Abstract: Two data centers located in the vicinity are connected using a synchronous transfer copy function, and one of the data centers is coupled with a third data center disposed at a remote location by an asynchronous remote copying function. The order whereat a storage sub-system located in the vicinity has received data from a host is consistently guaranteed, and the third data center holds the data. Further, each storage sub-system includes a function whereby, during normal operation, data can be exchanged and the data update state can be obtained by the storage sub-systems located in the two data centers that do not directly engage in data transmission.

Abstract: Information about remote copy target volumes of other storage systems 2 each having one and the same original volume V1 is registered for each remote copy target volume in advance. When there occurs a failure in a copy source storage system 2, a copy source volume for remote copy target volumes using the storage system 2 having a failure as their copy source is selected newly from the registered copy source volumes, and remote copy is resumed.

Abstract: When a bus is used as a data communication channel, data within a disk unit cannot be reproduced or copied into a spare disk while a control unit is making read/write processing based on a request from a host computer, or vice versa. Thus, a loop is constructed by a fiber channel capable of time division multiplex function, and the processing between the disk unit and the spare is performed not through the control unit so that the data within the disk can be copied into the spare while the processing between the host computer and the disk unit is being performed, or both processing operations can be executed in parallel.

Abstract: A first storage control device is provided with a virtual LU for showing a logical volume possessed by a second storage control device as if it were its own volume. When data processing requested from a host device is, for example, a specific processing of large load (such as direct backup, logical volume copy, and so on), whether or not the requested processing can be executed by the second storage control device is judged. When it is executable, a command is transmitted to the second storage control device to make it take over the processing.

Abstract: Information about remote copy target volumes of other storage systems 2 each having one and the same original volume V1 is registered for each remote copy target volume in advance. When there occurs a failure in a copy source storage system 2, a copy source volume for remote copy target volumes using the storage system 2 having a failure as their copy source is selected newly from the registered copy source volumes, and remote copy is resumed.

Abstract: A first storage control device is provided with a virtual LU for showing a logical volume possessed by a second storage control device as if it were its own volume. When data processing requested from a host device is, for example, a specific processing of large load (such as direct backup, logical volume copy, and so on), whether or not the requested processing can be executed by the second storage control device is judged. When it is executable, a command is transmitted to the second storage control device to make it take over the processing.

Abstract: Two data centers located in the vicinity are connected using a synchronous transfer copy function, and one of the data centers is coupled with a third data center disposed at a remote location by an asynchronous remote copying function. The order whereat a storage sub-system located in the vicinity has received data from a host is consistently guaranteed, and the third data center holds the data. Further, each storage sub-system includes a function whereby, during normal operation, data can be exchanged and the data update state can be obtained by the storage sub-systems located in the two data centers that do not directly engage in data transmission.

Abstract: Two data centers located in the vicinity are connected using a synchronous transfer copy function, and one of the data centers is coupled with a third data center disposed at a remote location by an asynchronous remote copying function. The order whereat a storage sub-system located in the vicinity has received data from a host is consistently guaranteed, and the third data center holds the data. Further, each storage sub-system includes a function whereby, during normal operation, data can be exchanged and the data update state can be obtained by the storage sub-systems located in the two data centers that do not directly engage in data transmission.

Abstract: Two data centers located in the vicinity are connected using a synchronous transfer copy function, and one of the data centers is coupled with a third data center disposed at a remote location by an asynchronous remote copying function. The order whereat a storage sub-system located in the vicinity has received data from a host is consistently guaranteed, and the third data center holds the data. Further, each storage sub-system includes a function whereby, during normal operation, data can be exchanged and the data update state can be obtained by the storage sub-systems located in the two data centers that do not directly engage in data transmission.

Abstract: A disk array system including a plurality of disk drives, including a plurality of first-type disk drives having a first predetermined level of reliability and used to form a first-type logical unit having a plurality of a first-type of chunks, and a plurality of second-type disk drives having a second predetermined level of reliability which is lower than the first level of reliability and used to form a second-type logical unit having a plurality of a second-type of chunks; and a storage controller which copies data stored in a source chunk to a destination chunk, wherein the destination chunk is selected from the first-type of chunks or the second-type of chunks.

Abstract: The present invention provides a storage control device which enables the time between failures to prolong as much as possible, though it uses HDD's whose mean time between failures is relatively short. The storage control device controls spindle motors in a manner that a spindle motor is rotated regarding the HDD of data which can access from a host computer and a spindle motor is stopped regarding the HDD of data which are clearly judged that a host computer does not access the data. Whether the host computers can access the HDD or not is judged by the fact that whether the memory region (internal logical volume) provided by the HDD is in mapped to the host logical volume or not which is recognized by the host computer and is able to access thereby.

