Abstract: The present invention allocates a suitable physical device to each volume page according to the state transition command relating to paired volumes. A plurality of logical devices forming a logical storage area of a plurality of physical devices of varying performance are tiered according to the performance of the physical devices to form a pool volume, and each of the areas of the primary logical volume, secondary logical volume and pool volume are managed by a controller, divided into a primary page, secondary page and pool page. Upon receiving a pair formation-related command from the host computer, the controller allocates pool pages belonging to the same tier to the primary page and secondary page, and upon subsequently receiving a pair-related state transition command, the controller allocates a pool page, in a different tier from the primary page, to the secondary page.

Abstract: A storage system comprises a virtual volume configured of multiple virtual areas and a pool configured of multiple actual area groups of different performances. The controller of the storage system manages which actual areas are assigned to which virtual areas and the access load on the actual areas assigned to the virtual areas. The controller, if the access load of a first actual area assigned to a first virtual area is inappropriate for a first actual area group comprising the first actual area, migrates data to a second actual area in a second actual area group which is appropriate for the access load of the first actual area from the first actual area. The controller performs data migration between actual areas for achieving data allocation at a certain point of time based on history information which is the information related to a virtual area at a point of time in the past and an actual area assigned to the virtual area.

Abstract: This storage system includes a first storage sub system having a first logical volume where a first data area is dynamically allocated to each prescribed area, and which stores data transmitted from a host computer in the first data area, and a second storage sub system having a second data area for backing up the first logical volume; wherein the first storage sub system includes: a first management unit for managing the status of the first data area allocated to each of the areas of the first logical volume; a transfer unit for transferring the data stored in the first data area allocated to each of the areas of the first logical volume to the second storage sub system; and a restoration unit for restoring the first logical volume based on the status of the first data area managed by the first management unit and/or the data transferred from the second storage sub system.

Abstract: A storage system enables a core storage apparatus to execute processing requiring securing of data consistency, while providing high write performance to a host computer. A storage system includes an edge storage apparatus 20 configured to communicate with a host computer 10 and including a cache memory 25, and a core storage apparatus 30 that communicates with the edge storage apparatus 20 and perform I/O processing on a storage device 39. When receiving a write request from the host computer 10, the edge storage apparatus 20 processes the write request by writeback. When about to execute storage function control processing, on condition that data consistency is be secured, such as pair split processing of a local copy function, the core storage apparatus 30 requests the edge storage apparatus 20 to perform forced destage of dirty data in the cache memory 25 and then executes the storage function control processing after the completion of the forced destage.

Abstract: A migration destination storage creates an expansion device for virtualizing a migration source logical unit. A host computer accesses an external volume by way of an access path of a migration destination logical unit, a migration destination storage, a migration source storage, and an external volume. After destaging all dirty data accumulated in the disk cache of the migration source storage to the external volume, an expansion device for virtualizing the external volume is mapped to the migration destination logical unit.

Abstract: With a computer system having a host computer and first and second storage apparatuses, the second storage apparatus virtualizes first logical units in the first storage apparatus and provides them as second logical units to the host computer, collects configuration information about each first logical unit, and sets each piece of the collected configuration information to each corresponding second logical unit. The host computer adds a path to the second logical units and deletes a path to the first logical units. The second storage apparatus copies data stored in the first logical units to a storage area provided by the second storage device and associates the storage area with the second logical units.

Abstract: When a method for relocating data to a preferable storage area based on access frequency is applied to virtual machines, it takes a long time for determining volumes that are not accessed, and the access performance is deteriorated. The present invention provides a system and method in which a utilization status of a virtual machine is checked by the storage system, and pages used by virtual machines not being utilized are relocated promptly to lower tiers and pages used by virtual machines being utilized are relocated promptly to higher tiers, according to which the performance of the system is improved.

Abstract: The storage system is coupled to a computer and includes a plurality of physical storages being used to configure a first logical storage and a second logical storage, a control unit receiving a read request and a write request from the computer; and a cache memory storing data which is sent to the computer. The control unit determines whether a request from the computer is a write request or a read request. If it is a read request, the control unit reads data from the cache memory or at least one of the plurality of physical storages based on the read request. If it is a write request, the control unit determines whether destination of the write request is the first logical storage.

Abstract: Multiple storage area groups into which multiple storage areas provided by multiple storage devices are classified with reference to storage area attributes are managed. The multiple logical volumes to which, in accordance with a write request to at least one address included in multiple addresses in the logical volume, at least one storage area included in the multiple storage areas is allocated are provided. In accordance with the access condition of the at least one address in the logical volume, the data written to the at least one address by the write request is migrated from the at least one storage area included in one of the multiple storage area groups to at least one storage area in another storage area group included in the multiple storage area groups.

Abstract: A storage system and storage migration method where migration may be carried out to an access destination of a host apparatus without stopping the exchange of data between the host apparatus and the storage apparatus. This system is provided with a host apparatus inputting and outputting requests for data, a migration source storage apparatus having logical unit(s) correlated to storage regions of physical devices for storing the data, a migration destination storage apparatus having logical unit(s). The system also has an editing unit for editing configuration control information relating to the logical unit(s) for the migration source so as to match with settings for the migration destination storage apparatus, an importing unit for importing edited configuration control information to the migration destination storage apparatus, and a mapping unit for mapping the logical unit(s) of the migration source to the logical unit(s) of the migration destination.

