STORAGE SYSTEM AND STORAGE SYSTEM BACKUP METHOD

Abstract

To provide a storage system and a backup method for the storage system capable of reliably periodically backing up data of the storage system without being affected by a network load.SOLUTION: In a cloud storage system 1, when receiving, from a storage management server 200, settings for periodic backup including at least a backup frequency for data of a storage system 30, a scheduler (snapshot scheduler 312) sets a schedule including a periodic backup time. A backup unit (snapshot program 313) periodically generates backup data according to the time in the schedule set by the scheduler. A data transfer unit (data transfer program 413) transfers the generated backup data to a cloud storage device according to the time in the schedule set by the scheduler.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a storage system and a backup method for a storage system, and is suitable for application to a storage system that can perform periodic backups of data in the storage system, for example. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, the storage market has seen an increase in the use of so-called hybrid cloud storage systems, which link and use on-premise storage systems owned by customers with cloud storage services on cloud systems.

[0003] In cloud systems, storage management services are provided by a storage management server that manages on-premise storage systems, and this storage management service configures and monitors the storage systems, as well as manages backups and snapshots.

[0004] One example of a backup technology for storage systems is the backup method disclosed in Patent Document 1. Patent Document 1 discloses a method for backing up data from a storage system to a cloud storage service. In the backup method disclosed in Patent Document 1, a storage management service on a cloud system has a backup scheduler, and when the storage system receives instructions for backup, etc. from the backup scheduler, it periodically backs up the data in the storage system in accordance with the instructions. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent No. 950,136 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, with the backup method disclosed in Patent Document 1, when instructions for backups and the like from a backup scheduler of a cloud-based storage management service are sent over a wide area network (WAN), the instructions for backups and the like may or may not reach the on-premise storage system depending on the network conditions of the WAN, resulting in instability. This means that backups are sometimes possible and sometimes not possible, making it impossible to achieve reliable data protection through regular backups.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and aims to propose a storage system and a backup method for a storage system that can reliably perform regular backups of storage system data without being affected by network load. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve this problem, in the present invention, a storage system having a processor and a storage device and holding data to be backed up is connected via a network to a storage management server and a cloud storage device capable of storing backup data from the backup, and the storage system is provided with: a scheduler that, upon receiving from the storage management server a setting for periodic backup of data in the storage system that includes at least a backup frequency, sets a schedule that includes a time for the periodic backup; a backup unit that periodically creates backup data in accordance with the time of the schedule set by the scheduler; and a data transfer unit that transfers the created backup data to the cloud storage device in accordance with the time of the schedule set by the scheduler.

[0009] Furthermore, in the present invention, in a backup method for a storage system having a processor and a storage device and holding data to be backed up, the storage system is connected via a network to a storage management server and a cloud storage device capable of storing backup data from the backup, and the method includes a schedule setting step in which, when a scheduler receives from the storage management server a setting for periodic backup of data in the storage system including at least a backup frequency, the schedule setting step sets a schedule including a time for the periodic backup, a backup step in which a backup unit periodically creates backup data in accordance with the time of the schedule set by the scheduler, and a data transfer step in which a data transfer unit transfers the created backup data to the cloud storage device in accordance with the time of the schedule set by the scheduler.

[0010] According to the storage system and storage system backup method of the present invention, the storage system does not need to receive instructions for backup, etc. one by one via the network between the storage management server on the cloud system and the storage system, so regular backups of data in the storage system can be reliably performed without being affected by the network load between the storage management server on the cloud system and the storage system. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to realize a storage system and a backup method for a storage system that can reliably perform periodic backups of data in the storage system without being affected by the load on the network. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1]1 is a block diagram conceptually illustrating an example of the configuration of a cloud storage system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a system configuration of a cloud system. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a system configuration of a storage management unit. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a system configuration of a SmartNIC. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of an information sharing table. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a backup setting screen. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure for setting a backup schedule. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure for cloud backup processing. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure for a snapshot acquisition process. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure for a data transfer process. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a block diagram conceptually illustrating an example of the configuration of a cloud storage system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure for a backup schedule setting process according to the second embodiment. [Figure 13] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure for cloud backup processing according to the second embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a block diagram conceptually illustrating an example of the configuration of a cloud storage system according to a third embodiment. [Figure 15] 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure for a backup schedule setting process according to the third embodiment. [Figure 16] 13 is an example of a flowchart of a cloud backup process according to the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] An embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0014] (1) First embodiment FIG. 1 is a block diagram conceptually showing an example of the configuration of a hybrid cloud storage system (hereinafter referred to as a "cloud storage system") 1 according to the first embodiment.

[0015] The cloud storage system 1 includes a terminal 10, a cloud system 20, a storage system 30, a SmartNIC 40, multiple hosts 50, and a network 60. The network 60 is a network such as a WAN (Wide Area Network), and the communication speed can vary depending on the network load. The network 60 connects the cloud system 20 to a storage system 30 that has a processor and a storage device and holds data to be backed up, and also connects the SmartNIC 40 to the network 60. In the illustrated example, the SmartNIC 40 is separate from the storage system 30, but it may also be integrated with the storage system 30. In this embodiment, an example in which the SmartNIC 40 is separate from the storage system 30 will be described.

[0016] The terminal 10 and the cloud system 20 are connected via a network such as an in-site LAN (Local Area Network) or a WAN (Wide Area Network). The cloud system 20 includes a storage management server 200 and a cloud storage device 210.

[0017] The storage management server 200 includes a storage management service program 200a, and uses this storage management service program 200a to provide storage management services related to control of backups of data in the storage system 30. The cloud system 20 uses a cloud storage device 210 to provide a cloud storage service capable of storing backup data generated by backing up data in the storage system 30.

[0018] The storage system 30 is a disk array device that provides, for example, a data protection function using RAID (Redundant Array of Independent (or Inexpensive) Disks), a data copy function inside and outside the storage system 30, and the like.

