Inter-server dynamic transfer method for virtual file servers

• US 20080040483A1
• Filed: 10/04/2007
• Published: 02/14/2008
• 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 8,539,076 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/226
• 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. A management computer comprising:

a network interface to be coupled to plurality of file server devices configuring a cluster;

a processor coupled to the network interface;

a display unit coupled to the processor; and

,

a memory coupled to the processor,

wherein the processor assigns at least two of virtual file servers to the file server devices and instructs the file server devices to configure the assigned virtual file server.

2. A management computer according to claim 1,

wherein the memory holds a table indicating a relationship between the file server devices and the assigned virtual file server.

3. A management computer according to claim 1,

wherein the processor outputs a list of the file server devices to the display unit,

wherein the display unit indicates the list of the file server devices and a mark indicating one of the virtual file servers corresponding to the file server devices, and

wherein the processor holds relationship information between the file server device and the virtual file server in the table of the memory on the basis of the displayed mark

4. A management computer according to claim 1,

wherein the processor outputs a matrix between the file server device and the virtual file servers, and holds relationship information between the file server device and the virtual file server by inputting a mark on the virtual file servers one by one for assigning to the file server device.

5. A method performed in a computer system including a first server device and a second server device and a client computer and a plurality of disk apparatus coupled to the first server device and the second server device, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a file system to the computer by a virtual server in the first server device;

allocating the virtual file server to change from the first server device to the second server device according to a condition of a resource related to the first server device; and

providing the file system to the computer by the allocated virtual server in the second server device.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein in the step of allocating the virtual file server, the virtual file server is allocated to change from the first server device to the second server device upon detecting a failure of the virtual file server in the first server device.

7. The method according to claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

configuring a logical unit for storing the file system in the disk apparatus; and

specifying an access path to the logical unit.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein the step of allocating a virtual file server includes the steps of:

storing configuration information including path information in the disk apparatus; and

referring to the path information for providing the file system to the computer.

9. A system comprising:

a first server device coupled to a client computer via a network;

a second server device coupled to the client computer via a network; and

a disk apparatus coupled to the first server device and the second server device;

wherein the first server device is adapted to provide a virtual file server to the client computer for using a file system stored in the disk apparatus; and

wherein the second server device is adapted to provide a virtual file server to the client computer if the virtual file server is allocated to the second server device from the first server device according to a condition of a resource related to the first server device.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the condition of the resource is a failure of the virtual file server in the first server device.

11. The system according to claim 9,

wherein the disk apparatus includes a logical unit for storing the file system;

and

wherein the logical unit holds path information for accessing the logical unit.

12. The system according to claim 9,

wherein the disk apparatus holds configuration information including the path information, and

wherein the path information is referred to in order to provide the file system to the computer.