Storage area network system construction aid apparatus, same system construction aid method and same system construction aid program

• US 20050055428A1
• Filed: 09/30/2004
• Published: 03/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Tanaka, Hideyuki, Matsumoto, Kenichi, Hasegawa, Hideaki, Terai, Sachiko, Iwatani, Sawao, Honmura, Shigeru, Usunaga, Keiko, Ohashi, Hiroki, Kisimoto, Yasushi, Matsuzaki, Noriaki, Takeuchi, Soichi, Fujimoto, Fumikazu
• Granted Patent: US 7,752,295 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4641 Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/08 Configuration management of networks or network elements address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0866 Checking the configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0879 Manual configuration through operator
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0883 Semiautomatic configuration, e.g. proposals from system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0889 Techniques to speed-up the configuration process
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/145 involving simulating, designing, planning or modelling of a network
• 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 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

When information on a device such as a server, storage, and an FC switch constituting a SNA system is input, these devices are displayed and arranged properly on a screen (S1, S2). When information on a physical path is input by a designer by using this display screen, a virtual SAN system in which the devices are connected by a fiber channel is displayed on the screen (S3). Furthermore, when information on an access path is input by the designer by using the construction image, the access path is additionally displayed on the construction image of the virtual SAN system (S5). Since the construction image of the virtual SAN system is displayed on the screen, the designer can easily create a design drawing while visually checking the SAN system. This can reduce the work load and time required for construction of the SAN system.

Claims

1. A network construction aid apparatus in which at least one server having at least one port, at least one storage having at least one port, and at least one switch having a plurality of fiber channel ports are connected by a plurality of fiber channels, comprising:

a first information input device for inputting information concerning each device of the server, the storage and the switch;

a second information input device for inputting information concerning the connection by a plurality of fiber channels between the server, the storage and the fiber channel switch;

an image making device for making a network configuration image from the network configuration information indicating that the server, the storage and the fiber channel switch are connected by a plurality of fiber channels based on the information inputted from the first and second information input devices; and

a display device for displaying the network configuration imaged made by the image making device.

2. The network construction aid apparatus according to claim 1 in which the connection is a physical connection, further comprising:

a third information input device for inputting information concerning the logical connection between the server, the storage and the switch which constitute the network;

a logical image making device for making an image indicating the logical connection in the network configuration image displayed on the display device based on the information inputted from the third information input device.

3. The network construction aid apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an information obtaining device for obtaining information concerning each port of the server, the storage and the switch which is obtained from these devices constituting the network which has been actually constructed based on the network configuration information; and

a network configuration confirmation device for confirming whether the physical connection relationship of the network which has been actually constructed conforms to the network configuration information by comparing the information concerning the port which is obtained by the information obtaining device with the information concerning the port in the network configuration information.

4. The network construction aid apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

information concerning the physical connection and logical connection of the network configuration information is made using a provisional world wide port name set to each port of the server, the storage, and the switch.

5. The network construction aid apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:

a logical connection setting device for automatically setting a logical connection of the network which has been actually constructed based on the information concerning the logical connection of the network which has been inputted in advance.

21. The network construction aid apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a provisional port information storage device for storing the provisional port information corresponding to the information of any two ports out of the information concerning each port of the server, the storage and the switch; and

a port information replacement device for replacing the stored provisional port information by the inherent port information corresponding to the provisional port information after obtaining inherent information of any two ports out of the inherent information concerning each port of the server, the storage and the switch.

6. A network construction aid method which uses a computer for constructing a network in which at least one server having at least one port, at least one storage having at least one port, and at least one switch having a plurality of ports are connected by a plurality of fiber channels, comprising:

a first information input process of inputting information concerning each device of the server, the storage and the switch which constitute the network to the computer;

a second information input process of inputting information concerning the connection between the server, the storage and the switch by a plurality of fiber channels;

an image making process of making a configuration image of a network which is connected by a plurality of fiber channels between the server, the storage and the switch based on the information inputted in the first and second information input processes; and

a display process of displaying the network configuration image made in the image making process.

