Storage configuration changing apparatus and method thereof

• US 20030220991A1
• Filed: 08/16/2002
• Published: 11/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Kaneda, Yasunori, Takaoka, Nobumitsu, Soejima, Kenichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,181,509 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/221
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0632 by initialisation or re-initialisation of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

A storage configuration is automatically changed depending on a storage configuration change schedule which is defined previously by a administrator. Moreover, it is verified whether a storage configuration can be formed or not at the time designated when the schedule is changed.

Claims

1. A storage configuration changing apparatus installed in a computer system in which one or more storage devices and one or more client computers using said storage devices are connected via a network, comprising:

storage device configuration information storage means including access control information from client computers for logical disk units within said storage devices;

configuration change schedule including an access control information configuration change schedule consisting of time for change of access control information and content of said change from said client computers for the logical disk units in said storage device configuration information storage means;

time management means for time management in said storage devices;

configuration change request accepting means for receiving, from said client computers, access control information change requests from said client computers for the logical disk units in said storage devices or said access control information change schedule change requests;

configuration change schedule verifying means for verifying whether said access control information change schedule change request received by said configuration change request accepting means can be processed normally at said requested time or not;

configuration change schedule management means for receiving, from said configuration change request accepting means, said access control information change schedule change request, verifying whether said change request can be processed normally using said configuration change schedule verifying means or not, changing, when said process is possible, said configuration change schedule by processing said request and generating said access information change request depending on said configuration change schedule using said time management means; and

configuration information management means for receiving said access information configuration change request from said configuration change request accepting means or from said configuration change schedule management means in order to change said storage configuration information.

2. A storage configuration changing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said storage configuration changing apparatus is provided within said storage device.

3. A storage configuration changing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein all or a part of said configuration change request accepting means, configuration change schedule management means, configuration change schedule verifying means, configuration information management means, time management means, configuration change schedule and storage configuration information are provided in said storage device.

4. A storage configuration changing apparatus installed in a computer system in which one or more storage devices and one or more client computers using said storage devices are connected via a network, comprising:

storage device configuration information storage means including a port process priority information which defines requested process priority for every port in said storage device;

configuration change schedule including a port process priority information change schedule consisting of time for changing port process priority information in said storage device configuration information and content of said change;

time management means for time management in said storage device;

configuration change request accepting means for receiving, from said client computers, the port process priority information change request in said storage device or said port process priority information change schedule change request;

configuration change schedule verifying means for verifying whether said port process priority information change schedule change request received by said configuration change request accepting means can be processed normally at said requested time or not;

configuration change schedule management means for receiving said port process priority information change schedule change request from said configuration change request accepting means, verifying whether said change request can be processed normally using said configuration change schedule verifying means or not, changing, when said process is possible, said configuration change schedule by processing said request and generating a port process priority information change request depending on said configuration change schedule using said time management means; and

configuration information management means for receiving said port process priority information change request from said configuration change request accepting means or from said configuration change schedule management means in order to change said storage configuration information.

5. A storage configuration changing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein all or a part of said configuration change request accepting means, configuration change schedule management means, configuration change schedule verifying means, configuration information management means, time management means, configuration change schedule and storage configuration information are provided in said storage device.

6. A storage configuration changing apparatus installed in a computer system in which one or more storage devices and one or more client computers using said storage devices are connected via a network, comprising:

storage device configuration information storage means including a path defining information of logical disk units in said storage device;

configuration change schedule including a path defining information change schedule consisting of time for changing path defining information of logical disk unit in said storage device configuration information storage means and content of said change;

time management means for time management in said storage device;

configuration change request accepting means for receiving, from said client computers, a path defining information change request of the logical disk unit in said storage device or said path defining information change schedule change request;

configuration change schedule verifying means for verifying whether said path defining information change schedule change request received by said configuration change request accepting means can be processed normally or not at said requested time;

configuration change schedule management means for receiving, from said configuration change request accepting means, said path defining information change schedule change request, verifying whether said change request can be processed normally or not using said configuration change schedule verifying means, changing, when said process is possible, said configuration change schedule by processing said request and generating a path defining information change request depending on said configuration change schedule using said time management means; and

configuration information management means for receiving said path defining information change request from said configuration change request accepting means or from said configuration change schedule management means in order to change said storage configuration information.

