METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SEAMLESS MANAGEMENT FOR DISASTER RECOVERY

• US 20110173487A1
• Filed: 11/29/2010
• Published: 07/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Fujibayashi, Akira
• Granted Patent: US 8,103,901 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/4.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/008 Reliability or availability analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/20 using active fault-masking, e.g. by switching out faulty elements or by switching in spare elements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2069 Management of state, configuration or failover
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2094 Redundant storage or storage space G06F11/2056 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/275 Synchronous replication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/22 using redundant apparatus to increase reliability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

A method, apparatus, article of manufacture, and system are presented for establishing redundant computer resources. According to one embodiment, in a system including a plurality of processor devices and a plurality of storage devices, the processor devices, the storage devices and the management server being connected via a network, the method comprises storing device information relating to the processor devices and the storage devices and topology information relating to topology of the network, identifying at least one primary computer resource, selecting at least one secondary computer resource suitable to serve as a redundant resource corresponding to the at least one primary computer resource based on the device information and the topology information, and assigning the at least one secondary computer resource as a redundant resource corresponding to the at least one primary computer resource.

Claims

1. A management server coupled to processor devices and storage devices, comprising:

means for storing storage device information relating to the storage devices;

means for storing mapping information between application programs executed by the processor devices and portions of storage implemented in the storage devices being utilized by the application programs;

means for receiving a command specifying a first application program executed by a first processor device, from the application programs and the processor devices;

means for specifying a first storage portion in a first storage devices from the storage devices, based on the mapping information; and

means for specifying a candidate storage portion(s) in a candidate storage device(s) from the storage devices, based on the storage device information,

wherein the candidate storage portion(s) is capable to store replica of data in the first storage portion.

2. A management server according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for selecting one of the candidate storage portion(s) for storing the replica of data in the first storage portion by a remote mirroring executed by the first processor device or the first storage device.

3. A management server according to claim 2, further comprising:

means for presenting information about the candidate storage portion(s) as candidate(s) to store the replica of data in the first application program.

4. A management server according to claim 3,

wherein the first storage portion is a LU, and the one of the candidate storage portion(s) is another LU.

5. A management server according to claim 4,

wherein the one of the candidate storage portion(s) is accessed by another processor device among the storage devices.

6. A replica configuration method for a management server coupled to a processor devices and a storage devices, comprising:

storing storage device information relating to the storage devices;

storing mapping information between application programs executed by the processor devices and portions of storage implemented in the storage devices being utilized by the application programs;

receiving a command specifying a first application program executed by a first processor device, from the application programs and the processor devices;

specifying a first storage portion in a first storage devices from the storage devices, based on the mapping information; and

specifying a candidate storage portion(s) in a candidate storage device(s) from the storage devices, based on the storage device information,

wherein the candidate storage portion(s) is capable to store replica of data in the first storage portion.

7. A replica configuration method according to claim 6, further comprising:

selecting one of the candidate storage portion(s) for storing the replica of data in the first storage portion by a remote mirroring executed by the first processor device or the first storage device.

8. A replica configuration method according to claim 7, further comprising:

presenting information about the candidate storage portion(s) as candidate(s) to store the replica of data in the first application program.

9. A replica configuration method according to claim 8,

wherein the first storage portion is a LU, and the one of the candidate storage portion(s) is another LU.

10. A replica configuration method according to claim 9,

wherein the one of the candidate storage portion(s) is accessed by another processor device among the storage devices.

11. A system comprising:

a management server;

storage devices implementing portions of storage; and

a processor device executing application programs using the portions of storage,

wherein the management server stores storage device information relating to the storage devices, and stores mapping information between the application programs and the portions of storage,

wherein the management server executes to;

(A) receive a command specifying a first application program from the application programs;

(B) specify a first storage portion in a first storage devices from the storage devices, based on the mapping information; and

(C) specify a candidate storage portion(s) in a candidate storage device(s) from the storage devices, based on the storage device information,

wherein the candidate storage portion(s) is capable to store replica of data in the first storage portion.

12. A system according to claim 11,

wherein the management server selects one of the candidate storage portion(s), and

wherein the one of the candidate storage portion(s) stores the replica of data in the first storage portion by a remote mirroring executed by the first processor device or the first storage device.

13. A system according to claim 12,

wherein the management server presents information about the candidate storage portion(s) as candidate(s) to store the replica of data in the first application program.

14. A system according to claim 13,

wherein the first storage portion is a LU, and the one of the candidate storage portion(s) is another LU.

15. A system according to claim 14,

wherein the one of the candidate storage portion(s) is accessed by another processor device.

16. A computer program product for a management server coupled to processor devices and storage devices, comprising:

code for storing storage device information relating to the storage devices;

code for storing mapping information between application programs executed by the processor devices and portions of storage implemented in the storage devices being utilized by the application programs;

code for receiving a command specifying a first application program executed by a first processor device, from the application programs and the processor devices;

code for specifying a first storage portion in a first storage devices from the storage devices, based on the mapping information; and

code for specifying a candidate storage portion(s) in a candidate storage device(s) from the storage devices, based on the storage device information,

wherein the candidate storage portion(s) is capable to store replica of data in the first storage portion.

17. A computer program product according to claim 16, further comprising:

code for selecting one of the candidate storage portion(s) for storing the replica of data in the first storage portion by a remote mirroring executed by the first processor device or the first storage device.

18. A computer program product according to claim 17, further comprising:

code for presenting information about the candidate storage portion(s) as candidate(s) to store the replica of data in the first application program.

19. A computer program product according to claim 18,

wherein the first storage portion is a LU, and the one of the candidate storage portion(s) is another LU.

20. A management server according to claim 19,

wherein the one of the candidate storage portion(s) is accessed by another processor device among the storage devices.