JP2006133951A - Disk array device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a disk array device for enabling a user to predict the extension period of a physical disk in advance, and to intentionally realize its operation. <P>SOLUTION: In a disk array device having a virtual logical disk function for managing the aggregate of physical disks in pool units, and for assigning only the pool capacity to be actually used to logical disks for use, the transition of the pool assignment capacity is presented with history. Thus, it is possible for a user to grasp the disposition of the increase in the capacity, and to predict the necessary period of the extension of the physical disks for realizing an intentional maintenance operation. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a disk array device, and more particularly to a disk array device having a virtual logical disk function that dynamically allocates a physical disk capacity as a logical disk capacity in accordance with update processing from a host to a logical disk.

  In a disk array device with a virtual logical disk function that dynamically allocates physical disk capacity as logical disk capacity according to the update process from the host to the logical disk, the remaining physical disk capacity is monitored with a threshold value. There is a device (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

As shown in the apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-30013, generally, a method is employed in which an alarm is raised when the threshold value is exceeded to prompt the user to add a physical disk. .

  However, such a physical disk capacity monitoring method has a problem that it is difficult for a user to predict the expansion time of a physical disk in advance and to operate it systematically. The reason is that it is difficult for the user to determine when the alarm is raised because the user can only determine the shortage of physical disk capacity by an alarm from the disk array device when the threshold is exceeded. This means that it is necessary to purchase physical disks immediately and add them.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a storage system that solves the above problems.

  The disk array device of the present invention is a disk array device having a virtual logical disk function that manages a collection of physical disks in units called pools, and assigns them to logical disks as much as they are actually used from the pool capacity. It is characterized by presenting a transition of pool allocated capacity as a history.

  The first effect of the present invention is that the user can grasp the tendency of the capacity increase, and thus can perform a planned maintenance operation such as predicting a necessary time for adding a physical disk. The reason is that the transition of the pool allocated capacity is presented in the history.

  The best mode for carrying out the invention will be described.

(Constitution)
The disk array device according to the present invention includes a pool allocation capacity recording table capable of storing a plurality of generations of pool allocation capacity, a pool allocation capacity monitoring means for storing the pool allocation capacity in the pool allocation capacity recording table at regular intervals, and a pool allocation capacity recording table. Has a pool allocation capacity history report means for reporting a history of pool allocation capacity stored in.

  The configuration of the embodiment will be described more specifically with reference to FIGS. The disk array device 1 of the present invention is connected to a host 100, and data is updated or referred to according to an instruction from the host 100. The disk array device 1 manages a plurality of physical disks 41 to 43 in units of pools 40 and has a pool information management unit 30 for each pool. The pool information management unit 30 includes a pool number 300, a pool total capacity 301, a pool allocated capacity 302, a remaining physical area 303, a conversion indicating the correspondence between the logical area of the logical disk and the physical area of the physical disk group to which data is actually written. A map 304 is provided.

  The pool allocation capacity recording table 20 is updated by the pool allocation capacity monitoring means 10 with the pool total capacity 400, the pool allocation capacity 401, and the pool allocation capacity collection time 402 as elements for each pool.

The pool allocation capacity history reporting means 11 reports the history of pool allocation capacity held in the pool allocation capacity recording table 20 to the host 100 and the maintenance terminal 200.
(Operation)
When the host 100 issues a data update request specifying the logical disk number, logical address, and size to the disk array device 1, the disk array device 1 corresponds to the requested size from the logical address of the specified logical disk. The logical area is converted from the conversion map to the corresponding physical area as shown in FIG. 3, and update processing is performed. If the physical area corresponding to the logical area for which the update request has been issued does not exist in the conversion map, an appropriate physical area is searched from the remaining physical area 303 of the pool information management unit 30, and the correspondence relationship is recorded in the conversion map. Thus, the assignment is performed and the update process is executed. At the same time, the pool allocation capacity 302 and the remaining physical area 303 of the pool information management unit 30 are changed. The pool allocated capacity monitoring unit 10 monitors the allocated capacity 302 of the pool in the pool information management unit 30 at regular intervals, and periodically registers information in each element of the pool allocated capacity recording table 20.

FIG. 2 is a detailed view of the pool allocation capacity recording table 20. Referring to FIG. 2, a plurality of pool allocation capacity recording areas 400 to 403 are provided in the table, and the pool total capacity 500, pool allocation capacity 501, and pool allocation capacity collection time 502 can be recorded in each area. The pool allocated capacity monitoring means 10 periodically acquires the total pool capacity and pool allocated capacity at that time from the pool information management unit 30, selects one free table in the pool allocated capacity recording table 20, and records the information in the corresponding area. To do. At the same time, the information acquisition time is recorded in the same area as the pool allocated capacity collection time. When there is no free space in the pool allocation capacity recording table 20, the information of the area having the oldest pool allocation capacity collection time is deleted, and new information is recorded there. When a sufficient time elapses in this way, information of a plurality of generations is recorded as a history in the pool allocation capacity recording table 20.
When a pool allocation capacity history report request is issued from the host 100 and the maintenance terminal 200, the pool allocation capacity history reporting means 11 reports the information registered in the pool allocation capacity recording table 20 as a history for a plurality of generations. . The user judges the transition of the pool allocated capacity with respect to the total pool capacity from the pool allocated capacity acquisition time, and predicts when the physical disk needs to be added.

  The present invention can be used in a disk array device having a virtual logical disk function that dynamically allocates a physical disk capacity as a logical disk capacity in accordance with update processing from a host to a logical disk.

The figure which showed the structure of the disk array apparatus 1 of this invention The figure which showed the structure of the pool information management part 30 Explanatory drawing of conversion map 304 Explanation of pool allocation capacity record table Figure showing the relationship between pool allocation capacity collection time and pool allocation capacity

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Disk array apparatus 10 Pool allocation capacity monitoring means 11 Pool allocation capacity history report means 20 Pool allocation capacity recording table 30 Pool information management part 40 Pool 41 Physical disk 42 Physical disk 43 Physical disk 50 Logical disk 100 Host 200 Maintenance terminal 300 Pool number 301 Pool layer capacity 302 Pool allocated capacity 303 Remaining physical area 304 Conversion map 400 Pool allocated capacity recording area 401 Pool allocated capacity recording area 402 Pool allocated capacity recording area 403 Pool allocated capacity recording area 500 Pool total capacity 501 Pool allocated capacity 502 Pool allocation Capacity collection time

Claims (3)

In a disk array device having a virtual logical disk function that manages a collection of physical disks in units called pools and assigns them to logical disks as much as they are actually used from the pool capacity,
A disk array device that presents a history of pool allocated capacity as a history. 2. The disk array device according to claim 1, wherein the pool allocated capacity is periodically stored in a table on a memory. The disk array device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a plurality of pool capacities are managed as a history by managing a plurality of pool allocation capacity recording tables.

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