Inter-server dynamic transfer method for virtual file servers

• US 20050210074A1
• Filed: 08/17/2004
• Published: 09/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Nakatani, Yoji, Nakano, Takahiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,296,041 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 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/101 based on network conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1034 Reaction to server failures by a load balancer
• 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 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/28 Timers or timing mechanisms used in protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to dynamically transfer a virtual file server within a cluster that is configured by a plurality of file servers in which virtual file servers are set up. A storage system includes: a first file server; a second file server; and a disk subsystem, in which: the first file server and the second file server each include a virtual file server control unit that sets up the virtual file server; the virtual file server includes a routing table that stores path information necessary for communication; and the virtual file server started up in the second file server determines a communication path by using the routing table used by the virtual file server in the first file server after taking a failover from the virtual file server of the first file server to the second file server.

Claims

1-9. -9. (canceled)

10. A management terminal comprising;

a CPU;

a management program executing to set on file servers; and

a network interface coupled to a network, to which the file servers are coupled, wherein

the management program;

instructs each of the file servers to configure plural virtual file systems, and

issues file system transfer instruction to one of the file servers, the file system transfer instruction instructs the one of the file servers to transfer a virtual file system configured in the one of the file servers to another one of the file servers;

so that the one of the file servers;

shuts down execution of the virtual file system, the another one of the file servers obtains configuration information of the virtual file system whose configuration is transferred, and

configures the virtual file system using the configuration information obtained.

11. A management terminal according to claim 10, wherein the file system transfer instruction includes identifier of the another one of the file severs and identifier of the virtual file system to be transferred from the one of the file servers to the another one of the file servers.

12. A management terminal according to claim 11, wherein the one of the file servers, which is source of transfer, and the another one of the file servers, which is destination of transfer designate the virtual file system to be transferred from the one of the file servers to the another one of the file servers by using the identification of the virtual file system, and

the another one of the file servers obtains configuration information of the designated virtual file system from configuration information of plural virtual file systems.

13. A management terminal according to claim 10, wherein the configuration information includes a routing information for the virtual file system, a mounting information for the virtual file system, and device flies for the virtual file system.

14. A management terminal according to claim 11, wherein each of the file servers couples to a storage system including a shared logical unit shared between the file servers, in the shared logical unit, configuration information for plural virtual file system is stored,

when the management program issues the file system transfer instruction, configuration information indicating a logical unit in the storage system assigned for the virtual file system and the network interface used for the virtual file system is updated according to the file system transfer instruction, and

the another one of the file servers, which is destination of transfer, reads the updated configuration information from the shared logical unit and configures the virtual file system using the configuration information.

16. A computer system according to claim 10, wherein

the file system transfer instruction includes identifier of the another one of the file severs and identifier of the virtual file system to be transferred from the one of the file servers to the another one of the file servers.

17. A computer system according to claim 11, wherein the one of the file servers, which is source of transfer, and the another one of the file servers, which is destination of transfer designate the virtual file system to be transferred from the one of the file servers to the another one of the file servers by using the identification of the virtual file system, and

the another one of the file servers obtains configuration information of the designated virtual file system from configuration information of plural virtual file systems.

18. A computer system according to claim 10, wherein the configuration information includes a routing information for the virtual file system, a mounting information for the virtual file system, and device flies for the virtual file system.

19. A computer system according to claim 11, wherein each of the file servers couples to a storage system including a shared logical unit shared between the file servers, in the shared logical unit, configuration information for plural virtual file system is stored,

when the management program issues the file system transfer instruction, configuration information indicating a logical unit in the storage system assigned for the virtual file system and the network interface used for the virtual file system is updated according to the file system transfer instruction, and

the another one of the file servers, which is destination of transfer, reads the updated configuration information from the shared logical unit and configures the virtual file system using the configuration information.

15. A computer system comprising:

a storage system storing data,

plural file servers controlling input! output data on the storage system, and

a management terminal managing the file servers,

wherein a management terminal comprising;

a CPU;

a management program executing to set on file servers; and

a network interface coupled to a network, to which the file servers are coupled, wherein

the management program;

instructs each of the file servers to configure plural virtual file systems, and

issues file system transfer instruction to one of the file servers, the file system transfer instruction instructs the one of the file servers to transfer a virtual file system configured in the one of the file servers to another one of the file servers;

so that the one of the file servers;

shuts down execution of the virtual file system, the another one of the file servers obtains configuration information of the virtual file system whose configuration is transferred, and

configures the virtual file system using the configuration information obtained.