Abstract: A storage system is configured as tiered storage (composed of top tier storage apparatuses and second tier storage apparatus at least). The top tire storage apparatus gathers the volume-to-volume map information and power boundary information from second tier storage apparatuses, which are connected to the top tier storage apparatus. The top tier storage apparatus manages the second tier storage system by appropriate method directed by the second tier storage apparatus. In another method for managing HDDs' spin-down and spin-up, “spin-down/up” status are kept in the top tier storage apparatus and the second tier storage apparatus. The top tier storage apparatus forwards the “spin-down/up” request to the second tier storage apparatus when the top tier storage apparatus receives a “spin-down/up” request. The second tier storage apparatus checks if all volumes in a parity group have “spin-down” status. In the case of all volumes in a parity group have “spin-down” status, HDD in the parity group are spin-downed.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments of the invention provide a method for creating a command device in a storage system in a server virtualization environment. The storage system is coupled to a host computer having a virtual machine. The host computer includes a memory and a processor. The method comprises receiving a command device registration request to register a command device as a storage device for command transmission, the command device to be used in a virtual machine of the host computer; creating a virtual device by allocating a storage area of the storage system to the virtual device; and mounting the virtual device as the command device to the virtual machine in which the command device is used.

Abstract: A first computer is provided that executes a plurality of virtual machines (VMs), a storage device, and a second computer is provided that applies patches to OSs (operating systems) operating upon the VMs to the VMs. The storage device holds storage regions (golden images (GIs)) that store data of the OSs operating upon the VMs at certain time instants, a storage region (i.e. a storage pool) that stores patches applied to the OSs of the VMs after those certain time instants, and snapshots of the GIs. Patches applied to the OSs of the VMs accessed in the snapshots are stored in the storage pool. The second computer selects, as a GI to be a source of acquisition of snapshots, a GI to which are applied patches of a combination that can be created from patches applied to the OS of some VM, and deletes patches that are patches applied to the selected GI, and that moreover, among the patches applied to that VM, are stored in the storage pool.

Abstract: When a disk device corresponding to a logical volume is started, a disk system determines and starts a disk device and a fan to be started, while comprehensively considering heat quantity generated by the disk device to be started, the cooling capacity of the fan, and the electric power consumption of the fan or the electric power consumption of the disk device.

Abstract: Backup and restore operations are made possible in a storage system that has dynamic chunk allocation (DCA) capability. In a DCA storage system, a chunk of physical storage area is not allocated to a segment of a volume until a write command is received targeting the segment of the volume. During a restore operation of the volume in the DCA storage system, the wasting of storage capacity when a backup image of the volume is restored is mitigated by preventing allocation of physical storage areas to segments of restore data that are only void data.

Abstract: A management apparatus, a management method, and a storage management system that more specifically manage power consumption, making it easy to analyze problems relating to power consumption or properly relocate data are provided. A power consumption for each of a plurality of memory apparatus groups each consisting of a plurality of memory apparatuses in a storage system is computed based on a performance for each of a plurality of logical storage extents defined in a plurality of storage extents provided by each of the memory apparatus groups, and a value of the power consumption for each of one or more of the memory apparatus groups obtained by the computation is output together with information on an access status of each of the corresponding logical storage extents.

Abstract: Systems for backing up the data of an IT system by utilizing server or storage virtualization technology to create and move logical IT infrastructures dynamically. A virtualized IT system provides a server resource pool and a storage resource pool composed from multiple physical devices either within a datacenter or a globally located plurality of datacenters. The virtual server and the storage volume provisioned from those pools will be paired to form the virtual infrastructure. In other words, the virtual infrastructure becomes a logical IT environment build with the required computing and storage resources needed in order to execute specific applications. The virtual infrastructure can also be migrated within/among datacenter sites.

Abstract: A unified storage system for executing a variety of types of storage control software using a single standardized hardware platform includes multiple storage control modules connected to storage devices for storing data related to input/output (I/O) operations. A first type of storage control software is initially installed and executed on a first storage control module for processing a first type of I/O operations. A management module replaces the first type of storage control software by installing a second type of storage control software onto the first storage control module. When the second type of storage control software is installed and executed, the first storage control module processes a second type of I/O operation, different from the first type of I/O operation. Control of volumes originally accessed by the first storage control module may be transferred to a second storage control module having the first type of storage control software installed.

Abstract: A computer system including a management computer for managing the entire system, an integral apparatus, and a high-level connecting device for connecting the management computer and the integral apparatus is designed so that the management computer retains integral apparatus internal configuration information, configuration information about an integral apparatus to be introduced, that indicates the configuration of the integral apparatus that may possibly be introduced to the system, and lifetime information indicating lifetime of the integral apparatus; obtains connectivity guarantee information indicating whether connectivity between the computer and the storage apparatus is guaranteed or not; selects an integral apparatus to be removed from the system by referring to the lifetime information; selects an integral apparatus to be introduced to the system by referring to the integral apparatus internal configuration information, the configuration information about the integral apparatus to be introduced, an

Abstract: A management apparatus has a control unit for realizing a management function through a comprehensive process of characteristic information of a storage apparatus, a connecting apparatus and a computer. The management apparatus also has an interface for receiving characteristic information from the storage apparatus, connecting apparatus and computer, depending on the standard protocol among the management apparatus, storage apparatus, connecting apparatus and computer. Moreover, an integrated management apparatus is also provided for integrated management based on the result of realization of a plurality of management functions. This integrated management apparatus includes an interface for receiving the result of realization of the management function from the management apparatus, depending on the standard protocol between the management apparatus and integrated management apparatus.

