Patent ID: 7418549
Filing Date: 2008-08-26
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A disk storage system comprising a plurality of disk storage units, each disk storage unit comprising: a plurality of host interfaces coupled to a plurality of host computers; a plurality of disk interfaces coupled to disk devices for storing data; a cache memory configured to temporarily store the data and allow access thereto to be gained from the host interfaces and the disk interfaces; a switch component configured to couple the host interfaces, the disk interfaces, and the cache memory; wherein each of the plurality of disk storage units maintains information about the plurality of disk storage units in a respective communication interface thereof, the communication interfaces coupling the plurality of disk storage units; wherein each of the plurality of disk storage units executes the processing of data transmissions between the plurality of disk storage units, wherein management information including information about a logical volume of a disk storage unit of a data transfer destination having been subjected to the processing of transmissions is retained in the communication interface of the each of the disk storage units, wherein the logical volume is related to a plurality of disk devices in the disk storage unit of the data transfer destination, wherein when the disk storage unit of the data transfer destination receives the data transferred from a first disk array unit of a data transfer source, the disk storage unit of the data transfer destination in a second disk array unit stores the data in a cache memory therein and transmits the management information including the information about the logical volume of the disk storage unit of the data transfer destination to the disk storage unit of the data transfer source in the first disk array unit, wherein when the processing of the data transmissions between the plurality of disk storage units is executed, the switch component is configured to transmit the data with address swapping or without address swapping, and wherein the plurality of disk storage units are configured to perform inquiries to other disk storage units, retain information about loaded states and residual capacities of the other disk storage units in the disk interfaces of each of the disk storage units, and based on the information about the loaded states and residual capacities of the other disk storage units, prepare groups of addresses used for swapping the address to transmit the data.