Patent ID: 7167902
Filing Date: 2007-01-23
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. An integrated system comprising: a main center; and a remote center, wherein said main center comprises: wherein said first gateway storage system comprises an interface control unit for conducting data transfer to and from the first storage systems and to and from a second gateway storage system of the remote center, a storage for storing data and a controller for controlling the storing of data in the storage, wherein each first storage system of said main center, upon receipt of said data write request issued by said first host computer, controls by said controller, said first storage system to perform a synchronous remote copy function including storing, data on said storage based on said data write request, and issuing said data write request to said interface control unit of said first gateway storage system, and wherein said first gateway storage system, upon receipt of said data write request issued by said first storage system, controls by said controller, said first gateway storage system to perform an asynchronous remote copy function including storing data on said storage of said first gateway storage system, based on said data write request and then subsequently, when said data is to be copied to a storage of at least one second storage system of said remote center, reading said data stored in said storage of said first gateway storage system and issuing a data write request, corresponding to said data write request from said first storage system, to said second gateway storage system under control of said controller of said first gateway storage system to write said data read from said storage of said first gateway storage system to the storage of the at least one second storage system of said remote center, and wherein said remote center comprises: wherein said second gateway storage system comprises an interface control unit for conducting data transfer to and from second storage systems of the remote center and to and from said first gateway storage system of the main center, a storage for storing data and a controller for controlling the storing of data in the storage, wherein said second gateway storage system of said remote center, upon receipt, by the interface control unit, of said data write request issued by said first gateway storage system of said main center, controls, by said controller, said second gateway storage system to perform a synchronous remote copy function including storing data, in the storage of said second gateway storage system, based on said data write request, and issuing said data write request, to at least one second storage system of said remote center to write said data to said storage of the at least one second storage system of said remote center based on said data write request, wherein said at least one second storage system of said remote center, upon receipt of said data write request issued by said second gateway storage system of said remote center, controls, by said controller, said storage to store data on said storage based on said data write request, and wherein said second host computer issues a data read request to one of the second storage systems to read data stored therein.