IP Library Granted Patent US 7,827,193
Granted Patent B2
US 7,827,193 · App. 11/657,564 · Granted Nov 2, 2010

File sharing system, file sharing device and file sharing volume migration method

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,827,193
App. No.
11/657,564
Granted
Nov 2, 2010
Kind
B2
Abstract

The file sharing system of the present invention selects a suitable data migration method that corresponds with the usage status and transfers data efficiently. A virtual volume and a migration source volume which is the migration target volume are associated by means of an external connection control section. When an instruction for volume migration is issued, the usage percentage judgment section compares the usage percentage of the migration source volume with a designated threshold value. When the usage percentage is equal to or more than the threshold value, volume copying is selected. The volume copy section copies data at the block level from the virtual volume to the migration destination volume. When the usage percentage is less than the threshold value, file copying is selected. The file copy section reads files stored in the migration source volume via the host and writes the files to the migration destination volume.

Claims (32)

1. A file sharing system comprising:

a migration source file sharing device;

a migration destination file sharing device;

a first communication channel for connecting a higher level device, the migration source file sharing device, and the migration destination file sharing device; and

a second communication channel provided separately from the first communication channel for mutually connecting the migration source file sharing device and the migration destination file sharing device;

wherein the migration destination file sharing device generates a migration destination volume in the migration destination file sharing device as a virtual volume of a migration source volume of the migration source file sharing device,

wherein the migration destination file sharing device determines a usage percentage of the migration source volume by the higher level device via the first communication channel,

wherein if the usage percentage of the migration source volume exceeds a threshold value, the migration destination file sharing device associates a first logical volume, configured by a certain physical device of the migration destination file sharing device, and the migration destination volume, migrates data stored in the migration source volume to the first logical volume by block unit of data via the second communication channel, and writes data to the first logical volume in response to write requests from the higher level device to the migration destination volume after migration, and

wherein if the usage percentage of the migration source volume does not exceed the threshold value, the migration destination file sharing device associates a second logical volume configured by pool storage area of physical devices of the migration destination file sharing device and the migration destination volume, migrates data stored in the migration source volume to the second logical volume by file unit of data via the first communication channel, allocates storage area from the pool storage area to the second logical volume by file unit of data during the migration, and allocates storage area from the pool storage area to the second logical volume in response to write requests from the higher level device to the migration destination volume after migration.

2. The file sharing system according to claim 1 , wherein the first communication channel performs a file-level data transfer and the second communication channel performs a block-level data transfer.

3. The file sharing system according to claim 1 , wherein the migration destination file sharing device transfers a complete directory structure of the migration source file sharing device to the migration destination file sharing device before the migration of data stored in the migration source volume, wherein the directory structure transferred into the migration destination file sharing device contains at least one non-migration target logical volume of the migration source file sharing device that is not designated as a migration target, and the migration destination file sharing device virtualizes said non-migration target logical volume as a virtual logical device therein by connecting said non-migration target logical volume to the virtual logical device, and processes file access requests from the higher level device addressed to said non-migration target logical volume by accessing said non-migration target logical volume.

4. The file sharing system according to claim 3 , wherein the migration source volume of the migration source file sharing device is more frequently used than said non-migration target logical volume of the migration source file sharing device.

5. The file sharing system according to claim 4 , wherein when the directory structure and the range of data transferred from the migration source file sharing device to the migration destination file sharing device do not match, a data migration section accesses untransferred data, which are stored in said one migration source volume contained in the directory structure but have not been transferred from the migration source file sharing device to the migration destination file sharing device, via the migration destination file sharing device by a second virtual logical storage device which is provided in the migration destination file sharing device such that the untransferred volume corresponding to the untransferred data is connected to said second virtual logical storage device.

