Storage system management apparatus and management method

Abstract

The present invention is provided to make effective use of a storage area, and to enhance user usability. A management apparatus determines a reallocation destination of each logical storage area on the basis of an access load on each logical storage area by a host computer and an allocation status of each logical storage area in a storage-destination storage tier. A monitoring mode selection part for selecting any one of multiple monitoring modes selects a prescribed monitoring mode from the multiple monitoring modes on the basis of allocation time information related to a time at which each logical storage area is allocated to an allocation-destination storage tier.

1 . A computer system comprising:
 a storage system managing a pool including storage tiers and a virtual logical volume which is formed by a plurality of logical storage areas each corresponding to a respective storage tier, and   a management apparatus configured to:
 acquire access loads of the logical storage areas; 
 select a monitoring mode among a plurality of monitoring modes based on a time when each of the logical storage areas corresponds to a respective storage tier; 
 evaluate the access loads based on the selected monitoring mode; and 
 determine a destination storage tier of one of the respective storage areas for reallocation, based on a result of evaluation of the access loads. 
   
     
     
         2 . A computer system according to  claim 1 , wherein in selecting the monitoring mode, the management apparatus is configured to:
 for each of the logical storage areas, select a candidate monitoring mode among the plurality of monitoring modes based on the time that each of the logical storage areas corresponds to the respective storage tier; and   determine selection of the monitoring mode based on the candidate monitoring mode.   
     
     
         3 . A computer system according to  claim 2 , wherein:
 the determination of the selection of the monitoring mode comprises selecting a monitoring mode that has a highest frequency of appearance among the plurality of monitoring modes.   
     
     
         4 . A computer system according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the selection of the monitoring mode is based on a type of an application program that accesses the virtual logical volume.   
     
     
         5 . A computer system according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the selection of the monitoring mode is performed when an automatic selection mode is set, and   when a manual selection mode is set, the management apparatus is configured to determine a user selected monitoring mode among the plurality of monitoring modes as the selected monitoring mode.   
     
     
         6 . A computer system according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the selected monitoring mode corresponds to the virtual logical volume.   
     
     
         7 . A method for managing a storage system, the storage system managing a pool including storage tiers, and a virtual logical volume formed by a plurality of logical storage areas each corresponding to a respective storage tier, the method comprising:
 acquiring access loads of the logical storage areas;   selecting a monitoring mode among a plurality of monitoring modes based on a time when each of the logical storage areas corresponds to a respective storage tier;   evaluating the access loads based on the selected monitoring mode; and   determining a destination storage tier of a respective storage area for reallocation, based on the result of evaluation of the access loads.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein selecting the monitoring mode comprises:
 for each of the logical storage areas, selecting a candidate monitoring mode among the plurality of monitoring modes based on the time that each of the logical storage areas corresponds to the respective storage tier; and   determining selection of the monitoring mode based on the candidate monitoring mode.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein:
 determining of the selection of the monitoring mode comprises selecting a monitoring mode that has a highest frequency of appearance among the plurality of monitoring modes.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein:
 the selection of the monitoring mode is based on a type of an application program that accesses the virtual logical volume.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein:
 selecting the monitoring mode is performed when an automatic selection mode is set, and   when a manual selection mode is set, a user selected monitoring mode among the plurality of monitoring modes is determined to be the selected monitoring mode.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein:
 the selected monitoring mode corresponds to the virtual logical volume.   
     
     
         13 . A computer readable medium storing computer program instructions that are executable by a processor of a storage system managing a pool including storage tiers, and a virtual logical volume formed by a plurality of logical storage areas each corresponding to a respective storage tier, which instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
 acquiring access loads of the logical storage areas;   selecting a monitoring mode among a plurality of monitoring modes based on a time when each of the logical storage areas corresponds to a respective storage tier;   evaluating the access loads based on the selected monitoring mode; and   determining a destination storage tier of a respective storage area for reallocation, based on the result of evaluation of the access loads.   
     
     
         14 . The computer readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein selecting the monitoring mode comprises:
 for each of the logical storage areas, selecting a candidate monitoring mode among the plurality of monitoring modes based on the time that each of the logical storage areas corresponds to the respective storage tier; and   determining selection of the monitoring mode based on the candidate monitoring mode.   
     
     
         15 . The computer readable medium of  claim 14 , wherein:
 determining of the selection of the monitoring mode comprises selecting a monitoring mode that has a highest frequency of appearance among the plurality of monitoring modes.   
     
     
         16 . The computer readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein:
 the selection of the monitoring mode is based on a type of an application program that accesses the virtual logical volume.   
     
     
         17 . The computer readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein:
 selecting the monitoring mode is performed when an automatic selection mode is set, and   when a manual selection mode is set, a user selected monitoring mode among the plurality of monitoring modes is determined to be the selected monitoring mode.   
     
     
         18 . The computer readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein:
 the selected monitoring mode corresponds to the virtual logical volume.