Storage controller, storage system, and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein control program

Abstract

A storage controller performing a copy process in which data stored in a copy source storage area is copied to a copy destination storage area, the storage controller includes a processor, wherein the processor receives a transfer command for giving an instruction for transferring data stored in a first area of the copy source storage area to a second area of the copy source storage area, starts a transfer process in which transfer data from the first area is read and is written into the second area in accordance with reception of the transfer command, and starts copying the transfer data into a corresponding area of the copy destination storage area that corresponds to the second area in the copy process together with the starting of the transfer process.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A storage controller comprising a processor, the processor configured to:
 perform a copy process in which data stored in a first area of a copy source storage area including one or more storage volumes is copied to a third area of a copy destination storage area including one or more storage volumes corresponding to the copy source storage area;   receive transfer control information for giving an instruction for transferring data stored in the first area of the copy source storage area to a second area of the copy source storage area from an information processing apparatus;   start a transfer process in which transfer data from the first area is read and is written into the second area in accordance with reception of the transfer control information; and   start copying the transfer data into a corresponding area of the copy destination storage area that corresponds to the second area in the copy process together with starting of the transfer process,   wherein the processor   issues copy destination transfer control information for giving an instruction for transferring copy destination transfer data corresponding to the transfer data stored in the third area of the copy destination storage area to a fourth area of the copy destination storage area in a starting process of the copying, the fourth area being the corresponding area;   transmits a response for the transfer control information to the information processing apparatus after completion of a starting process of the transfer process and issuing of the copy destination transfer control information.   
     
     
         2 . The storage controller according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the storage controller is included in a first storage apparatus including the copy source storage area,   wherein the copy destination storage area is included in a second storage apparatus other than the first storage apparatus, and   wherein the processor:   transmits the copy destination transfer control information to the second storage apparatus in the copying which is started; and   transmits the response to the information processing apparatus after the completion of the starting process of the transfer process and a transmission of the copy destination transfer control information.   
     
     
         3 . The storage controller according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the storage controller is included in a first storage apparatus including the copy source storage area and the copy destination storage area, and   wherein the processor starts a copy destination transfer process in which the copy destination transfer data is read from the third area and is written into the fourth area based on the copy destination transfer control information.   
     
     
         4 . The storage controller according to  claim 1 , further comprising a buffer,
 wherein the storage controller is included in a first storage apparatus including the copy source storage area,   wherein the copy destination storage area is included in a second storage apparatus other than the first storage apparatus, and   wherein the processor:   stores the copy destination transfer control information in the buffer in accordance with starting of the copying and transmits the copy destination transfer control information stored in the buffer to the second storage apparatus at predetermined timing; and   transmits the response to the information processing apparatus after completion of the starting process of the transfer process and storing of the copy destination transfer control information into the buffer.   
     
     
         5 . The storage controller according to  claim 1 , wherein, when a write command for the second area in which the writing of the transfer data is incomplete is received from the information processing apparatus, the processor writes write data relating to the write command into the second area after writing the transfer data into the second area. 
     
     
         6 . A storage system comprising a storage controller, wherein the storage controller includes a first processor, and the first processor is configured to:
 perform a copy process in which data stored in a first area of a copy source storage area including one or more storage volumes is copied to a third area of a copy destination storage area including one or more storage volumes corresponding to the copy source storage area;   receive transfer control information for giving an instruction for transferring data stored in the first area of the copy source storage area to a second area of the copy source storage area from an information processing apparatus;   start a transfer process in which transfer data from the first area is read and is written into the second area in accordance with reception of the transfer control information; and   start copying the transfer data into a corresponding area of the copy destination storage area that corresponds to the second area in the copy process together with starting of the transfer process,   wherein the first processor   issues copy destination transfer control information for giving an instruction for transferring copy destination transfer data corresponding to the transfer data stored in the third area of the copy destination storage area to a fourth area of the copy destination storage area in a starting process of the copying, the fourth area being the corresponding area; and   transmits a response for the transfer control information to the information processing apparatus after completion of a starting process of the transfer process and issuing of the copy destination transfer control information.   
     
