Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide object-based tier management to improve the allocation of objects to different media of different speeds based on access characteristics such as access frequency. One embodiment is directed to a method of managing object-based data in an information system which includes an application server and a storage system. The method comprises receiving a write command including a first data to be written into a virtual volume; identifying an object to which the first data corresponds; checking if a second data corresponding to the object has been stored in the virtual volume; if the second data has been stored in a page of the virtual volume, checking if the page which stores the second data has a vacancy area; and if the page has a vacancy area, writing the first data in the page which stores the second data.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a method of storage array with frame forwarding capability to reduce the complexity of an IT platform system having a large number of hardware devices. In one embodiment, a storage system comprises one or more storage devices; a storage controller having a storage controller processor and a storage controller memory and being coupled with the one or more storage devices; an interface controller receiving an input/output command directly from a host computer; and an internal bus. The interface controller and the storage controller are coupled by the internal bus. In another embodiment, a storage system comprises one or more storage devices; a storage controller having a processor and a memory and being coupled with the one or more storage devices; and a network interface controller which provides virtual Ethernet bridging.

Abstract: Logical volume management for storage subsystem in virtual machine environment is disclosed. In one embodiment, a storage system comprises a storage subsystem including a processor, a memory, one or more virtual disks, and one or more logical disks each corresponding to a physical storage area in the storage subsystem; and a host computer connected with the storage subsystem via a network, the host computer including virtual machines running thereon, the virtual machines each being connected to at least one of the virtual disks or logical disks in the storage subsystem. In the storage subsystem, abstract disks each represent one of the virtual disks or logical disks. An abstract disk management table is stored in the memory of the storage subsystem to manage a relationship between the abstract disks and the one or more virtual disks and between the abstract disks and the one or more logical disks.

Abstract: In one implementation, a system includes multiple SCSI nodes configured to perform a SCSI target function. Each of the multiple SCSI nodes includes a host bus adaptor configured to connect the SCSI node with a Fibre Channel fabric. The host bus adaptor being assigned a world wide name and a network address. The system further includes a host configured to perform a SCSI initiator function. The world wide name assigned to a source host bus adaptor associated with one SCSI node is relocated to a target host bus adaptor associated with another SCSI node. After that, the network address associated with the source host bus adaptor is relocated to the target host bus adaptor. In one implementation, the system determines whether or not a network address assigned to a source host bus adaptor associated with one of the multiple SCSI nodes is shared with at least one other service.

Abstract: An aspect of the invention is directed to a method for storage I/O (input/output) path configuration in a system that includes a storage system connected via a network to a plurality of nodes. The method comprises receiving an I/O access to one or more storage volumes in the storage system from one of the nodes; if the I/O access is an initial I/O access to any of the storage volumes in the storage system from any of the nodes in the system, allowing the initial I/O access from the one node and prohibiting I/O access to the storage volumes in the storage system by other nodes in the system; and if the I/O access is not an initial I/O access to any of the storage volumes in the storage system from any of the nodes in the system, allowing the I/O access only if the I/O access is from the one node which made the initial I/O access and rejecting the I/O access for other nodes in the system.

Abstract: Before transferring a file, a CPU executes the following processing based on a transfer processing program: obtaining the directory tree structure of a transfer-source storage device; dividing the directory tree into directory trees so that each divided directory tree is structured within the full path length of a directory tree that can be handled by a transfer-destination storage device; associating the divided directory trees with each other; and then storing the associated directory trees in a volume of the transfer-destination storage device.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments provide a technique to manage object based tier to improve allocation of media to unallocated area. In one embodiment, a method of allocating an area of a logical volume to an unallocated area of a virtual volume for a write command comprises: calculating an object location of an object based on the write command and an object allocation information, the write command containing a virtual volume name and a virtual volume address of a virtual volume; selecting a tier from a plurality of tiers based on the calculated object location and an object and tier definition information; selecting a media type from a plurality of media types based on the selected tier and a tier and media definition information; and selecting a logical volume from a plurality of logical volumes based on the virtual volume specified by the write command, the object allocation information, a pool information, and the selected media type.

Abstract: In one implementation, a system includes multiple SCSI nodes configured to perform a SCSI target function. Each of the multiple SCSI nodes includes a host bus adaptor configured to connect the SCSI node with a Fiber Channel fabric. The host bus adaptor being assigned a world wide name and a network address. The system further includes a host configured to perform a SCSI initiator function. The world wide name assigned to a source host bus adaptor associated with one SCSI node is relocated to a target host bus adaptor associated with another SCSI node. After that, the network address associated with the source host bus adaptor is relocated to the target host bus adaptor. In one implementation, the system determines whether or not a network address assigned to a source host bus adaptor associated with one of the multiple SCSI nodes is shared with at least one other service.

Abstract: A system for input/output path switching comprises a host; a network switch coupled to the host; and a plurality of storage systems which include a first storage system and a second storage system. For switching an I/O path, from a path between the host and the first storage system via the network switch to another path between the host and the second storage system via the network switch, one of the host or the network switch changes FCID (Fibre Channel Node port identifier) information therein, to migrate a WWPN (World Wide Port Name) from association with the first storage system network interface to association with the second storage system network interface. The FCID information includes address information of storage system network interfaces of the storage systems for connecting to the network switch.

