Apparatus and methods for transferring, backing up, and restoring data in a computer system

Abstract

Method and apparatus are disclosed for a computer system including host computers and storage elements. The host computers may be configured into a host domain and the storage elements configured into a storage domain. The storage domain includes a plurality of primary storage devices and a secondary storage device. The secondary storage device may be coupled to a plurality of the primary storage devices through a network. In another embodiment, the secondary storage device may send and receive information from a heterogeneous set of host computers. In another embodiment, connections for transfer of data onto the secondary storage element are created automatically.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A computer system comprising: 
 a host domain including a host computer;    a storage domain, coupled to the host domain, the storage domain comprising 
 a plurality of primary storage devices;  
 a secondary storage device;  
 and a switched network coupled to the plurality of primary storage nodes and to the secondary storage device.  
   
     
     
         2 . The computer system of  claim 1 , further comprising an additional primary storage device, coupled directly to the secondary storage device.  
     
     
         3 . The computer system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the primary storage devices is a cached disk array.  
     
     
         4 . The computer system of  claim 1 , wherein the secondary storage device includes a plurality of ports coupled to the network, to send and receive data on the network in parallel.  
     
     
         5 . The computer system of  claim 4 , wherein the secondary storage device comprises a plurality of data movers, each coupled to one of the ports.  
     
     
         6 . The computer system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of host computers is heterogeneous.  
     
     
         7 . The computer system of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 means for transferring a first logical object from one of the primary storage devices directly to the secondary storage device over a first connection.    
     
     
         8 . The computer system of  claim 7 , further comprising: 
 means for transferring a second logical object from one of the primary storage devices directly to the secondary storage device over a second connection.    
     
     
         9 . The computer system of  claim 1 , further comprising means for forming an abstract block set from a logical object stored in one of the primary storage devices.  
     
     
         10 . The computer system of  claim 1 , wherein the secondary storage device comprises a tape library unit.  
     
     
         11 . A computer system comprising: 
 a heterogeneous plurality of host computers;    a plurality of primary storage devices, each primary storage device being associated with at least one of the host computers; and    a secondary storage device, coupled to, a plurality of the primary storage devices, the secondary storage device being configured to receive backup data from each of the host computers.    
     
     
         12 . The computer system of  claim 11 , wherein at least one of the primary storage devices is a cached disk array.  
     
     
         13 . The computer system of  claim 11 , further comprising means for forming an abstract block set from a logical object stored in one of the primary storage devices.  
     
     
         14 . The computer system of  claim 11 , wherein the secondary storage device includes a plurality of ports, to send a receive data in parallel.  
     
     
         15 . The computer system of  claim 14 , wherein the secondary storage device comprises a plurality of data movers, each coupled to one of the ports.  
     
     
         16 . The computer system of  claim 11 , further comprising: 
 means for transferring a first logical object from one of the primary storage devices directly to the secondary storage device over a first connection.    
     
     
         17 . The computer system of  claim 16 , further comprising: 
 means for transferring a second logical object from one of the primary storage devices directly to the secondary storage device over a second connection.    
     
     
         18 . The computer system of  claim 11 , wherein the secondary storage device comprises a tape library unit.  
     
     
         19 . A method of transferring data from a primary storage element to a secondary storage element, the method comprising steps of: 
 automatically establishing a first connection from a first one of the primary storage elements to the secondary storage element to transfer a first logical object to the secondary storage element; and    transferring the first logical object from the first one of the primary storage elements directly to the secondary storage element over the first connection.    
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising a step of 
 automatically establishing a second connection from a second one of the primary storage elements to the secondary storage element to transfer a second logical object to the secondary storage element; and    transferring the second logical object from the second one of the primary storage elements directly to the secondary storage element over the second connection.    
     
     
         21 . The method of claims  20 ,  24 ,  25 , wherein the step of transferring the first logical object and the step of transferring the second logical object are performed in parallel.  
     
     
         22 . The method of claims  20 ,  24 ,  25 , wherein the first logical object and the second logical object were created by heterogeneous operating systems.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the step of automatically establishing comprises a step of establishing a path through a network.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the secondary storage element comprises a tape library unit.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein: 
 the secondary storage element comprises a plurality of data movers; and    the step of automatically establishing comprises a step of selecting at least one of the data movers.