Abstract: In a storage system including: a host, a first storage apparatus, a second storage apparatus connected to the first storage apparatus via a communication line, and a management apparatus that manages the first storage apparatus and the second storage apparatus, the host and the first storage apparatus being connected to each other via the communication line; and the host using a volume in the second storage apparatus as an external volume for the first storage apparatus, the first storage apparatus includes: a port search processing unit that searches for communication ports of the second storage apparatus; and a volume search processing unit that searches for connection paths to a volume in the second storage apparatus by utilizing any of the communication ports found in the port search processing unit and outputs all the information about the found connection paths to the volume.

Abstract: A storage control system is provided where a first host system connected to a first storage controller can issue a control command to a second storage controller connected another host system. The first storage controller is connected to the second storage controller and the command is issued without providing the command to the other host system. The first storage controller has a virtual volume, a memory unit for storing information necessary for mapping the virtual volume to a logical device in the second storage controller, and attribute information for the logical device. The host system identifies the virtual volume as the logical device in the second storage controller and issues a control command to this logical device via the virtual volume.

Abstract: Provided is a storage system having one or more logical devices mapped to a virtual device provided in a mapping destination storage system, and a storage controller for controlling the reading and writing of data from and to the logical devices. Upon receiving a reserve command from the mapping destination storage system, the storage controller restricts the access from an initiator other than the mapping destination storage system to a logical device to which access restriction is designated with the reserve command.

Abstract: A first storage controller has a multilayer memory hierarchy constructed by LDEV (logical device) connected from LUN, and VDEV (virtual device) connected to the lower order of the LDEV. At least one of the VDEVs is constructed by mapping the memory resources arranged in external storage controllers. The functions of a stripe, RAID, etc. can be added in the mapping. Various kinds of functions (remote copy, variable volume function, etc.) applicable to the normal internal volume can be also used in a virtual internal volume by using the external memory resource as the virtual internal memory resource so that the degree of freedom of utilization is raised.

Abstract: The present invention provides a storage control system that can prevent capacity in a cache memory from being overloaded even when the access performance of a controller in a storage controller to an external storage device in an external storage controller is permanently or temporarily poor. In the storage control system, a first storage controller is connected to a storage device in a second storage controller and the first storage controller is configured to be able to write/read data to/from the storage device in the second storage controller in response to a request from a host device connected to the first storage controller.

Abstract: When an active data copy process relative to a logical storage device is performed without involving a computer, an access permission/rejection of the computer to the logical storage device is checked by referring to a correspondence between WWN of the computer and a logical storage device identifier LUN to thereby determine whether an access to a copy source logical storage device and a copy destination logical storage device is permitted or not. It is therefore possible to prevent an outflow of illegal data from a storage subsystem to be caused by an active copy instruction command.

Abstract: A first storage controller has a multilayer memory hierarchy constructed by LDEV (logical device) connected from LUN, and VDEV (virtual device) connected to the lower order of the LDEV. At least one of the VDEVs is constructed by mapping the memory resources arranged in external storage controllers. The functions of a stripe, RAID, etc. can be added in the mapping. Various kinds of functions (remote copy, variable volume function, etc.) applicable to the normal internal volume can be also used in a virtual internal volume by using the external memory resource as the virtual internal memory resource so that the degree of freedom of utilization is raised.

Abstract: Provided is a storage system having a first storage controller and a second storage controller. An actual device of the second storage controller is mapped to a virtual device of the first storage controller. The first storage controller has a port for transmitting control cylinder information to be written in a control information area of the actual device. As the format data to be transmitted from the first storage controller to the second storage controller, it will suffice so as long as control cylinder information is transmitted, and high speed formatting can be performed since it is not necessary to transmit 0 data.

Abstract: Under a hetero-environment in which different sorts of disk-systems are mixed with each other, a data guaranteeing operation can be carried out. When a cache controller of a local disk system receives a data writing request from a host computer, the cache controller stores data into a local disk provided in a disk device group. The data received from the host computer is also transmitted to a remote disk system and is stored in a remote disk. The data stored in the remote disk is immediately read, and the data written in the remote disk is compared with the data written in the local disk. As a result, since a data guarantee operation on the remote side is processed by the local disk system instead of the remote disk system, a data guaranteeing operation when a remote copying operation is performed can be carried out even in the storage system under a hetero-environment.

Abstract: A first storage control system comprises a CHN connected to a LAN CN. The CHN comprises a NAS processor and I/O processor. The I/O processor judges whether all or a portion of block level data is to be stored in either a first storage control system or a second storage control system, on the basis of an I/O allocation control data which indicates which of either the first storage control system or the second storage control system the block level data is to be stored in. On the basis of the result of this judgment, the I/O processor transfers the block level data from the NAS processor, to at least one of the DKA and the CHF connected to the second storage control system.

