Patent ID: 7596676
Filing Date: 2009-09-29
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A logical volume migration and data access control method for a computer system including a host computer, one or more storage systems, and a plurality of virtualization apparatuses, the host computer being coupled to the plurality of virtualization apparatuses via a network, and the plurality of virtualization apparatuses being coupled to the one or more storage systems via the network, a first virtualization apparatus of the plurality of virtualization apparatuses including a first memory and managing each of a plurality of first virtual logical volumes to which the host computer issues an access request, one of the plurality of first virtual logical volumes corresponding, to a real logical volume of a plurality of disk drives in the one or more storage systems; and a second virtualization apparatus of the plurality of virtualization apparatuses including a second memory and managing a second virtual logical volume to which the host computer issues an access request, the control method comprising: transferring, between the first virtualization apparatus and the second virtualization apparatus, first configuration information, which identifies a relationship between the one of the plurality of first virtual logical volumes and the real logical volume, unit serial information of the first virtualization apparatus, and first virtual logical volume identification information for virtual logical volume migration that is used during migrating the one of the plurality of first virtual logical volumes of the first virtualization apparatus into the second virtual logical volume of the second virtualization apparatus without migrating data stored on the real logical volume of the one or more storage systems, the first virtual logical volume identification information uniquely identifying the one of the plurality of first virtual logical volumes within the computer system; managing, by the first virtualization apparatus, first management information of the plurality of first virtual logical volumes, including information that the one of the plurality of first virtual logical volumes already has been migrated, based on the virtual logical volume migration; managing, by the second virtualization apparatus, second configuration information, which identifies a relationship between the second virtual logical volume and the real logical volume of the one or more storage systems, and second management information based on the virtual logical volume migration, the second management information including a relationship among the second virtual logical volume, the unit serial information of the first virtualization apparatus and the first virtual logical volume identification information; replying, by the first virtualization apparatus, first inquiry information, including the unit serial information of the first virtualization apparatus and another virtual logical volume identification information identifying another one of the plurality of first virtual logical volumes, if the first virtualization apparatus receives a first inquiry request of the another one of the plurality of first virtual logical volumes independent of the virtual logical volume migration; replying, by the first virtualization apparatus, second inquiry information, including error information, if the first virtualization apparatus receives a second inquiry request of the one of the plurality of first virtual logical volumes as a migrate source of the virtual logical volume migration; replying, by the second virtualization apparatus. third inquiry information, including the unit serial information of the first virtualization apparatus and the first virtual logical volume identification information, if the first virtualization apparatus receives a third inquiry request of the second virtual logical volume as a migrate destination of the virtual logical volume migration; and accessing the real logical volume via the second virtual logical volume after the virtual logical volume migration without changing the first virtual logical volume identification information presented to the host computer.