1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a storage system construction managing device and construction management method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Storage systems can provide large capacity and high performance storage services to host computers. In a storage system, for example, numerous disk drives are disposed in the form of an array, thus constructing a storage region based on an RAID (redundant array of independent disks). Logical volumes that constitute logical storage regions are formed on the physical storage regions of the respective disk drives. LUNs (logical unit numbers) are assigned beforehand to the logical volumes. The host computers issue write commands and read commands specifying LUNs, block addresses or the like. As a result, the host computers can read and write desired data from and into the storage system.
Since the conditions of use of a storage system vary from hour to hour and minute to minute, techniques for dynamically altering the internal construction of storage devices have also been proposed (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-337721).
In the technique described in the abovementioned reference, the internal structure of a storage device is varied on the basis of a preset schedule. However, the technique described in the abovementioned reference varies only the construction of the storage device, and does not alter the construction of the storage system as a whole. Furthermore, in the technique described in the abovementioned reference, no consideration is given to a device that is logically divided; accordingly, it is difficult to grasp the logical construction of the storage system. Moreover, since the history of the logical construction cannot be managed, this technique is not convenient for use.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds