Method and apparatus for dynamically modifying a computer system configuration

• US 20040230787A1
• Filed: 06/02/2004
• Published: 11/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Cohen, Steven, Blumenau, Steven M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,519,696 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0629 Configuration or reconfiguration of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0653 Monitoring storage devices or systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0683 Plurality of storage devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers

Abstract

One embodiment is directed to a method and apparatus for modifying a configuration of a computer system including a host computer and at least one computer system resource accessible to at least one application program executing on the host computer. The computer system is dynamically reconfigured, without reinitializing the host computer or the application program, to alter a manner in which the at least one application program accesses the at least one computer system resource. Another embodiment is directed to a method and apparatus for responding to changes in a configuration of the computer system impacting a manner in which the at least one computer system resource is accessed by the host computer. Information relating to a first configuration of the computer system at a first point in time is stored, the first configuration relating to a first manner of accessing the at least one computer system resource by the host computer. A second configuration of the computer system at a second point in time is determined, the second configuration relating to a second manner of accessing the at least one computer system resource by the host computer. The second configuration of the computer system is compared with the first configuration to determine whether the second configuration differs from the first configuration. When it is determined that the second configuration differs from the first configuration, the second manner of accessing the at least one computer system resource by the host computer is determined.

Claims

1. In a computer system including a host computer and at least one computer system resource accessible to at least one application program executing on the host computer, wherein the host computer comprises an operating system and the operating system uses at least one identifier to enable access by the host computer to the at least one computer system resource, the at least one identifier identifying the at least one computer system resource, a method of reconfiguring the computer system, the method comprising a step of:

A) dynamically reconfiguring the computer system, without reinitializing the host computer or the application program, in response to a change in a configuration of the computer system that changes the at least one identifier used by the operating system to enable access by the host computer to the at least one computer system resource, to alter a manner in which the at least one application program accesses the at least one computer system resource.

2. The method of claim 1, further including steps of:

B) prior to the step (A), suspending input/output (I/O) operations from the application program directed to the at least one computer system resource; and

(C) subsequent to the step (A), resuming I/O operations from the application program directed to the at least one computer system resource.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one computer system resource includes a storage system including a plurality of storage devices accessible by the host computer;

the host computer includes an application layer owning a plurality of logical objects;

the computer system further includes a mapping entity that includes at least one mapping layer mapping the plurality of logical objects from the application layer to a physical layer relating to the plurality of storage devices; and

the step (A) includes a step of dynamically updating the at least one mapping layer to reflect a change in the configuration of the computer system without reinitializing the mapping entity.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising a step of:

B) creating the mapping layer to include, for each one of the plurality of storage devices accessible by the host computer, a first component of information that uniquely identifies the one of the plurality of storage devices accessible by the host computer using information dependent upon a configuration of the storage system and a second component of information that uniquely identifies the one of the plurality of storage devices accessible by the host computer using information obtainable from the storage system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one computer system resource includes a storage system storing at least one logical volume of data, the storage system having at least first and second ports through which the at least one logical volume of data can be made accessible to the at least one application program executing on the host computer;

and

wherein the step (A) includes a step of dynamically reconfiguring the computer system from a first configuration to a second configuration, wherein in the first configuration the at least one logical volume is accessible to the at least one application program executing on the host computer via the first port of the storage system, and wherein in the second configuration the at least one logical volume is accessible to the at least one application program executing on the host computer via the second port of the storage system.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the step (A) includes a step of dynamically reconfiguring the computer system from a first configuration to a second configuration, wherein at least one physical connection between the host computer and the storage system differs between the first and second configurations.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one computer system resource includes a plurality of storage systems each storing a plurality of logical volumes of data, the plurality of storage systems including a first storage system and a second storage system;

and

wherein the step (A) includes a step of dynamically reconfiguring the computer system to move at least one of the plurality of logical volumes of data from the first storage system to the second storage system.

