Abstract: The file sharing system is able to provide a client with a single logical directory and reproduce the single logical directory in a remote site when the local site has stopped in use of a remote copy that is made between the local site and remote site. The first site provides the client with a logical directory that is constituted across respective nodes in the first site. The remote copy is executed between the first and second sites, and the data of both sites are synchronized. For the generation of the logical directory and the management of the remote copy, a common management table is used, and the management table is held by all of the nodes. In cases where the first site stops due to a fault, the second site utilizes information related to the remote copy in the management table to construct the logical directory and reproduces the logical directory to the second site.

Abstract: There is provided a file sharing system which allows accessing a memory that stores failure information and using the failure information even in a case where a CPU is shut down. When a failure occurs on a substrate, a control circuit on the substrate detects the failure and stores the information on the failure to an NVRAM. In a normal case, an OS loads the failure information and transmits it to a PC for maintenance. Upon shut down of the OS, a BMC loads the failure information from the NVRAM according to an instruction from the PC for maintenance. If an operator operates a manual switch upon power shut down, the BMC operates with the power supply from a battery, and the failure information is obtained from the NVRAM.

Abstract: A replication system capable of automatically forming an authentic copy pair with a primary volume at a copy destination system without depending on an operator and realizing the pair formation without labeling a tape is provided.

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 journal write unit writes journal data into a third storage device. The journal data includes an identifier of a logical volume in a first storage device into which data has been written, information of a location in which the data is stored in the logical volume, update time which is current time acquired from a timing mechanism, and the data. A second write unit refers to update time of the journal data stored in the third storage device, selects journal data for which a difference between current time acquired from the timing mechanism and the update time is longer than a detection time stored in the third storage device, and writes the data into a place indicated by the location information, in a logical volume in the second storage device in the order of update time in the selected journal data.

Abstract: An archive management that allows random access. An archive managing part reads out files stored in an on-line volume at a timing determined by the respective file type, and stores these files in a specified volume among archive volumes. A retention term is designated for each set of file data, and respective retention terms are also set for the respective volumes. The file data is stored in a volume having a retention term that matches the retention term of the file data. The respective volumes are set in a device that allows random access. The areas in which data is written into the respective volumes are managed as write prohibited areas by pointers such that the respective volumes are used as a WORM device.

Abstract: A disk array system including a plurality of disk drives, including: a plurality of first-type disk drives being used to form a first-type logical unit having a plurality of a first-type of chunks; a plurality of second-type disk drives being used to form a second-type logical unit having a plurality of a second-type of chunks; and a storage controller, if the storage controller copies data stored in a source chunk to a destination chunk, selecting the destination chunk from the first-type of chunks or the second-type of chunks.

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 storage device including a control part which performs control by extracting a life tag specifying a retention term during which the data is to be retained in the second volume having the quicker access time than the first volume, the control part managing the retention term of the corresponding data as specified by the life tag, and an elapsed term which has elapsed since the corresponding data was stored. A storage part manages update segment control information, and when the elapsed term of certain data exceeds the retention term of the certain data, the storage part nullifies the certain data in the second volume.

Abstract: A disk array system including a plurality of disk drives, including: a plurality of first-type disk drives being used to form a first-type logical unit having a plurality of a first-type of chunks; a plurality of second-type disk drives being used to form a second-type logical unit having a plurality of a second-type of chunks; and a storage controller, if the storage controller copies data stored in a source chunk to a destination chunk, selecting the destination chunk from the first-type of chunks or the second-type of chunks.

Abstract: To keep to a minimum a frequency of an occurrence of a necessity of changing a power consumption condition of a storage device from an energy saving condition to a normal condition. A controller unit and a plurality of storage devices being furnished, a log area and a normal area are provided based on the plurality of storage devices. A quantity of log storage devices forming a basis of the log area is smaller than a quantity of normal storage devices forming a basis of the normal area.

