User interface for configuring and managing a multi-drive data storage system

• US 6,346,954 B1
• Filed: 12/21/1998
• Issued: 02/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ballard, Barbara, Steinbugler, Gayle, Chu, Simon
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Luu, Sy D.
• Application Number:
  US09/218,131
• Time in Patent Office: 1,149 Days
• Field of Search: 345/353, 345/339, 345/348, 345/965, 345/835, 345/764, 345/841, 711/114, 711/111, 710/20, 714/5-6
• US Class Current: 715/764
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2206/1008 Graphical user interface [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0629 Configuration or reconfiguration of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/965 for process control and configuration

Abstract

A method and system are disclosed for managing a plurality of data storage systems. A plurality of graphically designatable data storage systems are displayed within a computer system display. A subset of the plurality of graphically designatable data storage systems are selected to be utilized in a data storage array. A data distribution mode for the data array is designated. An iconic representation of selected data storage systems of the data storage array is automatically graphically displayed in response to the selected subset of data storage systems and the designated data distribution mode such that complete data storage arrays may be graphically illustrated for management purposes.

Claims

1. A method for configuring and managing a plurality of data storage systems, said method comprising the steps of:

displaying a plurality of graphically designatable data storage systems within a computer system display, wherein said plurality of graphically designatable data storage systems include at least one physical drive and at least one logical drive;

selecting a subset of said plurality of graphically designatable data storage systems to be utilized in a data storage array, wherein said subset includes said at least one physical drive and said at least one logical drive, said at least one logical drive being displayed as a cross-sectional area of said iconic display of said at least one physical drive, said cross-sectional bounded by a graphical bar;

designating a data distribution mode for said at least one logical drive within said data storage array, wherein said data distribution mode indicates an inter-drive relationship between said at least one logical drive and said at least one physical drive;

automatically graphically displaying an iconic representation of said data storage array in accordance with said selected subset of data storage systems and said designated data distribution mode; and

altering said iconic representation of said at least one logical drive to show an altered inter-drive relationship between said at least one physical drive and said at least one logical drive, wherein said step of altering said iconic representation of said at least one logical drive comprises moving said graphical bar to a new position with respect to said cross-sectional area to indicate a greater or lesser correspondence between said at least one logical drive and said at least one physical drive.

2. The method for configuring and managing a plurality of data storage systems according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

varying said iconic representation of said data storage array to show an operational status of each of said data storage systems of said subset of data storage systems.

3. The method for configuring and managing a plurality of data storage systems according to claim 2, wherein said step of varying said iconic representation of said data storage array to show an operational status of each of said data storage systems of said subset of data storage systems comprises the steps of:

graphically designating said data storage systems which are operating normally by a normal graphic designation; and

graphically designating said data storage systems which are failed by a failed graphic designation.

4. The method for configuring and managing a plurality of data storage systems according to claim 1, wherein said at least one logical drive comprises a plurality of logical drives, and wherein said designating step comprises the steps of:

setting each of said plurality of logical drives to a data distribution mode; and

altering said iconic representation of said data storage array to show a graphical representation of said data distribution mode setting for each logical drive.

12. The method for configuring and managing a plurality of data storage systems according to claim 1, wherein said step of selecting a subset of said plurality of graphically designatable data storage systems comprises the step of pointing to and dragging an iconic representation of at least one of said graphically designatable data storage systems into a graphically displayed array frame.

13. The method for configuring and managing a plurality of data storage systems according to claim 1, wherein said inter-drive relationship indicated by said data distribution mode is indicative of a RAID level.

14. The method for configuring and managing a plurality of data storage systems according to claim 13, wherein said at least one physical drive comprises a plurality of physical drives, and wherein for said RAID level, one of said plurality of physical drives is set to hold parity data for each stripe placed on said plurality of physical drives, said parity data rotatable to different ones of said plurality of physical drives, said method further comprising graphically displaying stripes of each physical drive such that the position of said parity data is visible within said iconic representation of said data storage array.

