Computer system and a method of assigning a storage device to a computer

• US 20080256148A1
• Filed: 06/06/2008
• Published: 10/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Kitamura, Manabu, Murakami, Tatsuya, Yamagami, Kenji
• Application Number:
  US12/155,599
• Publication Number:
  US 20080256148A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/205
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0631 by allocating resources to storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0665 at area level, e.g. provisioning of virtual or logical volumes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0683 Plurality of storage devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99956 File allocation

Abstract

A computer system which has a plurality of computers and a storage device subsystem connected to the plurality of computers. The storage device subsystem has a plurality of storage devices and a plurality of interfaces, through which the subsystem is connected to the computers. One of the plurality of computers has a management means for holding therein data indicative of the storage devices and a connection relationship between the computers and storage device subsystem. Each computer, when wanting a new device, informs the management means of its capacity and type. The management means receives its notification and selects one of the storage devices which satisfies the request. And the management means instructs the storage device subsystem to set predetermined data in such a manner that the computer can access the selected device. The management means also returns predetermined data to the computer as a device assignment requester, the assignment requester computer modifies setting thereof to allow the computer in question can use the assigned device.

Claims

1. A computer system, comprising:

first computers issuing a file access request;

a storage system comprising disks, and a disk controller coupled to said disks; and

a file server coupled to said first computers and said storage system to provide a file access method to said first computers,

wherein said file server;

receives a file system allocation request from one of the first computers;

prepares a first device in said storage system satisfying the received request;

creates a file system in said first device in said storage system; and

informs a mount point information of said file system to said one of the first computers.

2. A computer system according to claim 1, wherein said allocation request includes a capacity, a performance condition, and a reliability level of said file system.

3. A computer system according to claim 1, wherein said file server comprises a control manager and server program;

and

wherein said control manager searches for said first device, passes information about said first device to said server program, and receives said mount point information from said server program.

4. A computer system according to claim 1, wherein said file server receives a request to modify the size of said file system, prepares a second device in said storage system satisfying said request, moves said file system in said first device to said second device, and modifies the size of said file system.

5. In a computer system comprising:

first computers issuing a file access request;

a storage system comprising disks, and a disk controller coupled to said disks; and

a file server coupled to said first computers and said storage system to provide a file access method to said first computers,

a method, performed by said file server, comprising the steps of;

receiving a file system allocation request from one of the first computers;

preparing a first device in said storage system satisfying the received request;

creating a file system in said first device in said storage system; and

informing a mount point information of said file system to said one of the first computers.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein said allocation request includes a capacity, a performance condition, and a reliability level of said file system.

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

searching, by a control manager of the file server, for said first device;

passing information about said first device, by the control manager, to a server program of the file server; and

receiving, by the control manager, said mount point information from said server program.

8. A method according to claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

receiving, by the file server, a request to modify the size of said file system;

preparing, by the file server, a second device in said storage system satisfying said request;

moving, by the file server, said file system in said first device to said second device; and

modifying, by the file server, the size of said file system.