Remote reconfiguration system

• US 20020026549A1
• Filed: 07/31/2001
• Published: 02/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Mullen, Anthony J., Slattery, Madeleine M., Powers, Tracy D., Edwards, Linda D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,269,641 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/083 for increasing network speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks

Abstract

A reconfiguration system, and associated methods, for remotely reconfiguring a client'"'"'s date storage system. The system includes a storage management host communicatively linked with a reconfiguration center. The storage management host is installed at a customer'"'"'s site within a data storage system, which includes at least one data storage subsystem in a first configuration with a one or more master data storage units and hosts. The storage management host may be a terminal server that provides both Ethernet access to a local area network connected to the master storage units and serial communication with the master storage units. The reconfiguration center receives a reconfiguration request for the client data storage system and creates and transmits a logical implementation of a second configuration. The client data storage system operates to process the logical implementation to configure the data storage subsystem in the second configuration.

Claims

1. A remote reconfiguration computer system, comprising:

a storage management host installed in a client data storage system, wherein the client data storage system includes a data storage subsystem having a first configuration and comprising at least one master storage unit for storing data and providing access to the stored data and one host linked to the master storage unit, and further wherein the storage management host is communicatively linked to and adapted to provide remote access to the master storage unit and the host; and

a remotely located reconfiguration center communicatively linked to the storage management host configured for receiving a reconfiguration request for the client data storage system and for transferring a logical implementation of a second configuration to the client data storage system via the storage management host, wherein the client data storage system is operable to process the logical implementation to configure the data storage subsystem in the second configuration.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the storage management host is a terminal server configured to provide Ethernet connection to a local area network (LAN) connected to the host and the master storage unit.

3. The computer system of claim 2, wherein the storage management host is further configured to provide serial connection with the master storage unit.

4. The computer system of claim 1, further including a second data storage subsystem having at least one master storage unit and at least one host linked to the master storage unit and wherein the master storage unit of the second data storage subsystem is a different type of data storage device than the master storage unit of the other data storage subsystem.

5. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the transferred logical implementation includes executables that affect a change in the first configuration selected from the group consisting of a logical unit number (LUN) size change, cache blocking, establishing hot standby, changing RAID, logically moving the master storage unit or a portion thereof, mainframe device type changing, adding channels, and increasing performance.

6. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the reconfiguration center includes a modem and the client data storage system includes a dialback modem, wherein the dialback modem is adapted to respond to a connection initiated from the modem by requesting entry of a password, to verify an entered password, to upon verification of the password disconnect the connection and initiate a connection to the modem.

7. A method for remotely reconfiguring a data storage system, comprising:

installing a storage management host within a client data storage system and communicatively linking the storage management host to a remotely-located reconfiguration system and to a master storage unit in the client data storage system;

transferring from the reconfiguration system a logical implementation of a data storage system configuration to the storage management host; and

executing the logical implementation to reconfigure the master storage unit from a first to a second configuration.

8. The method of claim 7, further including prior to the transferring, receiving a reconfiguration request for the client data storage system and determining the first configuration.

9. The method of claim 8, further including identifying a predetermined level of reconfiguration services from a plurality of service level options and creating the logical implementation based on the identified level of reconfiguration services.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the service level options comprises services selected from the group consisting of changing logical unit number (LUN) size, cache blocking, establishing hot standby, changing RAID, logically moving the master storage unit or a portion thereof, changing mainframe device type, adding channels, increasing performance, and providing ongoing configuration monitoring.

11. The method of claim 7, further including remotely verifying and testing the second configuration.

12. The method of claim 7, further including prior to the transferring, monitoring the client data storage system and based on the monitoring, transmitting a recommended reconfiguration for the master storage unit.

14. The method of claim 13, further including if the contract determining fails to identify a valid contract, establishing a contract for a selectable level of reconfiguring services, updating the reconfiguration contracts file, collecting a method of payment, and submitting collected information to a financial center for invoicing for the reconfiguration services.

15. The method of claim 13, further including if the customer request is not from a preexisting client, collecting customer information including information on a first configuration for the data storage system, utilizing the customer information to identify reconfiguration services and equipment for the reconfiguration services, and performing the reconfiguration to alter the data storage system from the first configuration to a second configuration.

16. The method of claim 15, further including prior to the performing determining whether a reconfiguring services contract is to be formed, if a contract is to be formed, establishing a contract including an indication of a level of reconfiguration services and updating the reconfigurations contracts file.

13. A method of providing reconfiguration services, comprising:

receiving a customer request for reconfiguration services for a data storage system;

determining if the customer request originated with a preexisting client or a new client;

if from a preexisting client, routing the customer request to a remote reconfiguration center for processing and obtaining client information;

determining if a valid contract is in a reconfiguration contracts file in memory; and

if a valid contract is located, remotely reconfiguring the data storage system.