Abstract: In a storage system having a plurality of virtualization apparatuses that allocate a storage area which a storage device has, form a plurality of virtual volumes, and process input-output from a host processor to one of the virtual volumes, a request for completing all the input-output being processed that is received from the host processor and temporarily holding the input-output processing received subsequently is issued to the plurality of virtualization apparatuses, when a completion report of the processing of the input-output in response to the request is received from the plurality of virtualization apparatuses and the completion report is received from all the virtualization apparatuses to which the request was issued, an instruction of an allocation change of the storage area of the storage device is sent to all the virtualization apparatuses, and when the completion report of the allocation change is received from all the virtualization apparatuses, the storage area of the storage device is allocat

Abstract: In a system where a storage device is coupled to a computer, a storage area in the storage device is efficiently allocated to the computer. The system comprises a virtualization apparatus to be coupled to the virtualization apparatus. The virtualization apparatus, responding to a request from the computer, issues a notice to the effect that a predetermined size of virtual volume has been allocated to the computer. The virtualization apparatus, upon receiving an access request from the computer to the virtual volume, allocates storage areas existing in a plurality of storage devices to the virtual volume, converts the access request received from the computer to an access request addressed to a storage device having the storage devices allocated to the virtual volume, and transmits the converted access request to the storage device.

Abstract: In a virtualization system, physical volumes are virtualized between servers and storage systems such that even when high-performance functions including a remote copy are provided, a virtualization unit does not become a bottleneck of processing. For this purpose, a virtualization node to conduct virtualization includes at least one virtualization switch which receives data from a server and converts the data into data for a real volume to send the data to an associated storage and which receives data from a storage and converts the data into data from a virtualized volume to send the data to a server and at least one virtualization server which receives data requiring processing such as a remote copy from the virtualization switch, performs a particular processing for the data, and then transmits the data via the switch to a server or a storage.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to systems and methods of controlling data transfer between a host system and a plurality of storage devices. One embodiment is directed to a virtualization controller for controlling data transfer between a host system and a plurality of storage devices. The virtualization controller comprises a plurality of first ports for connection with the plurality of storage devices each having a storage area to store data; a second port for connection with the host system; a processor; and a memory configured to store volume mapping information which correlates first identification information used by the host system to access a first storage area in one of the storage devices, with second identification information for identifying the first storage area, the correlation being used by the processor to access the first storage area.

Abstract: System for controlling data transfer between a host system and storage devices. A virtualization controller implements the data transfer and includes first ports for connection with the storage devices, a second port for connection with the host system, a processor, and a memory configured to store volume mapping information which correlates first identification information used by the host system to access a first storage area in one of the storage devices, with second identification information for identifying the first storage area, the correlation being used by the processor to access the first storage area. When data stored in the first storage area is transferred to a second storage area, the processor correlates the first identification information with a third identification information for identifying the second storage area and registers the first identification information and the third identification information in the volume mapping information.

Abstract: In a system where a storage device is coupled to a computer, a storage area in the storage device is efficiently allocated to the computer. The system comprises a virtualization apparatus to be coupled to the virtulization apparatus. The virtualization apparatus, responding to a request from the computer, issues a notice to the effect that a predetermined size of virtual volume has been allocated to the computer. The virtualization apparatus, upon receiving an access request from the computer to the virtual volume, allocates storage areas existing in a plurality of storage devices to the virtual volume, converts the access request received from the computer to an access request addressed to a storage device having the storage devices allocated to the virtual volume, and transmits the converted access request to the storage device.

Abstract: A voice communication system, which is connected to a LAN to which communication terminals are connected and to a public network to which telephones are connected, is provided with a communication server between the LAN and public network having different protocols from each other. The communication server enables a voice communication between a telephone on the public network and a communication terminal connected to the LAN by performing processing similar to that for a voice communication between two communication terminals connected to the LAN. The communication server determines whether an address of the other party inputted by a user is a communication terminal address or a telephone number, and transmits a voice communication request to a communication terminal of the other party when the address is a communication terminal address.

Abstract: System for controlling data transfer between a host system and storage devices. A virtualization controller implements the data transfer and includes first ports for connection with the storage devices, a second port for connection with the host system, a processor, and a memory configured to store volume mapping information which correlates first identification information used by the host system to access a first storage area in one of the storage devices, with second identification information for identifying the first storage area, the correlation being used by the processor to access the first storage area. When data stored in the first storage area is transferred to a second storage area, the processor correlates the first identification information with a third identification information for identifying the second storage area and registers the first identification information and the third identification information in the volume mapping information.

Abstract: A computing system and an exclusive access control method are provided for preventing degraded performance of a network caused by exclusive access control, and for permitting a computer to exclusively access a storage area irrespective of whether a storage has an exclusive access control function. In the computing system in which a plurality of computers and an external storage device storing shared data are connected through a relay, exclusive access control is executed by a device other than the storage. Specifically, the relay having a virtualizing function is instructed to execute exclusive access control. The relay has information indicating whether a storage area on the storage is an exclusive access area, so that the relay determines based on this information whether an access request received from a computer requests an access to an exclusive access area, and executes exclusive access control when it is an access request.

Abstract: In a storage system having local and remote disk systems, a system is described for selectively controlling the security of data on a volume by volume basis, for transparently exchanging encryption keys between the local and remote disk systems, and for controlling when encryption is used in the storage of data.

