JPH11306090A - Backup device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a backup device that can more easily perform backup and improve reliability. SOLUTION: This device is equipped with at least two hard disks 30 and 32 for performing read-out and write-in of data in accordance with a request from a host processor, with tapes 40 and 42 for backing up contents stored in the storage means 30 and 32, and with a CPU 50 which controls the hard disks 30 and 32 so that contents of one of the hard disks are not update and stores contents of the hard disks which are controlled lest update should to be done in the tapes 40 and 42. With this device, the host processor can perform backup simply by executing backup instruction without being conscious of a structure of a backup device at all, so that it is unnecessary to prepare a complicated file management program, and reliability is improved because little processing capability of the host processor is spent of backup processing.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a backup device, and more particularly to a backup device for backing up an online system file connected via a network.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Currently, with the development of a highly information-oriented society,
The number of computers operating for four hours is increasing. Conventionally, when backing up various system programs, data, and the like used in a computer, the backup is performed at midnight when the operation of the computer can be stopped.

[0003] However, the backup of the system program operating for 24 hours as described above must be performed while the computer is operating. In such a computer backup, a method has been adopted in which a system program file is temporarily closed at a certain point in time (in a state where the contents of the file are not changed) and the system program file is stored on a tape or the like.

In order to continue normal processing even during backup, a method has been used in which only a closed system program file can be read, and information to be written is managed as another variation file. In this method, after the backup is completed, a new system program file including the closed system program file and the variation file is generated, and the computer is operated using the generated system program file.

Further, the system program file is duplicated, only one of the system program files is operated only when backup is performed, the other system program file is removed from online processing, and the contents of the file removed from online processing are backed up. However, a method of returning the system program file to duplex after the backup is completed is also used.

[0006]

By the way, an apparatus for realizing the above-mentioned various methods has a complicated apparatus configuration, and software for management is a complicated process, and a great deal of labor is required to create the software. And a long time is required. In addition, when the above-described software is executed, there is a problem that the load on the processing device becomes large, and one or both of the reliability of the normal business and the reliability of the backup is reduced.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a backup device that can perform backup more easily and can improve reliability.

[0008]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides at least two storage units for reading and writing data in response to a request from a host processor, and a storage unit for storing data in the storage units. A tape device for backing up contents, and a control unit for controlling the storage unit so that the contents of one of the storage units are not updated, and storing the contents of the storage unit that has been controlled so as not to be updated in the tape device. It is characterized by having. Also,
The present invention is characterized in that the control means copies the contents of one storage means to another storage means and makes the contents the same when the contents of the storage means are different. Further, the present invention further includes a bus connecting the storage unit, the tape device, and the control unit, and a bus monitoring unit that monitors a utilization ratio of the bus, wherein the control unit is configured to control when the utilization ratio of the bus is low. The backup is performed.
Further, the present invention further includes a bus connecting the storage unit, the tape device, and the control unit, and a bus monitoring unit that monitors a utilization ratio of the bus, wherein the control unit is configured to control when the utilization ratio of the bus is low. The copying is performed.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a backup device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a backup device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 denotes an upper processor, which manages the entire apparatus. The upper processor 10 operates according to the system program by reading and sequentially executing system programs stored in hard disks 30 and 32 described later. The host processor 10 is connected to the network N.

An interface 12 is connected to the network N. The interface 12 physically connects the host processor 10 and the backup device 20 via the network N. The backup device 20 is, as shown in FIG.
0, 32, tape devices 40 and 42, CPU (Central Processing Unit) 50, memory 60, and bus monitoring unit 70.
These are mutually connected via an internal bus B provided in the backup device 20.

The hard disks 30 and 32 store system program files. The above-described upper processor 10 operates by reading the system program file and sequentially executing the system program file. The tape devices 40 and 42 are for backing up system program files stored in the hard disks 30 and 32.

The CPU 50 controls the operation of the backup device 20. The CPU 50 controls the status of the hard disks 30, 32 and transfers system program files stored in the hard disks 30, 32 to the tape devices 40, 4.
2 and performs generation management of the backup file that was backed up.

The memory 60 includes the hard disks 30 and 32
Is used as a buffer for temporarily storing the read system program file when backing up the system program file stored in the. Further, it is used as an internal storage device for the CPU 50, and is also used for temporarily storing various data required when the CPU 50 performs processing. The bus monitoring unit 70 monitors the internal bus B in the backup device 20, and notifies the CPU 50 of the usage status of the internal bus B.

Next, the operation of the backup apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention having the above configuration will be described. First, a normal operation will be described. Upper processor 10
Is performed by reading system program files stored in the hard disks 30 and 32 during normal operation and sequentially executing them. However, when the upper processor 10 writes data to the hard disks 30 and 32, a write request and a write Data is transmitted, and when data is read, a read request and read instruction information for instructing which information is to be read are transmitted.

