Method and apparatus for managing faults in storage system having job management function

• US 20060031270A1
• Filed: 10/12/2005
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Mogi, Kazuhiko, Nishikawa, Norifumi, Kawamura, Nobuo, Nemoto, Naokazu
• Granted Patent: US 7,552,138 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0709 in a distributed system consisting of a plurality of standalone computer nodes, e.g. clusters, client-server systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0727 in a storage system, e.g. in a DASD or network based storage system drivers for digital recording or reproducing units G06F3/06; circuits for error detection or correction within digital recording or reproducing units G11B20/18; 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], H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0748 in a remote unit communicating with a single-box computer node experiencing an error/fault remote testing G06F11/2294
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0775 Content or structure details of the error report, e.g. specific table structure, specific error fields
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2294 by remote test
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0617 in relation to availability
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0635 by changing the path, e.g. traffic rerouting, path reconfiguration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• 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: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A computer system identifies jobs affected by a fault which occurs in any device or mechanism in a storage system to control the execution of such jobs. The computer system includes a DBMS server device, a virtualization switch device, and storage device. Each of these devices holds part of data mapping information on a data mapping path from a particular DB table accessed by a job, through a logical volume for storing the table, to physical disk units for distributively storing data on the volume. The management server device acquires the part of data mapping information from each device, and integrates the data mapping information on a job-by-job basis. When any device or mechanism fails on the data mapping path, the management server device identifies jobs affected by the fault with reference to the data mapping information. The management server device also controls the execution of these jobs.

Claims

1-13. -13. (canceled)

14. A program executed by a server computer for identifying a job which is affected by a fault at a location existing on a data mapping path in a computer system having a computing device for executing jobs and a storage device including a plurality of physical disk units, said data mapping path comprising a particular table on a database accessed by a particular job, a file for storing said table, a logical volume for storing said file, and said physical disk units for distributively storing data on said volume, based on data mapping information related to said data mapping path, said data mapping information including an identifier of an interface situated on said data mapping path for interfacing one device to another, said program causing said server computer to implement:

a function of collecting part of said data mapping information from each of devices which hold corresponding information on said data mapping path from said job to said physical disk units through said table, said file, and said volume;

a function of integrating said data mapping information on a job-by-job basis for storage in a management table; and

a function of identifying a job affected by a fault with reference to said management table for displaying the affected job upon receipt of a fault report about any of said physical disk units from said storage device.

15. The program according to claim 14, wherein:

said data mapping information has a hierarchical structure comprised of a real volume for storing said file, one or more virtual volumes for storing said real volume, logical disk units for distributively storing data on said virtual volume, and said physical disk units for distributively storing data on said logical disk units; and

said computer system further comprises a virtualizer interposed between said computing device and said storage device for converting an identifier of said virtual volume included in an input/output request received from a higher rank device to an identifier of said logical disk unit.

16. The program according to claim 15, wherein said data mapping information includes information on a correspondence relationship between said file and said real volume, information on a correspondence relationship between said real volume and said virtual volume, information on a correspondence relationship between said virtual volume and said logical disk units, and information on a correspondence relationship between said logical disk units and said physical disk units.

17. A program executed by a server computer for identifying a job in a computer system having a computing device for executing jobs and a storage device including a plurality of physical disk units, the job is affected by a fault at a location existing on a data mapping path, said data mapping path comprising a particular table on a database accessed by a particular job, a file for storing said table, a logical volume for storing said file, and said physical disk units for distributively storing data on said volume, based on data mapping information related to said data mapping path, said data mapping information including correspondence relationships between identifiers for said job, said table, said file, said volume, and said physical disk units, and an identifier of an interface situated on said data mapping path for interfacing one device to another, said program causing said server computer to implement:

a function of collecting part of said data mapping information from each of devices which hold the part of said data mapping information;

a function of integrating said data mapping information on a job-by-job basis for storage in a management table; and

a function of identifying a job affected by a fault with reference to said management table for displaying the affected job upon receipt of a fault report about a location existing on said data mapping path, said location having an identifier stored in said management table.

18. The program according to claim 17, wherein:

said data mapping information includes information on a correspondence relationship between said file and a real volume for storing said file, information on a correspondence relationship between said real volume and one or more virtual volumes for storing said real volume, information on a correspondence relationship between said virtual volumes and said logical disk units for distributively storing data on said virtual volumes, and information on a correspondence relationship between said logical disk units and said physical disk units for distributively storing data on said logical disk units; and

said computer system further comprises a virtualizer interposed between said computing device and said storage device for converting an identifier of said virtual volume included in an input/output request received from a higher rank device to an identifier of said logical disk unit.

19. The program according to claim 17, further causing said server computer to implement a function of processing said job identified to be affected by the fault by a processing method previously set in a job execution control table.

20. The program to claim 19, further causing said server computer to implement a function operative in accordance with information set in said job execution control table as to whether or not a human manager is requested to confirm the processing, for processing said job identified to be affected by the fault by said processing method when the human manager gives a permission.