6. A migration destination file sharing device connected to a migration source file sharing device, comprising:

a plurality of physical devices; and

a controller for controlling the physical devices and connected to a higher level device via a first communication channel and connected to the migration source file sharing device via a second communication channel provided separately from the first communication channel;

wherein the controller generates a migration destination volume in the migration destination file sharing device as a virtual volume of a migration source volume of the migration source file sharing device,

wherein the controller determines a usage percentage of the migration source volume by the higher level device via the first communication channel,

wherein if the usage percentage of the migration source volume exceeds a threshold value, the controller associates a first logical volume, configured by a certain physical device of the migration destination file sharing device, and the migration destination volume, migrates data stored in the migration source volume to the first logical volume by block unit of data via the second communication channel, and writes data to the first logical volume in response to write requests from the higher level device to the migration volume after migration, and

wherein if the usage percentage of the migration source volume does not exceed the threshold value, the controller associates a second logical volume configured by pool storage area of physical devices of the migration destination file sharing device and the migration destination volume, migrates data stored in the migration source volume to the second logical volume by file unit of data via the first communication channel, allocates storage area from the pool storage area to the second logical volume by file unit of data during the migration, and allocates storage area from the pool storage area to the second logical volume in response to write requests from the higher level device to the migration destination volume after migration.

7. The migration destination file sharing device according to claim 6 , wherein the migration source file sharing device transfers a complete directory structure of the migration source file sharing device to the migration destination file sharing device before the migration of data stored in the migration source volume, and

wherein the directory structure transferred into the migration destination files sharing device contains at least one non-migration target logical volume of the migration source file sharing device that is not designated as a migration target, and the migration destination file sharing device virtualizes said non-migration target logical volume as a virtual logical device therein by connecting said non-migration target logical volume to the virtual logical device, and processes file access requests from the higher level device addressed to said non-migration target logical volume by accessing said non-migration target logical volume.

8. The migration destination file sharing device according to claim 7 , wherein the migration source volume of the migration source file sharing device is more frequently used than said non-migration target logical volume of the migration source file sharing device.

9. The migration destination file sharing device according to claim 7 , wherein when the directory structure and the range of data transferred from the migration source file sharing device to the migration destination file sharing device do not match, a data migration section accesses untransferred data, which are stored in said one migration source volume contained in the directory structure but have not been transferred from the migration source file sharing device to the migration destination file sharing device, via the migration destination file sharing device by a second virtual logical storage device which is provided in the migration destination file sharing device such that the untransferred volume corresponding to the untransferred data is connected to said second virtual logical storage device.

10. The migration file destination sharing device according to claim 6 , wherein the first communication channel performs a file-level data transfer and the second communication channel performs a block-level data transfer.

11. A file sharing volume migration method of a file sharing system including a migration source file sharing device and a migration destination file sharing device, comprising the steps of:

connecting a higher level device, the migration source file sharing device, and the migration destination file sharing device via a first communication channel;

connecting the migration source file sharing device and the migration destination file sharing device mutually via a second communication channel provided separately from the first communication channel;

generating migration destination volume in the migration destination file sharing device as a virtual volume of a migration source volume of the migration source file sharing device; and

determining a usage percentage of the migration source volume by the higher level device via the first communication channel;

wherein if the usage percentage of the migration source volume exceeds a threshold value, the migration destination file sharing device associates a first logical volume configured by a certain physical device of the migration destination file sharing device and the migration destination volume, migrates data stored in the migration source volume to the first logical volume by block unit of data via the second communication channel, and writes data to the first logical volume in response to write requests from the higher level device to the migration destination volume after migration, and

wherein if the usage percentage of the migration source volume does not exceed the threshold value, the migration destination file sharing device associates a second logical volume, configured by pool storage area of physical devices of the migration destination file sharing device, and the migration destination volume, migrates data stored in the migration source volume to the second logical volume by file unit of data via the first communication channel, allocates storage area from the pool storage area to the second logical volume by file unit of data during the migration, and allocates storage area from the pool storage area to the second logical volume in response to write requests from the higher level device to the migration destination volume after migration.

Assignments (5)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE REMOVE PATENT NUMBERS 10342096;10671117; 10716375; 10716376;10795407;10795408; AND 10827591 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 58314 FRAME: 657. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Feb 29, 2024
From: RAKUTEN, INC.
To: RAKUTEN GROUP, INC.
Reel/Frame 068066/0103 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 6, 2021
From: RAKUTEN, INC.
To: RAKUTEN GROUP, INC.
Reel/Frame 058314/0657 →
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Dec 17, 2015
From: RAKUTEN, INC.
To: RAKUTEN, INC.
Reel/Frame 037751/0006 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 22, 2014
From: GLOBAL D, LLC.
To: RAKUTEN, INC.
Reel/Frame 032503/0237 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 13, 2014
From: HITACHI, LTD.
To: GLOBAL D, LLC
Reel/Frame 032446/0285 →