METHOD AND MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR CALCULATING BILLING AMOUNT IN RELATION TO DATA VOLUME REDUCTION FUNCTION

摘要

A logical volume (VOL) is provided from a storage system to a host system of a service user. A data volume reduction process is carried out by a data volume reduction function upon data which is stored in the VOL. A management system determines whether a provided total capacity (the total capacity of one or more VOLs which are provided to one or more service users) and/or a user used total volume (the total volume of one or more instances of data prior to the data volume reduction process which are stored in the one or more VOLs) exceeds the storage volume (the upper limit of the capacity of the storage space which the storage system holds for the service provider and wherein the data is stored). If the result of the determination is affirmative, the management system calculates a billing amount based on at least one amount among a first excess capacity (the difference between the user used total volume and the storage volume), a second excess capacity (the difference between the provided total capacity and the storage volume), and an amount which corresponds to the service user which is defined as relating to the first excess capacity and/or the second excess capacity.