Abstract: A storage system that functions as one or more logical volumes includes a control unit and a plurality of storage units connected to the control unit, wherein the control unit includes a memory that stores allocation status information that indicates status of allocation of the plurality of storage units to a logical volume; an access request responding unit that controls at least one storage unit among the plurality of storage units in response to a request for access to each logical volume from a host device; and a power saving controller that identifies an unused storage unit not allocated to any logical volume among the plurality of storage units on the basis of the allocation status information and performs power saving control on the identified unused storage unit.

Abstract: A storage control device includes a processor. The processor is configured to monitor driving states of each of a plurality of storage drives included in a storage device. The processor is configured to rearrange data stored in the storage drives so that the driving states of the storage drives are uniformed.

Abstract: A storage system that functions as one or more logical volumes includes a control unit and a plurality of storage units connected to the control unit, wherein the control unit includes a memory that stores allocation status information that indicates status of allocation of the plurality of storage units to a logical volume; an access request responding unit that controls at least one storage unit among the plurality of storage units in response to a request for access to each logical volume from a host device; and a power saving controller that identifies an unused storage unit not allocated to any logical volume among the plurality of storage units on the basis of the allocation status information and performs power saving control on the identified unused storage unit.

Abstract: A storage system includes an interface processor for receiving a read or write request, a primary storage, a secondary storage, a storage control device and a temporary storage area for temporarily storing data for the primary storage in case that an access to the primary storage fails. The storage control device includes a controller for, in case that the access to the primary storage fails when the read request is received by the interface processor, determining whether the read requested data is stored on the temporary storage area, controlling to read the read requested data from the temporary storage area when the read requested data is stored on the temporary storage area, and controlling to read the read requested data from the secondary storage when the requested data is not stored on the temporary storage area.

Abstract: In a data recording apparatus, a monitoring unit detects a VLU including an MRB that manages an area that has not been accessed for a specified time period based on a current time, a time management table, and a parameter table. From MRBs of the detected VLU, the monitoring unit selects a plurality of MRBs with an unaccessed time period equal to or more than the specified time period and equal to or less than a total time. The monitoring unit performs synchronization process for data in a primary storage managed by the selected MRBs at a time. During the synchronization process, a correction value is adjusted when there is a data conflict with another device.

Abstract: A storage system includes an interface processor for receiving a read or write request, a primary storage, a secondary storage, a storage control device and a temporary storage area for temporarily storing data for the primary storage in case that an access to the primary storage fails. The storage control device includes a controller for, in case that the access to the primary storage fails when the read request is received by the interface processor, determining whether the read requested data is stored on the temporary storage area, controlling to read the read requested data from the temporary storage area when the read requested data is stored on the temporary storage area, and controlling to read the read requested data from the secondary storage when the requested data is not stored on the temporary storage area.

Abstract: A data recording apparatus includes a determining unit that determines whether a storable area is present in the first storage device. The storable area is a combination of a plurality of empty areas having contiguous physical addresses with a total data volume larger than that of a volume of the data. When the determining unit determines that the storable area is present, a first storage unit stores the data in the storable area, and a second storage unit stores the data that has been stored by the first storage unit in the storable area as a lump into the second storage device.

Abstract: A RAID apparatus that at least duplicates identical data to store thus duplicated data, which, when an instruction of writing data is given, writes data to a local cache and to a mirror cache, and writes data of the local cache to a primary disk and writes data of the mirror cache to a secondary disk. When an instruction of reading out data is given, and specified data is retained in the caches, the RAID apparatus outputs valid data of the local cache or the mirror cache, while when specified data is not retained in the caches, the RAID apparatus outputs valid data of the primary disk or the secondary disk.

Abstract: A virtual tape apparatus, which can switch a power supply state to a tape apparatus to thereby suppress power consumption, has an access instruction unit and a power supply control unit. The access instruction unit determines whether or not it is necessary to supply power to a tape apparatus in which a physical tape is stored and which stores data to the physical tape based on an update state of data stored to a tape volume cache, and the power supply control unit switches a state of power supplied to the tape apparatus based on a result of determination executed by the access instruction unit.

Abstract: At power-on again, a restore processing unit restores block information tables from a primary storage to a volatile memory. After classifying the block information tables into group-specific links of a plurality of time zones, a first sort processing unit connects the group-specific links to form a group classification link. Then, a second sort processing unit sequentially retrieves the block information tables of the group classification link from the earliest time stamp side for insertion in a position so as to achieve a time-stamp ascending order, thereby reconfiguring the links.

Abstract: In a data recording apparatus, a monitoring unit detects a VLU including an MRB that manages an area that has not been accessed for a specified time period based on a current time, a time management table, and a parameter table. From MRBs of the detected VLU, the monitoring unit selects a plurality of MRBs with an unaccessed time period equal to or more than the specified time period and equal to or less than a total time. The monitoring unit performs synchronization process for data in a primary storage managed by the selected MRBs at a time. During the synchronization process, a correction value is adjusted when there is a data conflict with another device.