7. A storage configuration changing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein all or a part of said configuration change request accepting means, configuration change schedule management means, configuration change schedule verifying means, configuration information management means, time management means, configuration change schedule and storage configuration information are provided in said storage device.

8. A storage configuration changing apparatus installed in a computer system in which one or more storage devices and one or more client computers using said storage devices are connected via a network, comprising:

storage device configuration information storage means including cache assigning information of logical disk units in said storage device;

configuration change schedule including a cache assigning information change schedule consisting of time for changing cache assigning information of a logical disk unit in said storage device configuration information storage means and content of said change;

time management means for time management in said storage device;

configuration change request accepting means for receiving, from said client computers, a cache assigning information change request of the logical disk unit in said storage device or said cache assigning information change schedule change request;

configuration change schedule verifying means for verifying whether said cache assigning information change schedule change request received by said configuration change request accepting means can be processed normally or not at said requested time;

configuration change schedule management means for receiving, from said configuration change request accepting means, said cache assigning information change schedule change request, verifying whether said change request can be processed normally or not using said configuration change schedule verifying means, changing, when said process is possible, said configuration change schedule by processing said request and generating a cache assigning information change request depending on said configuration change schedule using said time management means; and

configuration information management means for receiving said cache assigning information change request from said configuration change request accepting means or said configuration change schedule management means in order to change said storage configuration information.

9. A storage configuration changing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein all or a part of said configuration change request accepting means, configuration change schedule management means, configuration change schedule verifying means, configuration information management means, time management means, configuration change schedule and storage configuration information are provided in said storage device.

10. A storage configuration changing apparatus installed in a computer system in which one or more storage devices and one or more client computers using said storage devices are connected via a network, comprising:

storage device configuration information storage means including a snapshot control information of logical disk units in said storage device;

configuration change schedule including a snapshot control information change schedule consisting of time for changing a snapshot control information of logical disk units in said storage device configuration information storage means and content of said change;

time management means for time management in said storage device;

configuration change request accepting means for receiving, from said client computers, a snapshot control information change request of logical disk unit in said storage device or said cache assigning information change schedule change request;

configuration change schedule verifying means for verifying whether said snapshot control information change schedule change request received by said configuration change request accepting means can be processed normally or not at said requested time;

configuration change schedule management means for receiving, from said configuration change request accepting means, said snapshot control information change schedule change request, verifying whether said change request can be processed normally or not using said configuration change schedule verifying means, changing, when said process is possible, said configuration change schedule by processing said request and generating a snapshot control information change request depending on said configuration change schedule using said time management means; and

configuration information management means for receiving said snapshot control information change request from said configuration change request accepting means or said configuration change schedule management means in order to change said storage configuration information.

11. A storage configuration changing method in a computer system in which one or more storage devices and one or more client computers using said storage devices are connected via a network, comprising steps of:

waiting for a process completion request or a configuration change schedule change request as long as a time-out period which is defined as the period until the next configuration change is executed in said configuration change schedule describing access control information from said client computers for the logical disk unit in said storage device, or a path information of said logical disk unit, or cache assigning information of said logical disk unit, or time for changing the setting of the port process priority in said storage device and content of said change;

completing the process when a cause of said completion of process is reception of a process completion request when said waiting step is completed;

verifying whether said received request can be processed normally or not at the time designated by said request if said cause of completion is reception of said configuration change schedule change request when said waiting step is completed and returning to said waiting step after changing said configuration change schedule when it is judged that said received request can be processed normally and returning an error when it is judged as a result of verification that said received request cannot be processed normally; and

returning to said waiting step, if said cause of completion is time-out when said waiting step is completed, after execution of configuration change process to be executed at the relevant time described in said configuration change schedule.