Method for producing a coherent view of storage network by a storage network manager using data storage device configuration obtained from data storage devices

• US 6,253,240 B1
• Filed: 10/30/1998
• Issued: 06/26/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Nicholson, Robert Bruce, Axberg, Gary Thomas, Baldwin, Duane Mark, Merbach, David Lynn, Heitman, Allen Robert, Immaneni, Uma Devi, Knight, Greg, Yonker, William Roy
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Le Hien
• Application Number:
  US09/183,647
• Time in Patent Office: 970 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/224, 709/227, 709/220, 710/2, 710/8, 710/15, 370/254, 345/440, 714/6
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming

Abstract

A distributed storage management program manages a network comprising multiple data storage devices attached to multiple host computer systems. The management program includes a separate agent in each host, and a central manager. The agents gather data and communicate with the manager across a communications path which is independent of the storage network. The manager collates the data from different agents to produce a coherent view of the network. Preferably, each local agent actively builds an internal topological view of the network as seen by its host and collects data such as error events, which it stores in internal data structures. The manager is able to resolve gaps in the information of each agent from information provided by other agents. Preferably, the manager represents the network as a collection of objects of different classes in an object-oriented class library. This collection is graphically displayed in a logical and understandable manner to a user on a display device.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a storage network, said storage network comprising a storage network communication medium, a plurality of data storage devices, and a plurality of host computer systems, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) obtaining data storage device configuration information through said storage network communication medium from a plurality of data storage devices attached to said storage network, said step of obtaining data storage device configuration information being performed independently at each of said plurality of host computer systems for a respective set of at least one of data storage device;

(b) communicating data storage device configuration information obtained by said obtaining step from each respective host computer system to a storage network manager computer system, said step of communicating data storage device configuration information being performed using an information processing communication medium independent of said storage network communications medium; and

(c) analyzing said data storage device configuration information communicated to said storage network manager by said communicating step to produce a coherent view of said storage network, said analyzing step being performed by said storage network manager computer system.

2. The method for monitoring a storage network of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

(d) displaying a graphical image of said coherent view of said storage network to a user.

3. The method for monitoring a storage network of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

(d) constructing an object-oriented representation of said coherent view of said storage network.

4. The method for monitoring a storage network of claim 3, further comprising the step of:

(e) displaying a graphical image of said coherent view of said storage network to a user, said graphical image being constructed using objects from said object-oriented representation.

5. The method for monitoring a storage network of claim 1, wherein said step of analyzing said data storage device configuration information to produce a coherent view of said storage network comprises:

resolving incomplete information received from a first host computer system using information received from a second host computer system; and

resolving incomplete information received from said second host computer system using information received from said first host computer system.

6. The method for monitoring a storage network of claim 1, wherein said step of obtaining data storage device configuration information comprises:

establishing at least one information gathering process in each respective host computer system of said plurality of host computer systems; and

generating a respective set of data structures in each respective host computer system, each said set of data structures representing a configuration of said storage network visible to its respective host computer system.

10. The method for monitoring a storage network of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

(d) obtaining information from a rules file stored. locally to said storage network manager, said information comprising device characteristics.

7. A method for monitoring a storage network, said storage network comprising a storage network communication medium, a plurality of data storage devices, and a plurality of host computer systems, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) obtaining data storage device configuration information through said storage network communication medium from a plurality of data storage devices attached to said storage network, said step of obtaining data storage device configuration information being performed independently at each of said plurality of host computer systems for a respective set of at least one of data storage device;

(b) communicating data storage device configuration information obtained by said obtaining step from each respective host computer system to a storage network manager, said step of communicating data storage device configuration information being performed using an information processing communication medium independent of said storage network communications medium, wherein said step of communicating information comprises;

issuing a plurality of requests for information from said storage network manager to each respective host computer system, said plurality of requests being transmitted via said information processing communication medium; and

responding to said plurality of requests with responsive information, said step of responding to said plurality of requests being performed independently by each respective host computer system transmitting responsive information from the host computer system to said storage network manager via said information processing communication medium; and

(c) analyzing said data storage device configuration information communicated to said storage network manager by said communicating step to produce a coherent view of said storage network.

8. The method for monitoring a storage network of claim 7, wherein said steps of issuing a plurality of requests and responding to said plurality of requests comprise the steps of:

(i) issuing a first request to identify a first set of devices attached to a first host computer system;

(ii) responding to said first request;

(iii) issuing a second request to identify a second set of devices attached to said first host computer system, wherein said storage network manager uses information identifying said first set of devices to issue said second request;

(iv) responding to said second request; and

(v) recursively repeating steps (iii) and (iv) until all devices attached to said first host computer system are identified.