Abstract: A storage system stores golden image of a server or any physical/virtual machine execution environment and associate the golden image and the storage port. The storage system also creates the copy of the golden image to the logical volume, and allocates the internal path between the storage port and the logical volume. Upon receiving an access request from the host computer via the storage port, the storage system transfers the access request between the storage port and the logical volume which stores the copy of golden image associated with the host computer.

Abstract: A storage system comprises one or more pool volumes having chunks for storing data; one or more primary volumes; writable snapshots as virtual volumes for each primary volume which is a common ancestor of the writable snapshots, each primary volume and corresponding writable snapshots being members forming a snapshot group; and a storage controller which includes a processor, a memory storing, for each snapshot group, group information of the members within the snapshot group, and a deduplication module. The deduplication module may identify a snapshot group for deduplication based on the group information and perform deduplication of data for the identified snapshot group in a deduplication area, or perform deduplication of data in a deduplication area which is specified based on the group information of a snapshot group being generated in the storage system.

Abstract: A unified storage system for executing a variety of types of storage control software using a single standardized hardware platform includes multiple storage control modules connected to storage devices for storing data related to input/output (I/O) operations. A first type of storage control software is initially installed and executed on a first storage control module for processing a first type of I/O operations. A management module replaces the first type of storage control software by installing a second type of storage control software onto the first storage control module. When the second type of storage control software is installed and executed, the first storage control module processes a second type of I/O operation, different from the first type of I/O operation. Control of volumes originally accessed by the first storage control module may be transferred to a second storage control module having the first type of storage control software installed.

Abstract: An aspect of the invention relates to a method of managing data location of plural files in a storage system having a mixed volume which includes plural pages having a fixed page size, the pages belonging to different tiers. The method comprises mapping pages of different tiers to storage devices of different speeds in the storage system, the storage devices including at least a high speed storage device corresponding to a high tier page and a low speed storage device corresponding to a low tier page; and for each file that is a large file which is larger in size than the page size, performing sub-file tiered management on the large file to assign the large file among pages of different tiers according to access characteristics of different portions of the large file by matching the access characteristics of each portion of the large file with a corresponding tier of the assigned page of the mixed volume.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments of the invention provide protocols and interfaces for avoiding waste capacity allocation from the storage apparatus to plural pools. In one embodiment, a storage system comprises a processor; a memory; and a storage controller. The storage controller is configured to: receive a declare chunk size command with a pool identifier for a pool among a plurality of pools, the declare chunk size command specifying a desired chunk size at the pool; receive an allocate chunk command with a pool identifier for allocating a chunk to a logical volume; and provide chunks of different chunk sizes to different pools with different pool identifiers, according to the desired chunk sizes of different declare chunk size commands and in response to different allocate chunk commands.

Abstract: A management apparatus has a control unit for realizing a management function through a comprehensive process of characteristic information of a storage apparatus, a connecting apparatus and a computer. The management apparatus also has an interface for receiving characteristic information from the storage apparatus, connecting apparatus and computer, depending on the standard protocol among the management apparatus, storage apparatus, connecting apparatus and computer. Moreover, an integrated management apparatus is also provided for integrated management based on the result of realization of a plurality of management functions. This integrated management apparatus includes an interface for receiving the result of realization of the management function from the management apparatus, depending on the standard protocol between the management apparatus and integrated management apparatus.

Abstract: A storage system comprises a storage apparatus which includes a processor, storage disks, and a memory storing a page mapping table, a page mapping program, and a page-filename mapping program. A file system manages a file tree of files with filenames. The page mapping table specifies a relationship between data volumes in the storage apparatus and the storage disks and the file system, the data volumes each including pages, each page including segments, each segment including sectors. The file tree has for each storage apparatus a hierarchy of directories and files based on relationships among the data volumes, the pages, and the segments. The page mapping program and the page-filename mapping program are executable by the processor to specify, by page, a location of data contained in the I/O request by referring to the page mapping table and the file tree.

Abstract: A computerized data storage system and a method for portioning performance among data areas on a hard disk drive. The system includes a management computer coupled to one or more host computers and a storage apparatus. The storage apparatus includes hard disk drives and a storage controller for partitioning the hard disk drives among data volumes in the storage apparatus and for assigning the data volumes to the host computer. A performance partitioning module utilizes a queue management table for forming a number of queues on memory of the hard disk drive. The queues receive READ and WRITE requests and convey these requests to data areas assigned on recording media of the hard disk drive. After a request from a queue is executed, a gate between the queue and the data areas may be closed to allow requests from other queues an opportunity to access the data areas.

Abstract: To provide a computer system, a management computer and a storage system, and a storage area allocation amount controlling method for improving I/O performance of the host computer. In a computer system comprising a storage system comprising one or more storage devices with storage areas, a host computer which uses a storage area of the storage device, and a management computer for dynamically allocating the storage area in response to an input/output request from the host computer; wherein the management computer monitors dynamic allocation of a real storage area to a storage area in the storage system, and calculates allocation increment amount to the allocated storage area based on the allocation frequency and the total amount of allocation.

Abstract: In an information processing system including a computer device, and a storage device storing data used by the computer device, the region in which the data is held is managed in association with a change, over the passage of time in the performance and availability required of the data holding region. The computer device includes a storage device managing unit for managing the storage device which stores data used by the computer device. The storage device managing unit periodically monitors temporal characteristics information, and moves data, if the storage region having functional characteristics corresponding to the temporal characteristics information is different from the storage region to which the data is currently assigned.