System and method for consolidated reporting of characteristics for a group of file systems

• US 20020175938A1
• Filed: 05/22/2001
• Published: 11/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
• Original Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
• Inventors: Hackworth, Brian M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,171,414 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/751
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 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]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A system and method enables one or more storage volumes and associated devices on one or more storage appliances (filers) to be combined or consolidated into arbitrary groups so that statistical information related to performance, operational status and other usage-based parameters can be made available to interested parties associated with the group. The volumes can drawn from different storage appliances and grouped so as to allow administration and access by a common group of administrators or users. The statistical information can be compared to threshold values to generate events. The events can be e-mailed or otherwise transmitted to interested parties. The statistical information can also be organized and displayed in a variety of formats as a web page on a graphical user interface that resides on a management station and/or client display of an interested party.

Claims

1. A system for reporting information related to predetermined storage volumes in a network including at least one storage appliance comprising:

a monitor process that identifies volumes and retrieves statistical information with respect to the volumes;

an interface adapted to enable volumes to be associated with a group; and

a reporting process that organizes and displays the statistical information with respect to the volumes associated with the group to interested parties.

2. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the reporting process includes an event process for determining identities of the interested parties with respect to a predetermined event condition with respect to the volumes based upon the statistical information and for notifying the interested parties.

3. The system as set forth in claim 2 wherein the event conditions include parameters of the volume and an associated device of the volume that exceed threshold levels.

4. The system as set forth in claim 3 wherein the parameters include at least one of a central processing utilization level, a storage disk free space, a storage disk used space, an environmental condition and operational status.

5. The system as set forth in claim 3 wherein the event process includes is adapted to e-mail event information to at least some of the interested parties.

6. The system as set forth in claim 5 wherein the e-mail of the event information includes web links for use by the interested parties.

7. The system as set forth in claim 3 further comprising a database that retains information with respect to the interested parties and the threshold levels for the parameters.

8. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the each of the volumes are attached to each of a plurality of filers, respectively.

9. The system as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a command process for generating web pages that report the statistical information to at least some of the interested parties.

10. The system as set forth in claim 9 wherein the web pages are constructed and arranged as graphical user interfaces that enable display of the statistical information in a plurality of predetermined windows and boxes within the windows based upon selection criteria entered by the interested parties.

11. The system as set forth in claim 10 further comprising alerts displayed on the graphical user interface based upon problems identified by the monitor process with respect to the volumes or devices associated with the volumes.

12. The system as set forth in claim 11 wherein the alerts are color-coded based upon severity of the problems, respectively.

13. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the reporting process is adapted to consolidate the statistical information from one or more volumes on one or more of the volumes on one or more storage appliances into the group.

15. The graphical user interface as set forth in claim 14 wherein the information includes at least one of central processing unit usage, volume disk free space, volume disk used space;

environmental conditions;

general operational status and events in which an operational parameter exceeds a predetermined threshold.

16. The graphical user in interface as set forth in claim 15 wherein the events include alerts that are color-coded based upon severity of a problem.

17. The graphical user interface as set forth in claim 15 further comprising a link box that directs a user to network or Internet-based utilities in connection with the information.

18. The graphical user interface as set forth in claim 14 wherein each display window is formatted as a web page and is displayed on a web browser.

20. The method as set forth in claim 19 wherein the step of reporting includes emailing the statistical information to at least some of the interested parties.

21. The method as set forth in claim 20 further comprising formatting a web page containing the statistical information in a predetermined display format.

22. The method as set forth in claim 21 further comprising changing the predetermined display format based upon user-selected criteria.

23. The method as set forth in claim 19 wherein the step of organizing and displaying includes displaying event information related to predetermined of the statistical information that exceeds desired parameters.

24. The method as set forth in claim 23 wherein the step of displaying the event information includes providing color-coded alerts that indicated a severity of a problem associated with the respective event.

27. The method as set forth in claim 26 further comprising comparing known predetermined threshold values to parameters of the statistical information generating an event condition when the at least one of the parameters exceeds at least one of the threshold values, respectively.

28. The method as set forth in claim 21 further comprising notifying at least one of the interested parties based upon the event condition using an electronic message.

14. A graphical user interface for use with a management station or client attached to a network having storage volumes comprising:

a display window that enables at least one of the volumes to be selectively associated with a desired group of interested parties; and

a display window that shows information related to performance and status of the volumes of the group based upon criteria selected by the user.

19. A method for reporting information related to predetermined storage volumes in a network including at least one storage appliance comprising the steps of:

identifying volumes and retrieving statistical information with respect to the volumes;

associating at least one of the identified volumes with a group; and

organizing and displaying the statistical information with respect to the volumes associated with the group to interested parties.

25. A computer-readable medium operating on a computer in a network that includes one or more storage appliance having volumes, the computer-readable medium including program instructions for performing the steps of:

identifying storage volumes and retrieving statistical information with respect to the volumes;

associating at least one of the identified volumes with a group; and

organizing and displaying the statistical information with respect to the volumes associated with the group to interested parties.

26. A method for organizing and displaying information with respect to one or more volumes on one or more storage appliances attached to a network, each of the volumes having statistical information associated therewith, the method comprising the steps of:

establishing a group of one or more of the volumes based upon predetermined reporting criteria; and

consolidating statistical information collected with respect to the volumes in the group for display to interested parties.