Abstract: Techniques for realizing efficient setting and utilization of configuration including storage volumes in a storage system having an initiator and a target, with a low cost configuration not requiring additional equipment such as a LAN and a server without limitations due to a low-transfer rate network are provided. The storage system has, e.g., an IS serving as an initiator, a TS serving as a target, and a frame relay device R for relaying the communication between the devices. The R has a DB for retaining the configuration information including the configuration of storage volumes in plural devices connected via plural ports, and an exclusive control unit for performing an exclusive control process of the configuration information in the DB upon setting for utilizing the storage volumes among the plural devices. According to update of the configuration of each device, the R updates the configuration information in the DB.

Abstract: Provided is a storage controller having at least one or more first logical devices to be accessed by the host system, and at least one or more virtual devices for connecting the first logical devices and one or more storage devices. At least one of the virtual devices is connected to a second logical device of the other storage controller. With this storage controller, the access attribute of the first logical device and the access attribute of the second logical device are made to coincide by transmitting and receiving access attribute information of at least either the first logical device or the second logical device to and from the second storage controller.

Abstract: A first storage control system comprises a CHN connected to a LAN CN. The CHN comprises a NAS processor and I/O processor. The I/O processor judges whether all or a portion of block level data is to be stored in either a first storage control system or a second storage control system, on the basis of an I/O allocation control data which indicates which of either the first storage control system or the second storage control system the block level data is to be stored in. On the basis of the result of this judgment, the I/O processor transfers the block level data from the NAS processor, to at least one of the DKA and the CHF connected to the second storage control system.

Abstract: A virtualization system, including: at least one first port coupled to at least one host system; at least one second port coupled to a plurality of storage systems; wherein the virtualization system is capable to control to perform processes of splitting a relationship between the first virtual volume and the second virtual volume; storing first differential information identifying data of a first write request; write data of first write request to a storage area of the disk drives related to the first logical volume; storing second differential information identifying data of a second write request, the data of the second request being written after the splitting step, receiving a differential copying request; to copy differential data from the first virtual volume to the second virtual volume, or to copy differential data from the second virtual volume to the first virtual volume.

Abstract: A shared storage area of a plurality of storage virtualization apparatuses connected to a host apparatus and a storage subsystem stores device configuration information expressing a logical device configuration in the storage virtualization apparatuses. The logical device configuration is a relationship between an external storage device in the storage subsystem, a virtual device serving as a virtualized storage space of a storage resource provided by one or more of the external storage devices, and one or more logical storage devices constituting an internal storage device in the storage virtualization apparatus. A newly connected storage virtualization apparatus reads the device configuration information from the shared storage area, and writes the read device configuration information into a configuration information storage area of the storage virtualization apparatus.

Abstract: A plurality of key information items with a fixed constitution are stored in a shared memory of a first storage control system. Each key information item corresponds with each of the types of a second storage control system and includes, in a predetermined location in the key information, an information element that indicates the location of a particular information item among the plurality of information items in the control system information. A microprocessor in a Fibre Channel Adapter of the first storage control system determines whether to form a logical path with the second storage control system on the basis of the key information and the control system information that is received from the second storage control system.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method, a system and code for backing up information on a storage system, for example, a disk system, connected to a storage area network. The host or server system off loads the task of backing up its data to the storage system that stores the data. In an exemplary embodiment a server sends an E-Copy command to a disk system. Next, the disk system finds an available back-device, for example a tape or DLT library, and then backups the information indicated in the E-Copy command to the back-up device. A user interface is provided so that one or more path groups, comprising at least a target port and an initiator port, on a disk system may be designated.

Abstract: Virtualization arrangements, including: splitting a relationship between a first and second virtual volume; receiving a differential copying request; if the differential copying request indicates to copy differential data from one of the first and second virtual volume to the other of the first and second virtual volume, (1) controlling to copy the data to the one of the first and second virtual volume based on the differential information, and (2) transferring the data to the other of the first and second logical volume of the storage systems, so that the storage system can write the data of the write request to a storage area of the disk drives.

Abstract: When an active data copy process relative to a logical storage device is performed without involving a computer, an access permission/rejection of the computer to the logical storage device is checked by referring to a correspondence between WWN of the computer and a logical storage device identifier LUN to thereby determine whether an access to a copy source logical storage device and a copy destination logical storage device is permitted or not. It is therefore possible to prevent an outflow of illegal data from a storage subsystem to be caused by an active copy instruction command.

Abstract: A plurality of key information items with a fixed constitution are stored in a shared memory of a first storage control system. Each key information item corresponds with each of the types of a second storage control system and includes, in a predetermined location in the key information, an information element that indicates the location of a particular information item among the plurality of information items in the control system information. A microprocessor in a Fibre Channel Adapter of the first storage control system determines whether to form a logical path with the second storage control system on the basis of the key information and the control system information that is received from the second storage control system.