COMPUTER AND COMPUTER I/O CONTROL METHOD

• US 20160328348A1
• Filed: 01/29/2014
• Published: 11/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: KUBOTA, Naoki, IBA, Tooru, TOYOHARA, Yoshihiro, GOTOU, Tetsuhiro
• Application Number:
  US15/109,844
• Publication Number:
  US 20160328348A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/24 using interrupt G06F13/32 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/385 for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4022 using switching circuits, e.g. switching matrix, connection or expansion network G06F13/4009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/42 Bus transfer protocol, e.g. handshake; Synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45558 Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5077 Logical partitioning of resources; Management or configuration of virtualized resources specific details on emulation or internal functioning of virtual machines G06F9/455

Abstract

This invention provides a computer that, on the basis of identifying information for virtual ports for virtual machines in logical partitions, allows per-virtual-machine access control for storage systems. Said computer, which connects to said storage systems, has the following: hardware resources including processors, physical memory, and an I/O adapter; and a first hypervisor that logically divides said hardware resources into one or more logical partitions. Upon receiving an instruction to issue an I/O command to a logical unit of a storage system from a first virtual machine in a first logical partition, the I/O adapter transmits, to said storage system, an I/O command containing first identifying information that identifies a first virtual port for the first virtual machine.

Claims

1. An I/O control method for a computer comprising hardware resources which include processors, a physical memory, and an I/O adapter;

and a first hypervisor which logically divides the hardware resources into one or more logical partitions, wherein the computer connects with a storage system, the I/O control method wherein;

when the I/O adapter receives an instruction to issue an input/output command to a logical unit included in the storage system from a first virtual machine comprised in a first logical partition,

the I/O adapter sends an input/output command including first identifying information which identifies a first virtual port comprised in the first virtual machine to the storage system.

2. The I/O control method according to claim 1, wherein:

the I/O adapter correlates and manages the first identifying information which identifies the first virtual port and second identifying information which identifies the first logical partition as management information,

upon receiving an I/O response from the storage system, if the first identifying information which identifies the first virtual port is included in the received I/O response, the I/O adapter refers to the management information and retrieves the second identifying information correlated to the first identifying information, and

the I/O adapter sends the first hypervisor a request of I/O response interrupt to the first logical partition identified by the retrieved second identifying information.

3. The I/O control method according to claim 2, wherein:

the first hypervisor generates a second virtual port which corresponds to a physical port included in the I/O adapter and assigns the second virtual port to the first logical partition,

a second hypervisor included in the first logical partition generates the first virtual machine based on first hardware resources assigned to the first logical partition,

the second hypervisor generates the first virtual port which corresponds to the second virtual port assigned to the first logical partition and assigns the first virtual port to the first virtual machine, and

the first virtual machine issues an input/output command to the logical unit of the storage system from the first virtual port.

4. The I/O control method according to claim 3, wherein:

the second hypervisor sends the issued input/output command to a virtual driver included in the first logical partition,

the virtual driver stores transmission data included in the received input/output command into a physical memory and acquires a first address in the physical memory at which the transmission data has been stored,

based on the received input/output command, the virtual driver stores identifying information which identifies a port included in the storage system, the first identifying information which identifies the first virtual port, and the acquired first address in the physical memory into an invoke queue included in the first logical partition, and

the virtual driver instructs the first hypervisor to issue the input/output command.

5. The I/O control method according to claim 4, wherein:

a virtual address of the invoke queue is included in an instruction to issue the input/output command,

the first hypervisor instructed to issue the input/output command refers to address mapping information included in the first hypervisor and converts the virtual address of the invoke queue included in the instruction to issue the input/output command to a physical address of the invoke queue,

the first hypervisor sends the instruction to issue the input/output command including the physical address of the invoke queue to the I/O adapter,

the I/O adapter receives the instruction to issue the input/output command, refers to the invoke queue based on the physical address of the invoke queue included in the input/output command, and retrieves identifying information which identifies a port included in the storage system, the first identifying information which identifies the first virtual port, and the first address in the physical memory,

the I/O adapter retrieves the transmission data stored in the physical memory at the first address retrieved, and

the I/O adapter sends an input/output command including the transmission data, identifying information which identifies a port included in the storage system, and the first identifying information which identifies the first virtual port to the storage system.

