Abstract: A disk array apparatus capable of effecting saving and operation of data through a simple construction. When a host computer sets “write inhibit” or “read/write inhibit” for an LDEV which is set on a first storage device, this setting is registered in an access attribute management table and is also reflected onto a migration management table. A migration control program moves the LDEV for which access limitation has been set to a lower-speed (lower-performance) second storage device or to an external storage device. When the access limitation is released, the moved LDEV is restored to the first storage device from the storage device to which the LDEV has been moved. By performing migration control in interlocking relation to control of access attributes, it is possible to obtain a simple data saving function and data management function.

Abstract: A disk array apparatus capable of effecting saving and operation of data through a simple construction. When a host computer sets “write inhibit” or “read/write inhibit” for an LDEV which is set on a first storage device, this setting is registered in an access attribute management table and is also reflected onto a migration management table. A migration control program moves the LDEV for which access limitation has been set to a lower-speed (lower-performance) second storage device or to an external storage device. When the access limitation is released, the moved LDEV is restored to the first storage device from the storage device to which the LDEV has been moved. By performing migration control in interlocking relation to control of access attributes, it is possible to obtain a simple data saving function and data management function.

Abstract: There is provided a storage system including a file server connecting to a computer over a network and a storage apparatus connecting to the file server connecting over the network, wherein the file server includes a first controller, the storage apparatus includes multiple storage devices having multiple storage areas and a second controller that controls accesses to the multiple storage areas, each of the multiple storage areas has at least one power saving mode among multiple power saving modes with different shift times from the power saving modes to a ready mode, the first controller, in response to the reception of data from the computer, sets an indicator relating to the performance of response to an access from the computer to the data and refers to the indicator of the data and selects a first storage area having the power saving mode satisfying the indicator, and the second controller stores the data to the first storage area.

Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture for controlling a first storage system receiving commands from a first and second managers to create a consistency group with a second storage system. Host writes are received at the first storage system, wherein the first storage system includes a first storage system primary site and a first storage system secondary site. The first storage system sends the host writes from the first storage system primary site to the first storage system secondary site. Host write operations are quiesced at the first storage system in response to a first command from a first manager. Host write operations are resumed at the first storage system in response to receiving a second command from the first manager. The first storage system receives a run command with a marker, wherein the marker indicates a cycle number to control the cycles of the first and second storage systems.

Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture for managing consistency groups using heterogeneous replication engines replicating data. A common linkage manager issues a prepare to create consistency group command to a first replication manager and a second replication manager, wherein the first and second replication managers issue create consistency group commands to first and second replication engines, respectively, to form a consistency group of data at a first source storage and a second source storage to copy to a first target storage and second target storage, respectively.

Abstract: In a storage subsystem, performance tuning is performed with respect to all of the logical devices including external storage subsystems that are not directly connected to host computers. The physical storage units presented by the external storage subsystems are defined as logical devices of the storage subsystem, and I/O processing requests from the host computers are relayed to the logical devices. At the time of relaying, I/O processing conditions are monitored. When the load of an external storage subsystem is high, then operating conditions of ports and processors are examined. When the load can be reduced by changing the configuration of those ports and processors, the configuration is changed to reduce the load. When the load can not be reduced, data is migrated from a logical device having a high load to a logical device having a sufficient performance.

Abstract: The present invention is able to improve the processing performance of a storage system by respectively virtualizing the external volumes and enabling the shared use of such external volumes by a plurality of available virtualization storage devices. By virtualizing and incorporating the external volume of an external storage device, a first virtualization storage device is able to provide the volume to a host as though it is an internal volume. When the load of the first virtualization storage device increases, a second virtualization storage device 2 is newly introduced, and connected to the storage system. When a transfer direction is issued from a management terminal, the external volume relating to the selected logical volume is transferred from the first virtualization storage device to the second virtualization storage device.

Abstract: A computer system including: disk array system to cause a snapshot corresponding to the selected backup time accessible with the specific address to which the computer can access; wherein if the snapshot corresponding to the selected backup time is associated with the specific address to which the computer cannot access, then the disk array system making the snapshot accessible with an address to which the computer can access; and wherein the snapshot relates to differential data between initial backup data and actual backup data at the selected backup time, thereby an acquisition time of the snapshot is different than the selected backup time corresponding to the specific address that can be accessed initially by the computer.

Abstract: A method for controlling a storage system including a host computer, and a first and a second storage control apparatuses each receiving a data input/output request from the host computer and executing a data input/output process for a storage device in response to the request, comprises connecting a first communication path between the host computer and the first apparatus; connecting a second communication path between the first apparatus and the second apparatus; receiving by the first apparatus a first data input/output request from the host computer through the first path; when the first apparatus has judged that the first request is not for the first apparatus, transmitting by the first apparatus a second data input/output request corresponding to the first request, to the second apparatus through the second path; and by the second apparatus, receiving the second request and executing a data input/output process corresponding to the second request received.

