is provided with graph display areas 510, 511, etc. for each selected target volume. The method for drawing each graph is the same as in Embodiments 1 and 2, and the process shown in Figure 14 is repeated for each target volume.

[0151] In the example in Figure 20, since "Volume B (32TB)" with logical volume number 15 and "Volume C (16TB)" with logical volume number 20 are selected, two graphs are displayed.

[0152] (Recommendation level update process according to Embodiment 3) Figure 21 is a flowchart showing the recommendation level update process according to Embodiment 3. The recommendation level update process updates the recommendation level D4502 on the restore settings screen D61. The recommendation level update process is executed when any of the selected areas D450 on the restore settings screen D61 is changed.

[0153] Furthermore, the initial display of the restore settings screen D61 is performed by executing the recommendation level determination process (Figure 17) of Embodiment 2 for each restore target. Also, processes that only need to be performed once, such as API testing (step S304 (Figure 17)), are omitted from subsequent executions.

[0154] First, in step S401, the backup / restore control system 10 acquires statistical information for all volumes selected as targets for restoration, triggered by a change in the selection of any recommendation level D4502 on the restore settings screen D61. Step S401 can be omitted if the information has already been acquired through the process shown in Figure 17, etc.

[0155] Next, in step S402, the backup / restore control system 10 checks whether there are other restore targets (backup data) that have selected the target device as a restore destination, and updates the available capacity in order to update the recommendation level. For example, if the device has enough capacity to handle 100,000 IOPS, but other volumes selected as restore destinations are expected to consume an average or maximum of 40,000 IOPS, the available capacity is updated to 60,000 IOPS.

[0156] Steps S403 to S406 are identical to steps S309 to S312 in Figure 17, so their explanation is omitted.

[0157] In step S407, the backup / restore control system 10 checks whether all target devices have been updated, that is, whether all displays within the selection area D450 of a particular restore target have been updated. If all target devices have been updated (step S407YES), the backup / restore control system 10 proceeds to step S408. On the other hand, if some target devices have not been updated (step S407NO), the backup / restore control system 10 returns to step S402.

[0158] Next, in step S408, the backup / restore control system 10 checks whether it has completed updating the selected area D450 for all restore targets, i.e., all backup data displayed on the restore settings screen D61. If the backup / restore control system 10 has completed updating the selected area D450 for all restore targets (step S408 YES), it terminates the recommendation level update process. On the other hand, if the backup / restore control system 10 has not completed updating the selected area D450 for all restore targets (step S408 NO), it returns to step S402.

[0159] (Screen changes of restore setting screen D61 according to Embodiment 3) Figures 22A and 22B show the changes in the restore settings screen D61 according to Embodiment 3. Figure 22A shows the state in which the process in Figure 21 is executed and the display of the restore settings screen D61 is updated when "SDS12345-Node2" is selected as the restore destination for both backup data D610 and D611, starting from the state in Figure 19B where no restore destination device is selected.

[0160] When the backup / restore control system 10 performs the capacity update process for "SDS12345-Node2" for backup data D610 of logical volume number 15 (step S402 (Figure 21)), it updates the capacity considering that "SDS12345-Node2" has been selected as the restore destination for backup data D611 of logical volume number 20, which is another restore target. As a result, the capacity decreases, and the recommendation level for "SDS12345-Node2" on the restore settings screen D61 drops from "Recommended+++" to "Recommended+".

[0161] Similarly, the processing for backup data D611 of logical volume number 20 is the same. That is, since "SDS12345-Node2" is selected as the restore destination for backup data D610 of logical volume number 15, the remaining capacity update in step S402 (Figure 21) determines that there is little remaining capacity, and the recommendation level is displayed as "Recommended+".

[0162] The example in Figure 22B shows the screen change when the restore destination for backup data D611 of logical volume number 20 is changed to "SDS12345-Node3" from the state in Figure 22A. Because the restore destination has been changed, the process in Figure 21 is executed again, and as a result the screen is updated to the state in Figure 22B.

[0163] In Figure 22B, the recommendation level for “SDS12345-Node2” as the restore destination for backup data D610 of logical volume number 15 is displayed as “Recommended+++”, the same as initially. This is because, in the “SDS12345-Node2” capacity update process (step S402 (Figure 21)) for backup data D610 of logical volume number 15, it is no longer necessary to consider other restore targets.

[0164] On the other hand, in Figure 22B, the recommendation level for “SDS12345-Node2” as the restore destination for backup data D611 of logical volume number 20 is still displayed as “Recommended +”. This is because, in the process of updating the available capacity of “SDS12345-Node2” for backup data D611 of logical volume number 20, it is still necessary to consider other restore targets (backup data D610 of logical volume number 15).