Abstract: When a bus is used as a data communication channel, data within a disk unit cannot be reproduced or copied into a spare disk while a control unit is making read/write processing based on a request from a host computer, or vice versa. Thus, a loop is constructed by a fiber channel capable of time division multiplex function, and the processing between the disk unit and the spare is performed not through the control unit so that the data within the disk can be copied into the spare while the processing between the host computer and the disk unit is being performed, or both processing operations can be executed in parallel.

Abstract: According to the present invention, each of a plurality of LUs existing on a storage control system 200 is divided into a plurality of chunks. A PVOL is comprised of only FC-chunks, but an SVOL is comprised of both FC-chunks and SATA-chunks. To each of the plurality of SVOL-chunks corresponding to the plurality of PVOL-chunks respectively, either an FC-chunk or SATA-chunk selected from a plurality of pool chunks is dynamically corresponded based on the update frequency of the sub-data of the corresponding PVOL chunk. Specifically, if an SVOL-SATA-chunk is corresponded to the PVOL-chunk of which the data update frequency is high, for example, the pool FC-chunk is corresponded as a sub-data swap destination in that SVOL-SATA-chunk.

Abstract: Two data centers located in the vicinity are connected using a synchronous transfer copy function, and one of the data centers is coupled with a third data center disposed at a remote location by an asynchronous remote copying function. The order whereat a storage sub-system located in the vicinity has received data from a host is consistently guaranteed, and the third data center holds the data. Further, each storage sub-system includes a function whereby, during normal operation, data can be exchanged and the data update state can be obtained by the storage sub-systems located in the two data centers that do not directly engage in data transmission.

Abstract: There is provided a storage control system in which various controls to a plurality of storage controllers connected to each other can be effectively performed. The storage control system controls first and second storage controllers, in which a second storage controller 10 is connected to a first storage controller 1-1 to which a host system 1-2 is connected. With reference to a memory in which a table defining correspondence relationships between internal logical volumes and a host logical volume 32 of the second storage controller 10 is stored, a channel adapter 1-3 of the first storage controller 1-1 controls power supplies of driving mechanisms of storage devices corresponding to the internal logical volumes.

Abstract: A reliable remote copy system is provided at low costs. The remote copy system includes a first storage system connected to a first upper level computing system to transmit or receive data to or from the first upper level computing system; a second storage system connected to the first storage system to receive data from the first storage system; and a third storage system connected to the second storage system to receive data from the second storage system and connected to a second upper level computing system to transmit or receive data to or from the second upper level computing system. Therefore, failover can be made from the first upper level computing system to the second upper level computing system. As a result, the upper level computing system connected to the second storage system is not required, and an inexpensive remote copy system can be realized.

Abstract: A method for managing data stored in a hierarchical storage unit of a storage apparatus is disclosed. The storage unit includes a first storage medium having a first access speed and a second storage medium having a second access speed. The first access speed is different from the second access speed. The method comprises determining a first access frequency for information of first type, the first access frequency being associated with a first period of past time. A second access frequency of the information of first type is determined. The second access frequency is associated with a second period of past time and is different than the first access frequency. At least a portion of the information of first type is transferred from the first storage medium to the second storage medium prior to a second period based on the second access frequency determined in the determining-a-second-access-frequency step, the second period corresponding to the second period of past time.

Abstract: Information about remote copy target volumes of other storage systems 2 each having one and the same original volume V1 is registered for each remote copy target volume in advance. When there occurs a failure in a copy source storage system 2, a copy source volume for remote copy target volumes using the storage system 2 having a failure as their copy source is selected newly from the registered copy source volumes, and remote copy is resumed.

Abstract: According to the present invention, each of a plurality of LUs existing on a storage control system 200 is divided into a plurality of chunks. A PVOL is comprised of only FC-chunks, but an SVOL is comprised of both FC-chunks and SATA-chunks. To each of the plurality of SVOL-chunks corresponding to the plurality of PVOL-chunks respectively, either an FC-chunk or SATA-chunk selected from a plurality of pool chunks is dynamically corresponded based on the update frequency of the sub-data of the corresponding PVOL chunk. Specifically, if an SVOL-SATA-chunk is corresponded to the PVOL-chunk of which the data update frequency is high, for example, the pool FC-chunk is corresponded as a sub-data swap destination in that SVOL-SATA-chunk.

Abstract: A method for managing data stored in a hierarchical storage unit of a storage apparatus is disclosed. The storage unit includes a first storage medium having a first access speed and a second storage medium having a second access speed. The first access speed is different from the second access speed. The method comprises determining a first access frequency for information of first type, the first access frequency being associated with a first period of past time. A second access frequency of the information of first type is determined. The second access frequency is associated with a second period of past time and is different than the first access frequency. At least a portion of the information of first type is transferred from the first storage medium to the second storage medium prior to a second period based on the second access frequency determined in the determining-a-second-access-frequency step, the second period corresponding to the second period of past time.