8. A computer readable medium encoded with a reconfiguration program for execution on a host computer in a computer system including the host computer and at least one computer system resource accessible to at least one application program executing on the host computer, wherein the host computer comprises an operating system and the operating system uses at least one identifier to enable access by the host computer to the at least one computer system resource, the at least one identifier identifying the at least one computer system resource, the reconfiguration program, when executed on the host computer, performs a method of reconfiguring the computer system, the method comprising a step of:

A) dynamically reconfiguring the computer system, without reinitializing the host computer or the application program, in response to a change in a configuration of the computer system that changes the at least one identifier used by the operating system to enable access by the host computer to the at least one computer system resource, to alter a manner in which the at least one application program accesses the at least one computer system resource.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein:

the at least one computer system resource includes a storage system including a plurality of storage devices accessible by the host computer;

the host computer includes an application layer owning a plurality of logical objects;

the computer system further includes a mapping entity that includes at least one mapping layer mapping the plurality of logical objects from the application layer to a physical layer relating to the plurality of storage devices; and

the step (A) includes a step of dynamically updating the at least one mapping layer to reflect a change in the configuration of the computer system without reinitializing the mapping entity.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 9, further comprising a step of:

B) creating the mapping layer to include, for each one of the plurality of storage devices accessible by the host computer, a first component of information that uniquely identifies the one of the plurality of storage devices accessible by the host computer using information dependent upon a configuration of the storage system and a second component of information that uniquely identifies the one of the plurality of storage devices accessible by the host computer using information obtainable from the storage system.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the at least one computer system resource includes a storage system storing at least one logical volume of data, the storage system having at least first and second ports through which the at least one logical volume of data can be made accessible to the at least one application program executing on the host computer;

and

wherein the step (A) includes a step of dynamically reconfiguring the computer system from a first configuration to a second configuration, wherein in the first configuration the at least one logical volume is accessible to the at least one application program executing on the host computer via the first port of the storage system, and wherein in the second configuration the at least one logical volume is accessible to the at least one application program executing on the host computer via the second port of the storage system.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the step (A) includes a step of dynamically reconfiguring the computer system from a first configuration to a second configuration, wherein at least one physical connection between the host computer and the storage system differs between the first and second configurations.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the at least one computer system resource includes a plurality of storage systems each storing a plurality of logical volumes of data, the plurality of storage systems including a first storage system and a second storage system;

and

wherein the step (A) includes a step of dynamically reconfiguring the computer system to move at least one of the plurality of logical volumes of data from the first storage system to the second storage system.

14. A host computer for use in a computer system including the host computer and at least one computer system resource accessible to at least one application program executing on the host computer, the host computer comprising:

an operating system and the operating system uses at least one identifier to enable access by the host computer to the at least one computer system resource, the at least one identifier identifying the at least one computer system resource; and

at least one controller to dynamically reconfigure the computer system, without reinitializing the host computer or the application program, in response to a change in a configuration of the computer system that changes the at least one identifier used by the operating system to enable access by the host computer to the at least one computer system resource, to alter a manner in which the at least one application program accesses the at least one computer system resource.

15. The host computer of claim 14, wherein:

the at least one computer system resource includes a storage system including a plurality of storage devices accessible by the host computer;

the host computer includes an application layer owning a plurality of logical objects and a mapping entity that includes at least one mapping layer mapping the plurality of logical objects from the application layer to a physical layer relating to the plurality of storage devices; and

the at least one controller is further configured to dynamically update the at least one mapping layer to reflect a change in the configuration of the computer system without reinitializing the mapping entity.

16. The host computer of claim 15, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to:

create the mapping layer to include, for each one of the plurality of storage devices accessible by the host computer, a first component of information that uniquely identifies the one of the plurality of storage devices accessible by the host computer using information dependent upon a configuration of the storage system and a second component of information that uniquely identifies the one of the plurality of storage devices accessible by the host computer using information obtainable from the storage system.

17. The host computer of claim 14, wherein the at least one computer system resource includes a storage system storing at least one logical volume of data, the storage system having at least first and second ports through which the at least one logical volume of data can be made accessible to the at least one application program executing on the host computer;

and

wherein the at least one controller is further configured to dynamically reconfigure the computer system from a first configuration to a second configuration, wherein in the first configuration the at least one logical volume is accessible to the at least one application program executing on the host computer via the first port of the storage system, and wherein in the second configuration the at least one logical volume is accessible to the at least one application program executing on the host computer via the second port of the storage system.

18. The host computer of claim 15, wherein the at least one controller is configured to:

dynamically reconfigure the computer system from a first configuration to a second configuration, wherein at least one physical connection between the host computer and the storage system differs between the first and second configurations.

19. The host computer of claim 14, wherein the at least one computer system resource includes a plurality of storage systems each storing a plurality of logical volumes of data, the plurality of storage systems including a first storage system and a second storage system;

and

wherein the at least one controller is configured to dynamically reconfigure the computer system to move at least one of the plurality of logical volumes of data from the first storage system to the second storage system.