Abstract: An apparatus including: a first storage for storing first data; second storages for storing the first data; a storage controller for storing the first data stored in the first storage into the second storage; a third storage for saving data including second data; a saving device for reading the data and saving the data in the third storage; a data set output device for outputting the data to a copy destination device; a restoration device for storing the data saved in the third storage into available ones of the second storages; and a suspending device for causing the data set output device to output all of the data stored in the second storage to the copy destination device and then suspending the output of the data by the data set output device to the copy destination device to place the data set output device in a suspend state.

Abstract: A save control section included in a storage apparatus continuously performs writeback by which a data group is read out from a plurality of storage sections of the storage apparatus and by which the data group is saved in a data group storage section of the storage apparatus, or staging by which a data group saved in the data group storage section is distributed and stored in the plurality of storage sections according to storage areas of the data group storage section which store a plurality of data groups. An output section of the storage apparatus outputs in block a data group including the data stored in each of the plurality of storage sections. The data group storage section has the storage areas for storing a data group.

Abstract: A storage apparatus includes a storage module, a memory having areas storing data to be copied to the storage device, a saving buffer for temporarily saving the data stored in the areas, a control module for executing receiving a write request including the data to be stored in the storage apparatus, storing the data included in the write request to the storage module and one area, saving the data stored in the one area to the saving buffer when the number of areas which the copying is executed is not less than the threshold value, copying the data stored in the one area to the storage device or writing the saved data stored in the saving buffer to the one area when the number of areas which the copying is executed is less than the threshold value, determining the threshold value in accordance with an amount of the write request.

Abstract: A storage apparatus includes a copy control unit for managing a copy session for copying an copy source data area in at least one of the first to the Mth copy source disk groups to an copy destination data area in a corresponding copy destination disk group, setting a first to an Mth copy session groups, each of the copy session groups including one or more copy sessions from the ith copy source disk group to the ith copy destination disk group as the copy session, and performing repeatedly a selection operation for cyclically selecting a copy session from each of the first to the Mth copy session groups in a predetermined sequence and a control operation for cyclically executing copy processing on a predetermined copy processing unit basis for the M copy sessions selected by the selection operation in a predetermined sequence for a prescribed number of times.

Abstract: A system creates a configuration definition table to be used for accessing a physical disk according to a host I/O request, to decrease a memory size of the configuration definition table even if common firmware is used for models with different scales. For this, a model correspondence table to show the definition of each model is provided in a configuration setup processing module, the maximum values of this model are recorded in a memory based on this content, and a memory area for each item is secured. And the actual content of the configuration definition is developed on the secured memory. Therefore even for a diversity of models, the memory size of the configuration definition table can be decreased to a size matching the model, with common firmware regardless the model.

Abstract: An apparatus for copying data to another apparatus including a receiving buffer, includes: a transmitting buffer including a plurality of areas for temporary storing data of the copying; and a processor for executing a process, including: receiving information indicative of an instantaneous vacant area of the receiving buffer of the another apparatus, the vacant area being capable of temporarily storing data that could be transmitted from the transmitting buffer, determining an area of the transmitting buffer that stores data to be transmitted subsequently in reference to the information of the vacant area, and transmitting data stored in the determined area of the transmitting buffer to the receiving buffer of the another apparatus.

Abstract: An interdevice communication monitoring unit 62-1 calculates a variable timeout time (T2?T) by subtracting an elapsed time T from a predetermined fixed timeout time T2 for monitoring an intermodule communication to monitor an elapsed time of an intermodule communication. The fixed timeout time T2 is a time shorter than a predetermined interface connection check time T1 for monitoring an interface connection with a channel. When the elapsed time T of the intermodule communication exceeds the variable timeout time (T2?T), the interdevice communication monitoring unit requests a channel to separate the interface connection, and then when an end response is obtained from a control module, requests the channel for an interface reconnection and then transmits an end response.

Abstract: In the present invention, for each set of blocks [#(0) to #(N?1)] storing update data, a history block [#(N)] storing an update state value, for example, a generation, time or check code, showing an update state is provided, constituting a set of management data as a check object. When writing update data on a disk, a new update state value is calculated for the same set of management data and stored in memory as update state confirmation value. The new update state value is also set as write data in the history block in the same set of management data, and the entire of the set of management data including update data and update state value are written onto a disk. The history block is read and disk write omissions are detected by comparing the update state value and the update state confirmation value stored in memory.

Abstract: In a redundant array of inexpensive disks (RAID) device, an encrypting unit encrypts data to be written back at a timing when a write-back processing unit performs a write-back of the data. The write-back processing unit stores the encrypted data in an encryption buffer, and then writes back the encrypted data stored in the encryption buffer to a disk.

Abstract: An interdevice communication monitoring unit 62-1 calculates a variable timeout time (T2?T) by subtracting an elapsed time T from a predetermined fixed timeout time T2 for monitoring an intermodule communication to monitor an elapsed time of an intermodule communication. The fixed timeout time T2 is a time shorter than a predetermined interface connection check time T1 for monitoring an interface connection with a channel. When the elapsed time T of the intermodule communication exceeds the variable timeout time (T2?T), the interdevice communication monitoring unit requests a channel to separate the interface connection, and then when an end response is obtained from a control module, requests the channel for an interface reconnection and then transmits an end response.

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 system creates a configuration definition table to be used for accessing a physical disk according to a host I/O request, to decrease a memory size of the configuration definition table even if common firmware is used for models with different scales. For this, a model correspondence table to show the definition of each model is provided in a configuration setup processing module, the maximum values of this model are recorded in a memory based on this content, and a memory area for each item is secured. And the actual content of the configuration definition is developed on the secured memory. Therefore even for a diversity of models, the memory size of the configuration definition table can be decreased to a size matching the model, with common firmware regardless the model.

Abstract: In the present invention, for each set of blocks [#(0) to #(N-1)] storing update data, a history block [#(N)] storing an update state value, for example, a generation, time or check code, showing an update state is provided, constituting a set of management data as a check object. When writing update data on a disk, a new update state value is calculated for the same set of management data and stored in memory as update state confirmation value. The new update state value is also set as write data in the history block in the same set of management data, and the entire of the set of management data including update data and update state value are written onto a disk. The history block is read and disk write omissions are detected by comparing the update state value and the update state confirmation value stored in memory.

Abstract: In the present invention, for each set of blocks [#(0) to #(N?1)] storing update data, a history block [#(N)] storing an update state value, for example, a generation, time or check code, showing an update state is provided, constituting a set of management data as a check object. When writing update data on a disk, a new update state value is calculated for the same set of management data and stored in memory as update state confirmation value. The new update state value is also set as write data in the history block in the same set of management data, and the entire of the set of management data including update data and update state value are written onto a disk. The history block is read and disk write omissions are detected by comparing the update state value and the update state confirmation value stored in memory.

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 file control device is adapted to be connected between at least one host apparatus and a plurality of memory devices, and includes at least one channel adapter connected to the host apparatus for transferring data to and from the host apparatus and a plurality of device adapters connected to the memory devices for transferring data to and from the memory devices. A plurality of resource management modules is also included for controlling the channel adapter, the device adapter and the memory devices. A common memory stores management data for controlling the memory devices and a resource sharing program designates the management of the memory devices between the resource management modules. Also, an area determining program determines the areas in the common area in which to store the management data of the memory devices in accordance with the management designation of the resource sharing program.