Method and apparatus for seamless management for disaster recovery

• US 20040181707A1
• Filed: 03/11/2003
• Published: 09/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Fujibayashi, Akira
• Application Number:
  US10/387,188
• Publication Number:
  US 20040181707A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/6
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/008 Reliability or availability analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/20 using active fault-masking, e.g. by switching out faulty elements or by switching in spare elements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2069 Management of state, configuration or failover
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2094 Redundant storage or storage space G06F11/2056 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/275 Synchronous replication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/22 using redundant apparatus to increase reliability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

A method, apparatus, article of manufacture, and system are presented for establishing redundant computer resources. According to one embodiment, in a system including a plurality of processor devices and a plurality of storage devices, the processor devices, the storage devices and the management server being connected via a network, the method comprises storing device information relating to the processor devices and the storage devices and topology information relating to topology of the network, identifying at least one primary computer resource, selecting at least one secondary computer resource suitable to serve as a redundant resource corresponding to the at least one primary computer resource based on the device information and the topology information, and assigning the at least one secondary computer resource as a redundant resource corresponding to the at least one primary computer resource.

Claims

1. A method for a management server to establish redundant computer resources in a system including a plurality of processor devices and a plurality of storage devices, the processor devices, the storage devices and the management server being connected via a network, said method comprising:

storing device information relating to the processor devices and the storage devices and topology information relating to topology of the network, the device information including at least software information thereon;

identifying at least one primary computer resource, said at least one primary computer resource including at least one primary processor device and at least one portion of storage implemented in at least one primary storage device;

selecting at least one secondary computer resource suitable to serve as a redundant resource corresponding to said at least one primary computer resource based on the device information and the topology information, said at least one secondary computer resource including at least one secondary processor device and at least one portion of storage implemented in at least one secondary storage device, said at least one secondary processor device being a member of a cluster which said at least one primary processor device is a member of, said at least one portion of storage implemented in said at least one secondary storage device being accessible from said at least one secondary processor device; and

assigning said at least one secondary computer resource as a redundant resource corresponding to said at least one primary computer resource.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein if the at least one primary storage device has storage-based remote mirroring function, the at least one secondary computer resource is selected such that the at least one secondary storage device also has storage-based remote mirroring function and is accessible from the at least one primary storage device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one secondary computer resource is selected based on at least one user-specified policy.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein said at least one user-specified policy includes performance of said at least one secondary computer resource.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein said at least one user-specified policy includes reliability of said at least one secondary computer resource.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein said at least one user-specified policy includes cost of said at least one secondary computer resource.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said step for selecting said at least one secondary computer resource comprises the steps of:

selecting at least one candidate suitable to serve as a redundant resource corresponding to said at least one primary computer resource;

presenting said at least one candidate to a user; and

receiving input from said user indicating selection, from said at least one candidate, of said at least one secondary computer resource.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said at least one candidate is selected based on at least one user-specified policy.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one primary computer resource includes a first network interface device for the network;

and

wherein said at least one secondary computer resource includes a second network interface device for the network.

10. A method for a user to accomplish establishing redundant computer resources in a system including a plurality of processor devices and a plurality of storage devices, the processor devices and the storage devices being connected via a network, said method comprising:

issuing a command to begin establishing redundant computer resources for at least one primary computer resource which includes at least one primary processor and at least one portion of storage implemented in at least one primary storage device; and

specifying at least one policy to influence selection of at least a secondary computer resource suitable to serve as a redundant resource corresponding to the at least one primary computer resource, said selection based on device information relating to the processor devices and the storage devices and topology information relating to topology of the network.

11. A method for a user to accomplish establishing redundant computer resources in a system including a plurality of processor devices and a plurality of storage devices, the processor devices and the storage devices being connected via a network, said method comprising:

issuing a command to begin establishing redundant computer resources for at least one primary computer resource which includes at least one primary processor and at least one portion of storage implemented in at least one primary storage device;

reviewing at least one candidate suitable to serve as a redundant resource corresponding to the at least one primary computer resource, said at least one candidate being selected based on device information relating to the processor devices and the storage devices and topology information relating to topology of the network; and

selecting from said at least one candidate at least one secondary computer resource.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of specifying at least one policy to influence selection of said at least one candidate.