6. The I/O control method according to claim 2, wherein:

the first identifying information which identifies the first virtual port and input/output result are included in the I/O response,

the I/O adapter stores the input/output result included in the I/O response into the physical memory and acquires a second address in the physical memory at which the input/output result has been stored, and

based on the I/O response, the I/O adapter stores the first identifying information which identifies the first virtual port and the acquired second address into a response queue included in the first logical partition.

7. The I/O control method according to claim 6, wherein:

a physical address of the response queue is included in the request of I/O response interrupt,

the first hypervisor receives the request of I/O response interrupt, refers to address mapping information included in the first hypervisor, and converts the physical address of the response queue to a virtual address of the response queue,

the first hypervisor executes an I/O response interrupt including the virtual address of the response queue to the virtual driver included in the first logical partition,

the virtual driver receives the I/O response interrupt, refers to the response queue based on the virtual address of the response queue included in the I/O response interrupt, and retrieves the first identifying information which identifies the first virtual port and the second address in the physical memory,

the virtual driver retrieves the input/output result stored in the physical memory at the second address retrieved, and

the virtual driver sends an I/O response including the input/output result and the first identifying information which identifies the first virtual port to the first virtual machine.

8. The I/O control method according to claim 2, wherein:

when migrating the first virtual machine to any other logical partition within the computer or any other computer, the I/O control method comprises a step of sending the first identifying information which identifies the first virtual port to the any other logical partition or the any other computer which is the destination to migrate.

9. A computer comprising:

hardware resources which comprise processors, a physical memory, and an I/O adapter;

a first hypervisor which logically divides the hardware resources into one or more logical partitions; and

an I/O adapter which connects with the storage system and, upon receiving an instruction to issue an input/output command to a logical unit included in the storage system from a first virtual machine comprised in a first logical partition, sends an input/output command including first identifying information which identifies a first virtual port comprised in the first virtual machine to the storage system.

10. The computer according to claim 9, wherein:

the I/O adapter includes a set of management information in which it correlates and manages the first identifying information which identifies the first virtual port and second identifying information which identifies the first logical partition,

upon receiving an I/O response from the storage system, if the first identifying information which identifies the first virtual port is included in the received I/O response, the I/O adapter refers to the management information and retrieves the second identifying information correlated to the first identifying information, and

the I/O adapter sends the first hypervisor a request of I/O response interrupt to the first logical partition identified by the retrieved second identifying information.

11. The computer according to claim 10, wherein:

the first hypervisor generates a second virtual port which corresponds to a physical port included in the I/O adapter and assigns the second virtual port to the first logical partition,

the first logical partition includes a second hypervisor,

the second hypervisor generates the first virtual machine based on first hardware resources assigned to the first logical partition,

the second hypervisor generates the first virtual port which corresponds to the second virtual port assigned to the first logical partition and assigns the first virtual port to the first virtual machine, and

the first virtual machine issues an input/output command to the logical unit of the storage system from the first virtual port.

12. The computer according to claim 10, wherein:

the first identifying information which identifies the first virtual port and input/output result are included in the I/O response,

the first logical partition includes a response queue,

the I/O adapter stores the input/output result included in the I/O response into the physical memory and acquires a second address in the physical memory at which the input/output result has been stored, and

based on the I/O response, the I/O adapter stores the first identifying information which identifies the first virtual port and the acquired second address into the response queue.

13. The computer according to claim 12, wherein:

a physical address of the response queue is included in the request of I/O response interrupt,

the first hypervisor receives the request of I/O response interrupt, refers to address mapping information included in the first hypervisor, and converts the physical address of the response queue to a virtual address of the response queue,

the first hypervisor executes an I/O response interrupt including the virtual address of the response queue to the virtual driver included in the first logical partition,

the virtual driver receives the I/O response interrupt, refers to the response queue based on the virtual address of the response queue included in the I/O response interrupt, and retrieves the first identifying information which identifies the first virtual port and the second address in the physical memory,

the virtual driver retrieves the input/output result stored in the physical memory at the second address retrieved, and

the virtual driver sends an I/O response including the input/output result and the first identifying information which identifies the first virtual port to the first virtual machine.

14. The computer according to claim 10, wherein:

the I/O adapter includes a physical port connecting with the storage system via a switch.