Patent ID: 8527723
Filing Date: 2013-09-03
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A storage system, comprising: a first storage device; a first controller that creates a first logical volume using said first storage device; a second storage device; and a second controller that is connected to said first controller via a network and creates a second logical volume using said second storage device, wherein said first controller defines an existing pair that represents a copy from a first existing area that is a storage area of said first logical volume before size expansion to a second existing area that is a storage area of said second logical volume before size expansion, said first controller maintains said existing pair in a synchronous state, which is a state where said second existing area is in synchronization with said first existing area, said first controller expands the size of said first logical volume by adding a first expansion area using said first storage device to said first logical volume during said synchronous state, and said second controller expands the size of said second logical volume by adding a second expansion area using said second storage device to said second logical volume after the size of said first logical volume is expanded, and writes data written to said first expansion area to said second expansion area; wherein said first logical volume and said second logical volume are thin provisioning volumes; wherein said first controller receives write data to be written to said first logical volume from a host computer, determines whether or not a destination of said write data is said first existing area, and transmits said write data to said second controller and writes said write data to said first existing area if said destination is said first existing area, and said second controller receives said write data from said first controller and writes said received write data to said second logical volume; wherein if said destination is said first expansion area, said first controller saves destination information that indicates the destination in said first expansion area, reads data represented by said destination information from said first expansion area, and transmits the data to said second controller after the size of said second logical volume is expanded, and said second controller receives said transmitted data and writes the data to said second expansion area; and wherein said first controller defines an expansion pair that represents a copy from said first expansion area to said second expansion area after the size of said first logical volume is expanded, and maintains said expansion pair in a suspend state, which is a state where only said first expansion area of said expansion pair is updated, and said first controller synchronizes said second expansion area with said first expansion area by bringing said expansion pair into the synchronous state after the size of said second logical volume is expanded.