Abstract: There is provided a file sharing system which allows accessing a memory that stores failure information and using the failure information even in a case where a CPU is shut down. When a failure occurs on a substrate, a control circuit on the substrate detects the failure and stores the information on the failure to an NVRAM. In a normal case, an OS loads the failure information and transmits it to a PC for maintenance. Upon shut down of the OS, a BMC loads the failure information from the NVRAM according to an instruction from the PC for maintenance. If an operator operates a manual switch upon power shut down, the BMC operates with the power supply from a battery, and the failure information is obtained from the NVRAM.

Abstract: A journal write unit writes journal data into a third storage device. The journal data includes an identifier of a logical volume in a first storage device into which data has been written, information of a location in which the data is stored in the logical volume, update time which is current time acquired from a timing mechanism, and the data. A second write unit refers to update time of the journal data stored in the third storage device, selects journal data for which a difference between current time acquired from the timing mechanism and the update time is longer than a detection time stored in the third storage device, and writes the data into a place indicated by the location information, in a logical volume in the second storage device in the order of update time in the selected journal data.

Abstract: The present invention provides a file management system and method, and a storage system that can prevent file-multiplexing in a storage apparatus, and efficiently use the storage capacity of the storage apparatus. The storage apparatus stores first management information for managing two or more kinds of classification list, each classification list including one or more keywords, and second management information for managing the kinds of classification list set for each of one or more users with regard to each of one or more tiers of their respective virtual file trees; and sends, in response to a request from a client apparatus to search the classification lists for a classification list set for a directory, the classification list set for the relevant user with regard to the tier matching the request to the client apparatus with reference to the first and second management information.

Abstract: Provided is a storage system, including: one or more disk drives storing data; a disk controller for controlling data access to the disk drive; a power supply controller for autonomously turning off a power source of the disk drive according to the data access status to the disk drive, and autonomously turning on the power source of the disk drive, which was turned off, after the lapse of a prescribed period from the time the power source was turned off irrespective of the data access status to the disk drive; and a media inspection unit for inspecting a failure in the disk drive in which the power source thereof was autonomously turned on irrespective of the data access status to the disk drive.

Abstract: A journal write unit writes journal data into a third storage device. The journal data includes an identifier of a logical volume in a first storage device into which data has been written, information of a location in which the data is stored in the logical volume, update time which is current time acquired from a timing mechanism, and the data. A second write unit refers to update time of the journal data stored in the third storage device, selects journal data for which a difference between current time acquired from the timing mechanism and the update time is longer than a detection time stored in the third storage device, and writes the data into a place indicated by the location information, in a logical volume in the second storage device in the order of update time in the selected journal data.

Abstract: The present invention provides a file management system and method, and a storage system that can prevent file-multiplexing in a storage apparatus, and efficiently use the storage capacity of the storage apparatus. The storage apparatus stores first management information for managing two or more kinds of classification list, each classification list including one or more keywords, and second management information for managing the kinds of classification list set for each of one or more users with regard to each of one or more tiers of their respective virtual file trees; and sends, in response to a request from a client apparatus to search the classification lists for a classification list set for a directory, the classification list set for the relevant user with regard to the tier matching the request to the client apparatus with reference to the first and second management information.

Abstract: Provided is a storage system, including: one or more disk drives storing data; a disk controller for controlling data access to the disk drive; a power supply controller for autonomously turning off a power source of the disk drive according to the data access status to the disk drive, and autonomously turning on the power source of the disk drive, which was turned off, after the lapse of a prescribed period from the time the power source was turned off irrespective of the data access status to the disk drive; and a media inspection unit for inspecting a failure in the disk drive in which the power source thereof was autonomously turned on irrespective of the data access status to the disk drive.

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: Failures may occur during the execution of an operation by a user, for example, when a directory quota cannot be expanded, or when a directory lacking in storage resources, which are to be assigned from a file system, emerges even if the directory quota can be expanded. A storage subsystem of the invention is characterized by autonomously detecting quota expansion for a user; comparing the total of plural quotas with a limit value; and allocating a storage area set in a storage device in advance to the limit value if, based on the result of the comparison, the total value exceeds the limit value.