Apparatus and method of supporting configuration of storage system

• US 20040260672A1
• Filed: 02/24/2004
• Published: 12/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Tanaka, Hideyuki, Terai, Sachiko, Iwatani, Sawao
• Granted Patent: US 7,203,770 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• 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 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing

Abstract

On the screen of a computer, a server, a storage device and an FC switch are virtually provided and these devices are connected by a physical path. When an instance is generated in the server and the instance is dragged/dropped into the storage device, both the command to establish a multipath and the command to acquire a data area corresponding to the instance in the storage device are automatically generated. These commands are transmitted to the respective devices of an actually configured storage system.

Claims

1. An apparatus for supporting a configuration of a storage system including an upper level device with at lease one port, an input/output device with at least one port and a path control device provided between the upper level device and the input/output device, comprising:

a first information acquisition unit which acquires information about the upper level device, the input/output device and the path control device;

a second information acquisition unit which acquires information about a physical connection among the upper level device, the input/output device and the path control device;

a path information generation unit which generates path information about a logical path to be established between the upper level device and the input/output device through the path control device based on the information acquired by said first and the second information acquisition units;

an instruction preparation unit which prepares instruction to control conditions of the upper level device, the input/output device and the path control device based on the path information generated by said path information generation unit; and

a transmission unit which transmits the instruction prepared by said instruction preparation unit to the upper level device, the input/output device and the path control device.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

an allocation unit which allocates temporary port information to respective ports provided in the upper level device and the input/output device, wherein

said path information generation unit generates the path information using the temporary port information.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising

an inquiry unit which inquires port information of respective ports provided in an upper level device and an input/output device provided in an actually configured storage system, wherein

said path information generation unit replaces the temporary port information being used in the previously prepared path information with actual port information obtained by the inquiry.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said path information generation unit detects a logical path that can be established between the upper level device and the input/output device based on the information acquired by said first and the second information acquisition units and generates path information;

and

said instruction preparation unit prepares an instruction to establish the detected logical path.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

said instruction preparation unit prepares an instruction to establish all the detected logical paths.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a third information acquisition unit which acquires information that is related to a virtual data area to be prepared in the upper level device, wherein

said instruction preparation unit prepares an instruction to secure a data area corresponding to the virtual data area in the input/output device.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

said instruction preparation unit prepares instructions to establish a logical path between an upper level device where the virtual data area should be prepared and an input/output device where the corresponding data area should be secured.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said first and second information acquisition units provide interfaces allowing a user to input information.

9. An apparatus for supporting a configuration of a storage system including an upper level device with a plurality of ports, an input/output device with a plurality of ports and a path control device provided between the upper level device and the input/output device, comprising:

a first information acquisition unit which acquires information about the upper level device, the input/output device and the path control device;

a second information acquisition unit which acquires information about a physical connection among the upper level device, the input/output device and the path control device;

a path information generation unit which generates path information about a plurality of logical paths to be established between the upper level device and the input/output device through the path control device based on the information acquired by said first and the second information acquisition units;

an instruction preparation unit which prepares instruction to control conditions of the upper level device, the input/output device and the path control device based on the path information generated by said path information generation unit; and

a transmission unit which transmits the instruction prepared by said instruction preparation unit to the upper level device, the input/output device and the path control device.

10. An apparatus for supporting a configuration of a storage system including an upper level device with at lease one port, a plurality of input/output devices each of which is provided with at least one port and a path control device provided between the upper level device and the plurality of input/output devices, comprising:

a first information acquisition unit which acquires information about the upper level device, the input/output devices and the path control device;

a second information acquisition unit which acquires information about a physical connection among the upper level device, the input/output devices and the path control device;

a third information acquisition unit which acquires information about a virtual data region to be prepared in the upper device and information designating one of input/output devices in which a data area corresponding to the virtual data area should be secured;

a path information generation unit which generates path information about a logical path to be established between the upper level device and the designated input/output device through the path control device based on the information acquired by said first, second and third information acquisition units;

an instruction preparation unit which prepares an instruction to control conditions of the upper level device, the input/output devices and the path control device based on the path information generated by said path information generation unit; and

a transmission unit which transmits an instruction prepared by said instruction preparation unit to the upper level device, the input/output devices and the path control device.

11. A method for supporting a configuration of a storage system including an upper level device with at lease one port, an input/output device with at least one port and a path control device provided between the upper level device and the input/output device, comprising:

acquiring information about the upper level device, the input/output device and the path control device;

acquiring information about a physical connection among the upper level device, the input/output device and the path control device;

generating path information about a logical path to be established between the upper level device and the input/output device through the path control device based on the acquired information;

preparing an instruction to control conditions of the upper level device, the input/output device and the path control device based on the path information; and

transmitting the instruction to the upper level device, the input/output device and the path control device.