7. The network construction aid method to claim 6 in which the connection is a physical connection according, further comprising:

a third information input process of inputting information concerning the logical connection between the server, the storage and the switch which constitute the network; and

an image updating process of making an image indicating the logical connection in the network configuration image displayed in the display process based on the information inputted in the third information input process.

8. The network construction aid method according to claim 7, further comprising:

a fourth information input process of inputting to the computer information concerning each port of the server, the storage and the switch which is obtained from these devices constituting the network which has been actually constructed based on the network configuration information which is made in advance; and

a network configuration confirmation process of confirming whether the physical connection relationship of the network which has been actually constructed conforms to the network configuration information by comparing the information concerning the port inputted in the information obtaining process with the information concerning the port in the network configuration information.

9. The network construction aid method according to claim 7, wherein

information concerning the physical connection and logical connection of the network configuration information is made using a provisional world wide port name set to each port of the server, the storage and the switch.

10. The network construction aid method according to claim 9, further comprising:

a logical connection setting process of automatically setting the logical connection of the network which has been actually constructed based on the information concerning the logical connection of the network which is inputted in advance.

11. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave for constructing a network in which at least one server having at least one port, at least one storage having at least one port, and at least one switch having a plurality of ports are connected by a plurality of fiber channels, used to direct a computer to perform:

a first information input process of inputting information concerning each device of the server, the storage and the switch;

a second information input process of inputting information concerning the connection between the server, the storage and the fiber channel switch;

an image making process of making a configuration image of a network which is connected by a plurality of fiber channels between the server, the storage and the switch based on the information inputted from the first and second information input processes; and

a display process of displaying the imaged made in the image making process.

12. The signal according to claim 11, in which the connection is a physical connection, and which directs a computer to perform:

a third information input process of inputting information concerning the logical connection between the server, the storage and the switch which constitute the network;

a logical image making process of making an image indicating a logical connection in the network configuration image displayed in the display process based on the information inputted in the third information input process.

13. The signal according to claim 12 which directs the computer to perform:

an information obtaining process of obtaining information concerning each port of the server, the storage and the switch constituting the network which has been actually constructed based on the network configuration information which is made in advance;

a network configuration confirmation process of confirming whether the physical connection relationship of the network which has been actually constructed conforms to the network configuration information by comparing the information concerning the port which is obtained in the information obtaining process with the information concerning the port of the network configuration information.

14. The signal according to claim 12, wherein

information concerning the physical connection and logical connection of the network configuration information is made using the provisional world wide port name set to each port of the server, the storage and the switch.

15. The signal according to claim 14 which directs the computer perform:

a logical connection setting process of automatically setting the logical connection of the information of the network which has been actually constructed based on the information concerning the logical connection of the network configuration information which is inputted in advance.

16. A computer readable recording medium which records the network construction aid program according to claim 11.

17. The signal according to claim 11 which directs the computer to perform:

a provisional port information storage process of storing provisional port information corresponding to the information of any two ports out of the information concerning each port of the server, the storage and the switch; and

a port information replacement process of replacing the stored provisional port information by the inherent port information after obtaining inherent information of any two ports out of the inherent information concerning each port of the server, the storage and the switch.

18. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave for constructing a network in which at least one server having at least one port, at least one storage having at least one port, and at least one switch having a plurality of ports are connected by a plurality of fiber channels, used to direct a computer to perform:

a provisional port information storage process of storing provisional port information before obtaining the inherent port information which the server, the storage and the switch have; and

a port information replacement process of replacing the stored provisional port information by the inherent port information after obtaining inherent information of any two ports out of inherent information which the server, the storage and the switch have.

19. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave for constructing a network in which at least one server having at least one port, at least one storage having at least one port, and at least one switch having a plurality of ports are connected by a plurality of fiber channels, used to direct a computer to perform:

a storage process of storing the association information which associates the provisional port information of the switch with at least one out of the provisional port information of the server, the provisional port information of the storage and the provisional port information of the switch itself;

an obtaining process of obtaining inherent port information which at least any two of the server, the storage and the switch have out of the inherent port information which these devices have;

an updating process of updating the provisional information of the association information stored in the storage process to the inherent port information obtained in the obtaining process which corresponds to the provisional port information; and

a reflection process of reflecting the association information updated in the updating process to at least one out of the server, the storage and the switch.

20. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave for constructing a network in which at least one server having at least one port, at least one storage having at least one port, and at least one switch having a plurality of ports are connected by a plurality of fiber channels, used to direct a computer to perform:

an access path making process of making the access path information which is the information of the access path between the server, the switch and the storage; and

an access path setting process of setting the access path between the server, switch and the storage based on the access path information made in the access path making process.

22. A network construction aid apparatus in which at least one server having at least one port, at least one storage having at least one port, and at least one switch having a plurality of ports are connected by a plurality of fiber channels, further comprising:

a provisional port information storage device for storing the provisional port information corresponding to the information of any two ports out of the information concerning each port of the server, the storage and the switch; and

a port information replacement device for replacing the stored provisional port information by the inherent port information corresponding to the provisional port information after obtaining inherent information of any two ports out of the inherent information concerning each port of the server, the storage and the switch.

23. A network construction aid apparatus in which at least one server having at least one port, at least one storage having at least one port, and at least one switch having a plurality of ports are connected by a plurality of fiber channels, further comprising:

a storage device for storing the association information which associates the provisional port information of the switch with at least one out of the provisional port information of the server, the provisional port information of the storage and the provisional port information of the switch itself;

an obtaining device for obtaining inherent port information which at least any two of the server, the storage and the switch have out of the inherent port information which these devices have;

an updating device for updating the provisional information of the association information stored by the storage device to the inherent port information obtained by the obtaining device for which corresponds to the provisional port information; and

a reflection device for reflecting the association information updated by the updating device to at least one out of the server, the storage and the switch.

24. A network construction aid apparatus in which at least one server having at least one port, at least one storage having at least one port, and at least one switch having a plurality of ports are connected by a plurality of fiber channels, further comprising:

an access path making device for making the access path information which is the information of the access path between the server, the switch and the storage; and

an access path setting device for setting the access path between the server, switch and the storage based on the access path information made by the access path making device.

25. A network construction aid apparatus which comprises a first apparatus having at least one port, a second apparatus having at least one port, and a fiber channel connecting the port which the first apparatus has and the port which the second apparatus has, further comprising:

a first information input device for inputting information concerning the first apparatus and the second apparatus which constitute the network;

a second information input device for inputting the connection by the fiber channel between the port which the first apparatus has and the port which the second apparatus has;

an image making device for making a network configuration image from the network configuration information which is the configuration information of a network in which the first apparatus and the second apparatus are connected by the fiber channel based on the information inputted from the first and second information input device; and

a display device for displaying the image made by the image making device.

27. The network construction aid apparatus according to 25, further comprising:

an information obtaining device for obtaining the information concerning the first apparatus and the second apparatus connected to the network which has been actually constructed; and

a system configuration confirmation device for confirming whether the connection relationship of the network which has been actually constructed conforms to the network configuration information which has bee made in advance by comparing the information concerning the apparatuses which is obtained by the information obtaining device with the network configuration information which has been made in advance.

26. The network construction aid apparatus according to 25 in which the connection is a physical connection, further comprising:

a third information input device for inputting information concerning the logical connection between the first apparatus and the second apparatus which constitute the network;

a logical image making device for making an image indicating the logical connection in the network configuration image displayed on the display device based on the information inputted from the third information input device.

28. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave for constructing a network which comprises a first apparatus having at least one port, a second apparatus having at least one port, and a fiber channel connecting the port which the first apparatus has and the port which the second apparatus has, used to direct a computer to perform:

a first information input process of inputting information concerning the first apparatus and the second apparatus which constitute the network;

a second information input process of inputting the connection by the fiber channel between the port which the first apparatus has and the port which the second apparatus has;

an image making process of making a network configuration image from the network configuration information which is the configuration information of the network in which the first apparatus and the second apparatus are connected by the fiber channel based on the information inputted from the first and second information input processes; and

a display process of displaying the image made by the image making process.

30. The signal according to claim 28, further comprising:

an information obtaining process of obtaining information concerning the first apparatus and the second apparatus connected the network which has been constructed;

a system configuration confirmation process of confirming whether the connection relationship of the network which has been actually constructed conforms to the network configuration information which has been made in advance by comparing the information concerning the apparatuses which is obtained by the information obtaining process with the network configuration information which has been in advance.

29. The signal according to 25 in which the connection is a physical connection, further comprising:

a third information input process of inputting information concerning the logical connection between the first apparatus and the second apparatus which constitute the network;

a logical image making process of making an image indicating the logical connection in the network configuration image displayed on the display process based on the information inputted from the third information input process.

31. A network construction aid apparatus in which at least one server having at least one port, at least one storage having at least one port, and at least one switch having a plurality of fiber channel ports are connected by a plurality of fiber channels, comprising:

a first information input means for inputting information concerning each device of the server, the storage and the switch;

a second information input means for inputting information concerning the connection by a plurality of fiber channels between the server, the storage and the fiber channel switch;

an image making means for making a network configuration image from the network configuration information indicating that the server, the storage and the fiber channel switch are connected by a plurality of fiber channels based on the information inputted from the first and second information input means; and

a display means for displaying the network configuration imaged made by the image making means.

32. A network construction aid apparatus in which at least one server having at least one port, at least one storage having at least one port, and at least one switch having a plurality of ports are connected by a plurality of fiber channels, further comprising:

a provisional port information storage means for storing the provisional port information corresponding to the information of any two ports out of the information concerning each port of the server, the storage and the switch; and

a port information replacement means for replacing the stored provisional port information by the inherent port information corresponding to the provisional port information after obtaining inherent information of any two ports out of the inherent information concerning each port of the server, the storage and the switch.

33. A network construction aid apparatus in which at least one server having at least one port, at least one storage having at least one port, and at least one switch having a plurality of ports are connected by a plurality of fiber channels, further comprising:

a storage means for storing the association information which associates the provisional port information of the switch with at least one out of the provisional port information of the server, the provisional port information of the storage and the provisional port information of the switch itself;

an obtaining means for obtaining inherent port information which at least any two of the server, the storage and the switch have out of the inherent port information which these devices have;

an updating means for updating the provisional information of the association information stored by the storage device to the inherent port information obtained by the obtaining means for which corresponds to the provisional port information; and

a reflection means for reflecting the association information updated by the updating means to at least one out of the server, the storage and the switch.

34. A network construction aid apparatus in which at least one server having at least one port, at least one storage having at least one port, and at least one switch having a plurality of ports are connected by a plurality of fiber channels, further comprising:

an access path making means for making the access path information which is the information of the access path between the server, the switch and the storage; and

an access path setting means for setting the access path between the server, switch and the storage based on the access path information made by the access path making means.

35. A network construction aid apparatus which comprises a first apparatus having at least one port, a second apparatus having at least one port, and a fiber channel connecting the port which the first apparatus has and the port which the second apparatus has, further comprising:

a first information input means for inputting information concerning the first apparatus and the second apparatus which constitute the network;

a second information input means for inputting the connection by the fiber channel between the port which the first apparatus has and the port which the second apparatus has;

an image making means for making a network configuration image from the network configuration information which is the configuration information of a network in which the first apparatus and the second apparatus are connected by the fiber channel based on the information inputted from the first and second information input means; and

a display means for displaying the image made by the image making means.