SMS-based backup notification system for storage systems

• US 10,417,074 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2016
• Issued: 09/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bowers, John A., Edgar, Joseph P., Laforteza, Andrew J., Niltchian, Cyrus
• Primary Examiner(s): McCarthy, Christopher S
• Application Number:
  US15/342,604
• Publication Number:
  US 20180121281A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,048 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0709 in a distributed system consisting of a plurality of standalone computer nodes, e.g. clusters, client-server systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0727 in a storage system, e.g. in a DASD or network based storage system drivers for digital recording or reproducing units G06F3/06; circuits for error detection or correction within digital recording or reproducing units G11B20/18; for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS], H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0751 Error or fault detection not based on redundancy power supply failures G06F1/30; network fault management H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0769 Readable error formats, e.g. cross-platform generic formats, human understandable formats
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/079 Root cause analysis, i.e. error or fault diagnosis in a hardware test environment G06F11/22; in a software test environment G06F11/36
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/14 Error detection or correction of the data by redundancy in operation G06F11/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2007 using redundant communication media
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2015 Redundant power supplies power supply failure G06F1/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]

Abstract

A method for notifying a system administrator of a storage-system-related problem is disclosed. In one embodiment, such a method includes detecting a problem on a storage system comprising an array of storage drives. The method determines availability of a primary communication system used to notify a system administrator of the problem. In certain embodiments, this includes sending a message through the primary communication system and waiting for a response. In the event the primary communication system is available, the method notifies the system administrator of the problem through the primary communication system. In the event the primary communication system is not available, the method uses an SMS-based communication system to notify the system administrator of the problem. A corresponding system and computer program product are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for notifying a system administrator of a storage-system-related problem, the method comprising:

detecting a problem on a storage system comprising an array of storage drives;

determining availability of a primary communication system to notify a system administrator of the problem;

in the event the primary communication system is available, notifying the system administrator of the problem through the primary communication system; and

in the event the primary communication system is not available due to a catastrophic event, using an SMS-based communication system to notify the system administrator of the problem, wherein using the SMS-based communication system comprises communicating using a cellular network adapter and a SIM card installed on the storage system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining availability of a primary communication system comprises sending a message through the primary communication system and waiting for a response.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the primary communication system is determined to be available upon receiving the response.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the primary communication system is determined to be unavailable upon not receiving the response for a selected amount of time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the primary communication system is an email-based communication system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein using an SMS-based communication system further comprises communicating with the system administrator over a cellular network.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising using a battery to provide backup power to the cellular network adapter and SIM card.

8. A computer program product for notifying a system administrator of a storage-system-related problem, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-usable program code embodied therein, the computer-usable program code configured to perform the following when executed by at least one processor:

detect a problem on a storage system comprising an array of storage drives;

determine availability of a primary communication system to notify a system administrator of the problem;

in the event the primary communication system is available, notify the system administrator of the problem through the primary communication system; and

in the event the primary communication system is not available due to a catastrophic event, use an SMS-based communication system to notify the system administrator of the problem, wherein using the SMS-based communication system comprises communicating using a cellular network adapter and a SIM card installed on the storage system.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein determining availability of a primary communication system comprises sending a message through the primary communication system and waiting for a response.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the primary communication system is determined to be available upon receiving the response.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the primary communication system is determined to be unavailable upon not receiving the response for a selected amount of time.

12. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the primary communication system is an email-based communication system.

13. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein using an SMS-based communication system further comprises communicating with the system administrator over a cellular network.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein a battery is used to provide backup power to the cellular network adapter and SIM card.

15. A system for notifying a system administrator of a storage-system-related problem, the system comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one memory device coupled to the at least one processor and storing instructions for execution on the at least one processor, the instructions causing the at least one processor to;

detect a problem on a storage system comprising an array of storage drives;

determine availability of a primary communication system to notify a system administrator of the problem;

in the event the primary communication system is available, notify the system administrator of the problem through the primary communication system; and

in the event the primary communication system is not available due to a catastrophic event, use an SMS-based communication system to notify the system administrator of the problem, wherein using the SMS-based communication system comprises communicating using a cellular network adapter and a SIM card installed on the storage system.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein determining availability of a primary communication system comprises sending a message through the primary communication system and waiting for a response.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the primary communication system is determined to be available upon receiving the response.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the primary communication system is determined to be unavailable upon not receiving the response for a selected amount of time.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the primary communication system is an email-based communication system.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein using an SMS-based communication system further comprises communicating with the system administrator over a cellular network.