[0165] According to this embodiment, by trying appropriate combinations of selections, it becomes possible to select an appropriate restore destination with sufficient capacity, even when there are multiple items to restore.

[0166] (Modified form of Embodiment 3) In Embodiment 3, the recommendation level is displayed, but as in Embodiment 2, instead of displaying the recommendation level, the system may be configured to automatically determine the device to which the device will be restored. For example, this can be achieved by performing calculations for each combination of the device to be restored and the device to which it will be restored, and selecting the combination that maximizes the sum of the recommendation levels of all devices (i.e., the optimal placement balance). Also, as with Modification 1 and Modification 2 of Embodiment 2, the available capacity may also be taken into consideration in Embodiment 3.

[0167] Although several embodiments have been described above, these are merely illustrative examples for explaining the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to these embodiments only. The present invention can also be implemented in various other forms, such as forms in which some of the components of the above embodiments are omitted, forms in which at least some of the components are replaced, forms in which components are added, or forms in which some or all of the embodiments are combined. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0168] S: Overall system, 7,8: Host group, 10: Backup / restore control system, 20: Backup source system, 30: Restore destination system, 40: Backup data store, 50,51: Storage system, 60: Storage controller, 610: Processor group

Claims

1. A backup / restore control system that controls the creation and restoration of backups of volumes on a storage system, The processor in the aforementioned backup / restore control system is The first storage system controls the creation of backup data for the volume that is the target of the backup and stores it in the datastore. The first storage system controls the storage of I / O statistics related to the I / O of the volume it creates, by associating the backup data with the I / O statistics. When restoring a volume using the aforementioned backup data, a second storage system is selected from among multiple storage systems to be the destination for the volume, based on the aforementioned I / O statistics. Control the system to restore the volume to be restored from the backup data to the second storage system. A backup / restore control system characterized by the following features.

2. A backup / restore control system according to claim 1, The aforementioned data store is a cloud data store. A backup / restore control system characterized by the following features.

3. A backup / restore control system according to claim 1, The aforementioned processor, The I / O statistics information associated with the volume is displayed on the display unit. The system accepts user input and selects the second storage system to which the volume will be restored. A backup / restore control system characterized by the following features.

4. A backup / restore control system according to claim 1, The aforementioned processor, Based on the I / O statistics and information on the available resources of multiple storage systems that are candidates for the restore destination, the second storage system is selected from the multiple storage systems. A backup / restore control system characterized by the following features.

5. A backup / restore control system according to claim 4, The information regarding the available resources of the candidate storage system for the restore destination is the performance information and operational information of the storage system. A backup / restore control system characterized by the following features.

6. A backup / restore control system according to claim 5, The aforementioned operational information is information regarding I / O load and available storage capacity. A backup / restore control system characterized by the following features.

7. A backup / restore control system according to claim 4, The aforementioned processor, Based on the I / O statistics and the available resource information of the multiple storage systems that are candidates for the restore destination, the recommendation level for each of the storage systems as the second storage system to which the volume will be restored is calculated and displayed on the display unit. The system accepts user input and selects the second storage system to which the volume will be restored. A backup / restore control system characterized by the following features.

8. A backup / restore control system according to claim 4, There are multiple volumes to be restored. The aforementioned processor, Based on the I / O statistics and the available resource information of the multiple candidate storage systems for the restore destination, one or more of the second storage systems will be selected from the multiple storage systems to be the restore destination for the volume. A backup / restore control system characterized by the following features.

9. A backup / restore control system according to claim 8, The aforementioned processor, Based on the I / O statistics and the available resource information of the multiple storage systems that are candidates for the restore destination, the recommendation level for each of the storage systems as the second storage system to which the volume will be restored is calculated and displayed on the display unit. The system accepts user input and selects the second storage system to which the volume will be restored. When a storage system is selected as the restore destination for one of the multiple volumes to be restored, the recommendation level for the second storage system as the restore destination for the other volumes is changed. A backup / restore control system characterized by the following features.

10. A backup / restore control method performed by a backup / restore control system that controls the creation and restoration of backups of volumes on a storage system, The processor in the aforementioned backup / restore control system The first storage system controls the creation of backup data for the volume that is the target of the backup and stores it in the datastore. The first storage system controls the storage of I / O statistics related to the I / O of the volume it creates, by associating the backup data with the I / O statistics. When restoring a volume using the aforementioned backup data, a second storage system is selected from among multiple storage systems to be the destination for the volume, based on the aforementioned I / O statistics. Control the system to restore the volume to be restored from the backup data to the second storage system. A backup / restore control method characterized by having each of the following processes.

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