Patent ID: 7240167
Filing Date: 2007-07-03
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A storage apparatus, comprising: a host side communication part adapted to enable communication with a a storage side communication part adapted to enable communication with at least one other storage apparatus; a storage device to store data, where the storage device is divided into a plurality of logical unit (LU) storage areas, and where ones of the LU storage areas are further sub-divided into LU storage sub-areas; an owner information table to store ownership information indicating which storage apparatus manages each LU storage area; a lock information table to store lock information indicating whether or not write processing is restricted for each of plural LU sub-areas of said storage device; and a controller adapted to control the communication of said host side communication part and said storage side communication part and adapted to perform access processing for said storage device, while referring to said owner information table and said lock information table; wherein said controller controls said storage device to store a same data as the at least one other storage apparatus by making said storage side communication part to transmit and receive the data to and from the at least one other storage apparatus, and wherein, for access requests for a LU storage sub-area owned by said storage apparatus, said controller performs a lock reservation request receiving step for receiving a lock reservation request to restrict the write processing for any LU storage sub-area among said plural LU storage sub-areas from said at least one other storage apparatus by means of said storage side communication part; and lock reservation request processing step, upon receiving said lock reservation request in said lock reservation request receiving step: judging whether or not the write processing for the LU storage sub-area indicated by said lock reservation request is restricted with reference to said lock information table; transmitting rejection of the lock reservation to said at least one other storage apparatus by means of said storage side communication part when the write processing is restricted; and setting a write processing restriction in a field of said lock information table when the write processing is not restricted, and transmitting acceptance of the lock reservation to said at least one other storage apparatus by means of said storage side communication part; said controller then performs: an access request receiving step for receiving a write request to any LU storage sub-area by means of said host side communication part; and an owner access processing step, upon receiving said write request in said access request receiving step, performs: judging whether or not the write processing for the LU storage sub-area indicated by said write request is restricted with reference to said lock information table; not performing the write processing for said LU storage sub-area when the write processing is restricted; setting a write processing restriction in a field corresponding to said LU storage sub-area of said lock information table and performing the write processing for said LU storage sub-area when the write processing is not restricted; and a remote copy processing step for transmitting write data with respect to said write request to all other storage apparatuses by means of said storage side communication part when performing the write processing for said LU storage sub-area that is indicated by said write request in said owner access processing step; wherein, in said access request receiving step, said host side communication part receives a read request for any one of said plural LU storage sub-areas; and in said owner access processing step, said host side communication part performs read processing for said LU storage sub-area indicated by said read request without reference to said lock information table and transmits the data acquired as a result of said read processing.