Abstract: A method of selecting logical volumes that are the targets for data migration to equilibrate the load on a system, based on the accessing data of the physical drives and logical drives under the disk array controllers, without increasing the load of the disk array controller. An external manager communicates with two or more disk array controllers, gathers and manages the access data and the configuration data relating to the physical drives and logical volumes of each disk array controller, and prepares an optimum data migration instruction to equilibrate the access load.

Abstract: A DBMS performs a checkpoint process for maintaining consistency of data. A snapshot acquisition control program detects the checkpoint process externally to the DBMS and creates a snapshot in an external storage according to the timing of the checkpoint. Correspondence between checkpoints and snapshots is maintained in a CP-SH correspondence management table to make it possible to restore in a short time data at the time of an arbitrary checkpoint.

Abstract: A method for controlling a storage system including a host computer, and a first and a second storage control apparatuses each receiving a data input/output request from the host computer and executing a data input/output process for a storage device in response to the request, comprises connecting a first communication path between the host computer and the first apparatus; connecting a second communication path between the first apparatus and the second apparatus; receiving by the first apparatus a first data input/output request from the host computer through the first path; when the first apparatus has judged that the first request is not for the first apparatus, transmitting by the first apparatus a second data input/output request corresponding to the first request, to the second apparatus through the second path; and by the second apparatus, receiving the second request and executing a data input/output process corresponding to the second request received.

Abstract: A method for controlling a storage system including a host computer, and a first and a second storage control apparatuses each receiving a data input/output request from the host computer and executing a data input/output process for a storage device in response to the request, comprises connecting a first communication path between the host computer and the first apparatus; connecting a second communication path between the first apparatus and the second apparatus; receiving by the first apparatus a first data input/output request from the host computer through the first path; when the first apparatus has judged that the first request is not for the first apparatus, transmitting by the first apparatus a second data input/output request corresponding to the first request, to the second apparatus through the second path; and by the second apparatus, receiving the second request and executing a data input/output process corresponding to the second request received.

Abstract: Provided is a storage system and power supply control method thereof, storage apparatus and data processing method capable of reducing the power consumption of the overall storage system without requiring any complicated settings. A journal regarding update history information of a first volume in which a host system reads and writes data is created. The created journal is sequentially stored in a second volume or a first external storage apparatus, each of which serves as a storage destination of the journal. Power supply of a storage device providing an alternate second volume as the storage destination of the journal or an alternate first external storage apparatus as the storage destination of the journal is controlled according to the storage quantity of the journal in the second volume or the first external storage apparatus.

Abstract: A DBMS performs a checkpoint process for maintaining consistency of data. A snapshot acquisition control program detects the checkpoint process externally to the DBMS and creates a snapshot in an external storage according to the timing of the checkpoint. Correspondence between checkpoints and snapshots is maintained in a CP-SH correspondence management table to make it possible to restore in a short time data at the time of an arbitrary checkpoint.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method A method for controlling a storage system including a host computer; a first storage controller connected communicably to the host computer, for receiving a data frame transmitted from the host computer and executing data input to and data output from a first storage device in response to a data input/output request described in the data frame; and a second storage controller connected communicably to the first storage controller, comprising relaying by the first storage controller, upon receipt of the data frame transmitted from the host computer, the data frame to the second storage controller in response to information described in the data frame.

Abstract: An asynchronous remote copy system which can ensure the data renewal order and data integrity of the disk subsystems. The system provides for data mirroring by a main center having a gateway and a remote center having a gateway, and storage systems in each center connected to the corresponding gateway. Data is mirrored through synchronous type remote copy between volumes of the storage systems of each center. The gateway of the main center sends the renewal data to the gateway of the remote center in accordance with the order of renewal of volumes, to make the gateway of the remote center reflect the renewal data upon the volumes thereof through asynchronous type remote copy.

Abstract: A subsystem logics partitioning and managing apparatus comprises a recognition unit for recognizing logical and physical resources that constitute a subsystem a partition definition table in which the logical and physical resources in the subsystem are assigned for each user at an interface level at which a storage configuration can be referenced by a storage management program an account table in which an account is set for each user-specific partition defined in the partition definition table a receiving unit for receiving a user account transmitted from an information processing unit and checking the received user account against the account table, to recognize a partition that corresponds to the user and a unit for outputting, at a GUI level, logical resources and physical resources that are contained in the recognized partition to an output interface as a resource configuration in the subsystem.

Abstract: A first storage control device is provided with a virtual LU for showing a logical volume possessed by a second storage control device as if it were its own volume. When data processing requested from a host device is, for example, a specific processing of large load (such as direct backup, logical volume copy, and so on), whether or not the requested processing can be executed by the second storage control device is judged. When it is executable, a command is transmitted to the second storage control device to make it take over the processing.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method A method for controlling a storage system including a host computer; a first storage controller connected communicably to the host computer, for receiving a data frame transmitted from the host computer and executing data input to and data output from a first storage device in response to a data input/output request described in the data frame; and a second storage controller connected communicably to the first storage controller, comprising relaying by the first storage controller, upon receipt of the data frame transmitted from the host computer, the data frame to the second storage controller in response to information described in the data frame.