Abstract: Provided are a computer system and its data control method that enable safe backup of data and reduction in the capacity of data to be backed up. A control processor refers to a differential and, if a differential bit is “0,” encrypts data of an online VOL with an encryption circuit by using key information, and transfers the encrypted data to a second storage system. If the differential bit is “1,” the control processor performs redundancy elimination processing to journal data, thereafter compresses the journal data with a compression circuit, encrypts the compressed journal data with an encryption circuit according to the key information, and transfers the journal data that was encrypted after compression to the second storage system.

Abstract: A computer system includes a first volume that is read and written from a first computer and in which write data is written, a second volume storing journal data in the first volume, the journal data delimited at each predetermined point, a third volume as a virtual volume, a unit that creates, when a backup instruction for the first volume at a predetermined point is received, the third volume from which a second computer reads the journal data and in which the second computer writes the journal data, a unit that maps the journal data to the third volume, and a unit that transfers the write data to a storage device via the second computer or transfers, through the third volume to which the journal data is mapped, the journal data to the storage device via the second computer and backs up the write data and the journal data.

Abstract: Availability of an information system including a storage apparatus and a computer is improved. First and second storage apparatuses execute remote copy of copying data written into a first primary volume from the computer to a second primary volume, at least one of the first and second storage apparatuses executes local copy of copying the data written into the first or second primary volume in a self-storage apparatus to the corresponding first or second secondary volume, and the computer switches the destination of a write request of the data from the first storage apparatus to the second storage apparatus in case of a failure occurring in the first storage apparatus.

Abstract: The present invention creates a pool comprising tiers corresponding to the performance of logical volumes. A first storage apparatus either acquires or measures the performance of multiple external pool volumes of an external storage (S1711 through S1714), and creates a pool volume group based on the performance of the external pool volumes (S1715, S1716). The rank order of a tier is decided in accordance with the performance of each pool volume group (S1717, S1718). This makes it possible to relatively easily create a pool comprising multiple appropriate tiers that are suited to the current situation.

Abstract: A flash memory storage system has a plurality of flash memory devices comprising a plurality of flash memories, and a controller having an I/O processing control unit for accessing a flash memory device specified by a designated access destination in an I/O request received from an external device from among the plurality of flash memory devices. A parity group can be configured of flash memory devices having identical internal configuration.

Abstract: This storage system has an allocation unit for allocating a storage extent in prescribed units to the dynamic logical volume upon storing the data sent from the host computer in the dynamic logical volume; a management unit for managing the storage extent recognized as being currently used by the file system among the storage extents allocated to the dynamic logical volume by the allocation unit; and a release unit for releasing the storage extent that is not being managed by the management unit from the dynamic logical volume.

Abstract: There is a journal area and one or more logical volumes comprising a first logical volume. The journal area is a storage area in which is stored a journal data element, which is a data element that is stored in any storage area of a plurality of storage areas configuring a logical volume, or a data element that is written to the storage area. A controller has a size receiver that receives a write unit size, which is the size of a write data element received from a computer, and a size setting unit that sets the received write unit size in a memory for one or more logical volumes. The size of a journal data element stored in a journal area based on the set write unit size is the write unit size.

Abstract: For at least one of storage unit, processor and cache memory which are I/O process-participating devices related to I/O command process, when a load of one or more I/O process-participating devices or a part thereof is a low load equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value, a processing related to a state of one or more of the I/O process-participating devices or a part thereof is redirected to another one or more I/O process-participating devices or a part thereof, and the state of the one or more I/O process-participating devices or a part thereof is shifted to a power-saving state.

Abstract: Efficient data processing is implemented by using the functions of an external storage apparatus which is connected to the virtual storage apparatus. A storage apparatus which is connected to a host apparatus which requests data I/Os and to an external storage apparatus comprising a storage device respectively via a network, comprising a storage device storing data which is read and written by the host apparatus; and a control device which controls data writing to a storage area, wherein the control device provides a predetermined storage area of the storage device of the external storage apparatus to the host apparatus as one or more virtual volumes, and manages the virtual volumes and function information indicating the functions of the external storage apparatus in association with one another.

Abstract: The present invention transfers replication logical volumes between and among storage control units in a storage system comprising a plurality of storage control units. To transfer replication logical volumes from a storage control unit to a storage control unit, a virtualization device sets a path to the storage control unit. The storage control unit then prepares a differential bitmap in order to receive access requests. When the preparation is completed, the virtualization device makes access requests to the storage control unit. The storage control unit then hands over the access requests to the storage control unit. Subsequently, the storage control unit performs a process so that the access requests are reflected in a disk device and performs an emergency destage of storing data in a cache memory into disk device. When the emergency destage is ended, the storage control unit connects to an external storage control unit and hands over access requests to the external storage control unit.