[0019] The storage system 30 has a storage management unit 300, multiple redundant I / O control units 380, and multiple drives 390 (390-0, 390-1, . . . , 390-n), and provides block access to the host 50. The drives 390 are physical storage devices such as SSDs (Solid State Drives) and HDDs (Hard Disk Drives). The storage system 30 and the host 50 are connected using protocols such as FC and iSCSI.

[0020] The I / O control unit 380 has a processor 381 and a memory 382. The processor 381 executes various processes in accordance with programs stored in the memory 382. The memory 382 is, for example, a RAM (Random Access Memory), and stores the programs executed by the processor 381 and necessary information. The memory 382 stores an I / O control program 383.

[0021] The I / O control unit 380 uses an I / O control program 383 to configure one or more logical volumes based on the storage areas of the connected drives 390, and provides the configured logical volumes to the host 50. The I / O control unit 380 uses the I / O control program 383 to issue read / write I / O to the drives 390 based on read / write I / O from the host 50, and executes I / O processing.

[0022] The storage management unit 300 executes processing for performing various settings and monitoring of the storage system 30. The storage management unit 300 includes a storage management program 310. The storage management program 310 includes a snapshot scheduler 312 and a snapshot program 313.

[0023] The SmartNIC 40 has a processor (not shown), and includes a data transfer scheduler 412 and a data transfer program 413. The data transfer scheduler 412 and the data transfer program 413 run on the processor of the SmartNIC 40.

[0024] To give an overview of backup in the cloud storage system 1, when the storage management service program 200a of the storage management server 200 on the cloud system 20 accepts the setting of a backup schedule, it sets a snapshot schedule in the snapshot scheduler 312 of the storage management program 310 on the storage system 30, and also sets a data transfer schedule in the data transfer scheduler 412 on the SmartNIC 40. The snapshot scheduler 312 then periodically acquires snapshots in accordance with the settings. The data transfer scheduler 412 also periodically transfers data to the cloud storage device 210 in accordance with the settings. This achieves cloud backup.

[0025] More specifically, when the cloud storage system 1 receives from the storage management server 200 a periodic backup setting including at least a backup frequency for data in the storage system 30, specifically, for example, when it receives a first setting indicating that periodic backups should be performed and a second setting for periodic backups including at least a backup frequency, the cloud storage system 1 is provided with: a snapshot scheduler 312 as an example of a scheduler that sets a schedule including the time for periodic backup; a snapshot program 313 as an example of a backup unit that periodically creates backup data by periodically taking snapshots of the data in the storage system according to the scheduled time set by the snapshot scheduler 312; and a data transfer program 413 as an example of a data transfer unit that transfers the created backup data to the cloud storage device 210 according to the scheduled time set by the snapshot scheduler 312.

[0026] Here, the scheduler in the first embodiment includes a snapshot scheduler 312 that runs on the processor of the storage system 30 and gives instructions to the snapshot program 313 based on the scheduled time of execution of the snapshot program 313, and a data transfer scheduler 412 that runs on the processor of the SmartNIC 40 and gives instructions to the data transfer program 413 based on the scheduled time of transfer of backup data by the data transfer program 413, which is an example of a data transfer unit.

[0027] First, the system administrator operates the terminal 10 to access the storage management server 200 of the cloud system 20. In the storage management server 200, the storage management service program 200a accepts an operation from the terminal 10 and causes the terminal 10 to display a backup setting screen, which will be described later. The system administrator makes input necessary to execute periodic backups on the backup setting screen, and the terminal 10 sets the periodic backup information set in accordance with the input content in the storage management server 200 (corresponding to "Step 1" in the figure).

[0028] In the storage management server 200 that has accepted the setting of the periodic backup, the storage management service program 200a sets a snapshot schedule for the snapshot scheduler 312 of the storage system 30 via the network 60 (corresponding to "Step 2" in the drawing).

[0029] Additionally, the storage management server 200 sets a data transfer schedule for the data transfer scheduler 412 of the SmartNIC 40 via the network 60 (corresponding to "Step 3" in the drawing).

[0030] The snapshot scheduler 312 periodically executes the snapshot program 313 in accordance with the set snapshot schedule time, and acquires snapshots (corresponding to "Step 4" in the drawing).

[0031] The data transfer scheduler 412 periodically executes the data transfer program 413 according to the set data transfer schedule time, and transfers the snapshot data acquired by the snapshot program 313 to the cloud storage device 210 (corresponding to "Step 5" in the figure).

[0032] Only when the system administrator has set up periodic backups through steps 1 to 5 does the storage management service program 200a in the storage management server 200 set a schedule for periodic backups in the snapshot scheduler 312 and data transfer scheduler 412 via the network 60. This makes it possible to realize operations related to the execution of periodic backups without actually issuing instructions for periodic backups one by one via the network 60.

[0033] Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the system configuration of the cloud system 20 shown in Fig. 1. As described above, the cloud system 20 includes the storage management server 200 and the cloud storage device 210.

[0034] The storage management server 200 uses a storage management service program 200a to provide a service for managing the operation of multiple storage systems 30 inside and outside the cloud system 20. The storage management server 200 has, as the storage management service program 200a, for example, a backup schedule setting program 201 and a storage management operation program 202.

[0035] The backup schedule setting program 201 is a program for setting a backup schedule for the storage system. The storage management operation program 202 is a program for operating storage systems inside and outside the cloud system 20. The storage system 30 is operated using an API (Application Programming Interface) for operation management provided by the storage system 30.

[0036] The cloud storage device 210 provides a cloud storage service for storing data on the cloud system 20. The data input / output interface provides objects, files, blocks, and the like.

