Abstract: A method for copying data to multiple remote sites includes transmitting data from a first volume in a primary storage system to a back-up volume provided in a secondary storage system. The primary storage system is located at a primary site, and the secondary storage system is located at a first remote site from the primary site. The data from the first volume in the primary storage system is copied to a second volume in the primary storage system using a point in time (PiT) as a reference point of time for the copying. The second volume is provided with a first time consistent image of the first volume with respect to the reference point of time. The data from the second volume in the primary storage system is transferred to a third volume in a ternary storage system at a second remote site.

Abstract: Exercising integral management of storage apparatuses even when SANs are integrated or when the scale of a SAN expands. In response to an operation request from a management terminal, an integrated management computer collects the management information for storage apparatuses from management computers; selects, based on the collected management information, one or more management computers, to which the task of performing the requested operation is to be assigned, provides the selected management computer(s) with the ability to manage the storage apparatuses which are the management target for the management computer(s); collects pieces of process information from the management computer(s) with the management ability; and integrates and manages the collected pieces of process information.

Abstract: Provided is a computer system including a host computer, a plurality of virtual storage systems coupled to the host computer, a storage system coupled to the plurality of virtual storage systems, and a management computer. The storage system includes storage areas provided as volumes to the host computer. Each of the virtual storage systems provides virtual volumes corresponding to the volumes to the host computer. The host computer disperses a plurality of data I/Os containing data to be written in one of the volumes to the virtual volumes of a plurality of paths reaching the one of the volumes at a determined ratio. The management computer calculates a threshold value of a performance value to be set in the virtual volume of each of the paths to determine whether to generate an alert based on the predetermined ratio. Thus, performance of the computer system is properly managed.

Abstract: A method for operating a storage system configured to provide a Write Once and Read Many (WORM) function includes receiving a first command at a storage subsystem from a host. At least a portion of the first command is stored on a WORM storage device coupled to the storage subsystem. A second command is received at the storage subsystem. The second command is examined using a command filter, the filter being provided with a predetermined rule for filtering selected types of commands. At least a portion of the second command is stored if the second command satisfies the predetermined rule. The WORM storage device is used to verify the WORM function of the storage system.

Abstract: A storage system includes a first volume for storing data received from a computer. A second volume stores a copy of the first volume, and a journal volume stores write data written to the first volume as journal entries. Index tables of data stored to the first volume are created for one or more points in time after the creation of the second volume. The index tables can be searched for file information, such as to enable location of a particular instance of a file stored to the first volume at a particular point in time. File information is located by the search, and the particular instance the file may be retrieved from a first virtual volume created by applying entries in the journal volume to the second volume up to a specified second point in time. The instance of the file may be recovered to the first volume.

Abstract: Provided is an access right managing method for a resource of a storage system, in which a management computer stores access right definition information of the resource, and resource correspondence information including information on a management program which manages another resource related to the resource managed by the management program. In case of which receiving an updating request of an access right of the resource, the management computer updates an access right based on the updating request of the access right, selects a management program of the resource whose access right is requested to be updated based on the resource correspondence information, transmits an updating request of an access right for a relative resource to a management computer which executes the selected management program, and in case of which the access right updating request of the related resource is received, updates the access right of the relative resource.

Abstract: Provided is a copy pair monitoring method which is for a storage system having at least one host computer, at least one storage subsystem, and a management computer, the storage subsystem including volumes storing data requested by the host computer to be written, the management computer being accessible to the host computer and the storage subsystem. The copy pair monitoring method is characterized by including the steps of: obtaining every piece of copy pair definition information that is stored in the host computer; removing duplicate copy pair definition information from the whole copy pair definition information obtained; and collecting the copy pair status based on the obtained copy pair definition information from which duplicate copy pair definition information has been removed.

Abstract: Data stored in a data storage system is hashed to generate a hash value. The hash value and a request for a time stamp are then sent to a time stamping authority. A time stamp token and/or a time stamp certificate is received from the time stamping authority. The time stamp token includes a time stamp and the hash value, and may be encrypted using a private key of the time stamping authority. The time stamp token and/or time stamp certificate is then stored with, for example, a reference to the data being stored in the data storage system. The time stamp token and/or time stamp certificate may then be used to validate the data being stored and the time stamp.

Abstract: A method for operating a storage system configured to provide a Write Once and Read Many (WORM) function includes receiving a first command at a storage subsystem from a host. At least a portion of the first command is stored on a WORM storage device coupled to the storage subsystem. A second command is received at the storage subsystem. The second command is examined using a command filter, the filter being provided with a predetermined rule for filtering selected types of commands. At least a portion of the second command is stored if the second command satisfies the predetermined rule. The WORM storage device is used to verify the WORM function of the storage system.

Abstract: A method for copying data to multiple remote sites includes transmitting data from a first volume in a primary storage system to a back-up volume provided in a secondary storage system. The primary storage system is located at a primary site, and the secondary storage system is located at a first remote site from the primary site. The data from the first volume in the primary storage system is copied to a second volume in the primary storage system using a point in time (PiT) as a reference point of time for the copying. The second volume is provided with a first time consistent image of the first volume with respect to the reference point of time. The data from the second volume in the primary storage system is transferred to a third volume in a ternary storage system at a second remote site.