Abstract: A data recording apparatus includes a determining unit that determines whether a storable area is present in the first storage device. The storable area is a combination of a plurality of empty areas having contiguous physical addresses with a total data volume larger than that of a volume of the data. When the determining unit determines that the storable area is present, a first storage unit stores the data in the storable area, and a second storage unit stores the data that has been stored by the first storage unit in the storable area as a lump into the second storage device.

Abstract: A storage controlling device controlling a storage device having a secondary storage unit for backup and a primary storage unit including a plurality of storing units in a redundant configuration, comprises a unit determining whether a storing unit not in a redundant configuration exists within the primary storage unit and a unit disassembling one of the storing units in a redundant configuration within the primary storage unit, the data of the one of the storing units being saved in the secondary storage unit for backup, and executing a rebuilding process for a storing unit for which a degradation process has been executed by using the disassembled storing unit if the storing unit that is within the primary storage unit and for which the degradation process has been executed holds the latest data, and if the storing unit not in a redundant configuration does not exist within the primary storage unit.

Abstract: At power-on again, a restore processing unit restores block information tables from a primary storage to a volatile memory. After classifying the block information tables into group-specific links of a plurality of time zones, a first sort processing unit connects the group-specific links to form a group classification link. Then, a second sort processing unit sequentially retrieves the block information tables of the group classification link from the earliest time stamp side for insertion in a position so as to achieve a time-stamp ascending order, thereby reconfiguring the links.

Abstract: An apparatus by comprising respective units for receiving, from a hierarchical control server for controlling a library, a creation instruction signal which instructs an creation of a VLU in a disk array; for creating a VLU in the disk array based on the creation instruction signal; for transmitting, to the hierarchical control server, a complete signal indicating a completion when the VLU has been created; for transmitting, to hierarchical control server, a read-out request which requests for reading a specific data in order to recognize a LUN out of the library based on the creation instruction signal; for reading the specific data out of the library based on the transmitted read-out request; for controlling so as to store the readout specific data in the library; and for transmitting the stored data in the library to the host apparatus based on a request therefrom.

Abstract: A storage system prevents a time out error of the host I/O caused by a stagnation of command processing in the storage system for accessing a disk device according to the host I/O request and internal I/O request. In DTC, counters for managing the requests in-process for host I/Os (host read) and internal I/Os (pre-fetch, write back) individually are provided, and the number of processing requests to be issued to a virtual disk (RLU) is limited individually. By assigning priority to the host I/Os, the load balance of the host I/Os and internal I/Os can be controlled. For rebuild/copy back, a dedicated load control mechanism is disposed where the load adjustment between ordinary I/Os and rebuild/copy back is performed.

Abstract: A storage control apparatus concatenates a plurality of logical units to construct a large capacity logical unit, wherein logical units extending over a plurality of controllers can be concatenated. The channel adapter sends an I/O request to one controller which charges one logical unit constituting the concatenation logical unit, out of a plurality of controllers when an I/O request is sent from a host to the concatenation logical unit LU linking a plurality of logical units, executes I/O processing in the one controller, then sends the I/O request to another controller which charges another logical unit constituting the concatenation logical unit, and continues I/O processing in the another controller.

Abstract: A RAID apparatus that at least duplicates identical data to store thus duplicated data, which, when an instruction of writing data is given, writes data to a local cache and to a mirror cache, and writes data of the local cache to a primary disk and writes data of the mirror cache to a secondary disk. When an instruction of reading out data is given, and specified data is retained in the caches, the RAID apparatus outputs valid data of the local cache or the mirror cache, while when specified data is not retained in the caches, the RAID apparatus outputs valid data of the primary disk or the secondary disk.

Abstract: The present invention has been developed to carry out the dual-writing of data in cache memories at a higher speed through a single address designation for the improvement of processing performance. In the present invention, a host interface module produces addressing information for designating two written-in destinations, and a bridge module produces two transferred-to addresses and written-in addresses of the cache memories on the basis of the addressing information so that data to be written is transferred to two management modules corresponding to the two transferred-to addresses to be written at the written-in addresses of the cache memories of the management modules.

Abstract: A storage system prevents a time out error of the host I/O caused by a stagnation of command processing in the storage system for accessing a disk device according to the host I/O request and internal I/O request. In DTC, counters for managing the requests in-process for host I/Os (host read) and internal I/Os (pre-fetch, write back) individually are provided, and the number of processing requests to be issued to a virtual disk (RLU) is limited individually. By assigning priority to the host I/Os, the load balance of the host I/Os and internal I/Os can be controlled. For rebuild/copy back, a dedicated load control mechanism is disposed where the load adjustment between ordinary I/Os and rebuild/copy back is performed.