[0037] 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the system configuration of the storage management unit 300. The storage management unit 300 has, as hardware, a memory 303, a CPU 302, and network I / Fs 301 and 304, and an operating system (not shown) runs on it. The memory 303, CPU 302, and network I / Fs 301 and 304 are connected to one another via a communication path such as a bus. The CPU 302 executes a program stored in the memory 303. The network I / F 301 is an interface for communicating with the cloud system 20 via the network 60. The network I / F 304 is an interface for communicating with the I / O control unit 380.

[0038] The memory 303 stores a storage management program 310. The storage management program 310 includes a management interface program 311, a snapshot scheduler 312, and a snapshot program 313. The programs and information stored in the memory 303 may be stored in a predetermined storage device instead of the memory 303. In this case, the management interface program 311, the snapshot scheduler 312, and the snapshot program 313 are read by the CPU 302 from the predetermined storage device into the memory 303 and executed.

[0039] The management interface program 311 is a program that provides an API for operating the storage system 30 and accepts operations via the network 60. The snapshot scheduler 312 is a program that accepts and manages snapshot schedules. The snapshot program 313 is a program that works in conjunction with the I / O control unit 380 to acquire and delete snapshots of volumes. This snapshot program 313 has a function of periodically acquiring snapshots of data in the storage system 30 as backup data when a schedule for periodic backups is set by the snapshot scheduler 312, which is an example of a scheduler.

[0040] 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the system configuration of SmartNIC 40. SmartNIC 40 is an example of a network interface device, and has memory 403, CPU 402, and network I / Fs 401 and 404, on which an operating system (not shown) runs. The memory 403, CPU 402, and network I / Fs 401 and 404 are interconnected by a communication path such as a bus. The CPU 402 executes a program stored in memory 403.

[0041] The network I / F 401 is an interface for communicating with the cloud system 20 via the network 60. The network I / F 404 is an interface for communicating with the storage management unit 300.

[0042] The memory 403 includes a management interface program 411, a data transfer scheduler 412, and a data transfer program 413. The programs and information stored in the memory 403 may be stored in a storage device. In this case, they are read into the memory 403 by the CPU 402 and executed.

[0043] The management interface program 411 is a program that provides an API for operating the management of data transfer and accepts operations from the network 60. The data transfer scheduler 412 is a program that accepts and manages data transfer schedules. The data transfer program 413 is a program that runs on the processor of the SmartNIC 40 and communicates with the cloud storage device 210 of the cloud system 20 to write and read data.

[0044] In FIG. 4, the configuration of a SmartNIC is shown as an example of a network interface card, but the configuration is not limited to a SmartNIC, and a physical server, a virtual server, a container, or the like may be used instead.

[0045] 5 shows an example of an information sharing table 500 between the storage system 30 and the SmartNIC 40. The information sharing table 500 is for sharing information about backup data between the snapshot program 313 and the data transfer program 413. This information sharing table 500 may be managed as a volume by the storage management unit 300 of the storage system 30, and is configured so that it can also be referenced from the SmartNIC 40 as appropriate.

[0046] The information sharing table 500 manages a volume ID 501, a snapshot name 502, a volume size 503, a snapshot status 504, and a backup status 505. The volume ID 501 is an ID for identifying a volume. The snapshot name 502 is a name for identifying a snapshot for the volume ID 501.

[0047] Volume size 503 is the volume size of the snapshot. Snapshot status 504 is the status of the snapshot. Snapshot statuses include "Created" and "Creating." The snapshot status may further include "Deleted," "Deleting," "Failed," and "Canceled."

[0048] The backup status 505 indicates the status of the backup. The backup status 505 includes "Completed," "Ongoing," and "Not started." The backup status 505 may also include "Failed" and "Canceled."

[0049] 6 shows an example of a backup setting screen 800. The backup setting screen 800 is displayed on the terminal 10 or the like based on data provided to the terminal 10 or the like by the storage management service program 200a of the storage management server 200 on the cloud system 20.

[0050] The backup setting screen 800 includes a logical volume selection area 801 , an object store selection area 802 , a backup schedule setting area 803 , and a backup method selection area 804 .

[0051] The logical volume selection area 801 is an area for selecting a logical volume to be backed up. In the illustrated example, in the logical volume selection area 801, the logical volume of VolB (16 TB) indicated by the volume number (corresponding to "#" in the illustration) "7F" is selected as the backup target.

[0052] The object store selection area 802 is configured, for example, as a drop-down box. The object store selection area 802 is an area for selecting an object store to be used as a backup destination for the logical volume. The object store selection area 802 displays selectable object stores that have already been registered as storage destinations for backup data. In the illustrated example, the object store corresponding to "ams:std Backup", i.e., the backup type "standard backup (std Backup)" of the cloud system 20 named "ams" is selected.

[0053] The backup schedule setting area 803 is an area for setting a backup schedule. In the backup schedule setting area 803, for example, a One shot designation button (corresponding to "One Shot" in the figure) 8031 ​​for setting execution of a one-time backup and a Periodically designation button 8032 for setting execution of periodic backups are displayed.

[0054] If the One shot specification button 8031 ​​is selected, the system administrator can specify whether to execute immediately or the execution start time by input. If the Periodically specification button 8032 is selected, the repeat interval (for example, daily, weekly, or monthly), the execution start time, execution interval time, number of executions, etc. are able to be specified. In the example shown, periodic backup execution is selected as the backup schedule, and it is specified that the backup will be executed daily at 0:00 every 30 minutes.

[0055] The backup method selection area 804 is an area for setting the backup method. In the example shown, the selectable backup methods are a full backup that backs up the entire logical volume, an incremental backup that backs up only the difference in the logical volume from the previous backup, and a differential backup that backs up the difference from the logical volume at the time of the immediately preceding full backup. In the example shown, incremental backup is specified.

[0056] The OK button 811 is a button for receiving an instruction to register the backup schedule set on the backup setting screen 800. When the OK button 811 is pressed, the set backup schedule is passed to the backup schedule setting process by the backup schedule setting program 201.

