Method and system for displaying the configuration of storage network

• US 20030195953A1
• Filed: 02/13/2003
• Published: 10/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Suzuki, Masao, Kuroda, Takaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,003,567 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• 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 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

It is an object of the present invention to provide the function for displaying the configuration of storages not in a form peculiar to a storage system but in a more general purpose system. The present invention provides a method and system for displaying the configuration of a storage network, wherein each piece of apparatus constituting the storage network is connected to a control network different from the storage network connecting the pieces of apparatus to one another, and configuration information about each piece of apparatus is acquired using the control network, and a screen for displaying the configuration of the storage network is generated and displayed based on the acquired configuration information.

Claims

1. A method for displaying the configuration of a storage network, comprising the steps of:

connecting each piece of apparatus constituting said storage network to a control network different from said storage network connecting said pieces of apparatus to one another;

acquiring configuration information of said pieces of apparatus by use of said control network;

generating a screen indicating the configuration of said storage network based on said acquired configuration information; and

displaying said generated screen.

2. A method for displaying the configuration of a storage network, comprising the steps of:

connecting each piece of apparatus constituting said storage network to a control network different from said storage network connecting said pieces of apparatus to one another;

detecting apparatus classification of each piece of apparatus included in said storage network by use of said control network;

attempting access unique to said detected apparatus classification of each piece of apparatus to said piece of apparatus so as to acquire information of pieces of apparatus connected to said piece of apparatus and information of a connection state of said piece of apparatus;

generating a screen for displaying the configuration of said storage network based on said acquired information; and

displaying said generated screen.

3. A method for displaying the configuration of a storage network, comprising the steps of:

connecting each piece of apparatus of hosts, switches and disk units constituting said storage network to a control network different from said storage network connecting said pieces of apparatus to one another;

detecting apparatus classification of each piece of apparatus included in said storage network by use of said control network;

issuing a query unique to a switch when said detected apparatus classification of each piece of apparatus is a switch, so as to acquire information about which piece of apparatus is connected to which port of said switch, and issuing a query unique to a RAID when said detected apparatus classification of each piece of apparatus is a RAID, so as to acquire information about which host has access to disks of said RAID;

generating a screen for displaying the configuration of said storage network based on said acquired information; and

displaying said generated screen.

4. A method for displaying the configuration of a storage network according to claim 3, wherein said control network is a TCP/IP network.

5. A method for displaying the configuration of a storage network according to claim 4, wherein said screen for displaying the configuration of said storage network includes a fabric view indicating the connection relationship among hosts, switches connected to said hosts, and disk units connected to said switches.

6. A method for displaying the configuration of a storage network according to claim 4, wherein said screen for displaying the configuration of said storage network includes a storage device view indicating the connection relationship among logical devices in disk units, logical units corresponding to said logical devices, and ports of switches using said logical units.

7. A computer readable medium, comprising:

code for connecting each piece of apparatus constituting a storage network to a control network different from said storage network connecting said pieces of apparatus to one another;

code for detecting apparatus classification of each piece of apparatus included in said storage network by use of said control network;

code for attempting access unique to said detected apparatus classification of each piece of apparatus to said piece of apparatus so as to acquire information of pieces of apparatus connected to said piece of apparatus and information of a connection state of said piece of apparatus;

code for generating a screen for displaying the configuration of said storage network based on said acquired information; and

code for displaying said generated screen.

8. A storage medium storing a configuration display program for displaying the configuration of a storage network, said configuration display program including the steps of:

connecting each piece of apparatus of hosts, switches and disk units constituting said storage network to a control network different from said storage network connecting said pieces of apparatus to one another;

detecting apparatus classification of each piece of apparatus included in said storage network by use of said control network;

issuing a query unique to a switch when said detected apparatus classification of each piece of apparatus is a switch, so as to acquire information about which piece of apparatus is connected to which port of said switch, and issuing a query unique to a RAID when said detected apparatus classification of each piece of apparatus is a RAID, so as to acquire information about which host has access to disks of said RAID;

generating a screen for displaying the configuration of said storage network based on said acquired information; and

displaying said generated screen.