Abstract: A storage system comprises a plurality of storage nodes and a controller coupling unit interconnecting controllers within the storage nodes. A memory in the controller has a plurality of shared memory areas each associated with a combination of one CPU core with one logical unit controller. When a network controller of a first storage node receives a host command addressed to a logical unit of a second storage node, the CPU core of the first storage node stores the host command in the shared memory area associated with the logical unit controller of the second storage node. The logical unit controller of the second storage node acquires the stored host command in the shared memory area via the controller coupling unit.

Abstract: A system for storing data includes a virtualization apparatus coupled to a computer and to a plurality of storage devices. In response to a request from the computer, the virtualization apparatus issues a notice that a predetermined size of a virtual volume has been allocated to the computer. Upon receiving an access request issued from the computer to the virtual volume, the virtualization apparatus allocates storage areas existing in the plurality of storage devices to the virtual volume, converts the access request received from the computer into an access request addressed to a storage device having the storage devices allocated to the virtual volume, and transmits the converted access request to the storage device.

Abstract: A virtualization switch virtualizes a data storage area provided by a server device and provides it to a server device. This virtualization switch processes a priority control and a bandwidth control also on the output side to packets which make an access to a virtual volume and which have different demands for a QoS but identical IP headers according to a discrimination result of a TCP connection. Here, the TCP connection is discrimination by managing a TCP source port on the side of the virtualization switch.

Abstract: Disclosed is a storage system having storage devices from which storage areas are specified. Virtualization apparatuses allocate the storage areas as virtual volumes and processes I/O requests with respect to the virtual volumes. A controller is operable to change the allocation of storage areas to the virtual volumes. The controller is configured to send a request to some of the virtualization apparatuses to temporarily suspend processing of their I/O. When a virtualization apparatus receives such a request, it completes its pending I/O and temporarily suspends subsequent I/O requests, and sends a completion report to the controller. The controller then changes the allocation of storage areas to the virtual volumes.

Abstract: The present invention provides improved techniques for managing storage resources, such as disk drives, I/O ports, and the like in a network based storage system according to a user position within the network. Embodiments according to the present invention can provide a relatively high performance storage access environment for the mobile users moving around a wide area. For example, in one applicable environment, there are several data centers in the wide area, and each data center has a local storage system that is connected to the other storage systems through a network. Copies of a user's volume can be made in some of the storage systems. A remote copy function is utilized for making real time copies of the user's volume.

Abstract: In a storage system having a plurality of virtualization apparatuses that allocate a storage area which a storage device has, form a plurality of virtual volumes, and process input-output from a host processor to one of the virtual volumes, a request for completing all the input-output being processed that is received from the host processor and temporarily holding the input-output processing received subsequently is issued to the plurality of virtualization apparatuses, when a completion report of the processing of the input-output in response to the request is received from the plurality of virtualization apparatuses and the completion report is received from all the virtualization apparatuses to which the request was issued, an instruction of an allocation change of the storage area of the storage device is sent to all the virtualization apparatuses, and when the completion report of the allocation change is received from all the virtualization apparatuses, the storage area of the storage device is allocat

Abstract: The present invention provides techniques for managing access to storage resources. In specific embodiments, storage devices provide storage resources to users using a system of virtual addresses and virtual volume identifiers. In select specific embodiments, a storage service provider (SSP) can make volumes available to a user, which may be a company, for example, in the user's network via the Internet or other kinds of network connections. In specific embodiments, the SSP and the user's data center can conceal the identity of the storage devices, volumes, and equipment of the SSP, as well as that of the user's data center in order to provide privacy to both user and storage provider.

Abstract: A voice communication system, which is connected to LAN to which communication terminals are connected and to a public network to which telephones are connected, is provided with a communication server between the LAN and public network having different protocols from each other. The communication server enables a voice communication between a telephone on the public network and a communication terminal connected to the LAN by performing processing similar to that for a voice communication between two communication terminals connected to the LAN. The communication server determines whether an address of the other party inputted by a user is a communication terminal address or a telephone number, and transmits a voice communication request to a communication terminal of the other party when the address is a communication terminal address.

Abstract: Conventionally, when a switch virtualizing a storage (storage virtualization switch) is installed in a computer system including an SAN, a host computer, and a storage device, since a port ID of a virtual storage and a port ID of a storage device assigned to the virtual storage are different, the computer system has to be suspended at the time of installation of the storage virtualization switch. According to one embodiment of the invention, the storage virtualization switch installed in the computer system assigns a port ID to a port of a virtual storage generated by the storage virtualization switch so as to be equivalent to a port ID of an existing storage device and, in the case in which the port ID is designated as an access destination by an access request from one computer to the storage device, sends the access request to the virtual storage.

Abstract: The present invention provides improved techniques for managing storage resources, such as disk drives, I/O ports, and the like in a network based storage system according to a user position within the network. Embodiments according to the present invention can provide a relatively high performance storage access environment for the mobile users moving around a wide area. For example, in one applicable environment, there are several data centers in the wide area, and each data center has a local storage system that is connected to the other storage systems through a network. Copies of a user's volume can be made in some of the storage systems. A remote copy function is utilized for making real time copies of the user's volume.