Patent ID: 7970991
Filing Date: 2011-06-28
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A storage control apparatus, storing write data in storage devices based on write accesses from an upper order apparatus, and supplying read data of the storage devices to the upper order apparatus based on read accesses from the upper order apparatus, comprising: a controller providing a virtual volume accessed by the upper order apparatus; a plurality of storage devices on which a plurality of logical volume are managed thereon by the controller; a memory for storing control information for making the plurality of logical volumes correspond to regions of the virtual volume, wherein the controller is configured to convert accesses from the upper order apparatus to the virtual volume to accesses to storage regions of the plurality of logical volumes based on the control information, the plurality of logical volumes comprise first logical volumes storing a first type data, second logical volumes storing a second type data, and third logical volumes storing a third type data, the first logical volumes comprise a first online volume for storing online data, and a first active archive volume for storing archive data accessed frequently from the upper order apparatus and a first inactive archive volume for storing archive data accessed less frequently, compared with the data in the first active archive volume, from the upper order apparatus, wherein a storage device of the first inactive archive volume is not capable of rapidly responding to accesses from the upper order apparatus, the data is migrated among the first online volume, the first active archive volume and the first inactive archive volume according to the access frequency of the data in response to receiving a search command for searching data patterns stored in the storage devices designating the virtual volume and the first data type, wherein the controller is configured to: select the first logical volumes among the plurality of logical volumes; execute the search command for the first online volume, the first active archive volume and the first inactive archive volume in order; and change the storage device of the first inactive archive volume to be capable of rapidly responding to accesses from the upper order apparatus during the process of searching the first online volume and the first active archive volume.