COMPUTER SYSTEM MANAGEMENT APPARATUS AND MANAGEMENT METHOD FOR THE COMPUTER SYSTEM

• US 20110078405A1
• Filed: 11/11/2009
• Published: 03/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: ASANO, Masayasu, Taguchi, Yuichi
• Granted Patent: US 8,296,543 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/170
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0607 by facilitating the process of upgrading existing storage systems, e.g. for improving compatibility between host and storage device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0631 by allocating resources to storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

Provided is a computer system including a plurality of storage apparatuses, in which, if the storage apparatuses employ an external mapping/connection system, the plurality of storage apparatuses can efficiently use each other'"'"'s storage resources. The computer system includes a plurality of storage apparatuses and a management computer for managing the storage apparatuses. The management computer determines whether or not it is possible to perform external connection between the plurality of storage apparatuses and whether or not it is possible to divert the use of a storage device in one storage apparatus to another storage apparatus, on the basis of a criteria table, and if it is possible to perform external connection between the plurality of storage apparatuses, it is carried out and, if it is not possible, the management computer diverts the use of a storage device in one storage apparatus to another storage apparatus.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

a host computer;

a storage apparatus group including a plurality of storage apparatuses for providing one or more storage areas to the host computer, the storage apparatus group having a combination of a predetermined storage apparatus and another storage apparatus that can be externally connected to the predetermined storage apparatus, the predetermined storage apparatus having a function for externally connecting the other storage apparatus to itself and, with this function, providing a logical volume in the other storage apparatus as its own logical volume to the host computer; and

a management computer obtaining configuration information from the respective storage apparatuses and managing the storage apparatuses using that configuration information,

wherein,

the management computer includes a controller and memory,

the memory includes a determination program for determining whether to expand a storage area in the predetermined storage apparatus in a first mode employing the external connection function to provide a logical volume to the predetermined storage apparatus or in a second mode diverting the use of a storage device in the other storage apparatus to the predetermined storage apparatus, and

the controller executes the determination program on the basis of the configuration information and outputs an execution result.

2. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein when the controller accepts a request for setting a new logical volume in the predetermined storage apparatus, it executes determination processing to determine whether or not it is possible to set a logical volume using a storage area in the predetermined storage apparatus and, if it makes a negative determination, it executes the determination program.

3. The computer system according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined storage apparatus includes a virtual volume having a virtualized storage capacity and a pool for allocating a real storage area to the virtual volume and, when the controller accepts a request for adding the new logical volume to the pool, it executes the determination processing.

4. The computer system according to claim 3, wherein when the controller makes a negative determination in the determination processing, it allocates a storage area in the other storage apparatus to the storage area of the logical volume newly added to the pool.

5. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the controller identifies a storage apparatus externally connected to or externally connectable to the predetermined storage apparatus as the other storage apparatus;

and determines whether to employ the first mode or the second mode for the identified other storage apparatus.

6. The computer system according to claim 5, wherein the controller executes a first determination to determine whether or not the first mode can be employed with respect to the identified other storage apparatus and, if it makes a negative determination in the first determination, it executes a second determination to determine whether or not the second mode can be employed with respect to the identified other storage apparatus.

7. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the controller obtains the configuration information from the predetermined storage apparatus and the other storage apparatus, judges capacity utilization rates and power performance of the predetermined storage apparatus and the other storage apparatus on the basis of the configuration information, further judges compatibility of the storage device of the other storage apparatus with the predetermined storage apparatus, and determines whether to employ the first mode or the second mode on the basis of a judgment result.

8. The computer system according to claim 7, wherein when the controller judges that the capacity utilization rate of the other storage apparatus is lower than that of the predetermined storage apparatus and that there is compatibility, it selects the first mode.

9. The computer system according to claim 7, wherein the controller selects the first mode when the judgment result fits both the first mode and the second mode.

10. The computer system according to claim 2, wherein in order to set the new logical volume, the controller determines the other apparatus and executes the determination program with respect to the other storage apparatus, on the basis of a policy input in the management computer.

11. A management computer in a computer system that includes:

a host computer; and

a storage apparatus group including a plurality of storage apparatuses for providing one or more storage areas to the host computer, the storage apparatus group having a combination of a predetermined storage apparatus and another storage apparatus that can be externally connected to the predetermined storage apparatus, the predetermined storage apparatus having a function for externally connecting the other storage apparatus to itself and, with this function, providing a logical volume in the other storage apparatus as its own logical volume to the host computer, wherein

the management computer is connected to the plurality of storage apparatuses, obtains configuration information from the respective storage apparatuses and manages the storage apparatuses using that configuration information,

the management computer comprises a controller and memory,

the memory includes a determination program for determining whether to expand a storage area in the predetermined storage apparatus in a first mode employing the external connection function to provide a logical volume to the predetermined storage apparatus or in a second mode diverting the use of a storage device in the other storage apparatus to the predetermined storage apparatus, and

the controller executes the determination program on the basis of the configuration information and outputs an execution result.

12. A management method for a computer system including a plurality of storage apparatuses and a management computer for managing the storage apparatuses, comprising the steps of:

determining whether or not it is possible to perform external connection between the plurality of storage apparatuses and whether or not it is possible to divert the use of a storage device in one storage apparatus to another storage apparatus, on the basis of criteria information, and

if it is possible to perform the external connection between the plurality of storage apparatuses, performing the external connection and, if it is not possible, diverting the use of a storage device in one storage apparatus to another storage apparatus.