[0057] The cancel button 812 is a button for accepting an instruction to discard the backup schedule set on the backup setting screen 800. When the cancel button 812 is pressed, the backup schedule set on the backup setting screen 800 is canceled.

[0058] Here, multiple backup schedules may be created for one logical volume. For example, a schedule for taking a full backup at midnight every Sunday and a schedule for taking incremental backups at midnight every Monday through Saturday may be created for the logical volume to be backed up. In this case, the logical volume will be backed up using a combination of these schedules.

[0059] 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure for the backup schedule setting process S9000. This backup schedule setting process S9000 is executed by the backup schedule setting program 201 of the storage management service on the cloud system 20.

[0060] The backup schedule setting process S9000 is performed by the system administrator setting a backup schedule from the backup setting screen 800 displayed on the terminal 10, etc. The backup schedule setting program 201 accepts the backup schedule set by the system administrator from the backup setting screen 800 of the terminal 10, etc. (step S9001).

[0061] The backup schedule setting program 201 instructs the storage management operation program 202 to set each schedule in the storage system 30 and the SmartNIC 40 (step S9002).

[0062] The storage management operation program 202 sets a snapshot schedule in the snapshot scheduler 312 of the storage system 30 (step S9003). The storage management operation program 202 sets a data transfer schedule in the data transfer scheduler 412 of the SmartNIC 40 (step S9004), and ends this backup schedule setting process (step S9005).

[0063] By the backup schedule setting process 9000, a regular schedule is set in the snapshot scheduler 312 of the storage system 30 and the data transfer scheduler 412 of the SmartNIC 40, and the system is ready for backup operation.

[0064] 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure for the cloud backup process S10000. This cloud backup process S10000 is executed periodically in cooperation with the storage system 30 and the SmartNIC 40.

[0065] First, a snapshot acquisition process S10001 is executed, which will be described later, followed by a data transfer process S12000, which will be described later.

[0066] Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the steps of the snapshot acquisition process S11000 shown in Fig. 8. The snapshot acquisition process S11000 is executed periodically according to a snapshot schedule set in the snapshot scheduler 312.

[0067] The snapshot scheduler 312 of the storage system 30 checks whether the current time matches the time of the set snapshot schedule (step S11001). If the current time does not match the time of the set snapshot schedule (step S11002: No), the snapshot scheduler 312 executes step S11001 again.

[0068] On the other hand, if the current time matches the time of the set snapshot schedule (step S11002: Yes), the snapshot scheduler 312 adds an entry to the information sharing table 500. At this time, the snapshot state is set to "Creating" (step S11003). The snapshot scheduler 312 instructs the snapshot program 313 to acquire a snapshot (step S11004).

[0069] The snapshot program 313 acquires a snapshot (step S11005) and returns a response to the snapshot scheduler 312.

[0070] The snapshot scheduler 312 receives the response from the snapshot program 313, changes the snapshot status of the entry in the information sharing table 500 to "Created" (step S11006), and ends the snapshot acquisition process S11000.

[0071] As described above, in the snapshot acquisition process S11000 shown in FIG. 9, an example has been shown in which the snapshot scheduler 312 adds an entry to the information sharing table 500 and changes the snapshot state setting, but instead, the snapshot program 313 may add an entry and change the snapshot state setting.

[0072] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of the data transfer process S12000. The data transfer process S12000 is executed periodically according to the time of the data transfer schedule set in the data transfer scheduler 412.

[0073] The data transfer scheduler 412 of the SmartNIC 40 checks whether the current time matches the time of the set data transfer schedule (step S12001). If the current time does not match the time of the set data transfer schedule (step S21002: No), the data transfer scheduler 412 executes step S12001 again.

[0074] On the other hand, if the current time matches the time of the set data transfer schedule (step S12002: Yes), the data transfer scheduler 412 changes the backup status of the entry in the information sharing table 500 to "On-going" (step S12003).

[0075] The data transfer scheduler 412 instructs the data transfer program 413 to transfer data by specifying the backup type and the snapshot to be transferred (step S12004). The backup type is either a full backup, differential backup, or incremental backup. The data transfer program 413 mounts the snapshot specified by the data transfer scheduler 412 (step S12005). Mounting here refers to connecting the snapshot to the logical volume to be acquired.

[0076] The data transfer program 413 checks the backup type specified by the data transfer scheduler 412, and if it is a differential backup or incremental backup (step S12006: Yes), it executes step S12007; on the other hand, if it is not a differential backup or incremental backup (step S12006: No), that is, if it is a full backup, it executes step S12008.

[0077] The data transfer program 413 acquires data difference information from the storage management program 310 (step S12007). The data difference information is the data difference between snapshots, and includes information on blocks that have been updated between the previous snapshot and the current snapshot. This information may be acquired from the information sharing table 500, or by another method. For example, the data transfer program 413 may issue an instruction to the storage management program 310 of the storage system 30 via the management network.

[0078] The data transfer program 413 acquires data from the storage system 30, transfers the data to the cloud storage device 210, and returns a response to the data transfer scheduler 412 when the data transfer is complete (step S12008).

[0079] When the data transfer scheduler 412 receives a response from the data transfer program 413, it changes the backup status of the entry in the information sharing table 500 to "Completed" and ends the data transfer process S12000.

[0080] As described above, the data transfer process S12000 shown in FIG. 10 shows an example in which the data transfer scheduler 412 changes the setting of the backup status of an entry in the information sharing table 500, but the data transfer program 413 may also change the setting of the backup status.