Abstract: A storage system configured to associate a virtual port 810 to a plurality of physical ports 800. In response to commands from computers, the storage system 100 manages relation between physical ports and virtual ports and relation between virtual port and volumes by performing processes such as creating a virtual port, assigning LUs to a virtual port, moving a virtual port between physical ports and deleting a virtual port. The storage system also maintains/calculates statistics information for ports and displays the information for each virtual port.

Abstract: For storage management in a tiered storage environment in a system having one or more applications running on a host computer which is connected to a storage system, the storage system comprises storage volumes in a pool which are divided into a plurality of tiers having different tier levels, the tiers being organized according to a tier configuration rule; and a controller. The controller allocates the pool to a plurality of virtual volumes based on a change of the tier levels against the physical storage devices. The controller stores a relation between data in the storage system being accessed by each application running on the host computer and an application ID of the application accessing the data. The tier level of a portion of a storage volume of the plurality of storage volumes is changed based at least in part on the application accessing data in the storage volume.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments provide logical volume management between multiple storage subsystems or between one or more storage subsystems and a storage service. In one embodiment, a system has a host computer, a storage subsystem, an external system connected with the storage subsystem, and a management computer. The storage subsystem comprises a volume I/O control to expose one or more volumes in the storage subsystem to the host computer to provide storage I/O capability; and a volume management control to allow the management server to operate a second volume in the external system by operating a first volume in the storage subsystem. The volume management control is configured, in response to a command from the management server to create/delete the first volume, to create/delete the first volume and to create/delete the second volume.

Abstract: Method and apparatus are disclosed to enable secure archiving and backup of data with reduced risk of data lost. Additionally, embodiments are provided which enable reduction of costs for CAS backup of archived files by use of low-cost tape storage devices rather than expensive hard drive devices.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide methods and apparatuses for block based storage subsystem to have backup ability to a file based storage service such as HTTP or cloud storage service. In one embodiment, a storage system is coupled via a network to a storage service which has one or more file servers. The storage system comprises a processor; a memory; a volume-based snapshot control module configured to create a snapshot volume of data at a certain time, the snapshot volume being a block-based volume which is divided into a plurality of portions; and a copy control module configured to read each portion of the snapshot volume and send said each portion as file data to the storage service via the network, and to generate mapping information between an address of said each portion in the storage system and a file identifier of the file data of said each portion in the storage service.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments of the invention provide logical volume management for a storage subsystem in a virtual machine environment. In one embodiment, a storage system comprises a storage subsystem including a processor, a memory, one or more virtual disks, and one or more logical disks each corresponding to a physical storage area in the storage subsystem; and a host computer connected with the storage subsystem via a network, the host computer including a plurality of virtual machines running thereon, the virtual machines each being connected to at least one of the virtual disks or logical disks in the storage subsystem. In the storage subsystem, abstract disks each represent one of the virtual disks or logical disks. An abstract disk management table is stored in the memory of the storage subsystem to manage a relationship between the abstract disks and the one or more virtual disks and between the abstract disks and the one or more logical disks.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments provide data volume migration with migration log confirmation in which the same data volume identifier is used beyond migration for a data volume. In one embodiment, data is migrated to or from a data volume in a data storage area of a storage apparatus. The data being migrated is identified by a data volume identifier which remains unchanged after migration. The same data volume identifier is used in both the source data volume and the destination data volume. The storage apparatus stores migration log information of the data volume. The migration log information includes the data volume identifier, a source name of the source data volume of the data being migrated, a destination name of the destination data volume of the data being migrated, and log information on any prior migration of the data being migrated.

Abstract: Upon detection of a virus definition file update, a virus check server mounts a computer's storage area in a storage apparatus via a network to check whether or not a file stored in the storage area is infected with a virus. For the virus check, the virus check server communicates with the storage apparatus via a path different from the one that is laid between a user computer and the storage system. Therefore, a virus check executed by the virus check server does not lower the computer's communication speed and disk access speed.

Abstract: Systems and methods for consistent logical volume management of the storage subsystem. The present invention guarantees permanent identification data consistency while migrating, mirroring, creating, deleting LU and so on. It prevents the administrator from the change of management.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a method and apparatus for resource provisioning for a new virtual machine to be provided in a computer device. In one embodiment, at least one storage subsystem, the computer device, and a storage management server are connected via a network. A unique virtual port name for the new virtual machine is created by one of a first storage subsystem of the at least one storage subsystem or the storage management server. A volume for the new virtual machine is provided in the first storage subsystem. The first storage subsystem includes a unique port name for a port through which the volume for the new virtual machine has I/O connection via the network. The unique virtual port name is assigned to the new virtual machine in the computer device under NPIV (N_Port ID Virtualization).

Abstract: Either a controller in a storage system, or a management computer monitors a bandwidth used in each I/O port in the storage system, and a bandwidth used by each host computer connected to each I/O port, and redirects a host computer using a bandwidth close to a difference in bandwidth used in the I/O ports, from the I/O port where a maximum bandwidth is used to the I/O port where a minimum bandwidth is used.