Patent ID: 8271438
Filing Date: 2012-09-18
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. An asynchronous remote copy system which is a storage system which performs asynchronous remote copy, comprising three or more serial storage apparatuses, wherein the three or more storage apparatuses are a first storage apparatus which comprises a first storage resource group and is coupled to a host apparatus, one or more second storage apparatuses each of which comprises a second storage resource group, and a third storage apparatus which comprises a third storage resource group, the first storage resource group further comprises a first data volume which is a logical volume to which data is written, and a first journal storage resource which is a storage resource to which a data journal is written, the second storage resource group further comprises a second data volume which is a logical volume to which data is written, and a second journal storage resource which is a storage resource to which a data journal is written, the third storage resource group further comprises a third data volume which is a logical volume to which data is written, and a third journal storage resource which is a storage resource to which a data journal is written, the first storage apparatus is the starting point in the asynchronous remote copy in a multihop method, while the third storage apparatus is the ending point in the asynchronous remote copy in the multihop method, and the one or more second storage apparatuses are the intermediate storage apparatuses existing between the first and the third storage apparatuses, the first storage apparatus, if data is written from the host apparatus to the first data volume, updates the update number which is the number updated each time data is written to the data volume in the first storage resource group, creates a journal including the update number and the data, and writes the journal to the first journal storage resource, the asynchronous remote copy in the multihop method is performed, and in the asynchronous remote copy, by the journal being transferred from the first storage apparatus to the third storage apparatus via the one or more second storage apparatuses sequentially and, at the same time, being reflected in each transfer destination, the data in the first data volume is written to each of the second data volumes and the third data volume, before starting the asynchronous remote copy, (P) a first initial copy which is a copy for making the contents of the first data volume and the contents of the second data volume consistent, and (Q) one or more second initial copies each of which is a copy for making the contents of the second data volume and the contents of the third data volume or the contents of another second data volume consistent, are performed, and in the second initial copy, (q1) the second storage apparatus creates a journal including an update number and the data in the second data volume, (q2) the created journal is transferred from the second storage apparatus to the third storage apparatus or a transfer destination second storage apparatus, (q3) the third storage apparatus or the transfer destination second storage apparatus reflects the journals from the second storage apparatus in the third data volume or the second data volume in the transfer destination second storage apparatus in order of the update numbers, and wherein in the (q1), (q1-a) the second storage apparatus sends a dummy journal request requesting a dummy journal that is a journal without data to the first storage apparatus, (q1-b) the first storage apparatus receives the dummy journal request from the second storage apparatus and sends a dummy journal including an update number created at the first storage apparatus to the second storage apparatus, and (q1-c) the second storage apparatus receives the dummy journal and creates a journal by including the data in the second data volume into the dummy journal and without changing the update number created at the first storage apparatus.