[0081] As described above, the storage system 30, which has the processor 381 and storage device according to the first embodiment and holds data to be backed up, is connected to the storage management server 200 and the cloud storage device 210, which can store backup data generated by backup, via the network 60. The storage system 30 includes: a snapshot scheduler 312 as an example of a scheduler that sets a schedule including the time for the periodic backup when it receives from the storage management server 200 a setting for periodic backup of data in the storage system 30, including at least the backup frequency; a snapshot program 313 as an example of a backup unit that creates periodic backups according to the scheduled time set by the snapshot scheduler 312; and a data transfer program 413 as an example of a data transfer unit that transfers the created backup data to the cloud storage device 210 according to the scheduled time set by the snapshot scheduler 312.

[0082] In this way, when performing periodic backups, the storage system 30 does not need to receive instructions for backup, etc. one by one via the network 60, so periodic backups of the data in the storage system 30 can be reliably performed without being affected by the burden on the network 60 between the storage management server 200 on the cloud system 20 and the storage system 30.

[0083] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, when a schedule is set by the snapshot scheduler 312, the snapshot program 313 periodically acquires snapshots of the data in the storage system 30. In this way, the snapshot program 313 can periodically acquire snapshots of the data in the storage system 30 and perform periodic backups without delays caused by the load on the network 60.

[0084] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the snapshot scheduler 312 and snapshot program 313 are provided in the storage system 30. In this way, there is no need for the snapshot scheduler 312 and snapshot program 313 to communicate over a network, and the snapshot program 313 can acquire snapshots without delay according to the scheduled times set by the backup scheduler 316.

[0085] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the snapshot scheduler 312 includes a snapshot scheduler 312 that sets a periodic execution schedule for the snapshot program 313 upon receiving the second setting from the storage management server 200, and a data transfer scheduler 412 that sets a transfer schedule for backup data by the data transfer program 413 upon receiving the second setting from the storage management server 200. In this way, the storage system 30 does not need to receive instructions for backup and the like one by one via the network 60 between the storage system 30 and the storage management server 200 on the cloud system 20, and therefore can reliably perform periodic backups of the data in the storage system 30 without being affected by the load on the network 60 between the storage system 30 and the storage management server 200 on the cloud system 20.

[0086] Furthermore, the first embodiment includes an information sharing table 500 for sharing the status of periodic backups between the storage system 30 and the SmartNIC 40. In this way, the storage system 30 and the SmartNIC 40 work together to perform periodic backups of data in the storage system 30 without delay.

[0087] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the data transfer program 413 is provided in the SmartNIC 40, which is configured independently of the storage system 30. This data transfer program 413 runs on the processor of the SmartNIC 40. In this way, the data transfer program 413 can transfer backup data generated by periodic backups to the cloud storage device 210 in a timely manner without being affected by the load on the storage system 30.

[0088] (2) Second embodiment In the second embodiment, the description of the same configuration and processing as in the first embodiment will be omitted, and the description will focus on the differences from the first embodiment. Fig. 11 is a block diagram conceptually showing an example configuration of a cloud storage system 1a according to the second embodiment.

[0089] The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the storage management unit 300 has a backup scheduler 316 instead of the snapshot scheduler 312, and the SmartNIC 40 does not have a data transfer scheduler 412. That is, in the second embodiment, the backup scheduler 316 of the storage management unit 300 has the functions of the snapshot scheduler 312 according to the first embodiment, and also performs the functions of the data transfer scheduler 412 according to the first embodiment. As a result, the backup scheduler 316 and snapshot program 313 are provided in the storage management unit 300.

[0090] In the second embodiment, when the storage management service program 200a of the storage management server 200 on the cloud system 20 accepts the setting of a backup schedule via the backup setting screen 800, the backup schedule is set in the backup scheduler 316 of the storage management program 310 on the storage system 30. Then, the backup scheduler 316 periodically acquires snapshots in accordance with the setting and periodically transfers data to the cloud storage device 210. This realizes cloud backup.

[0091] The system administrator accesses the storage management server 200 of the cloud system 20 from the terminal 10. The storage management server 200 accepts an operation from the terminal 10 and displays a backup setting screen 800 on the terminal 10. The system administrator inputs the settings for periodic backups on the backup setting screen 800, and the terminal 10 sets the set information for periodic backups in the storage management server 200 (corresponding to "Step 1" in the figure).

[0092] The storage management server 200, which has accepted the setting of the periodic backup, sets a backup schedule in the backup scheduler 316 of the storage system 30 via the network 60 (corresponding to "procedure 2" in the figure). This setting corresponds to the second setting described above. The backup scheduler 316 runs on the processor of the storage system 30, and gives instructions to the snapshot program 313 based on the scheduled time of execution of the snapshot program 313, and also gives instructions to the data transfer program 413 based on the scheduled time of transfer of backup data by the data transfer program 413. As a result, the backup scheduler 316 periodically executes the snapshot program 313 in accordance with the set backup schedule time and acquires snapshots (corresponding to "procedure 3" in the figure).

[0093] The backup scheduler 316 periodically executes the data transfer program 413 according to the set backup schedule time, and transfers the snapshot data acquired by the snapshot program 313 to the cloud storage device 210 (corresponding to "Step 4" in the figure).

[0094] Through these steps, only when the system administrator sets up periodic backups, the storage management server 200 sets a periodic schedule in the backup scheduler 316 via the network 60, while the actual backup instructions are not sent via the network 60, enabling the operation of periodic backups to be realized.

[0095] 12 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of a backup schedule setting process S13000 according to the second embodiment. The backup schedule setting process S13000 is executed by the backup schedule setting program 201 of the storage management service program 200a of the storage management server 200 on the cloud system 20.

[0096] The backup schedule setting process S13000 is performed by the system administrator setting a backup schedule from the backup setting screen 800. The backup schedule setting program 201 accepts the backup schedule set by the system administrator from the backup setting screen 800 (step S13001).

[0097] The backup schedule setting program 201 instructs the storage management operation program 202 to set a backup schedule in the storage system 30 (step S13002). The storage management operation program 202 sets a backup schedule in the backup scheduler 316 of the storage system 30 (step S13003), and ends the backup schedule setting process (step S13004).