9. The method for monitoring a storage network of claim 7, wherein said steps of issuing a plurality of requests and responding to said plurality of requests comprise the steps of:

(i) issuing a first request to identify a first set of devices attached to a first host computer system;

(ii) responding to said first request, wherein information received in response to said first request identifies a second host computer system; and

(iii) issuing a second request to identify a second set of devices attached to said second host computer system, wherein said storage network manager uses information identifying said information received in response to said first request to issue said second request.

11. A method for monitoring a storage network, said storage network comprising a storage network communication medium, a plurality of data storage devices, and a plurality of host computer systems, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) transmitting at least one information request to each of said plurality of host computer systems via an information processing communication medium, said information processing communication medium being independent of said storage network communication medium;

(b) receiving data storage device configuration information responsive to said information requests from each respective host computer system of said plurality of host computer systems, said responsive data storage device configuration information being received via said information processing communication medium; and

(c) generating a plurality of data structures representing a configuration of said storage network, said plurality of data structures being generated using said data storage device configuration information responsive to said information requests.

12. The method for monitoring a storage network of claim 11, further comprising the step of:

(d) displaying a graphical image of said configuration of said storage network to a user, said graphical image being generated using said plurality of data structures.

13. The method for monitoring a storage network of claim 11, wherein said step of generating a plurality of data structures representing a configuration of said storage network comprises generating a plurality of objects from object class definitions to produce an object-oriented representation of said configuration.

14. The method for monitoring a storage network of claim 13, further comprising the step of.

(d) displaying a graphical image of said configuration of said storage network to a user, said graphical image being generated using said plurality of objects.

15. The method for monitoring a storage network of claim 11, wherein said step of generating a plurality of data structures representing a configuration of said storage network comprises:

resolving incomplete information received from a first host computer system using information received from a second host computer system; and

resolving incomplete information received from said second host computer system using information received from said first host computer system.

16. A method for monitoring a storage network, said storage network comprising a storage network communication medium, a plurality of data storage devices, and a plurality of host computer systems, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) transmitting at least one information request to each of said plurality of host computer systems via an information processing communication medium, said information processing communication medium being independent of said storage network communication medium, wherein said step of transmitting at least one information request to each of said plurality of host computer systems comprises the steps of;

(i) transmitting a first request to identify a first set of devices attached to a first host computer system;

(ii) transmitting a second request to identify a second set of devices attached to said first host computer system, said second request using information identifying said first set of devices; and

(iii) recursively repeating step (ii) until all devices attached to said first host computer system are identified;

(b) receiving data store device configuration information responsive to said information requests from each respective host computer system of said plurality of host computer systems, said responsive data storage device configuration information being received via said information processing communication medium; and

(c) generating a plurality of data structures representing a configuration of said storage network, said plurality of data structures being generated using said data storage device configuration information responsive to said information requests.

17. A computer program product for monitoring a storage network, said storage network comprising a storage network communication medium, a plurality of data storage devices, and a plurality. of host computer systems, said computer program product including a plurality of computer executable instructions stored on a computer readable medium, wherein said instructions, when executed by said computer, cause the computer to perform the steps of:

(a) transmitting at least one information request to each of said plurality of host computer systems via an information processing communication medium, said information processing communication medium being independent of said storage network communication medium;

(b) receiving data storage device configuration information responsive to said information requests from each respective host computer system of said plurality of host computer systems, said responsive data storage device configuration information being received via said information processing communication medium; and

(c) generating a plurality of data structures representing a configuration of said storage network, said plurality of data structures being generated using said data storage device configuration information responsive to said information requests.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein said instructions, when executed by said computer, further cause the computer to perform the step of:

(d) displaying a graphical image of said configuration of said storage network to a user, said graphical image being generated using said plurality of data structures.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein said step of generating a plurality of data structures representing a configuration of said storage network comprises generating a plurality of objects from object class definitions to produce an object-oriented representation of said configuration.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein said instructions, when executed by said computer, further cause the computer to perform the step of:

(d) displaying a graphical image of said configuration of said storage network to a user, said graphical image being generated using said plurality of objects.

21. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein said step of generating a plurality of data structures representing a configuration of said storage network comprises:

resolving incomplete information received from a first host computer system using information received from a second host computer system; and

resolving incomplete information received from said second host computer system using information received from said first host computer system.

22. A storage network monitoring mechanism, comprising:

means for gathering data storage device configuration information from a plurality of host computer systems attached to a storage network, said data storage device configuration information including configuration information for said storage network;

means for resolving incomplete data storage device configuration information received from a first of said plurality of computer systems with data storage device configuration information received from at least one other host computer system; and

means for creating a data representation of said storage network from said resolved information.

23. The storage network monitoring mechanism of claim 22, further comprising means for displaying a graphical representation of said storage network to a user.