     
         7 . The storage system according to  claim 6 , comprising:
 a copy source storage apparatus including the storage controller and the copy source storage area; and   a copy destination storage apparatus including the copy destination storage area,   wherein the copy destination storage apparatus includes a copy destination storage controller including a second processor, and   wherein the second processor:   starts a copy destination transfer process in which the copy destination transfer data is read from the third area and is written into the fourth area based on the copy destination transfer control information; and   when a read command for the fourth area in which writing of the copy destination transfer data is incomplete is received from the information processing apparatus, transmits the response to the information processing apparatus with read data relating to the read command after writing the copy destination transfer data into the fourth area.   
     
     
         8 . The storage system according to  claim 6 , comprising:
 a copy source storage apparatus including the storage controller, the copy source storage area and the copy destination storage area; and   wherein the first processor starts a copy destination transfer process in which the copy destination transfer data is read from the third area and is written into the fourth area based on the copy destination transfer control information.   
     
     
         9 . The storage system according to  claim 6 , comprising:
 a copy source storage apparatus including the storage controller and the copy source storage area; and   a copy destination storage apparatus including the copy destination storage area,   wherein the storage controller further comprises a buffer,   wherein the first processor:   stores the copy destination transfer control information in the buffer in accordance with starting of the copying and transmits the copy destination transfer control information stored in the buffer to the copy destination storage apparatus at predetermined timing; and   transmits the response to the information processing apparatus after completion of the starting process of the transfer process and storing of the copy destination transfer control information into the buffer.   
     
     
         10 . The storage system according to  claim 6 , wherein, when a write command for the second area in which the writing of the transfer data is incomplete is received from the information processing apparatus, the processor writes write data relating to the write command into the second area after writing the transfer data into the second area. 
     
     
         11 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein a control program for causing a computer to execute a process,
 the process comprising:   performing a copy process in which data stored in a first area of a copy source storage area including one or more storage volumes is copied to a third area of a copy destination storage area including one or more storage volumes corresponding to the copy source storage area;   receiving transfer control information for giving an instruction for transferring data stored in the first area of the copy source storage area to a second area of the copy source storage area from an information processing apparatus;   starting a transfer process in which transfer data from the first area is read and is written into the second area in accordance with reception of the transfer control information; and   starting copying the transfer data into a corresponding area of the copy destination storage area that corresponds to the second area in the copy process together with the starting of the transfer process,   wherein the process further comprises:   issuing copy destination transfer control information for giving an instruction for transferring copy destination transfer data corresponding to the transfer data stored in the third area to a fourth area in a starting process of the copying, and   transmitting a response for the transfer control information to the information processing apparatus after completion of a starting process of the transfer process and issuing of the copy destination transfer control information.   
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the control program according to  claim 11 ,
 wherein the computer is included in a first storage apparatus including the copy source storage area,   wherein the copy destination storage area is included in a second storage apparatus other than the first storage apparatus, and   wherein the process further comprises:   transmitting the copy destination transfer control information to the second storage apparatus in the copying which is started; and   transmitting the response to the information processing apparatus after the completion of the starting process of the transfer process and a transmission of the copy destination transfer control information.   
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the control program according to  claim 11 ,
 wherein the computer is included in a first storage apparatus including the copy source storage area and the copy destination storage area, and   wherein the process further comprises starting a copy destination transfer process in which the copy destination transfer data is read from the third area and is written into the fourth area based on the copy destination transfer control information.   
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the control program according to  claim 11 ,
 wherein the computer comprises a buffer,   wherein the computer is included in a first storage apparatus including the copy source storage area,   wherein the copy destination storage area is included in a second storage apparatus other than the first storage apparatus, and   wherein the process further comprises:   storing the copy destination transfer control information in the buffer in accordance with starting of the copying and transmitting the copy destination transfer control information stored in the buffer to the second storage apparatus at predetermined timing; and   transmitting the response to the information processing apparatus after completion of the starting process of the transfer process and storing of the copy destination transfer control information into the buffer.   
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the control program according to  claim 11 , the process further comprising, when a write command for the second area in which the writing of the transfer data is incomplete is received from the information processing apparatus, writing write data relating to the write command into the second area after writing the transfer data into the second area.