COMPUTER SYSTEM AND STORAGE CONSOLIDATION MANAGEMENT METHOD

• US 20110185130A1
• Filed: 03/25/2010
• Published: 07/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Hara, Junichi, Asano, Masayasu
• Granted Patent: US 8,707,004 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/154
• 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 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

In order to properly use resources according to the application or search for available resources in an environment in which a block storage apparatus and a file storage apparatus coexist, knowledge and experience of applications and storage apparatuses, as well manpower were required. Thus, a policy pre-defined with a preferred type of interface and a preferred type of storage area for each type of application that is loaded in the host computers is predetermined, configuration information is collected from each storage apparatus, each intermediate storage apparatus and each host computer, respectively, a combination of a storage apparatus, an intermediate storage apparatus and a host computer that is suitable for the type of application designated by a user is detected based on the collected configuration information of each storage apparatus, each intermediate storage apparatus and each host computer, the policy, and the type of application designated by the user, and the detected combination is presented to the user.

Claims

1. A computer system, comprising:

host computers;

storage apparatuses coupled to the host computers and providing storage areas of different characteristics to the host computers;

intermediate storage apparatus respectively coupled to the host computers and the storage apparatuses, and which provide the storage areas provided by the storage apparatuses to the host computers with an access interface protocol that is different from the storage apparatuses; and

a management apparatus managing a policy pre-defined with a preferred type of interface and a preferred type of storage area for each type of application that is executed by the host computers,

wherein the management apparatus collects configuration information from the storage apparatuses, the intermediate storage apparatuses and the host computers, and

wherein the management apparatus detects a combination of a certain storage apparatus, a certain intermediate storage apparatus and a certain host computer that are suitable for the type of application designated by a user based on the collected configuration information, the policy, and the type of application designated by the user, and presents the detected combination to the user.

2. A computer system according to claim 1,

wherein the policy is pre-defined with a type of the access interface protocol that is preferable upon using a virtual host for each type of the application.

3. A computer system according to claim 1,

wherein the management apparatus displays the detected combination as a schematic diagram representing a connection mode of the certain storage apparatus, the certain intermediate storage apparatus and the certain host computer.

4. A computer system according to claim 3,

wherein the schematic diagram includes identifying information of the certain storage apparatus, the certain intermediate storage apparatus and the certain host computer, and identifying information of a port to be used in the connection of the certain storage apparatus, the certain intermediate storage apparatus and the certain host computer.

5. A computer system according to claim 3,

wherein, if the management apparatus detects a plurality of combinations of a storage apparatus, an intermediate storage apparatus and a host computer that is suitable for the type of application designated by the user, the management apparatus collects performance information from the storage apparatuses and the intermediate storage apparatuses and host computers, configuring the combination for each of the combinations,

wherein the management apparatus calculates the priority of each of the combinations based on the collected performance information, and

wherein the management apparatus preferentially displays a schematic diagram of the combination with a high priority based on the calculation result.

6. A computer system according to claim 5,

wherein the performance information is a utilization ratio of a processor governing the operational control of the overall storage apparatus, the overall intermediate storage apparatus or the overall host computer, and a utilization ratio of a port that is used for the connection in the corresponding combination.

7. A computer system according to claim 1,

wherein the policy is pre-defined with a type of the access interface protocol and a type of storage area that are preferable for each type of data regarding the type of each of the applications, and

wherein the management apparatus detects a combination of a storage apparatus, an intermediate storage apparatus and a host computer that is suitable for the type of application designated by a user for each type of the data based on configuration information of each storage apparatus, each intermediate storage apparatus and each host computer, the policy, and the type of application designated by the user, and presents a combination of a storage apparatus, an intermediate storage apparatus and a host computer based on a detected combination of each type of data to the user.

8. A resource management method in a computer system comprising host computers, storage apparatuses providing storage areas of different characteristics to the host computers, and intermediate storage apparatuses providing the storage areas provided by the storage apparatuses to the host computers with an access interface protocol that is different from the storage apparatuses,

wherein a policy pre-defined with a preferred type of the access interface protocol and a preferred type of storage area for each type of application that is loaded in the host computers is predetermined,

wherein the method comprises:

a first step of collecting configuration information from the storage apparatuses, the intermediate storage apparatuses and the host computers;

a second step of detecting a combination of a certain storage apparatus, a certain intermediate storage apparatus and a certain host computer that is suitable for the type of application designated by a user based on the collected configuration information, the policy, and the type of application designated by the user; and

a third step of presenting the detected combination to the user.

9. A resource management method according to claim 8,

wherein the policy is pre-defined with a type of the access interface protocol that is preferable upon using a virtual host for each type of the application.

10. A resource management method according to claim 8,

wherein, at the third step, the detected combination is displayed as a schematic diagram representing a connection mode of the certain storage apparatus, the certain intermediate storage apparatus and the certain host computer.

11. A resource management method according to claim 10,

wherein the schematic diagram includes identifying information of the certain storage apparatus, the certain intermediate storage apparatus and the certain host computer, and identifying information of a port to be used in the connection of the certain storage apparatus, the certain intermediate storage apparatus and the certain host computer.

12. A resource management method according to claim 10,

wherein, at the third step, if a plurality of combinations of a storage apparatus, an intermediate storage apparatus and a host computer that is suitable for the type of application designated by the user is detected, performance information is collected from a storage apparatus, an intermediate storage apparatus and a host computer configuring the combination for each of the combinations,

wherein the priority of each of the combinations is calculated based on the collected performance information, and

wherein a schematic diagram of the combination with a high priority is preferentially displayed based on the calculation result.

13. A resource management method according to claim 12,

wherein the performance information is a utilization ratio of a processor governing the operational control of the overall storage apparatus, the overall intermediate storage apparatus or the overall host computer, and a utilization ratio of a port that is used for the connection in the corresponding combination.

14. A resource management method according to claim 8,

wherein the policy is pre-defined with a type of the access interface protocol and a type of storage area that are preferable for each type of data regarding the type of each of the applications,

wherein, at the second step, a combination of a storage apparatus, an intermediate storage apparatus and a host computer that is suitable for the type of application designated by a user for each type of the data is detected based on configuration information of each storage apparatus, each intermediate storage apparatus and each host computer, the policy, and the type of application designated by the user, and

wherein, at the third step, a combination of a storage apparatus, an intermediate storage apparatus and a host computer based on a detected combination of each type of data is presented to the user.