STORAGE APPARATUS AND MANAGEMENT METHOD THEREOF

• US 20120102201A1
• Filed: 10/25/2010
• Published: 04/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Nakagawa, Hirotaka, Mori, Mioko
• Application Number:
  US12/991,976
• Publication Number:
  US 20120102201A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/80 in storage media based on magnetic or optical technology, e.g. disks with sectors preventing unauthorised reproduction or copying of disc-type recordable media G11B20/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0622 in relation to access
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0637 Permissions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

As a result of operating interference between managing users using the storage apparatus, management tasks on the storage apparatus are delayed and there is the risk of host tasks being delayed or stopped.

With a storage apparatus which is managed by a plurality of managing users and a control method thereof, management target resources are divided into a plurality of resource groups; and, by executing exclusive control processing which places the resource groups into an exclusive control range for management operations by the managing users, the scope of the exclusive control can be configured in just proportion and convenience and user friendliness can be improved.

Claims

1. A storage apparatus which is managed by a plurality of managing users, comprising:

a resource group control unit which divides management target resources into a plurality of resource groups;

an access control processing unit for executing access control processing which places the resource groups into a range of management operations by the managing users; and

an exclusive control unit which executes exclusive control processing which places the resource groups into an exclusive control range for management operations by the managing users.

2. The storage apparatus according to claim 1, comprising:

an account management unit which manages the plurality of managing users divided into one or more user groups,

wherein one or more of the resource groups and one or more operating privileges are assigned to each of the user groups, and

wherein the exclusive control unit receives requests from managing users within the scope of the resource groups and the operating privileges assigned to the user groups to which the managing users belong.

3. The storage apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein operating privileges which are required to operate the resource groups are pre-configured for each of the resource groups;

and

wherein the account management unit,

creates a new user group in response to a managing user operation and configures the operating privileges designated by the managing user for the user group, and

assigns, to the new user group thus created, all the resource groups which can be operated according to the operating privileges configured for the user group.

4. The storage apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the resource group control unit creates a new resource group by dividing the resource group and configures, for the new resource group thus created, the same operating privileges as the operating privileges required to operate the resource group, configured for the resource group which is a division source.

5. The storage apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the resource groups are divided into groups designated by the managing users, and

wherein the account management unit,

when the resource groups are assigned to the new user group thus created,

assigns all the resource groups, which can be operated according to the operating privileges configured for the user group, among the resource groups which belong to the group which is pre-designated for the user group.

6. A control method for a storage apparatus managed by a plurality of managing users, comprising:

a first step of dividing management target resources into a plurality of resource groups;

a second step of executing access control processing unit for executing access control processing which places the resource groups into a range of management operations by the managing users, and executing exclusive control processing which places the resource groups into an exclusive control range for management operations by the managing users.

7. The control method for a storage apparatus according to claim 6,

wherein, in the first step,

the plurality of managing users are divided into one or more user groups, and one or more of the resource groups and one or more operating privileges are assigned to each of the user groups and,

wherein, in the second step,

requests are received from the managing users within the scope of the resource groups and the operating privileges assigned to the user groups to which the managing users belong.

8. The control method for a storage apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein the operating privileges are pre-configured for each of the resource groups in order to operate the resource groups, and

wherein, in the first step,

the new user group is created in response to a managing user operation and the operating privileges designated by the managing user are configured for the user group, and

all the resource groups which can be operated according to the operating privileges configured for the user group are assigned to the new user group thus created.

9. The control method for a storage apparatus according to claim 8,

wherein, in the first step,

the resource group is divided to create new resource groups, and the same operating privileges as the operating privileges required to operate the resource group, configured for the resource group which is a division source, are configured for the new resource group thus created.

10. The control method for a storage apparatus according to claim 8,

wherein the resource groups are divided into groups designated by the managing users and,

wherein, in the first step,

when the resource groups are assigned to the new user group thus created,

all the resource groups, which can be operated according to the operating privileges configured for the user group, among the resource groups which belong to the group which is pre-designated for the user group, are assigned.