Storage system and storage migration method
View Patent ↗A storage system and storage migration method where migration may be carried out to an access destination of a host apparatus without stopping the exchange of data between the host apparatus and the storage apparatus. This system is provided with a host apparatus inputting and outputting requests for data, a migration source storage apparatus having logical unit(s) correlated to storage regions of physical devices for storing the data, a migration destination storage apparatus having logical unit(s). The system also has an editing unit for editing configuration control information relating to the logical unit(s) for the migration source so as to match with settings for the migration destination storage apparatus, an importing unit for importing edited configuration control information to the migration destination storage apparatus, and a mapping unit for mapping the logical unit(s) of the migration source to the logical unit(s) of the migration destination.
1. A storage system comprising:
a physical device for storing data;
a first storage apparatus that manages at least one first logical unit, the at least one first logical unit being correlated to a storage region of said physical device;
a second storage apparatus that manages at least one second logical unit, the at least one second logical unit being correlated to said storage region of said physical device along with the first logical unit and recognized as being the same as the at least one first logical unit,
wherein each of the first storage apparatus and the second storage apparatus are coupled to a host apparatus via a respective path; and
wherein, said storage system has (1) a first status in which the host inputs/outputs data to/from the first storage apparatus and the second storage apparatus by switching between the first storage apparatus and the second storage apparatus, and (2) a second status in which either a respective path between the host apparatus and the first storage apparatus or a respective path between the host apparatus and the second storage apparatus is closed, and the host inputs/outputs data to/from either the first storage apparatus or the second storage apparatus over a respective path that is not closed.
2. The storage system according to the claim 1 , further comprising:
an external storage apparatus including the physical device,
wherein the first storage apparatus and the second storage apparatus are coupled to the external storage apparatus.
3. The storage system according to the claim 2 ,
wherein, when (i) the second logical unit is a migration destination for data migrated from the first logical unit and (ii) the storage apparatus is in the second status in which the respective path between the host apparatus and the second storage apparatus is closed, then the system:
moves to the first status after connecting the respective path between the host apparatus and the second storage apparatus and the host apparatus recognize the second logical unit, and
moves to the second status after closing the respective path between the host apparatus and the first storage apparatus to complete the migration from the first logical unit to the second logical unit.
4. The storage system according to the claim 3 ,
wherein each said first storage apparatus and said second storage apparatus has a disk cache, which can be set to an on or off condition, for temporarily storing data from the host apparatus, and
wherein, when the data is input to or output from the first storage apparatus with respect to the external storage apparatus via a corresponding path, a disk cache of the first storage apparatus is set to on, and a disk cache of the second storage apparatus is set to off,
wherein the input/output request from the host apparatus to the second storage apparatus is transmitted to the external storage apparatus via the first storage apparatus,
wherein, when the data is input to or output from the second storage apparatus with respect to the external storage apparatus via a corresponding path, the disk cache of the second storage apparatus is set to on, and the disk cache of the first storage apparatus is set to off, and
wherein the input/output request from the host apparatus to the first storage apparatus is transmitted to the external storage apparatus via the second storage apparatus.
5. The storage system according to the claim 3 :
wherein the first storage apparatus destages data from a disk cache which temporarily stores the data and is located in the first storage apparatus, based on a command from the host apparatus.
6. The storage system according to the claim 1 : wherein the second logical unit is a migration destination for data migrated from the first logical unit.
7. The storage system according to the claim 1 :
wherein each respective path between the host and the first storage apparatus or the second storage apparatus is closable, based on a command from the host apparatus.
8. A method of operating a storage system having a physical device for storing data, a first storage apparatus that manages at least one first logical unit, the at least one first logical unit being correlated to a storage region of said physical device, a second storage apparatus that manages at least one second logical unit, the at least one second logical unit being correlated to said storage region of said physical device along with the first logical unit and recognized as being the same as the at least one first logical unit, and a respective path coupling each of the first storage apparatus and the second storage apparatus to a host apparatus, said method comprising:
establishing for said storage system, a first status in which the host inputs/outputs data to/from the first storage apparatus and the second storage apparatus by switching between the first storage apparatus and the second storage apparatus, and
establishing a second status in which either the respective path between the host apparatus and the first storage apparatus or the respective path between the host apparatus and the second storage apparatus is closed, and the host inputs/outputs data to/from either the first storage apparatus or the second storage apparatus over the respective path that is not closed.
9. The method of operating a storage system according to the claim 8 wherein (i) the system comprises an external storage apparatus that includes the physical device, and (ii) each of the first storage apparatus and the second storage apparatus is coupled to the external storage apparatus by a corresponding path.
10. The method of operating a storage system according to the claim 9 ,
wherein, when (i) the second logical unit is a migration destination for data migrated from the first logical unit and (ii) the storage apparatus is in the second status in which the respective path between the host apparatus and the second storage apparatus is closed, then the system is operative for:
moving to the first status after connecting the path between the host apparatus and the second storage apparatus and the host apparatus recognize the second logical unit, and
moving to the second status after closing the path between the host apparatus and the first storage apparatus to complete the migration from the first logical unit to the second logical unit.
11. The method of operating a storage system according to the claim 10 , wherein each said first storage apparatus and said second storage apparatus has a disk cache, which can be set to an on or off condition, for temporarily storing data from the host apparatus, the method further comprising:
when the data is input to or output from the first storage apparatus with respect to the external storage apparatus via the corresponding path, setting a disk cache of the first storage apparatus to on, and setting a disk cache of the second storage apparatus to off, whereby an input/output request from the host apparatus to the second storage apparatus is transmitted to the external storage apparatus via the first storage apparatus, and
when the data is input to or output from the second storage apparatus with respect to the external storage apparatus via the corresponding path, the disk cache of the second storage apparatus is set to on, and the disk cache of the first storage apparatus is set to off, whereby an input/output request from the host apparatus to the first storage apparatus is transmitted to the external storage apparatus via the second storage apparatus.
12. The method of operating a storage system according to the claim 10 , further comprising:
the first storage apparatus destaging data from the host apparatus, which is temporarily stored in a disk cache that is part of and located in the first storage apparatus, based on a command from the host apparatus.
13. The method of operating a storage system according to the claim 8 : wherein the second logical unit is a migration destination for data migrated from the first logical unit.
14. The method of operating a storage system according to the claim 8 , further comprising, closing a selected respective path between the host and the first storage apparatus or the second storage apparatus, based on a command from the host apparatus.