Information system and data transfer method of information system

Abstract

Availability of an information system including a storage apparatus and a host computer is improved. A host system includes a first storage apparatus provided with a first volume for storing data, and a second storage apparatus for storing the data sent from the first storage apparatus. In case of a failure occurring in the first storage apparatus, the host sends the data to be sent to the first storage apparatus to the second storage apparatus. The same identification number is used by the host computer for accessing data stored in the first volume via a first virtual volume and for accessing data stored in a second volume of the second storage system via a second virtual volume.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A storage system comprising:
 a first storage device including a plurality of physical storage devices and a controller providing a first virtual volume, which corresponds to storage areas of a first logical volume configured on the physical storage devices;   a second storage device including a plurality of physical storage devices and a controller providing a second virtual volume, which corresponds to storage areas of a second logical volume configured on the external physical storage devices,   wherein data stored in the first logical volume is duplicated to the second logical volume, and   wherein the same identification number is used by a computer for accessing data stored in the first logical volume via the first virtual volume and for accessing data stored in the second logical volume via the second virtual volume.   
     
     
         2 . A storage system according to  claim 1 , wherein the first storage device is further configured to:
 return a write complete message to the computer after receiving a write data reception message from the second storage device.   
     
     
         3 . A storage system according to  claim 1 , wherein data requested to be written to the first virtual volume is transferred to the second virtual volume via remote copy. 
     
     
         4 . A storage system according to  claim 1 , wherein the first virtual volume and the second virtual volume are access targets of the computer. 
     
     
         5 . A storage system according to the  claim 1 , wherein a host bus adapter in the computer manages a relationship between the identifier used by an application of the computer and an actual identifier of the first virtual volume and the second virtual volume. 
     
     
         6 . A storage system according to  claim 1 , wherein the computer is configured to switch a destination of a request from the first storage device to the second storage device in a case that the request to the first logical volume is not processed by the first storage device. 
     
     
         7 . A storage system according to  claim 1 , wherein a setting of the second virtual volume to deny a request from an application of the computer is canceled with the transferring of the data to be duplicated from the first logical volume to the second logical volume. 
     
     
         8 . A method in a storage system including a first storage device including a plurality of physical storage devices and a controller, and a second storage device including a plurality of physical storage devices and a controller, said method comprising the steps of:
 configuring, by the controller of the first storage device, a first logical volume on the physical storage devices of the first storage device;   configuring, by the controller of the second storage device, a second logical volume on the physical storage devices of the second storage devices;   providing, by the controller, a first virtual volume, which corresponds to the first logical volume;   providing, by the controller, a second virtual volume, which corresponds to the second logical volume;   storing data in the first logical volume and duplicating the data stored in the first logical volume to the second logical volume; and   accessing, by the computer, the data stored in the first logical volume via the first virtual volume and the data stored in the second logical volume via the second virtual volume using the same identification number.   
     
     
         9 . A method according to  claim 8 , further comprising the step of:
 returning, by the first storage device, a write complete message to the computer after receiving a write data reception message from the second storage device.   
     
     
         10 . A method according to  claim 8 , further comprising the step of:
 transferring data requested to be written to the first virtual volume to the second virtual volume via remote copy.   
     
     
         11 . A method according to  claim 8 , wherein the first virtual volume and the second virtual volume are access targets of the computer. 
     
     
         12 . A method according to the  claim 8 , further comprising the step of:
 managing, by a host bus adapter of the computer, a relationship between the identifier used by an application of the computer and an actual identifier of the first virtual volume and the second virtual volume.   
     
     
         13 . A method according to  claim 8 , further comprising the step of: configuring the computer to switch a destination of a request from the first storage device to the second storage device in a case that the request to the first virtual volume is not processed by the first storage device. 
     
     
         14 . A method according to  claim 8 , further comprising the step of:
 canceling a setting of the second virtual volume to deny a request from an application of the computer with the transferring of the data to be duplicated from the first logical volume to the second logical volume.