13. An apparatus for establishing redundant computer resources in a system including a plurality of processor devices and a plurality of storage devices, the processor devices and the storage devices being connected via a network, the apparatus comprising:

a management server connected via the network and adapted to store device information relating to the processor devices and the storage devices and topology information relating to topology of the network;

at least one management agent communicatively coupled to the management server, the at least one management agent adapted to collect the device information and topology information;

wherein the management server is further adopted to select at least one secondary computer resource suitable to serve as a redundant resource corresponding to at least one primary computer resource based on the device information and topology information, the at least one primary computer resource including at least one primary processor device and at least one portion of storage implemented in at least one primary storage device, the at least one secondary computer resource including at least one secondary processor device and at least one portion of storage implemented in at least one secondary storage device.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said management server is adapted to select said at least one secondary computer resource based on at least one user-specified policy.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said at least one user-specified policy includes performance of said at least one secondary computer resource.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said at least one user-specified policy includes reliability of said at least one secondary computer resource.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said at least one user-specified policy includes cost of said at least one secondary computer resource.

18. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said management server is further adapted to select at least one candidate, to be presented to a user, suitable to serve as a redundant resource corresponding to said at least one primary computer resource, and

wherein said server is further adapted to receive indication of said user'"'"'s selection, from said at least one candidate, of said at least one secondary computer resource.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said at least one candidate is selected based on at least one user-specified policy.

20. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said at least one primary computer resource includes a first network interface device for the network;

and

wherein said at least one secondary computer resource includes a second network interface device for the network.

21. An article of manufacture comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for a management server to establish redundant computer resources in a system including a plurality of processor devices and a plurality of storage devices, the processor devices, the storage devices and the management server being connected via a network, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture comprising;

computer readable program code means for storing device information relating to the processor devices and the storage devices and topology information relating to topology of the network, the device information including at least software information thereon;

computer readable program code means for identifying at least one primary computer resource, said at least one primary computer resource including at least one primary processor device and at least one portion of storage implemented in at least one primary storage device;

computer readable program code means for selecting at least one secondary computer resource suitable to serve as a redundant resource corresponding to said at least one primary computer resource based on the device information and the topology information, said at least one secondary computer resource including at least one secondary processor device and at least one portion of storage implemented in at least one secondary storage device; and

computer readable program code means for assigning said at least one secondary computer resource as a redundant resource corresponding to said at least one primary computer resource.

22. A system for a management server to establishing redundant computer resources in a system including a plurality of processor devices and a plurality of storage devices, the processor devices, the storage devices and the management server being connected via a network, said system comprising:

means for storing device information relating to the processor devices and the storage devices and topology information relating to topology of the network, the device information including at least software information thereon;

means for identifying at least one primary computer resource, said at least one primary computer resource including at least one primary processor device and at least one portion of storage implemented in at least one primary storage device;

means for selecting at least one secondary computer resource suitable to serve as a redundant resource corresponding to said at least one primary computer resource based on the device information and the topology information, said at least one secondary computer resource including at least one secondary processor device and at least one portion of storage implemented in at least one secondary storage device; and

means for assigning said at least one secondary computer resource as a redundant resource corresponding to said at least one primary computer resource.

23. A method for a management server to establish redundant computer resources in a system including a plurality of processor devices and a plurality of storage devices, the processor devices, the storage devices and the management server being connected via a network, said method comprising:

storing device information relating to the processor devices and the storage devices and topology information relating to topology of the network;

identifying at least one primary computer resource, said at least one primary computer resource including at least one primary processor device and at least one portion of storage implemented in at least one primary storage device, a cluster software being installed in the at least one primary processor device;

selecting at least one secondary computer resource suitable to serve as a redundant resource corresponding to said at least one primary computer resource based on at least one user-specified policy, the device information and the topology information, said at least one secondary computer resource including at least one secondary processor device and at least one portion of storage implemented in at least one secondary storage device;

if the cluster software is not installed in the at least one secondary processor device,

installing the cluster software in the at least one secondary processor device;

turning the at least one secondary processor device into a member of a cluster which said at least one primary processor device is a member of; and

assigning said at least one secondary computer resource as a redundant resource corresponding to said at least one primary computer resource.