Abstract: A storage system is provided which is capable of realizing a remote copy function for speeding up lines virtually by satisfying such demand to distribute copy data into a plurality of lines. In a storage system for connecting a local storage device and a remote storage device via a plurality of lines, the local storage device includes a remote copy program for distributing data of a plurality of logical volumes accessed from a host computer into a plurality of paths on the basis of status of the plurality of paths interposing the plurality of lines, to perform a remote copy from the local storage device to the remote storage device. Accordingly, the local storage device distributes data of the logical volumes into the plurality of lines to copy the data to the remote storage device, resulting in speeding up the lines virtually.

Abstract: A computer system with a plurality of storage systems connected to each other via a network, each storage system including a virtual machine whose data is stored in hierarchized storage areas. When a virtual machine of a first storage system is migrated from the first storage system to a second storage system, the second storage system stores data of the virtual machine of the first storage system as well as data of its own virtual machine, in the hierarchized storage areas in the second storage system.

Abstract: Provided are a storage system and a method of controlling a storage system in which respective real storage areas of a plurality of disk drives contained in the storage system contain management units, and a control device of the storage system assigns a real storage area of a plurality of first disk drives to the virtual storage area, distributedly stores the data in the plurality of management units of the assigned real storage area, distributedly stores, upon receiving a request for adding a second disk drive, the data stored in the plurality of management units of the plurality of first disk drives in the plurality of management units of the plurality of first disk drives and the second disk drive, and assigns the real storage area of the plurality of first disk drives and the second disk drive to an unused virtual storage area.

Abstract: A plurality of CPU cores each have control rights for logical storage areas of one or more types among logical storage areas of a plurality of types. As a source for an area to be assigned to the logical storage areas, a physical storage area which is common to the logical storage areas of the plurality of types is managed. Each CPU core, in the case of a data access to a logical storage area corresponding to the control rights of the CPU core, assigns an area required to store the data from the common physical storage area.

Abstract: Provided are a storage system and a method of controlling a storage system in which respective real storage areas of a plurality of disk drives contained in the storage system contain management units, and a control device of the storage system assigns a real storage area of a plurality of first disk drives to the virtual storage area, distributedly stores the data in the plurality of management units of the assigned real storage area, distributedly stores, upon receiving a request for adding a second disk drive, the data stored in the plurality of management units of the plurality of first disk drives in the plurality of management units of the plurality of first disk drives and the second disk drive, and assigns the real storage area of the plurality of first disk drives and the second disk drive to an unused virtual storage area.

Abstract: In the process of controlling a plurality of storage devices 190 in any one of a normal mode and a plurality of power-saving modes (such as standby and LRPM), a controller 110 selects the storage devices whose mode should be shifted from the normal mode to any of the power-saving modes; and before shifting to control of the selected storage devices in any of the power-saving modes, the controller calculates time and electric power required to make the selected storage devices return from each power-saving mode to the normal mode; and based on each calculated value, the controller sets a combination of power-saving modes and the number of storage devices that satisfy the return conditions defined by the host timeout period and the supplied power; and then, the controller controls the selected number of storage devices in the set combination of power-saving modes.

Abstract: Proposed are a storage apparatus and its control method capable of restoring data of a virtual page to an appropriate device hierarchy according to its data value. This storage apparatus stores, in a backup-destination storage medium, data stored in the respective physical pages allocated with the virtual volume and management information of the virtual volume including information concerning the device hierarchy to which the respective physical pages belong according to a backup command of the virtual volume, and allocates a physical page of the same device hierarchy as the device hierarchy of the physical page that was allocated before the backup to each of the restoration-target virtual pages of the virtual volume, respectively, and writes corresponding data, which was read from the storage medium, into each of the allocated physical pages according to a restoration command of the virtual volume and based on the management information of the virtual volume stored in the storage medium.

Abstract: A storage system includes a first storage node and a second storage node. The first storage node has a first logical unit to which a first target is set, and the second storage node has a second logical unit. To migrate data from the first logical unit to the second logical unit, the first storage node forwards data stored in the first logical unit to the second storage node, and the second storage node stores the data into the second logical unit. The first storage node also forwards information about the first target to the second storage node, and the second storage node sets a target to the second logical unit using the received information.

Abstract: To enhance capacity expansion property of a storage system for providing a thin provisioning volume, this invention provides a computer system including: a first storage system; and a second storage system for providing a second volume to the first storage system. The first storage system is configured to: define at least one first volumes; define a first storage pool including the defined first volume and the provided second volume; provide to the host computer a first thin provisioning volume that is recognized as a volume having a capacity equal to or larger than that of storage areas assigned from the first storage pool. The first thin provisioning volume is thus assigned with both storage areas of the first volume and storage areas of the second volume, which are included in the first storage pool.

Abstract: The storage system of the present invention is able to update a secret while maintaining a session between a host and storage. The administrator configures a new secret for the host and the storage. The session manager issues a request to the storage to open a session that uses the new secret. The session manager opens a session that uses the new secret following authentication. A response to an old command issued prior to the secret update is transmitted from the storage to the host via a session that uses an old secret. A new command following the secret update is transmitted from the host to the storage via the session that uses the new secret. When all the old command processing is complete, the old secret using session is closed.