12. A computer readable medium storing a program for supporting a configuration of a storage system including an upper level device with at lease one port, an input/output device with at least one port and a path control device provided between the upper level device and the input/output device, said program enables a computer to provide:

a first information acquisition unit which acquires information about the upper level device, the input/output device and the path control device;

a second information acquisition unit which acquires information about a physical connection among the upper level device, the input/output device and the path control device;

a path information generation unit which generates path information about a logical path to be established between the upper level device and the input/output device through the path control device based on the information acquired by said first and the second information acquisition units;

an instruction preparation unit which prepares instruction to control conditions of the upper level device, the input/output device and the path control device based on the path information generated by said path information generation unit; and

a transmission unit which transmits the instruction prepared by said instruction preparation unit to the upper level device, the input/output device and the path control device.

13. The computer readable medium according to claim 12, said program further enables the computer to provide:

an allocation unit which allocates temporary port information to respective ports provided in the upper level device and the input/output device, wherein

said path information generation unit generates the path information using the temporary port information.

14. The computer readable medium according to claim 13, said program further enables the computer to provide:

an inquiry unit which inquires port information of respective ports provided in an upper level device and an input/output device provided in an actually configured storage system, wherein

said path information generation unit replaces the temporary port information being used in the previously prepared path information with actual port information obtained by the inquiry.

15. The computer readable medium according to claim 12, wherein:

said path information generation unit detects a logical path that can be established between the upper level device and the input/output device based on the information acquired by said first and the second information acquisition units and generates path information; and

said instruction preparation unit prepares an instruction to establish the detected logical path.

16. The computer readable medium according to claim 15, wherein

said instruction preparation unit prepares an instruction to establish all the detected logical paths.

17. The computer readable medium according to claim 12, said program further enables the computer to provide:

a third information acquisition unit which acquires information that is related to a virtual data area to be prepared in the upper level device, wherein

said instruction preparation unit prepares an instruction to secure a data area corresponding to the virtual data area in the input/output device.

18. The computer readable medium according to claim 17, wherein

said instruction preparation unit prepares instructions to establish a logical path between an upper level device where the virtual data area should be prepared and an input/output device where the corresponding data area should be secured.

19. The computer readable medium according to claim 12, wherein

said first and second information acquisition units provide interfaces allowing a user to input information.

20. A computer readable medium storing a program for supporting a configuration of a storage system including an upper level device with a plurality of ports, an input/output device with a plurality of ports and a path control device provided between the upper level device and the input/output device, said program enables a computer to provide:

a first information acquisition unit which acquires information about the upper level device, the input/output device and the path control device;

a second information acquisition unit which acquires information about a physical connection among the upper level device, the input/output device and the path control device;

a path information generation unit which generates path information about a plurality of logical paths to be established between the upper level device and the input/output device through the path control device based on the information acquired by said first and the second information acquisition units;

an instruction preparation unit which prepares instruction to control conditions of the upper level device, the input/output device and the path control device based on the path information generated by said path information generation unit; and

a transmission unit which transmits the instruction prepared by said instruction preparation unit to the upper level device, the input/output device and the path control device.

21. A computer readable medium storing a program for supporting a configuration of a storage system including an upper level device with at lease one port, a plurality of input/output devices each of which is provided with at least one port and a path control device provided between the upper level device and the plurality of input/output devices, said program enables a computer to provide:

a first information acquisition unit which acquires information about the upper level device, the input/output devices and the path control device;

a second information acquisition unit which acquires information about a physical connection among the upper level device, the input/output devices and the path control device;

a third information acquisition unit which acquires information about a virtual data region to be prepared in the upper device and information designating one of input/output devices in which a data area corresponding to the virtual data area should be secured;

a path information generation unit which generates path information about a logical path to be established between the upper level device and the designated input/output device through the path control device based on the information acquired by said first, second and third information acquisition units;

an instruction preparation unit which prepares an instruction to control conditions of the upper level device, the input/output devices and the path control device based on the path information generated by said path information generation unit; and

a transmission unit which transmits an instruction prepared by said instruction preparation unit to the upper level device, the input/output devices and the path control device.

22. An apparatus for supporting a configuration of a storage system including an upper level device with at lease one port, an input/output device with at least one port and a path control device provided between the upper level device and the input/output device, comprising:

first information acquisition means for acquiring information about the upper level device, the input/output device and the path control device;

second information acquisition means for acquiring information about a physical connection among the upper level device, the input/output device and the path control device;

path information generation means for generating path information about a logical path to be established between the upper level device and the input/output device through the path control device based on the information acquired by said first and the second information acquisition means;

instruction preparation means for preparing instruction to control conditions of the upper level device, the input/output device and the path control device based on the path information generated by said path information generation means; and

transmission means for transmitting the instruction prepared by said instruction preparation means to the upper level device, the input/output device and the path control device.