Patent ID: 7853770
Filing Date: 2010-12-14
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A data relocation method in a storage system provided with multiple storage units having different access speeds, the method comprising: a number of access to data item during a unit period acquiring process that divides a past constant accessed data acquisition period into multiple unit periods, and obtains a number of access to data item during the unit period for each data item stored in any of the multiple storage units; an access degree computing process that obtains, with respect to each unit period and each data item, an access degree that is a ratio of the number of access to the data item during the unit period to the number of access to the data item during the past constant accessed data acquisition period, in order to show a tendency of the number of access to the data item during the past constant accessed data acquisition period; a grouping degree computing process that obtains, with respect to each unit period, a grouping degree which is a ratio of the number of data items which is accessed at least once during the unit period to the number of all data items, in order to show a tendency of the number of access to a plurality of data items during the unit period; a calibrated access degree computing process that multiplies, with respect to each unit period and each data item, the grouping degree during a unit period obtained in the grouping degree computing process by the access degree for each corresponding unit period and each data item obtained in the access degree computing process; a similarity degree computing process that multiplies the calibrated access degree for each unit period of a particular data item, by the calibrated access degree during a corresponding unit period of the other data item, and sums a result of the multiplication for each unit period, as a similarity degree between the particular data item and the other data item, in order to show similarity of access tendency between data items during a past constant period; a grouping process that groups the particular data item and one or more other data items having the similarity degree equal to or higher than a predetermined value with regard to the particular data item in an identical group, as a group of data items indicating a similar tendency of access during the past constant accessed data acquisition period; and a data migrating process that migrates one or more data items belonging to the identical group into a storage unit having a high access speed among the multiple storage units, when at least one of data items belonging to the identical group and stored in a storage unit having a low access speed is accessed.