[0098] By the backup schedule setting process S13000, a periodic schedule is set in the backup scheduler of the storage system 30, enabling the execution of periodic backups.

[0099] 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure for cloud backup processing S14000 according to the second embodiment. This cloud backup processing S14000 is executed periodically by the backup scheduler 316 of the storage system 30.

[0100] The backup scheduler 316 of the storage system 30 checks whether the current time matches the time of the configured backup schedule (step S14001). If the current time does not match the time of the configured snapshot schedule (step S14002: No), the backup scheduler 316 executes step S14001 again.

[0101] On the other hand, if the current time matches the time of the set backup schedule (step S14002: Yes), the backup scheduler 316 instructs the snapshot program 313 to take a snapshot (step S14003). The snapshot program 313 takes a snapshot (step S14004) and returns a response to the backup scheduler 316.

[0102] The backup scheduler 316 receives the response from the snapshot program 313, and then instructs the data transfer program 413 to transfer data by specifying the backup type and the snapshot to be transferred (step S14005). The backup type is either a full backup, differential backup, or incremental backup.

[0103] The data transfer program 413 mounts the snapshot specified by the backup scheduler 316 (step S14006).

[0104] The data transfer program 413 checks the backup type specified by the backup scheduler 316, and if it is a differential backup or incremental backup (step S14007: Yes), it executes step S14009; on the other hand, if it is not a differential backup or incremental backup (step S14007: No), that is, if it is a full backup, it executes step S14008.

[0105] The data transfer program 413 acquires data difference information from the storage management program 310 (step S14008). The data difference information is the data difference between snapshots, and includes information on blocks that have been updated between the previous snapshot and the current snapshot. This information may be acquired from the information sharing table 500, or by another method. For example, the data transfer program 413 may issue an instruction to the storage management program 310 of the storage system 30 via the management network.

[0106] The data transfer program 413 acquires data from the storage system 30, transfers the data to the cloud storage device 210, and returns a response to the backup scheduler 316 when the data transfer is complete (step S14009).

[0107] When the backup scheduler 316 receives a response from the data transfer program 413, it ends the cloud backup process S14000 (step S14010).

[0108] FIG. 13 shows an example in which the data transfer program 413 determines the backup type and, if it is a differential backup or incremental backup, obtains data difference information from the storage management program 310. However, the backup scheduler 316 may also pass the data difference information to the data transfer program 413 at the timing of issuing a backup instruction to the data transfer program 413.

[0109] In the cloud storage system 1a according to the second embodiment, a storage system 30 and a cloud system 20 are connected via a network 60, similar to the cloud storage system 1 according to the first embodiment. When the cloud storage system 1a receives from the storage management server 200 a periodic backup setting including at least the backup frequency for data in the storage system 30, the cloud storage system 1a includes a backup scheduler 316 as an example of a scheduler including the time for setting a schedule for the periodic backup, a snapshot program 313 as an example of a backup unit that creates backup data according to the scheduled time set by the backup scheduler 316, and a data transfer program 413 as an example of a data transfer unit that transfers the created backup data to the cloud storage device 210 according to the scheduled time set by the backup scheduler 316.

[0110] In this way, the storage system 30 does not need to receive instructions for backup, etc. one by one via the network 60 between the storage management server 200 on the cloud system 20 and the storage system 30, so regular backups of the data in the storage system 30 can be reliably performed without being affected by the burden on the network 60 between the storage management server 200 on the cloud system 20 and the storage system 30.

[0111] In the second embodiment, a backup scheduler 316 as an example of a scheduler and a snapshot program 313 as an example of a backup unit are provided in the storage system 30. In this way, there is no need for the storage management server 200 to instruct the SmartNIC 40 to set up a backup, and it is sufficient to instruct the storage system 30 to set up a backup only. Therefore, regular backups can be performed more reliably than in the first embodiment, without being affected by the load on the network 60.

[0112] In the second embodiment, when the backup scheduler 316, which is an example of a scheduler, receives periodic backup settings from the storage management server 200, it sets the time for the periodic execution schedule of the snapshot program 313 and also sets the time for the schedule for transfer of backup data by the data transfer program 413. In this way, there is no need for the storage management server 200 to instruct the SmartNIC 40 to set the backup, and it is sufficient to instruct the backup setting only to the storage system 30. Therefore, periodic backup can be performed more reliably than in the first embodiment without being affected by the load on the network 60.

[0113] (3) Third embodiment In the third embodiment, the description of the same configuration and processing as in the first and second embodiments will be omitted, and the description will focus on the differences from the first and second embodiments. Fig. 14 is a block diagram conceptually showing an example configuration of a cloud storage system 1b according to the third embodiment.

[0114] The third embodiment differs from the second embodiment in that the storage management unit 300 does not have a backup scheduler 316, and the SmartNIC 40 has a backup scheduler 415 having the same function as the backup scheduler 316. Alternatively, in the third embodiment, it can be said that the backup scheduler 415 of the SmartNIC 40 substitutes for the functions of the snapshot scheduler 312 of the storage management unit 300 and the data transfer scheduler 412 of the SmartNIC 40 according to the first embodiment. Alternatively, in the third embodiment, it can be said that the backup scheduler 415 of the SmartNIC 40 substitutes for the functions of the backup scheduler 316 of the storage management unit 300 according to the second embodiment.

[0115] In the third embodiment, when the storage management service program 200a of the storage management server 200 on the cloud system 20 accepts the setting of a backup schedule via the backup setting screen 800, it sets the time of the backup schedule in the backup scheduler 415 on the SmartNIC 40. This backup scheduler 415 runs on the processor of the SmartNIC 40. This backup scheduler 415 uses the snapshot program 313 to periodically acquire snapshots in accordance with the setting (corresponding to the second setting described above), and periodically transfers data of the acquired snapshots to the cloud storage device 210. This realizes cloud backup.