5. A system for configuring and managing a plurality of data storage systems, said system comprising:

a display within a computer system display of a plurality of graphically designatable data storage systems, wherein said plurality of graphically designatable data storage systems include at least one physical drive and at least one logical drive;

a selected subset of said plurality of graphically designatable data storage systems to be utilized in a data storage array, wherein said subset includes said at least one physical drive and said at least one logical drive, wherein said at least one logical drive is displayed as a cross-sectional area of said iconic display of said at least one physical drive, said cross-sectional area bounded by a graphical bar;

a designated data distribution mode for said at least one logical drive within said data storage array, wherein said data distribution mode indicates an inter-drive relationship between said at least one logical drive and said at least one physical drive;

means of automatically graphically displaying an iconic representation of said data storage array in accordance with said selected subset of data storage system and said designated data distribution mode; and

means for altering said iconic representation of said at least one logical drive to show an altered inter-drive relationship between said at least one physical drive and said at least one logical drive, wherein said means for altering said iconic representation of said at least one logical drive further comprises means for moving said graphical bar to a new position with respect to said cross-sectional area to indicate a greater or lesser correspondence between said at least one logical drive and said at least one physical drive.

6. The system for configuring and managing a plurality of data storage systems according to claim 5, further comprising means for varying said iconic representation of said data storage array to show an operational status of each of said data storage systems of said subset of data storage systems.

7. The system for configuring and managing a plurality of data storage systems according to claim 6, wherein varying said iconic representation of said data storage array to show an operational status of each of said data storage systems of said subset of data storage systems further comprises:

means for graphically designating said data storage systems which are operating normally by a normal graphic designation; and

means for graphically designating said data storage systems which are failed by a failed graphic designation.

8. The system for configuring and managing a plurality of data storage systems according to claim 5, wherein said at least one logical drive comprises a plurality of logical drives, said system further comprising:

means for setting each of said plurality of logical drives to a data distribution mode; and

means for altering said iconic representation of said data storage array to show a graphical representation of said data distribution mode setting for each logical drive.

9. The system for configuring and managing a plurality of data storage systems according to claim 8, wherein said data distribution mode is a RAID level.

10. The system for configuring and managing a plurality of data storage systems according to claim 9, wherein said at least one physical drive comprises a plurality of physical drives, and wherein for said RAID level, one of said plurality of physical drives is set to hold parity data for each stripe placed on said plurality of physical drives, said parity data rotatable to different ones of said plurality of physical drives, said system further comprising means for graphically displaying stripes of each physical drive such that the position of said parity data is visible within said iconic representation of said data storage array.

11. A computer program product residing on a computer usable medium for configuring and managing a plurality of data storage systems, said computer program product comprising:

program code means for displaying a plurality of graphically designatable data storage systems within a computer system display, wherein said plurality of graphically designatable data storage systems include at least one physical drive and at least one logical drive;

program code means for selecting a subset of said plurality of graphically designatable data storage systems to be utilized in a data storage array, wherein said subset includes said at least one physical drive and said at least one logical drive, said at least one logical drive being displayed as a cross-sectional area of said iconic display of said at least one physical drive, said cross-sectional bounded by a graphical bar;

program code means for designating a data distribution mode for said at least one logical drive within said data storage array, wherein said data distribution mode indicates an inter-drive relationship between said at least one logical drive and said at least one physical drive; and

program code means for automatically graphically displaying an iconic representation of said data storage array in accordance with said selected subset of data storage systems and said designated data distribution mode; and

altering said iconic representation of said at least one logical drive to show an altered inter-drive relationship between said at least one physical drive and said at least one logical drive, wherein said step of altering said iconic representation of said at least one logical drive comprises moving said graphical bar to a new position with respect to said cross-sectional area to indicate a greater or lesser correspondence between said at least one logical drive and said at least one physical drive.