The write request, read request, write data, and read instruction information are output to the CPU 50 in the backup device 20 via the network N and the interface 12. The CPU 50 temporarily stores the write data and the read instruction information transmitted from the host processor 10 in the memory 60 and accesses the hard disk.

When the host processor 10 issues a read request to the hard disks 30 and 32 in the input output processing, the CPU 50 previously sets one of the hard disk 30 and the hard disk 32 as an operating system, and Read data from.

When the host processor 10 issues a write request to the hard disks 30 and 32 in the input output process, the CPU 50
The same data is written to both the hard disk 30 and the hard disk 32. In this way, the identity of the contents of the hard disk 30 and the contents of the hard disk 32 is maintained.

If the CPU 50 determines that the content of the hard disk 30 is different from the content of the hard disk 32, the CPU 50 first determines the internal bus B based on the monitoring result of the bus monitoring unit 20 that monitors the internal bus B. The usage status of the internal bus B is grasped, for example, when the usage status of the internal
The contents of one hard disk are controlled to be copied to the other hard disk so that the contents of 0 and 32 become equal.

If one of the hard disk 30 and the hard disk 32 becomes unusable during normal operation and becomes unusable, the available hard disk is incorporated into the operating system and switched to thereby enable the input output of the host processor 10 to be switched. Can be continued.

Next, the operation at the time of backup will be described. When performing backup, first, the upper processor 10 transmits a backup request to the CPU 50. Upon receiving this backup request, the CPU 50 closes (not updated) one of the hard disk 30 and the hard disk 32 for backup.

Next, based on the monitoring result of the bus monitoring unit 70, the CPU 50 determines which of the tape device 40 and the tape device 42 when the request from the upper processor 10 is small and the utilization rate of the internal bus B is low. On the other hand, the contents of the closed hard disk are backed up.

When the host processor 10 requests the input output processing during the backup, the normal operation is performed on the hard disk of the operation system which is not closed. Here, upper processor 1
0 may be instructed to select a tape device to be backed up. Thus, the current backup may be instructed to be performed on the tape device 40, and the tape device 42 may be instructed at the next backup to change the tape device for each backup. Further, instead of the upper processor 10 instructing a tape device to be backed up, the CPU 50 may perform the above management. By this operation, generation management of the online system file can be performed.

When generation management is performed, when a system failure occurs, even if an attempt to restart with the latest backup file fails once, the system can be restarted with the backup file of the previous generation, and the reliability of the entire system is improved. improves. In the embodiment described above, the bus monitoring unit 7
0 means that the use status of the internal bus B is given priority to the request from the host processor 10, but depending on the status of the device, the copy between the hard disk 30 and the hard disk 32 is given priority, or the backup is given priority. It is possible to program. If this method is further duplicated from the viewpoint of the host processor 10, that is, if two backup devices 20 are provided, the reliability of the device can be further improved.

[0025]

As described above, according to the present invention, the host processor can perform backup simply by giving a backup instruction without being aware of the configuration of the backup device. It is economical because there is no need to create a management program, and the processing ability of the upper processor is hardly devoted to backup processing, so that reliability is improved. Further, even if a failure occurs in one of the storage units during normal operation and the storage unit becomes unusable, information necessary for normal operation is secured, so that there is an effect that reliability can be improved. Furthermore, even if the latest file cannot be read at the time of restoration, the file can be restored with the file of the previous generation, so that there is an effect that reliability is improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a backup device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Upper processor 30, 32 Hard disk (storage means) 40, 42 Tape device 50 CPU (control means) 70 Bus monitoring part B bus

Claims (5)

[Claims] At least two storage means for reading and writing data in response to a request from a host processor, a tape device for backing up contents stored in the storage means, and one of the storage means A backup device comprising: a control unit that controls the storage unit so that the content is not updated, and stores the content of the storage unit that has been controlled so that the content is not updated in the tape device. 2. The control means according to claim 1, wherein when the contents of said storage means are different, the contents of one storage means are copied to another storage means so that the contents are the same. The backup device as described. 3. A bus connecting the storage unit, the tape device, and the control unit, and a bus monitoring unit that monitors a utilization rate of the bus.
2. The backup device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit performs the backup when the utilization rate of the bus is low. 4. A bus that connects the storage unit, the tape device, and the control unit, and a bus monitoring unit that monitors a utilization rate of the bus.
2. The backup device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit performs the copy when the utilization rate of the bus is low. 5. The backup device according to claim 1, wherein at least two tape devices are provided, and backup is performed to a different tape device for each backup.