Abstract: An amount of storage capacity used during mirroring operations is reduced by applying de-duplication operations to the mirror volumes. Data stored to a first volume is mirrored to a second volume. The second volume is a virtual volume having a plurality of logical addresses, such that segments of physical storage capacity are allocated for a specified logical address as needed when data is stored to the specified logical address. A de-duplication operation is carried out on the second volume following a split from the first volume. A particular segment of the second volume is identified as having data that is the same as another segment in the second volume or in the same consistency group. A link is created from the particular segment to the other segment and the particular segment is released from the second volume so that physical storage capacity required for the second volume is reduced.

Abstract: In one implementation, a storage system comprises host computers, a management terminal and a storage system having block interface to communicate with the host computers/clients. The storage system also incorporates a deduplication capability using chunks (divided storage area). The storage system maintains a threshold (upper limit) with respect to the degree of deduplication (i.e. number of virtual data for one real data) specified by users or the management software. The storage system counts the number of links for each chunk and does not perform deduplication when the number of reduced data for a chunk exceeds the threshold, even if duplication is detected. In another implementation, the storage system additionally incorporates a data migration capability and migrates physical data to high reliability area such as area protected with double parity (i.e. RAID6) when the deduplication level for a chunk exceeds the threshold.

Abstract: A volume provider unit in a computer system that detects a logical block address of a read or write I/O accessing a logical volume of a storage device from a host. According to the logical block address fetched, a storage domain of the logical volume is dynamically expanded. Moreover, the storage domain of the logical volume is reduced or expanded according to an instruction of logical volume capacity reduction or expansion from a host commander part to a volume server.

Abstract: A storage system is configured to create and manage virtual ports on physical ports. The storage system can transfer associations between virtual ports and physical ports when a failure occurs in a physical port or a link connected to the physical port so that a host can access volumes under the virtual ports through another physical port. The storage system can also change associations between virtual ports and physical ports by taking into account the relative loads on the physical ports. When a virtual machine is migrated from one host computer to another, the loads on the physical ports in the storage system can be used to determine whether load balancing should take place. Additionally, the storage system can transfer virtual ports to a remote storage system that will take over the virtual ports, so that a virtual machine can be migrated to remote location.

Abstract: In a storage system, a server apparatus and a storage apparatus are provided, while the server apparatus is connected via a LAN to one, or plural sets of computers so as to accept an access request of file data issued from the computers, whereas the storage apparatus is connected via a wide area network to the server apparatus so as to store thereinto the file data. A communication between the computers and the server apparatus is carried out by employing a network file protocol, whereas a communication between the server apparatus and the storage apparatus is performed by employing a block device protocol. The server apparatus and the storage apparatus are connected via the respective security protecting apparatus to the wide area network.

Abstract: An information system includes a storage system having a controller in communication with a plurality of storage devices. In some embodiments, the storage devices are divided into at least a first group and a second group, with a first temperature sensor sensing a temperature condition for the first group, and a second temperature sensor for sensing a temperature condition for the second group. A heat distribution rule designates the first groups to be high temperature groups and the second groups to be low temperature groups. The heat distribution rule is implemented by designating a higher load of input/output (I/O) operations to the high temperature groups than to the low temperature groups, such as by migrating volumes having high I/O loads to the high temperature groups. In other embodiments, there are multiple storage systems, and each storage system is designated as a high temperature system or a low temperature system.

Abstract: A tiered storage system according to the present invention provides for the management of migration groups. When a migration group is defined, a reference tier position is determined and the relative tier position of each constituent logical device is determined. Movement of a migration group involves migrating data in its constituent logical devices to target logical devices. The migration group is then defined by the target devices. A virtualization system makes the transition transparent to host devices.

Abstract: Data migration includes copying between normal volumes and thin provisioned volumes. Data in a normal volume can be copied to a thin provisioned volume. Alternatively, data structures can be provided to facilitate converting a normal volume into a thin provisioned volume without actual copying of data. Copying from a thin provisioned volume to a normal volume is also disclosed.

Abstract: The system includes a host, a backup server, a storage system having a journaling capability described above and a media library system. The storage system makes snapshots for restoring with journal at predetermined intervals in accordance with established process. Moreover, in correspondence to an instruction of the 1st type from the backup server, the storage system generates a marker of the 1st type to make snapshot to be provided to the backup. The storage system makes and provides a snapshot to the backup server according to the process of the 1st intended marker. Then the backup server takes a backup data from the snapshot. Furthermore, in correspondence to an instruction of the 2nd type from the backup server, the storage system generates a marker of the 2nd type to stop replication in the storage system. The storage system provides a quiescence image of a volume according to the process of the 2nd intended marker. Then the backup server takes a backup data from the quiescence image.

Abstract: A system and method for managing disk space in a thin-provisioned storage subsystem. If a number of free segments in a free segment pool at a storage subsystem is detected as below a desired minimum, one or more of the following is performed: selecting and adding logical devices (LDEVs) from an internal storage as free segments to the free segment pool, transitioning LDEVs to a virtual device (VDEV), and/or selecting and adding LDEVs from an external storage as free segments to the free segment pool. The transitioning includes identifying partially used or completely used LDEVs and transitioning these to the VDEV. Data migration may also occur by: selecting a source segment at a VDEV for migration, reading data from the source segment, writing the data to a target segment, the target segment being a free segment from the free segment pool, and assigning the target segment to the VDEV.