[0116] More specifically, first, the system administrator accesses the storage management server 200 of the cloud system 20 from the terminal 10. The storage management server 200 accepts an operation from the terminal 10 and displays a backup setting screen 800 on the terminal 10. The system administrator inputs the settings for periodic backups on the backup setting screen 800, and the terminal 10 sets the set information for periodic backups in the storage management server 200 (corresponding to "Step 1" in the figure).

[0117] The storage management server 200, which has received the setting for periodic backup, sets a backup schedule in the backup scheduler 415 of the SmartNIC 40 via the network 60 (corresponding to "Step 2" in the drawing).

[0118] The backup scheduler 415 periodically executes the snapshot program 313 according to the set backup schedule time and acquires snapshots (corresponding to "Step 3" in the drawing).

[0119] Furthermore, the backup scheduler 415 periodically executes the data transfer program 413 according to the set backup schedule time, and transfers the snapshot data acquired by the snapshot program 313 to the cloud storage device 210 (corresponding to "Step 4" in the figure). This data transfer program 413 runs on the processor of the SmartNIC 40.

[0120] By performing steps 1 to 4, only when the system administrator sets up periodic backups, the storage management server 200 sets the time of the periodic schedule in the backup scheduler 415 via the network 60, and the actual backup instructions can be sent without going through the network 60, thereby realizing the operation of executing periodic backups.

[0121] 15 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of the backup schedule setting process S15000 in the third embodiment. The backup schedule setting process S15000 is executed by the backup schedule setting program 201 of the storage management server 200 on the cloud system 20.

[0122] The backup schedule setting process S15000 is performed when the system administrator sets a backup schedule from the backup setting screen 800. The backup schedule setting program accepts the backup schedule set by the system administrator from the backup setting screen 800 (step S15001).

[0123] The backup schedule setting program 201 instructs the storage management operation program 202 to set the backup scheduler 415 in the SmartNIC 40 (step S15002). The storage management operation program sets the backup schedule time in the backup scheduler 415 of the SmartNIC 40 (step S15003), and ends the backup schedule setting process.

[0124] The backup schedule setting process S13000 sets the regular schedule time in the backup scheduler 415 of the SmartNIC 40, enabling the execution of regular backups.

[0125] 16 is an example of a flowchart of cloud backup processing S16000 according to the third embodiment. The cloud backup processing S16000 according to the third embodiment is executed periodically by the backup scheduler 415 of the SmartNIC 40.

[0126] The backup scheduler 415 checks whether the current time matches the time of the set backup schedule (step S16001).

[0127] If the current time does not match the time of the set snapshot schedule (step S16002: No), the backup scheduler 415 executes step S16001 again.

[0128] On the other hand, if the current time matches the time of the set backup schedule (step S16002: Yes), the backup scheduler 415 instructs the snapshot program 313 to take a snapshot (step S16003).

[0129] The snapshot program 313 acquires a snapshot and returns a response to the backup scheduler 415 (step S16004).

[0130] The backup scheduler 415 receives the response from the snapshot program 313, and then instructs the data transfer program 413 to transfer data by specifying the backup type and the snapshot to be transferred (step S16005). The backup type is either a full backup, differential backup, or incremental backup.

[0131] The data transfer program 413 mounts the snapshot specified by the backup scheduler 415 (step S16006).

[0132] The data transfer program 413 checks the backup type specified by the backup scheduler 415, and if it is a differential backup or incremental backup (step S16007: Yes), it executes step S16009; on the other hand, if it is not a differential backup or incremental backup (step S16007: No), that is, if it is a full backup, it executes step S16008.

[0133] The data transfer program 413 acquires data difference information from the storage management program 310 (step S16008). The data difference information is the data difference between snapshots, and includes information on blocks that have been updated between the previous snapshot and the current snapshot. This information may be acquired from the information sharing table 500, or by another method. For example, the data transfer program 413 may issue an instruction to the storage management program 310 of the storage system 30 via the management network.

[0134] The data transfer program 413 acquires data from the storage system 30, transfers the data to the cloud storage device 210, and returns a response to the backup scheduler 415 when the data transfer is complete (step S16009).

[0135] When the backup scheduler 415 receives a response from the data transfer program 413, it ends the cloud backup process S16000.

[0136] As described above, in FIG. 16, an example is shown in which the data transfer program 413 determines the backup type and, if it is a differential backup or incremental backup, obtains data difference information from the storage management program 310. However, the backup scheduler 415 may also pass the data difference information to the data transfer program 413 at the timing of issuing a backup instruction to the data transfer program 413.

[0137] In cloud storage system 1b according to the third embodiment, similar to cloud storage system 1 according to the first embodiment, storage system 30 and cloud system 20 are connected via network 60. This cloud storage system 1b includes: a backup scheduler 415 as an example of a scheduler that sets a schedule including the time for the periodic backup when it receives from storage management server 200 a first setting indicating that periodic backups should be performed on data in storage system 30 and a periodic backup setting including at least the backup frequency; a snapshot program 313 as an example of a backup unit that creates periodic backup data according to the scheduled time set by backup scheduler 415; and a data transfer program 413 as an example of a data transfer unit that transfers the created backup data to cloud storage device 210 according to the scheduled time set by backup scheduler 415.

[0138] In this way, not only the storage system 30 but also the SmartNIC 40 do not need to receive backup instructions one by one via the network 60 between the storage management server 200 on the cloud system 20 and the storage system 30, so regular backups of the data in the storage system 30 can be reliably performed without being affected by the burden on the network 60 between the storage management server 200 on the cloud system 20 and the storage system 30.

