Managing a Logically Partitioned Computing System Through a Virtual File System

• US 20100250892A1
• Filed: 03/27/2009
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Rogness, Nicholas J., Royer, Steven E., Logan, Bryan M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,516,217 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45579 I/O management, e.g. providing access to device drivers or storage
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45558 Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5077 Logical partitioning of resources; Management or configuration of virtualized resources specific details on emulation or internal functioning of virtual machines G06F9/455

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and program product for managing partitionable resources in a logically partitioned computing system is disclosed. The method includes associating each of a plurality of partitionable resources in the logically partitioned computing system with a respective file entry in a virtual file system, associating each of a plurality of partitionable resources in the logically partitioned computing system with a respective file entry in a virtual file system, and allocating a first partitionable resource among the plurality of partitionable resources to a first logical partition among the plurality of logical partitions in response to a file system operation directed to the virtual file system to organize a respective file entry for the first partitionable resource within the respective directory for the first logical partition.

Claims

1. A method of managing partitionable resources in a logically partitioned computing system, the method comprising:

associating each of a plurality of partitionable resources in the logically partitioned computing system with a respective file entry in a virtual file system;

associating each of a plurality of logical partitions in the logically partitioned computing system with a respective directory in the virtual file system; and

allocating a first partitionable resource among the plurality of partitionable resources to a first logical partition among the plurality of logical partitions in response to a file system operation directed to the virtual file system to organize a respective file entry for the first partitionable resource within the respective directory for the first logical partition.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selectively controlling access to the directory for the first logical partition with an access control list associated with the directory for the first logical partition.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein selectively controlling access to the directory for the first logical partition further comprises:

determining the identity of a user attempting to access the directory for the first logical partition; and

determining whether the user has access to the directory for the first logical partition based on the access control list.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selectively controlling access to an operation on the directory for the first logical partition with an access control list associated with the directory for the first logical partition.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein selectively controlling access to the operation on the directory for the first logical partition further comprises:

determining the identity of a user attempting to perform the operation on the directory for the first logical partition; and

determining whether the user has access to perform the operation on the directory for the first logical partition based on the access control list.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the file system operation is at least one operation selected from the group consisting of a drag and drop operation, a cut and paste operation, an operation entered in a command prompt, an operation from an application, or combinations thereof.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

translating the file system operation into at least one partition management command configured to be executed by a virtualization manager for the first logical partition.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

archiving at least a portion of a configuration of the plurality of logical partitions in the logically partitioned computing system by copying at least the directory for the first logical partition from the virtual file system and storing said copy.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating the virtual file system in response to a mount command for at least one logical partition among the plurality of logical partitions; and

generating at least one directory for the file entries of the plurality of partitionable resources in response to generating the virtual file system.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating the directory for the first logical partition in the virtual file system for the logically partitioned computing system in response to a mount command for the first logical partition.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

generating at least one virtual resource file entry in response to the creation of the directory for the first logical partition; and

allocating the at least one virtual resource file entry to the directory for the first logical partition.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

allocating a first partitionable resource among the plurality of partitionable resources to the directory for the first logical partition.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

allocating a respective file entry for the first partitionable resource to the respective directory for the first logical partition.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

allocating a free partitionable resource among the plurality of partitionable resources to a free partitionable resource pool of the logically partitioned computing system.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

allocating a respective file entry for the free partitionable resource to a respective directory for free partitionable resources.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first partitionable resource is the free partitionable resource, and wherein the file system operation directed to the virtual file system to organize the file entry for the first partitionable resource within the directory for the first logical partition includes transferring the file entry for the first partitionable resource from the directory for partitionable resources to the directory for the first logical partition.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual file system is provided to a first computing system in communication with the logically partitioned computing system.

18. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory including program code, the program code configured to be executed by the at least one processor to manage partitionable resources in a logically partitioned computing system by associating each of a plurality of partitionable resources in the logically partitioned computing system with a respective file entry in a virtual file system, associating each of a plurality of logical partitions in the logically partitioned computing system with a respective directory in the virtual file system, and allocating a first partitionable resource among the plurality of partitionable resources to a first logical partition among the plurality of logical partitions in response to a file system operation directed to the virtual file system to organize a respective file entry for the first partitionable resource within the respective directory for the first logical partition.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the program code is further configured to selectively control access to the directory for the first logical partition with an access control list associated with the directory for the first logical partition.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the program code is further configured to selectively control access to an operation on the directory for the first logical partition with an access control list associated with the directory for the first logical partition.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the program code is further configured to translate the file system operation into at least one partition management command configured to be executed by a virtualization manager for the first logical partition.

22. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the program code is further configured to archive at least a portion of a configuration of the plurality of logical partitions in the logically partitioned computing system by copying at least the directory for the first logical partition from the virtual file system and storing said copy.

23. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the program code is further configured to allocate a first partitionable resource among the plurality of partitionable resources to the directory for the first logical partition and allocate a respective file entry for the first partitionable resource to the respective directory for the first logical partition.

24. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the program code is further configured to allocate a free partitionable resource among the plurality of partitionable resources to a free partitionable resource pool of the logically partitioned computing system and allocate a respective file entry for the free partitionable resource to a respective directory for free partitionable resources.

25. A program product, comprising:

program code configured to be executed by at least one processor to manage partitionable resources in a logically partitioned computing system by associating each of a plurality of partitionable resources in the logically partitioned computing system with a respective file entry in a virtual file system, associating each of a plurality of logical partitions in the logically partitioned computing system with a respective directory in the virtual file system, and allocating a first partitionable resource among the plurality of partitionable resources to a first logical partition among the plurality of logical partitions in response to a file system operation directed to the virtual file system to organize a respective file entry for the first partitionable resource within the respective directory for the first logical partition; and

a computer recordable medium bearing the program code.