Abstract: A cache configuration management system capable of lightening workloads of estimation of a cache capacity in virtualization apparatus and/or cache assignment is provided. In a storage system having application servers, storage devices, a virtualization apparatus for letting the storage devices be distinctly recognizable as virtualized storages, and a storage management server, the storage management server predicts a response time of the virtualization apparatus with respect to a application server from cache configurations and access performances of the virtualization apparatus and storage device and then evaluates the presence or absence of the assignment to a virtual volume of internal cache and a predictive performance value based on a to-be-assigned capacity to thereby perform judgment of the cache capacity within the virtualization apparatus and estimation of an optimal cache capacity, thus enabling preparation of an internal cache configuration change plan.

Abstract: An access path management method for a storage network system where a plurality of paths are formed between a data storage system and a host computer which uses the data storage system, an integrated management server monitors port resources constantly. When a port overloads or when a failure occurs in a port, a previously unavailable port is made available and then an access path passing through this port is created to thereby secure a necessary bandwidth. When the load on a port is reduced, an access path that passes through this port is deleted to free a part of the bandwidth, and then the port that is currently in use is invalidated. A license management server for managing how the ports are used, charges by counting in only the length of time during which the port is in use.

Abstract: A purpose is to perform migration considering an I/O load that will be generated during the migration. To migrate data from one array group to another array group, a bandwidth that is available for use between the movement source array group and the movement destination array group is calculated, a volume whose write I/O amount is smaller than the calculated bandwidth is selected wherein the write I/O amount is the information transmission amount of information that is written, and data is migrated from the selected volume to the movement destination array group.

Abstract: In a computer system, even when the virtual storage capacity of pools is increased, it is possible to keep the availability of each pool at least at a desired level. The managing server compares a reference value beforehand stored therein with an evaluation value of availability which represents a degree of resistivity against destruction, the degree being derived by use of physical configuration information which is obtained from the controller and which is associated with the pool; and determines necessity of addition of an element to the pool if the availability evaluation value exceeds the reference value and indicates the addition of the element to the pool to the storage apparatus.

Abstract: A storage management method for allocating a dynamic allocation pool so as to avoid throughput reduction. An operation management server determines the dynamic allocation pool managing allocation of a real volume in a storage device to a virtual volume. The operation management server acquires an I/O characteristic of an application being executed in a business server, records I/O characteristic information indicative of a linkage between the application and the I/O characteristic of the application for the each application in an application management table, creates an application group on the basis of the I/O characteristics of the application management table for the each application, and links the created application group to the dynamic allocation pool.

Abstract: When failure occurs in a virtualization apparatus in storage network circumstances in which the virtualization apparatus is operated, a storage management server judges volume position information, cache configuration information and pair configuration information which are configuration information of the virtualization apparatus and external storage collectively to decide candidates of recovery methods of volume and candidates of recovery methods of data in the volume, so that construction of a physical volume and a pair and recovery of data are performed and an access path is then changed to the recovered physical primary volume. Consequently, change to the system configuration in which operation is performed without passing through the virtualization apparatus can be made in a short time and continuous operation can be attained.

Abstract: The present invention grasps in advance a portion in which traffic is concentrated and which may become a bottleneck and simplifies management of an access path. In a storage network system that forms multiple paths between a large-capacity data storage device and a host computer that employs the data storage device, and transfers data by means of a selected path, access paths are managed by a management server. The management server selects a second access path that can be used as a replacement of a first access path that connects the data storage device with the host computer, and calculates the quantity of traffic on the first access path which is associated with a device disposed on the first access path. Also, the management server calculates a variation of the quantity of traffic on the second access path which is associated with a device disposed on the second access path taking the calculated quantity of traffic into consideration.

Abstract: A storage management system provides a capability of properly setting a performance monitoring threshold and monitoring a performance of a storage resource in the SAN environment with respect to the operation process being executed. The storage management system includes a management server, a storage device, a storage network, and a management server. The management server is arranged to have a performance information collecting unit for collecting the current performance value of a storage resource, a composition section determining unit for determining a composition section corresponding with a composition ratio of the operation processes, a threshold information storage unit for storing a performance monitoring threshold corresponding with the composition section with respect to one or more storage devices, and a performance determining unit for determining a performance of the storage resource based on the current performance value and the performance monitoring threshold.

Abstract: A performance history management method and system are disclosed, in which the time-series performance history such as a volume included in a storage device is managed as one time-series performance history at the time of data rearrangement or device change. The data-oriented performance history providing the logical place of storage of the data stored in the volume is generated using the storage performance monitor program based on the rearrangement history information providing the information on the history of transfer of the data stored in the rearrangement history table and the volume of the storage device by the storage structure information acquisition program, the storage structure information stored in the storage structure information table and the performance history of each volume stored in the storage performance history table by the storage performance information acquisition program. The performance history can be displayed or the performance change detected to display an alert.

Abstract: The storage system of the present invention reflects the intentions of the host device in data migration carried out by a storage device. The host manager registers the host-side data migration policy in advance in the operation management server. When the storage device initiates the data migration, the management server compares the storage-side data migration policy and the host-side data migration policy, and when the polices match, the storage device is permitted to carry out the data migration. When the policies do not match, the management server prohibits the storage device from carrying out the data migration. The management server counts the number of times that the policies do not match, and generates and sends a report to the managers in order to draw the attention of the host manager and the storage manager.

