Information processing system and method

• US 20060206588A1
• Filed: 04/25/2005
• Published: 09/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Murakami, Atsushi, Saika, Nobuyuki
• Granted Patent: US 7,650,393 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/103 across network layers, e.g. resolution of network layer into physical layer addresses or address resolution protocol [ARP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1006 with static server selection, e.g. the same server being selected for a specific client
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1012 based on compliance of requirements or conditions with available server resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1029 using data related to the state of servers 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]

Abstract

Loads on access destinations are balanced. A first controller and a second controller, which accept requests from a plurality of sources, and write and read data to/from a storage device in response to these requests, are provided. The first controller returns to at least one first source of a plurality of sources a response to a request from the first source, and does not return to a second source other than a first source a response to a request from the second source. The second controller does not return a response to a request from a first source to the first source receiving a response from the first controller, and returns a response from a second source to the second source not receiving a response from the first controller.

Claims

1. An information processing system, comprising:

a first controller and a second controller accepting requests from a plurality of sources, and writing and reading data to/from a storage device in response to these requests;

wherein the first controller returns a response to a request from at least one first source of the plurality of sources, to the first source, and does not return a response to a request from a second source other than the first source, to the second source; and

wherein the second controller does not return a response to a request from the first source to the first source receiving a response from the first controller, and returns a response from the second source to the second source not receiving a response from the first controller.

2. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein:

the first controller has a first logical address and a first physical address;

the second controller has a second logical address and a second physical address;

the first logical address and the second logical address are the same logical address indicating the same value;

when receiving a request including the same logical address from the first source, the first controller returns a response including the first physical address to the first source; and

when receiving a request including the same logical address from the second source, the second controller returns a response including the second physical address to the second source.

3. The information processing system according to claim 2 wherein the request is an ARP request including an IP address, and the response is an ARP response including a MAC address.

4. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the first controller sends an addition request and a first source ID identifying the first source to the second controller, and the second controller receives the addition request and first source ID, responds to the addition request, and does not respond to the request from the first source by setting the first source ID such that the response thereto is refused.

5. The information processing system according to claim 4 wherein the second controller also sets source IDs other than the first source ID such that the response thereto is permitted, and thus returns a response to the request from the second source having a second source ID.

6. The information processing system according to claim 4 wherein the first controller evaluates whether or not the load on the first controller is equal to or greater than the first size, and if the result of the evaluation is affirmative, sends the addition request to the second controller.

7. The information processing system according to claim 4 wherein the first controller issues an inquiry to the second controller as to whether or not addition is possible, the second controller issues a response to the first controller to the effect that addition is possible if the load on the second controller is equal to or less than the prescribed size, and when receiving a response from the second controller to the effect that addition is possible, the first controller issues the addition request to the second controller.

8. The information processing system according to claim 4 wherein at least one of the first controller and the second controller execute processing to enable data accessible by the first source via the first controller to be accessible by the second source via the second controller.

9. The information processing system according to claim 4 comprising:

a plurality of controllers including the first controller but not including the second controller;

wherein each of the plurality of controllers writes to the prescribed storage area the source ID to which the each controller can respond, and thus all source IDs to which the plurality of controllers can respond are recorded in the prescribed storage area;

wherein the first controller sends all source IDs recorded in the prescribed storage area to the second controller; and

wherein the second controller sets all received source IDs such that the response thereto is refused, and thus a response is not sent to any of the sources corresponding to the source IDs.

10. The information processing system according to claim 1 wherein the first controller sends a succession request and first ID to identify the first source to the second controller, and when receiving the succession request and the first source ID, the second controller responds to the succession request, and also returns a response to requests from the first source by setting the first source ID such that the response thereto is permitted.

11. The information processing system according to claim 10 wherein the succession request is issued when the first controller no longer responds to requests from any source.

12. The information processing system according to claim 10 wherein the first controller evaluates whether or not the load on the first controller is equal to or less than the second size, and sends the succession request to the second controller if the result of the evaluation is affirmative.

13. The information processing system according to claim 10 wherein the first controller issues an inquiry to the second controller as to whether or not succession is possible, the second controller issues a response to the first controller to the effect that succession is possible if the load on the second controller is equal to or less than the prescribed size, and when receiving a response from the second controller to the effect that succession is possible, the first controller issues the succession request to the second controller.

14. The information processing system according to claim 13 wherein when the first controller does not receive a response to the effect that the succession is possible, source IDs other than the first source ID are also set such that the response thereto is permitted, and thus the first controller returns a response also to requests from the sources other than the first source.

15. The information processing system according to claim 10 wherein at least one of the first controller and second controller deletes first data when the first data accessible by the first source via the first controller, and second data accessible via the second controller, are the same.

16. An information processing method comprising the steps of:

a first controller and a second controller receiving a plurality of requests respectively issued from a plurality of sources;

the first controller returning a response to a request from at least one first source of a plurality of first sources, to the first source, and not returning a response to a request from a second source other than the first source, to the second source; and

the second controller not returning a response to a request from the first source to the first source receiving a response from the first controller, and returning a response from the second source to the second source not receiving a response from the first controller.

17. An information processing system, comprising:

a plurality of controllers accepting requests from a plurality of request sources, and writing and reading data to/from a storage device in response to requests;

wherein each of the plurality of controllers has a first address which is the same for the plurality of controllers, and a second address which is different for each controller;

the plurality of controllers accept requests issued with the first address from the request source; and

one of the plurality of controllers sends a response including the second address to the request source.

18. The information processing system according to claim 17 wherein the controller which has sent a response including the second address to the request source sends to another controller an addition request and a first source ID identifying the request source to which the response has been sent, and the other controller does not respond to requests from the request source identified by the first source ID in response to the received addition request.

19. The information processing system according to claim 17 wherein the controller which has sent a response including the second address to the request source sends to another controller an addition request and a first source ID identifying the request source to which the response has been sent, and the other controller responds to requests from the request source identified by the first source ID in response to the received addition request.