Abstract: A tiered storage system according to the present invention provides for the management of migration groups. When a migration group is defined, a reference tier position is determined and the relative tier position of each constituent logical device is determined. Movement of a migration group involves migrating data in its constituent logical devices to target logical devices. The migration group is then defined by the target devices. A virtualization system makes the transition transparent to host devices.

Abstract: Disclosed is a storage apparatus that extends endurance and reduces bit cost. A storage apparatus includes a controller and a semiconductor storage media that has a plurality of storage devices. The plurality of storage devices include a first storage device and a second storage device having an upper limit of an erase count of data smaller than that of the first storage device. Area conversion information includes correspondence of a first address to be specified as a data storage destination and a second address of an area in which data is to be stored. A rewrite frequency of stored data is recorded for each area.

Abstract: In accordance with new technique, a computerized data recovery system includes a storage subsystem and a backup server operatively coupled to backup storage medium, the storage subsystem including a continuous data protection system.

Abstract: For betterment, by putting a virtual storage device into a suspend mode, physical resources are turned OFF on a virtual storage device basis. Moreover, control information and volume data of the virtual storage device are stored in any external volume, for example, and the resources that have been used by the virtual storage device are deallocated. At the time of resumption of operation, using any resources not in use, the virtual storage device is restored based on the control information in storage. When a change is made to a WWN on the side of a host, the storage device receives a WWN change notification from a management server, and makes settings again to a WWN table, thereby making it accessible from the host.

Abstract: A method for archiving data from a first disk-based storage device to a second disk-based storage device includes moving an emulated tape from a first element to a second element simulatively without actually moving data associated with the emulated tape. The data associated with the emulated tape is transmitted from the first disk-based storage device to the second disk-based storage device via a communication link. The data associated with the emulated tape is removed from the first disk-based storage device.

Abstract: A system including a plurality of servers each executing an application, a plurality of Wide Area File System (WAFS) clients which are correspondingly connected to the servers, a WAFS server which is connected to each WAFS client, a storage system or network attached storage (NAS), connected to the WAFS server, which stores data in a plurality of volumes or filesystem forming a consistency group, and a backup server for controlling backup of the consistency group. Each WAFS client includes a cache for temporarily storing data, and a cache manager for managing the cache. The WAFS server includes a backup agent that responds to the backup server, and a consistency manager that maintains consistency among the caches. The system is implemented to bring to a state of consistency the caches in the WAFS clients and the corresponding volumes in the WAFS server.

Abstract: A storage device is provided, which allows a write area associated with a data area of interest to be allocated according to write performance of a host computer. The storage apparatus includes one or more flash memory packages having a plurality of flash memories and stores data transmitted from one or more host computers. A storage area provided by the one or more flash memory packages includes a first area that is an area for storing actual data formed by one or more logical devices and a second area that is an area for storing a write instruction from the host computer to the logical device. The first and second areas are provided in each of the one or more flash memory packages. The apparatus further includes a monitoring section monitoring the frequency of write instructions from the host computer and a changing section for changing the size of the second area according to the frequency of write instructions.

Abstract: Described is method and system for protecting file on volume based CDP and restoring data consistency between files and database managed by database application. One of the benefits of an implementation of the inventive concept is that administrator can protect a specific file by inserting a marker, which is stored on a journal volume after the close operation for a file. The data consistency between files and database is achieved even if the restore point is specified using a file attribute. One implementation includes host and storage subsystem. The storage subsystem may include multiple volumes for separately storing database tables and data files. The storage subsystem also includes a volume based CDP protecting the content of the storage volumes. The storage subsystem further includes an inventive consistency manager, which manages data consistency between the file volume(s) and the database volume(s).

Abstract: A method for archiving data from a first disk-based storage device to a second disk-based storage device includes moving an emulated tape from a first element to a second element simulatively without actually moving data associated with the emulated tape. The data associated with the emulated tape is transmitted from the first disk-based storage device to the second disk-based storage device via a communication link. The data associated with the emulated tape is removed from the first disk-based storage device.

Abstract: For a storage apparatus in which flash memory disks and hard disks coexist, high-density mounting of flash memory modules is achieved. A storage apparatus in accordance with the present invention includes flash memories and a storage controller. A second storage apparatus including magnetic disks is connected to the storage apparatus. For creation of a logical volume, the storage controller can form a storage area using a flash memory or a magnetic disk. When an input/output request is issued from a host computer, if a storage area is formed with a flash memory, the storage controller directly accesses the flash memory to handle the input/output request. When the storage apparatus defines a storage area formed with a flash memory, the storage apparatus defines the storage area by adding up the capacity of a storage area to be provided for the host computer and a substitute area capacity determined in consideration of restrictions imposed on the number of times of deletion of the flash memory.