[0139] In the third embodiment, when the backup scheduler 415, which is an example of a scheduler, receives a periodic backup setting from the storage management server 200, it sets the time of the periodic execution schedule of the snapshot program 313 and also sets the time of the backup data transfer schedule by the data transfer program 413. In this way, there is no need for the storage management server 200 to instruct the storage system 30 to set the periodic backup, and it is sufficient to instruct the SmartNIC 40 only to set the periodic backup, so that periodic backup can be performed more reliably than in the first embodiment without being affected by the load on the network 60.

[0140] In the third embodiment, the SmartNIC 40 includes a backup scheduler 415. In this way, similarly to the above, there is no need for the storage management server 200 to instruct the storage system 30 to set up periodic backups, and it is sufficient to instruct only the backup scheduler 415 of the SmartNIC 40 to set up periodic backups, so that periodic backups can be performed more reliably than in the first embodiment without being affected by the load on the network 60.

[0141] (4) Other embodiments In the first to third embodiments described above, the case of backing up data from the storage system 30 to the cloud storage device 210 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to such use cases, and may be, for example, a snapshot in the storage system 30. It may also be a local backup in the storage system 30. It may also be a use case in which data is restored from the cloud storage device 210 to the storage system 30.

[0142] In the above-described embodiment, various types of information are sometimes described using the expression "aaa table," but the various types of information may be expressed using data structures other than tables. To indicate that the various types of information do not depend on the data structure, the "aaa table" can be called "aaa information." Furthermore, when a program or software is used as the subject in a description, it is understood that a processor or the like is actually executing the program or software.

[0143] In the above-described embodiment, when describing the content of each piece of information, the terms "identifier," "name," "ID," etc. are used to describe the identification information, but these terms are interchangeable. Instead of at least one of these, various types of identification information may be used.

[0144] In the above-described embodiments, the processing is sometimes described with a "program" as the subject, but since a program is executed by a processor to perform a predetermined process using storage resources (e.g., memory) and / or communication interface devices (e.g., communication ports) as appropriate, the subject of the processing may also be the processor. Conversely, processing with a processor as the subject can be interpreted as being performed by executing one or more programs. The processor is typically a microprocessor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), but may also include hardware circuits that perform part of the processing (e.g., encryption / decryption, compression / decompression). [Industrial Applicability]

[0145] The present invention can be applied to a storage system that is capable of performing periodic backups. [Explanation of symbols]

[0146] 10...Terminal, 20...Cloud system, 30...Storage system, 40...SmartNIC, 50...Host, 60...Network, 300...Storage management unit, 312...Snapshot scheduler, 313...Snapshot program, 316...Backup scheduler, 412...Data transfer scheduler, 413...Data transfer program, 415...Backup scheduler.

Claims

1. In a storage system having a processor and a storage device and holding data to be backed up, The storage management server is connected to a cloud storage device capable of storing the backup data via a network, a scheduler that, upon receiving from the storage management server a periodic backup setting including at least a backup frequency for data in the storage system, sets a schedule including a time for the periodic backup; a backup unit that periodically creates backup data according to the schedule set by the scheduler; a data transfer unit that transfers the created backup data to the cloud storage device according to the schedule time set by the scheduler; a network interface having a processor; Equipped with the backup unit runs on a processor of the storage system, The data transfer unit runs on the processor of the network interface. A storage system comprising:

2. In a storage system having a processor and a storage device and holding data to be backed up, The storage management server is connected to a cloud storage device capable of storing the backup data via a network, a scheduler that, upon receiving from the storage management server a periodic backup setting including at least a backup frequency for data in the storage system, sets a schedule including a time for the periodic backup; a backup unit that periodically creates backup data according to the schedule set by the scheduler; a data transfer unit that transfers the created backup data to the cloud storage device according to the schedule time set by the scheduler; an information sharing table for sharing the status of the backup data between the backup unit and the data transfer unit; A storage system comprising:

3. The backup unit obtains a snapshot of the data in the storage system as the backup data using a snapshot program.

3. The storage system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The scheduler a snapshot scheduler that runs on a processor of the storage system and issues instructions to the backup unit based on the execution schedule time of a snapshot program; a data transfer scheduler that runs on a processor of the network interface and sets an instruction to the data transfer unit based on a scheduled time for the backup data to be transferred by the data transfer unit; The storage system according to claim 1 , further comprising:

5. The scheduler The storage system processor runs on the storage system processor, and instructs the backup unit based on the time of the snapshot program execution schedule, and instructs the data transfer unit based on the time of the backup data transfer schedule by the data transfer unit.

2. The storage system according to claim 1.

6. The scheduler is provided in the network interface.

2. The storage system according to claim 1.

7. A backup method for a storage system having a processor and a storage device, and further having a network interface having the processor, and having data to be backed up, comprising: the storage system is connected via a network to a storage management server and a cloud storage device capable of storing backup data from the backup; a schedule setting step of setting a schedule including a time for the periodic backup when a scheduler receives from the storage management server a setting for periodic backup including at least a backup frequency for data in the storage system; a backup step in which a backup unit running on a processor of the storage system periodically creates backup data in accordance with the schedule set by the scheduler; a data transfer step in which a data transfer unit running on a processor of the network interface transfers the created backup data to the cloud storage device according to the schedule time set by the scheduler; 1. A backup method for a storage system, comprising:

8. A backup method for a storage system having a processor and a storage device, and having data to be backed up, comprising: the storage system is connected via a network to a storage management server and a cloud storage device capable of storing backup data from the backup; a schedule setting step of setting a schedule including a time for the periodic backup when a scheduler receives from the storage management server a setting for periodic backup including at least a backup frequency for data in the storage system; a backup step in which a backup unit periodically creates backup data in accordance with the schedule set by the scheduler; a data transfer step in which a data transfer unit transfers the created backup data to the cloud storage device according to the schedule time set by the scheduler; a step in which the storage system holds an information sharing table for sharing the status of the backup data between the backup unit and the data transfer unit; 1. A backup method for a storage system, comprising:

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