Abstract: A secure data mirroring capability in a storage system includes encrypting data blocks in a primary volume in preparation for a data mirroring operation. The encrypted data blocks are mirrored to a secure secondary volume. Host systems provide keys from which encryption keys are produced for encrypting the data blocks. Access to data on the secure secondary volume requires decryption using the key that was used to produce the encrypted data blocks.

Abstract: A method for operating a storage system includes providing a primary storage device and a secondary storage device. Data from a first storage volume is copied to a second storage volume using an internal mirror operation, the first and second storage volumes being provided within the primary storage device. The data received from the first volume is copied from the second storage volume to a third storage volume using a remote copy operation, the third storage volume being provided in the secondary storage device. The second storage volume is used for the remote copying to reduce the IO impact on the first volume. The third storage volume copies the data received from the second volume to a fourth storage volume using an internal mirror operation, the fourth storage volume being provided within the secondary storage device.

Abstract: Fixed Content Aware Storage (FCAS) system includes a file system configured to store the Fixed Content data and a database system configured to manage the stored Fixed Content and its metadata along with other related information. Additionally, the FCAS includes data integrity resolving means. The data integrity resolving means executes a file system recovery procedure and a database recovery procedure. The two recovery procedures are executed separately, whereupon the data integrity resolving means compares the corresponding lists of entries in both the file system and the database from viewpoint of pointers. Subsequently, the data integrity resolving means selects and recovers only entries having the complete file and metadata pointers and extracts and stores all pointer-incomplete entries, files and metadata, in temporary memory area.

Abstract: A system and method for automatic failure recovery in a storage system that includes replicating data stored in a first storage volume at a storage system into a second storage volume at the storage system, the first storage volume handling Input/Output (I/O) operations between the storage system and a host device. A failure is detected in the I/O operations with the first storage volume and a recovery process initiated that includes identifying a path from the host device to the second storage volume or a third storage volume to allow continuation of the I/O operations automatically. The third storage volume containing data recovered from the second storage volume.

Abstract: Groups of volumes having a certain amount of commonality of data are identified within a storage system. For each group, the process defines a base volume, such as the volume containing the most commonality with the other volumes. For each volume in the group, the process extracts differential data between the base volume and each other volume, saves the differential data in a pool volume, and updates a mapping table. Commonality between volumes in the group is managed in the base volume, the pool volume, and the mapping table. Then the original volumes except the base volume and the pool volume may be deleted, and the original volumes are replaced with virtual volumes accessible through the mapping table. As a result, the amount of data in a storage system can be reduced while maintaining data integrity and accessibility.

Abstract: A secure data mirroring capability in a storage system includes encrypting data blocks in a primary volume in preparation for a data mirroring operation. The encrypted data blocks are mirrored to a secure secondary volume. Host systems provide keys from which encryption keys are produced for encrypting the data blocks. Access to data on the secure secondary volume requires decryption using the key that was used to produce the encrypted data blocks.

Abstract: A storage system for storing and managing unstructured data and associated metadata which describes attributes of the unstructured data. The storage system includes a plurality of storage areas for storing the unstructured data and metadata which includes pointer information that identifies a location of unstructured data corresponding to the metadata, a server that manages the metadata, and a plurality of input/output (I/O) processing modules corresponding to the storage areas. Each I/O processing module processes commands from a host including commands requesting access to the unstructured data of a corresponding storage area. Each I/O processing module includes a client which communicates with the server to process the metadata when a command being processed by the I/O processing module affects the metadata of the unstructured data stored in the corresponding storage area.

Abstract: For long-term data preservation, a storage virtualization system contains a metadata extraction module, an indexing module, a search module, and a virtualization module. The system utilizes two types of virtual volumes: unmarked volumes and marked volumes. The metadata extraction module extracts metadata that describes the data stored in logical volumes located in external storage. The indexing module scans the data and creates an index, and the index and metadata are stored in a local storage. After metadata is extracted for all data in a volume, and all data in the volume are indexed, the virtual volume corresponding to that volume is marked and the volume is ready to be made inactive. The search module allows a user to search for desired data using the metadata and the index stored in the local storage instead having to access the external storage systems where the data is actually stored.

Abstract: A hierarchical storage data management system includes application servers, a metadata server interconnected with the application servers through a local area network, storage devices interconnected through data flow paths, and a storage network connecting the storage devices to the application servers and to the metadata server. The metadata server including a metadata management element, a data value management unit, and a hierarchical storage management element calculates a data value for each of stores data objects in the system, assigns a storage cost value for each of storage areas in the system, normalizes calculated data values and assigned storage costs to an identical value range, compares normalized data values with normalized storage costs thereby determining whether to relocate the data objects to different storage areas, and relocates data objects to storage areas with storage cost values identical with data values of the data objects.

Abstract: A method for operating a storage system configured to provide a Write Once and Read Many (WORM) function includes receiving a first command at a storage subsystem from a host. At least a portion of the first command is stored on a WORM storage device coupled to the storage subsystem. A second command is received at the storage subsystem. The second command is examined using a command filter, the filter being provided with a predetermined rule for filtering selected types of commands. At least a portion of the second command is stored if the second command satisfies the predetermined rule. The WORM storage device is used to verify the WORM function of the storage system.