Computer system

• US 20060074943A1
• Filed: 11/23/2004
• Published: 04/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Etsutaro Akagawa, Junichi Hara, Takahiro Nakano
• Original Assignee: Etsutaro Akagawa, Junichi Hara, Takahiro Nakano
• Inventors: Nakano, Takahiro, Hara, Junichi, Akagawa, Etsutaro
• Application Number:
  US10/994,464
• Publication Number:
  US 20060074943A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1435 using file system or storage system metadata
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1456 Hardware arrangements for backup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1469 Backup restoration techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/84 Using snapshots, i.e. a logical point-in-time copy of the data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0643 Management of files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/065 Replication mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

The server SV1 receives instructions to acquire snapshot images from control server 20, acquires the snapshot images of logic disk 110, and stores them in logic disk 130, and at the same time acquires snapshot images of logic disk 120, and stores them in logic disk 140. The server SV1 constructs a virtual file server environment using snapshot images of system files stored in logic disk 130, and provides data file snapshot images stored in logic disk 140 to the client CL.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising a storage device that stores information resources and an information resource control device connected to said storage device;

wherein said storage device comprises;

a storage unit that has an information resource storage area and a snapshot image storage area, wherein the information resource storage area stores said information resources, and wherein the snapshot storage area stores a snapshot image that shows an image of said information resources at a specified point in time; and

said information resource control device comprises;

a first provision module that provides said information resources stored in said information resource storage area of said storage device;

a snapshot processing module that acquires a snapshot image of said information resource storage area, and stores said acquired snapshot image in said snapshot image storage area of said storage device;

a generating module that generates a second provision module that provides said snapshot image that is stored in said snapshot image storage unit of said storage device; and

a start processing module that starts provision of said snapshot image.

2. A computer system in accordance with claim 1, wherein

environmental information resources and provision information resources are stored in said information resource storage area, wherein the environmental information resources set the environment of said first provision module, and wherein the provision information resources are provided by said first provision module,

said snapshot processing module acquires a snapshot image of said environmental information resources and said provision information resources, and

said generating module generates a second provision module based on said acquired snapshot image.

3. A computer system in accordance with claim 1, wherein

first environmental information resources and provision information resources are stored in said information resource storage area, wherein the first environmental information resources set the environment of said first provision module, and wherein the provision information resources provided by said first provision module,

said snapshot processing module acquires a snapshot image of said provision information resources,

said information resource control device further includes an incorporating module that incorporates second environmental information resources that set the environment of said second provision module, and

said generating module generates said second provision module based on said incorporated second environmental information resources and the snapshot image of said acquired provision information resources.

4. A computer system of claim 1, wherein

said snapshot image has the same path structure as the path structure at the point when said snapshot image of said information resources stored in said information resource storage area of said storage device is acquired.

5. A computer system of claim 1, wherein

attribute information that shows the attributes of said storage device is contained in said information resources,

said information resource control device further includes a setting information storage unit that stores setting information that records the attributes to be set in said second provision module, and

an attribute information setting module that sets attribute information of said second provision module based on said setting information.

6. A computer system of claim 5 wherein said setting information is information that contains the IP address of said second provision module as said attribute.

7. A computer system of claim 5 wherein said setting information includes the name of said second provision module as said attribute.

8. A computer system of claim 1, wherein

said first provision module controls access to said information resources that are stored in said information resource storage area based on access control information, wherein the access control information controls access to said storage device and is stored in said information resource storage area of said storage device, and

said snapshot processing module stores in said snapshot image storage area said access control information at the point that said snapshot image of said storage device was acquired.

9. A computer system of claim 8 wherein

said access control information contains user authentication information that is used to authenticate users who access said storage device.

10. A computer system of claim 8 wherein

said access control information contains shared information that specifies the shared status of said information resources that are stored in said information resource storage area of said storage device.

11. A computer system of claim 1, wherein

the name of said second provision module is a name that shows the relative time in relation to the point at which said snapshot image was acquired.

12. A computer system of claim 11, wherein

said information resource control device further comprises:

a decision module that decides whether an activated second provision module exists before generating said second provision module, and

a change processing module that changes the name of said already activated second provision module, when the decision of said decision module decides that said activated second provision module is existing.

13. An information resource control device that is connected to a storage device that stores information resources and that controls said storage device, said information resource control device comprising:

a first provision module that provides said information resources stored in said storage device;

a snapshot image acquiring module that acquires a snapshot image, wherein the snapshot image shows an image of said information resources that are stored in said storage device at a specified point in time;

a generating module that generates a second provision module, wherein the second provision module provides said acquired snapshot image; and

a start processing module that starts provision of said snapshot image.

14. A storage device that stores information resources, said storage devise comprising:

a storage unit that has an information resource storage area storing said information resources and a snapshot image storage area storing snapshot images that show images of said information resources at a specified point in time;

an instruction receiving module that receives instructions for getting said information resource snapshot images from a control device, wherein the control device controls said information resources being stored in said storage device; and

a snapshot processing module that acquires a snapshot image of said information resources and stores the acquired snapshot image in said snapshot image storage unit based on said instructions.

15. A computer system comprising:

the storage device of claim 14;

a first provision module that provides said information resources stored in said information resource storage unit of said storage device;

a snapshot image acquiring instruction module that instructs to said storage device on acquiring a snapshot image of said information resources stored in said information resource storage unit at any point in time;

a second provision module generating module that generates a second provision module, wherein the second provision module virtually provides a snapshot image stored in said snapshot image storage unit of said storage device; and

an information resource control device that comprises an activation processing module that activates said second provision module and provides said snapshot images.

16. A method of providing a snapshot image in a computer system comprising a storage device and an information resource control device, wherein the storage device stores information resources, and wherein the information resource control device is connected to said storage device and controls said information resources, said method comprising:

acquiring a snapshot image of information resources stored in the storage device at any point in time;

storing the acquired snapshot image in the storage device; and

providing the stored snapshot image.

17. A method of control of information resource in a computer system comprising a storage device and an information resource control device, wherein the storage device stores the information resources, and wherein the information resource control device is connected to said storage device and controls said information resources, said method comprising:

in said storage device;

receiving instructions to acquire a snapshot image of said information resources stored in said storage device from said information resource control device;

acquiring said information resource snapshot image stored in said storage device based on said instructions; and

storing said acquired snapshot image in said storage device; and

in said information resource control device;

providing said information resources stored in said storage device;

giving instructions to get said information resource snapshot image stored in said storage device in relation to said storage device at a specified time; and

providing said snapshot image from said provision module.

18. A snapshot image acquisition method comprising:

receiving instructions to acquire said information resource snapshot image from a control device that controls said information resources stored in said storage device and that is connected to said storage;

acquiring said information resource snapshot image based on said instructions; and

storing said acquired snapshot image.

19. A computer readable medium storing a program for controlling a storage device, wherein the computer program is executed on a computer, said program comprising:

a program code of controlling a first provision module that provides said information resources that are stored in said storage device;

a program code of acquiring a snapshot image of said information resources that are stored in said storage device at any point in time, and of storing this in said storage device;

a program code of generating a second provision module that is a virtual first provision module that provides said snapshot image that is stored in said storage device; and

a program code of activating said second provision module and providing said snapshot image.

20. A computer readable medium storing a program for acquiring a snapshot image on a storage device, wherein the storage device stores information resources, and wherein the computer program is executed on a computer, said program comprising:

a program code of receiving instructions to acquire said information resource snapshot image from a control device that controls said information resources stored in said storage device that is connected to said storage;

a program code of acquiring said information resource snapshot image based on said instructions; and

a program code of storing said acquired snapshot image.