COMPUTER APPARATUS AND PATH MANAGEMENT METHOD

• US 20110004708A1
• Filed: 09/17/2009
• Published: 01/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Gemba, Ryu, Kondo, Atsushi
• Application Number:
  US12/561,891
• Publication Number:
  US 20110004708A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/38
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0727 in a storage system, e.g. in a DASD or network based storage system drivers for digital recording or reproducing units G06F3/06; circuits for error detection or correction within digital recording or reproducing units G11B20/18; 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], H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0766 Error or fault reporting or storing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0614 Improving the reliability of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0635 by changing the path, e.g. traffic rerouting, path reconfiguration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

A highly-reliable computer apparatus and path management method capable of reducing the impact of a failure in a physical I/O device on the entire virtual computer system is suggested.

If a first path management unit detects a failure in a virtual HBA, it notifies a second path management unit of the failure; and in response to the failure notice, the second path management unit gives an instruction to the first path management unit corresponding to each virtual computer having another virtual HBA that uses a physical HBA corresponding to the virtual HBA in which the failure has been detected, to block the other virtual HBA; and if the first path management unit receives the instruction from the second path management unit to block the virtual HBA, it blocks the designated virtual HBA.

Claims

1. A computer apparatus that provides a virtual environment and is connected to a storage apparatus having a storage area, the computer apparatus comprising:

a virtual computer providing unit for providing a plurality of virtual computers, each having a virtual HBA;

a plurality of first path management units provided in such a manner that they are associated with the plurality of virtual computers, respectively, and each first path management unit manages the status of the virtual HBA belonging to its corresponding virtual computer;

a plurality of physical HBAs that are shared by the plurality of virtual computers and correspond to the virtual HBAs; and

a second path management unit for managing a correspondence relationship between the virtual HBAs belonging to the plurality of virtual computers and the plurality of physical HBAs;

wherein if the first path management unit detects a failure in the virtual HBA, it notifies the second path management unit of the failure; and

in response to the failure notice, the second path management unit gives an instruction to the first path management unit corresponding to each virtual computer having another virtual HBA that uses the physical HBA corresponding to the virtual HBA in which the failure has been detected, to block the other virtual HBA; and

if the first path management unit receives the instruction from the second path management unit to block the virtual HBA, it blocks the designated virtual HBA.

2. The computer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein if the second path management unit detects recovery of the physical HBA in which the failure occurred, it gives an instruction to the first path management unit corresponding to each virtual computer having the virtual HBA corresponding to the recovered physical HBA to recover that virtual HBA;

and

if the first path management unit receives the instruction from the second path management unit to recover the virtual HBA, it recovers the designated virtual HBA corresponding to the recovered physical HBA.

3. The computer apparatus according to claim 2, wherein during processing for activating the corresponding virtual computer, the first path management unit inquires of the second path management unit about the status of the physical HBA corresponding to the virtual HBA for the relevant virtual computer and then manages the obtained status of the physical HBA;

and blocks the virtual HBA corresponding to the physical HBA in which the failure occurred.

4. The computer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein if the virtual computer is to become inactive, the first path management unit notifies the second path management unit that the virtual computer will become inactive;

and

wherein in response to the failure notice, the second path management unit changes the correspondence relationship between the physical HBA in which the failure was detected, and the virtual HBA for the virtual computer which becomes inactive, to the correspondence relationship between the physical HBA which belongs to the computer apparatus and in which no failure is detected, and the virtual HBA for the inactive virtual computer corresponding to the physical HBA in which the failure was detected; and

wherein if the inactive virtual computer is to be reactivated,

the first path management unit notifies the second path management unit of reactivation, and

in response to the reactivation notice, the second path management unit gives an instruction to the first path management unit corresponding to the reactivated virtual computer to block the virtual HBA corresponding to the physical HBA in which the failure was detected; and

wherein if the first path management unit receives the instruction from the second path management unit to block the virtual HBA, it blocks the designated virtual HBA, and

the second path management unit associates the blocked virtual HBA with the physical HBA in which the failure was detected.

5. The computer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein if the first path management program detects the failure and blocks the virtual HBA in which the failure has been detected, the computer apparatus displays that the failure has been detected and the faulty virtual HBA has been blocked;

and

If the first path management program receives notice of the failure from the second path management program and blocks the virtual HBA corresponding to the physical HBA in which the failure has been detected, the computer apparatus displays that the notice of the failure has been received and the relevant virtual HBA has been blocked.

6. A path management method for a computer apparatus that provides a virtual environment and is connected to a storage apparatus having a storage area, the computer apparatus comprising:

a virtual computer providing unit for providing a plurality of virtual computers, each having a virtual HBA;

a plurality of first path management units provided in such a manner that they are associated with the plurality of virtual computers, respectively, and each first path management unit manages the status of the virtual HBA belonging to its corresponding virtual computer;

a plurality of physical HBAs that are shared by the plurality of virtual computers and correspond to the virtual HBAs; and

a second path management unit for managing a correspondence relationship between the virtual HBAs belonging to the plurality of virtual computers and the plurality of physical HBAs;

wherein if the first path management unit detects a failure in the virtual HBA, it notifies the second path management unit of the failure;

in response to the failure notice, the second path management unit gives an instruction to the first path management unit corresponding to each virtual computer having another virtual HBA that uses the physical HBA corresponding to the virtual HBA in which the failure has been detected, to block the other virtual HBA; and

if the first path management unit receives the instruction from the second path management unit to block the virtual HBA, it blocks the designated virtual HBA.

7. The computer apparatus path management method according to claim 6, wherein if the second path management unit detects recovery of the physical HBA in which the failure occurred, it gives an instruction to the first path management unit corresponding to each virtual computer having the virtual HBA corresponding to the recovered physical HBA to recover that virtual HBA;

and

if the first path management unit receives the instruction from the second path management unit to recover the virtual HBA, it recovers the designated virtual HBA corresponding to the recovered physical HBA.

8. The computer apparatus path management method according to claim 7, wherein during processing for activating the corresponding virtual computer, the first path management unit inquires of the second path management unit about the status of the physical HBA corresponding to the virtual HBA for the relevant virtual computer and then manages the obtained status of the physical HBA;

and blocks the virtual HBA corresponding to the physical HBA in which the failure occurred.

9. The computer apparatus path management method according to claim 6, wherein if the virtual computer is to become inactive, the first path management unit notifies the second path management unit that the virtual computer will become inactive;

and

wherein in response to the failure notice, the second path management unit changes the correspondence relationship between the physical HBA in which the failure was detected, and the virtual HBA for the virtual computer which becomes inactive, to the correspondence relationship between the physical HBA which belongs to the computer apparatus and in which no failure is detected, and the virtual HBA for the inactive virtual computer corresponding to the physical HBA in which the failure was detected; and

wherein if the inactive virtual computer is to be reactivated,

the first path management unit notifies the second path management unit of reactivation, and

in response to the reactivation notice, the second path management unit gives an instruction to the first path management unit corresponding to the reactivated virtual computer to block the virtual HBA corresponding to the physical HBA in which the failure was detected; and

wherein if the first path management unit receives the instruction from the second path management unit to block the virtual HBA, it blocks the designated virtual HBA, and

the second path management unit associates the blocked virtual HBA with the physical HBA in which the failure was detected.