Abstract: MAID (Massive Array of Idle Disks) technology can not stop an array group in a time zone in which if any access is made to the array group desired to be stopped. For realization of power saving, the power may be stopped in a time zone when there is no access, but frequent power-on or power-off has a possibility of shortening the life of a physical disk. In addition, if plural physical disks are collectively activated in a particular period, the power consumption of a storage system as a whole in that period is increased sharply, so that there is a possibility that the stable operation of the storage system is adversely affected. For realizing power saving, plural tasks using the storage system is by scheduled and the task execution and the power-on and power-off of a power controlled unit is controlled based on the schedule selected by a user.

Abstract: A storage resource management system includes a storage apparatus having one or more pieces of volumes and a management computer. The management computer holds volume characteristic information and use field sort volume information. The management computer executes a single use field portion allocating sequence for allocating the use fields to volumes having volume characteristics suitable for a single use field from volume characteristics described in the use field sort volume information, and also, executes a plural use fields common portion allocating sequence for allocating volumes having volume characteristics suitable for the plural use fields to any use field. Since the sequences are executed by the management computer, such a use field sort volume allocation information is formed which has described that one use field in maximum is allocated to the volume, namely one use field is allocated thereto, or none of these use fields is allocated to the volume.

Abstract: The method comprises and executes constitutional information collection processing of collecting constitutional information of the apparatus, constitutional information of a logical unit which is a logical existence obtained by abstracting the apparatus, constitutional information of the application and constitutional information of the dependency relation of the performance established among the apparatus, the logical unit and the application; performance information collection processing of collecting each performance information of the apparatus, the logical unit and the application; and saturation indication detection processing of analyzing a correlation between a change value with time of the performance information of the apparatus and a change value with time of the performance information of the logical unit having the dependency relation of the performance with respect to the apparatus for a predetermined period, and detecting that the apparatus has the saturation indication, when a correlation coef

Abstract: Provided is an inter-volume migration system that allows selection of a relocation-destination volume in consideration of a volume cost. The inter-volume migration system includes a storage subsystem having one or more volumes, an inter-volume relocation instruction module that relocates a data area from a relocation-source volume to a relocation-destination volume, a cost calculation module that calculates a cost value of a volume, and a volume selection module that selects a candidate for the relocation-destination volume based on the cost value of the volume calculated by the cost calculation module and constraints imposed on the relocation-destination volume.

Abstract: The present invention achieves data relocation in accordance with a user's policies, in an environment where a plurality of storage devices are combined. The volumes belonging to storage devices A-D are managed virtually integrally. A host recognizes a plurality of storage devices A-D as a single virtual storage device. The user is able to group the volumes belonging to the storage system, as a plurality of storage layers 1-3. For example, storage layer 1 can be defined as a high-reliability layer, storage layer 2, as a low-cost layer, and storage layer 3, as an archive layer. Each storage layer is constituted by a group of volumes corresponding to respective policies (high reliability, low cost, archiving). The user designates volumes to be moved V1 and V2, in group units, and indicates a storage layer forming a movement destination, whereby the data is relocated.

Abstract: In operation of continuous data protection, a continuous data protection method enables the user to easily select a copy data storage volume and an update request storage volume. A storage management server calculates selection conditions of candidates for a copy data storage volume and an update request storage volume based on a continuous data protection period to continuously protect a protection target volume and a disk capacity and an update access characteristic of the protection target volume to thereby select, according to the selection conditions, the candidates for the copy data and update request storage volumes. At occurrence of abnormality in data of the protection target volume, the continuous data protection system can restore data to a particular position (point of time) within the continuous data protection period.

Abstract: An increase in the amount of resources necessary for storing contents is prevented, and a wait time taken from issuance of a content read request from a client to start of replay of the content is shortened. A file server stores header parts of contents cut off from heads of the contents in a content cache which can read the contents at a speed higher than a storage. When accepting the content read request from a client, the file server first returns the header part of the content stored in the content cache to the client. During replay of the content in the client, the file server reads out remaining parts of the content in the storage subsequent to the returned header part of the content, and returns them to the client.

Abstract: The present invention achieves data relocation in accordance with a user's policies, in an environment where a plurality of storage devices coexist. The volumes belonging to storage devices A-D are managed virtually integrally. A host recognizes a plurality of storage devices A-D as a single virtual storage device. The user is able to group arbitrarily each volume belonging to the storage system, as a plurality of storage layers 1-3. For example, storage layer 1 can be defined as a high-reliability layer, storage layer 2, as a low-cost layer, and storage layer 3, as an archive layer. Each storage layer is constituted by a group of volumes corresponding to respective policies (high reliability, low cost, archiving). The user designates volumes V1 and V2 to be moved, in group units, and indicates a storage layer forming a movement destination, whereby the data is relocated.

Abstract: In a storage system, to allocate a physical storage area to the storage system in response to a new write request issued thereto, an appropriate allocation size is obtained according to write requests issued in the past. If the allocation size obtained as a result has been defined in the storage unit, the setting information of the storage unit is changed to allocate the physical storage area of the allocation size to the storage unit.

Abstract: Provided are a relocation system and a relocation method capable of relocating a virtual volume that is formed based on thin provisioning while ensuring security against exhaustion of pools. A database stores attribute information for pools and virtual volumes for thin provisioning that exist in a storage device as well as parameters for predicting time period till exhaustion of the pools. When a virtual volume is to be relocated between a plurality of pools, a relocation control section predicts time periods till exhaustion of the pools before and after relocation based on information in the database and determines the relocation is possible or not based on the result of prediction or determines an appropriate relocation plan. This enables control of relocation of virtual volumes.