Storage management integrated system and storage control method for storage management integrated system

• US 20030163652A1
• Filed: 03/01/2002
• Published: 08/28/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Tsuge, Munetoshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,120,757 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/147
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0622 in relation to access
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0637 Permissions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0643 Management of files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

It is intended to achieve an arrangement wherein, when file information of shared disks which are distributed in a plurality of computers connected to a network are used, operating conditions at the time of accessing shared disks can be defined, thus enabling users to easily share files without being bothered by setting-up, or operations of computers located on the other side when they are to perform file sharing.

In order to achieve the above-stated arrangement, a storage management integrated server 100 is provided in a network, and respective computers register conditions, an accessibility states and use types pertaining to shared volume to be offered to the server. Thereafter, when a certain computer is to make a file accessing to a shared volume, the computer makes an inquiry to the storage management integrated server for an adequate access destination, determines, on the basis of a response from the server, computers which are suitable to the access source, and makes direct accesses to such computers.

Claims

1. A storage management integrated system in which computers having an auxiliary storage are connected to each other via a network, said system comprising:

a plurality of access computers; and

a storage management integrated server;

wherein said storage management integrated server has policy information which indicates a policy that said access computer accesses said auxiliary storage owned by another access computer,

said access computer as an access source designates file information stored in said auxiliary storage and inquires an access computer to be accessed of said storage management integrated server,

said storage management integrated server, based on said policy information, returns a candidate of said access computers to be accessed to said access computer as the access source, and

said access computer as the access source selects an access computer to be used when making access to a file from the access computer to be accessed which has been returned as the candidate, and make access to the access computer thus selected as an access destination.

2. A storage management integrated system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said access computer as the access source selects a candidate of the access computer that has been received from said storage management integrated server, and reports information on the selected access computers to be accessed to said storage management integrated server, and

the access computer to be accessed which has been accessed by said access computer as the access source reports the fact that access has been initiated to said storage management integrated server.

3. A storage management integrated system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said storage management integrated server retains location information of a file that is stored in said auxiliary storage.

4. A storage management integrated system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said access computer as the access source retains location information of a file that is stored in said auxiliary storage.

5. A storage management integrated system as claimed in claim 1, wherein, said policy information owned by said storage management integrated server has definitions of a type of computer, total available space of the auxiliary storage, information on an accessibility state, and priority for selecting a computer, for respective access computers.

6. A storage management integrated system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising proxy access computers as a plurality of said access computers;

wherein said storage management integrated server, when receiving an inquiry from said access computer as the access source, designates and returns said proxy access computer as an candidate for an access destination in addition to said access computer to be accessed to said access computer as the access source, and

said access computer as the access source can, in addition to making direct access to said access computer to be accessed, access said access computer to be accessed via said proxy access computer.

7. A storage management integrated system as claimed in claim 1, comprising a plurality of said storage management integrated servers,

wherein, when said access computer as the access source inquires an access computer to be accessed of a first storage management integrated server and if no access computer that corresponds to an access computer managed by said first storage management integrated server exist, said first storage management integrated server transfers such inquiry to a second storage management integrated server, and

if an access computer that corresponds to an access computer managed by said second storage management integrated server exist, said second storage management integrated server returns a candidate for said access computer to be accessed back to said access computer.

8. A storage management integrated system as claimed in claim 3, wherein location information of a file stored in said auxiliary storage includes information about a storage management integrated server to which an inquiry will be transferred.

9. A storage management control method of a storage management integrated system in which computers having auxiliary storage are connected to each other via a network, said storage management integrated system comprising:

a plurality of access computers; and

a storage management integrated server;

wherein said storage management integrated server has policy information which indicates a policy that said access computer accesses said auxiliary storage owned by another access computer,

said method comprising;

a step in which said access computer as an access source designates file information stored in said auxiliary storage and inquires an access computer to be accessed of said storage management integrated server,

a step in which said storage management integrated server, based on said policy information, returns a candidate of said access computers to be accessed to said access computer as the access source, and

a step in which said access computer as the access source selects an access computer to be used when making access to a file from the access computer to be accessed which has been returned as the candidate, and make access to the access computer thus selected as an access destination.

10. A storage management control method of a storage management integrated system as claimed in claim 9, further comprising:

a step in which said access computer as the access source selects a candidate of the access computer that has been received from said storage management integrated server, and reports information on the selected access computers to be accessed to said storage management integrated server, and

a step in which the access computer to be accessed which has been accessed by said access computer as the access source reports the fact that access has been initiated to said storage management integrated server.

11. A storage management control method of a storage management integrated system as claimed in claim 9, wherein said storage management integrated server retains location information of a file that is stored in said auxiliary storage.

12. A storage management control method of a storage management integrated system as claimed in claim 9, wherein said access computer as the access source retains location information of a file that is stored in said auxiliary storage.

13. A storage management control method of a storage management integrated system as claimed in claim 9, wherein, said policy information owned by said storage management integrated server has definitions of a type of computer, total available space of the auxiliary storage, information on an accessibility state, and priority for selecting a computer, for respective access computers.

14. A storage management control method of a storage management integrated system as claimed in claim 9, wherein said storage management integrated system further comprises proxy access computers as a plurality of said access computers;

and wherein said storage management integrated server, when receiving an inquiry from said access computer as the access source, designates and returns said proxy access computer as an candidate for an access destination in addition to said access computer to be accessed to said access computer as the access source, and

said access computer as the access source can, in addition to making direct access to said access computer to be accessed, access said access computer to be accessed via said proxy access computer.

15. A storage management control method of a storage management integrated system as claimed in claim 9, wherein said system comprises a plurality of said storage management integrated servers;

and wherein, when said access computer as the access source inquires an access computer to be accessed of a first storage management integrated server and if no access computer that corresponds to an access computer managed by said first storage management integrated server exist, said first storage management integrated server transfers such inquiry to a second storage management integrated server, and

if an access computer that corresponds to an access computer managed by said second storage management integrated server exist, said second storage management integrated server returns a candidate for said access computer to be accessed back to said access computer.

16. A storage management control method of a storage management integrated system as claimed in claim 9, wherein location information of a file stored in said auxiliary storage includes information about a storage management integrated server to which an inquiry will be transferred.