Abstract: There is provided a storage system providing a storage volume and being coupled via a network to a secondary storage system for storing a backup of data stored in the storage volume, the storage system copies data stored in the storage volume to the secondary storage system, upon receiving an instruction to create a backup; records the size of the data copied; predict the size of data to be copied in the future based on the recorded size of the copied data; records a usable bandwidth of the network at a time when the data is copied to the secondary storage system; predicts a usable bandwidth in the future based on the recorded usable bandwidth of the network; and predicts a time period required for copying data to the secondary storage system based on the predicted size of data to be copied and the predicted usable bandwidth of the network.

Abstract: A pool is formed based on a plurality of storage devices. This pool is constituted by a plurality of real pages. Real pages of different lengths are included in this plurality of real pages. Among a plurality of virtual pages which make up a virtual volume, a controller compresses a write data element for a write destination virtual page, selects a real page of a real page length based on the data length of a data unit including the compressed write data element, and allocates the selected real page to the write destination virtual page.

Abstract: To enhance capacity expansion property of a storage system for providing a thin provisioning volume, this invention provides a computer system including: a first storage system; and a second storage system for providing a second volume to the first storage system. The first storage system is configured to: define at least one first volumes; define a first storage pool including the defined first volume and the provided second volume; provide to the host computer a first thin provisioning volume that is recognized as a volume having a capacity equal to or larger than that of storage areas assigned from the first storage pool. The first thin provisioning volume is thus assigned with both storage areas of the first volume and storage areas of the second volume, which are included in the first storage pool.

Abstract: Upon detection of a virus definition file update, a virus check server mounts a computer's storage area in a storage apparatus via a network to check whether or not a file stored in the storage area is infected with a virus. For the virus check, the virus check server communicates with the storage apparatus via a path different from the one that is laid between a user computer and the storage system. Therefore, a virus check executed by the virus check server does not lower the computer's communication speed and disk access speed.

Abstract: A storage system is provided which is capable of realizing a remote copy function for speeding up lines virtually by satisfying such demand to distribute copy data into a plurality of lines. In a storage system for connecting a local storage device and a remote storage device via a plurality of lines, the local storage device includes a remote copy program for distributing data of a plurality of logical volumes accessed from a host computer into a plurality of paths on the basis of status of the plurality of paths interposing the plurality of lines, to perform a remote copy from the local storage device to the remote storage device. Accordingly, the local storage device distributes data of the logical volumes into the plurality of lines to copy the data to the remote storage device, resulting in speeding up the lines virtually.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a load sharing method in a computer system including a first storage subsystem, a host computer, and a management computer. In the computer system, the first storage subsystem creates a plurality of first logical units from a storage area of a disk drive group, and the host computer creates a logical storage area configured by a plurality of virtual logical units respectively corresponding to the first logical units. A communications path is set between the host computer and each of the first logical units configuring the logical storage area. The load sharing method includes the steps of: monitoring, by the first storage subsystem, a load of its own; and changing, by the first storage subsystem, the communications paths between the host computer and the first logical units based on the monitoring result of the load.

Abstract: Either a controller in a storage system, or a management computer monitors a bandwidth used in each I/O port in the storage system, and a bandwidth used by each host computer connected to each I/O port, and redirects a host computer using a bandwidth close to a difference in bandwidth used in the I/O ports, from the I/O port where a maximum bandwidth is used to the I/O port where a minimum bandwidth is used.

Abstract: The storage device of the present invention has: a first recording unit that records a time zone history of access to each storage area assigned to a virtual volume; a second recording unit that executes a predetermined calculation based on the time zone history of access to a plurality of storage areas belonging to a plurality of pool areas and records the calculation result for each of the plurality of pool areas; a comparison unit that acquires, from the first recording unit, the time zone history of access to an optional storage area among the plurality of storage areas and compares the acquired access time zone history with the calculation result recorded in the second recording unit; and a migration unit that selects, from among the plurality of pool areas, a pool area for which the calculation result is similar to the acquired access time zone history on the basis of the result of the comparison by the comparison unit, and migrates the data stored in the optional storage area to a storage area in the s

Abstract: A storage device managing one or more logical volumes is connected with a name management device through an IP-SAN 6 composed of a switch. The storage device stores a topology table saving connecting relation among physical ports of host, physical ports of the storage device and physical ports of the switch, reads an identifier of the host and an identifier of the logical volume, selects a unused first physical port of the switch by referring to the topology table, selects a second physical port of the switch connected with the storage device, registers a group composed of the host and the logical volume with the name management device, and executes a configuration of allowing packets to be transferred between the first and the second physical ports with respect to the switch.

Abstract: A presence management apparatus connected to first and second apparatuses via a network includes a unit for updating a first user's presence received from the first apparatus and a second user's presence received from the second apparatus, wherein the first user uses the first apparatus and the second user uses the second apparatus; a unit for registering a matching condition for another user's presence received from the first apparatus and designated by the first user and a matching condition for another user's presence received from the second apparatus and designated by the second user; and a unit for deciding if the first and second user's presences match the designated conditions when registration processing and/or update processing is performed.