Storage system for a strage pool and virtual volumes

Abstract

This invention provides a storage system to store data used by computers. A storage system coupled to a computer and a management apparatus, includes storage devices accessed by the computer and a control unit that controls the storage devices, in which the control unit performs the following operations: setting, in the storage devices, a first virtual device including a first logical device; setting a second virtual device which including a second logical device, which is a virtual volume accessed by the computer; allocating an address of the first logical device to the second logical device; and changing the allocation to change storage areas of the virtual volume.

1 . A storage system coupled to a computer and a management apparatus, comprising: 
 storage devices accessed by the computer; and    a control unit to control the storage devices,    wherein the control unit: 
 sets, in the storage devices, a first virtual device including a first logical device;  
 sets a second virtual device including a second logical device, which is a virtual volume accessed by the computer;  
 allocates an address of the first logical device to the second logical device; and  
 changes the allocation to change storage areas of the virtual volume.  
   
   
   
       2 . The storage system according to  claim 1 , 
 wherein the storage devices have a pool volume to be associated with the virtual volume, and    wherein the control unit sets “pool volume attribute” as a device attribute of the first logical device and allocates an address of the first logical device whose device attribute is “pool volume attribute” to an address of the second logical device, to thereby allocate the first logical device to the second logical device.    
   
   
       3 . The storage system according to  claim 2 , wherein the control unit sets an identifier of the pool volume to the first logical device, to thereby set a “pool volume attribute” as a device attribute of the first logical device.  
   
   
       4 . The storage system according to  claim 2 , wherein the control units sets “pool volume attribute” as the device attribute of another first logical device, to thereby increase the capacity of the pool volume.  
   
   
       5 . The storage system according to  claim 2 , wherein the control unit cancels the device attributes of the first logical devices whose device attribute has been set to “pool volume attribute”, to thereby reduce the capacity of the pool volume.  
   
   
       6 . The storage system according to  claim 5 , wherein the control unit: 
 checks whether this first logical device is storing data or not, when a first logical device whose device attribute has been set to “pool volume attribute” is to be cancelled; and    does not cancel the device attribute of the first logical device, in the case where data is stored in this first logical device.    
   
   
       7 . The storage system according to  claim 2 , wherein the control unit cancels the device attributes of every first logical device whose device attribute has been set to “pool volume attribute”, to thereby eliminate the pool volume.  
   
   
       8 . The storage system according to  claim 2 , 
 wherein first configuration information including an identifier of the first logical device and second configuration information including an identifier of the second logical device are provided, and    wherein the control unit stores the identifier contained in the first configuration information in the second configuration information, to thereby allocate the second logical device to the first logical device.    
   
   
       9 . The storage system according to  claim 8 , 
 wherein the first configuration information contains an identifier of the first logical device, an address of the first logical device, and identifiers of areas preceding and following the first logical device, and    wherein the second configuration information contains an identifier of the second logical device and an address of the second logical device.    
   
   
       10 . The storage system according to  claim 2 , wherein the control unit associates the virtual volume, a connection port number of a connection port through which the computer accesses the virtual volume, and route information with one another, to thereby set the virtual volume accessible from the computer.  
   
   
       11 . The storage system according to  claim 2 , wherein the control unit: 
 specifies the type of a logical device corresponding to an address that is designated in the read request, upon reception of a data read request from the computer;    specifies which first logical device is allocated to this second logical device, in the case where the specified logical device is a second logical device; and    reads data that is designated in the read request from the specified first logical device.    
   
   
       12 . The storage system according to  claim 2 , wherein the control unit: 
 specifies the type of a logical device located at an address that is designated in the write request, upon reception of a data write request from the computer;    specifies which first logical device is allocated to this second logical device, in the case where the specified logical device is a second logical device; and    writes data that is designated in the write request to the specified first logical device.    
   
   
       13 . The storage system according to  claim 2 , wherein the control unit: 
 specifies the type of a logical device located at an address that is designated in the write request, upon reception of a data write request from the computer; and    allocates a first logical device that has “pool volume attribute” as its device attribute to the second logical device, in the case where the specified logical device is a second logical device and no first logical device is allocated to this second logical device.    
   
   
       14 . The storage system according to  claim 2 , wherein the control unit: 
 specifies the type of a logical device associated an address that is designated in the request, upon reception of a request from the computer; and    rejects the request, in the case where the specified logical device is a first logical device whose device attribute is set to “pool volume attribute”.    
   
   
       15 . The storage system according to  claim 2 , wherein the control unit: 
 upon detection of a failure in one of the storage devices, blocks a first virtual device that contains the failed storage device;    blocks a first logical device that is contained in this first virtual device; and    blocks the first device, in the case where this first logical device has “pool volume attribute” as its device attribute.    
   
   
       16 . The storage system according to  claim 2 , wherein the control unit: 
 stores storage system management information in a first logical device whose device attribute is set to “pool volume attribute”, at the time the power is turned off; and    reads the stored management information to boot the storage system, when the power is turned on again after turned off.    
   
   
       17 . The storage system according to  claim 2 , wherein the control unit: 
 finds a first logical device other than those storing data from among first logical devices whose device attribute as been set to “pool volume attribute”, at the time the power is turned off;    stores storage system management information in the first logical device found; and    reads the stored management information to boot the storage system, when the power is turned on again.    
   
   
       18 . A method of changing configuration of a storage system connected to a computer and a management apparatus, the storage system comprising storage devices accessed by the computer and a control unit that controls the storage system, the method comprising: 
 a first step of setting, in the storage devices, a first virtual device including a first logical device;    a second step of setting a second virtual device including a second logical device, which is a virtual volume accessed by the computer;    a third step of allocating an address of the first logical device to the second logical device; and    a fourth step of changing the allocation of the second logical device and the first logical device to change storage areas of the virtual volume.    
   
   
       19 . The method for changing configuration according to  claim 18 , 
 wherein the storage devices have a pool volume to be associated with the virtual volume, and    wherein the third step includes setting “pool volume attribute” as the device attribute of the first logical device and allocating an address of the first logical device whose device attribute is “pool volume attribute” to an address of the second logical device, to thereby include a fifth step of allocating the first logical device to the second logical device.