Method and apparatus for providing data storage management

• US 6,430,611 B1
• Filed: 08/25/1998
• Issued: 08/06/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: HighGround Systems, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Dickau, Ellen L., Chestna, Peter J., Bakerman, Thomas J., Kita, Jefferson A., Hecker, Mark B., Wong, Cora A., Glassman, Stephen M., Gilhooly, Sean
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Dung C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SALAD, ABDULLAHI ELMI
• Application Number:
  US09/139,303
• Time in Patent Office: 1,442 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/220, 709/226, 709/224, 709/203, 709/221, 709/202
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A storage management system for managing storage resources of a plurality of computer devices in a computer network includes a plurality of management agents, each of which is installed in a corresponding one of the plurality of computer devices, and each of which is configured to compile storage information of storage resources accessible by the corresponding computer device to create a first set of compiled storage information, and a storage manager installed in the server. The storage manager is configured to collect the first set of compiled storage information from each of the management agents and to further compile the first sets of storage information received to create a second set of compiled storage information. The storage management system further includes a user interface operatively coupled to the server manager to allow a user to access the second set of compiled storage information.

Claims

1. A storage management system for managing storage resources of a plurality of computer devices in a computer network, the computer network including a server operatively coupled to each of the plurality of computer devices, the storage management system comprising:

a plurality of management agents, each of which is installed in a corresponding one of the plurality of computer devices, and each of which is configured to compile storage information of storage resources accessible by the corresponding computer device to create a first set of compiled storage information, the management agents being configured to gather information regarding available storage space of the storage resources as at least a part of the storage information;

a storage manager installed in the server and operatively coupled to each of the plurality of management agents through the computer network, the storage manager being configured to collect the first set of compiled storage information from each of the management agents and to further compile the first sets of storage information received to create a second set of compiled storage information; and

a user interface operatively coupled to the storage manager to allow a user to access the second set of compiled storage information.

2. The storage management system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of computer devices includes a first group of computer devices and a second group of computer devices, each of the first group and the second group having computer devices of a first type, and wherein the storage manager is configured to compile storage information of the first type of computer devices in the first group with storage information of the first type of computer devices in the second group to create a third set of storage information.

3. The storage management system of claim 2, wherein computer devices are categorized as being of the first type based on characteristics of users of the computer devices.

4. The storage management system of claim 2, wherein each of the first group and the second group include computer devices of a second type, and wherein the storage manager is configured to compile storage information of the second type of computer devices in the first group with storage information of the second type of computer devices in the second group to create a fourth set of storage information.

5. The storage management system of claim 4, wherein computer devices are categorized as being one of the first type or the second type based on characteristics of users of the computer devices.

6. The storage management system of claim 5, wherein the user interface includes a web browser to access the storage manager.

7. The storage management system of claim 6, wherein one of the plurality of management agents is installed in the server to manage storage resources of the server.

8. The storage management system of claim 7, wherein the user interface is installed in one of the computers of the computer network containing one of the plurality of management agents.

9. The storage management system of claim 7, wherein the user interface is installed in the server.

10. The storage management system of claim 6, wherein the storage manager is constructed and arranged to collect information from computers of the computer network having a management agent and to collect information from computers of the computer network that do not contain a management agent.

11. The storage management system of claim 1, wherein the user interface includes a web browser to access the storage manager.

12. The storage management system of claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of management agents is installed in the server to manage storage resources of the server.

13. The storage management system of claim 1, wherein the user interface is installed in one of the computers containing one of the plurality of management agents.

14. The storage management system of claim 1, wherein the user interface is installed in the server.

31. The storage management system of claim 1 wherein the storage information includes at least one of:

number of files in each storage resource, size of files in each storage resource, number of files in each storage resource for each user, size of files in each storage resource for each user, occurrence of updates to files, frequency of updates to files, and frequency of backups for files.

15. A method for managing storage resources of a plurality of computer devices in a computer network, the method comprising steps of:

for each computer of the computer network, compiling storage information of storage resources accessible by the computer to create a first set of compiled storage information, the storage information including information regarding available storage space of the storage resources;

collecting the first set of compiled storage information from each of the computers;

compiling the first sets of storage information collected to create a second set of compiled storage information;

storing the second set of compiled information; and

accessing the second set of compiled information;

wherein compiling the storage information to create the first set for each computer is performed locally to each computer of the computer network; and

wherein the collecting is performed by a server via the computer network.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of storing includes storing the storage information in a database contained in a server of the computer network.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of accessing includes accessing the database of the server using a web browser.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of accessing includes a step of further compiling the storage information contained in the database.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein at least one of the steps of compiling includes compiling data according to types of users of computers of the computer network.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of accessing includes accessing the second set of compiled information using a web browser.

21. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of accessing includes a step of further compiling the second set of compiled information.

22. The method of claim 15 wherein at least one of the steps of compiling includes compiling data according to types of users of computers of the computer network.

32. The method of claim 15 wherein the storage information includes at least one of:

number of files in each storage resource, size of files in each storage resource, number of files in each storage resource for each user, size of files in each storage resource for each user, occurrence of updates to files, frequency of updates to files, and frequency of backups for files.

33. The method of claim 15 wherein the compiling of storage information and the first sets, the collecting, the storing, and the accessing are repeated periodically.

23. A storage management system for managing storage resources of a plurality of computer devices in a computer network, the computer network including a server operatively coupled to each of the plurality of computer devices, the storage management system comprising:

first means, included within each one of the computers of the computer network, for compiling storage information of storage resources accessible by the one of the computers to create a first set of compiled storage information, the first means being configured to gather information regarding available storage space of the storage resources as at least apart of the storage information;

means, coupled to the first means, for collecting the first set of compiled storage information from each of the computers;

second means, coupled to the means for collecting, for compiling the first sets of storage information collected to create a second set of compiled storage information; and

user interface means for accessing the second set of compiled information;

wherein the collecting means is coupled to the first means via the computer network and the collecting means and the second means are disposed in the server.

24. The storage management system of claim 23, wherein the means for collecting includes means for storing the storage information in a database.

25. The storage management system of claim 24, wherein the user interface means includes a web browser.

26. The storage management system of claim 25, wherein the user interface means includes means for further compiling the storage information contained in the database.

27. The storage management system of claim 26 wherein at least one of the first means for compiling and the second means for compiling includes means for compiling data according to types of users of computers of the computer network.

28. The storage management system of claim 23, wherein the user interface means includes a web browser.

29. The storage management system of claim 23, wherein the user interface means includes means for further compiling the storage information.

30. The storage management system of claim 29 wherein at least one of the first means for compiling and the second means for compiling includes means for compiling data according to types of users of computers of the computer network.

34. The storage management system of claim 23 wherein the storage information includes at least one of:

number of files in each storage resource, size of files in each storage resource, number of files in each storage resource for each user, size of files in each storage resource for each user, occurrence of updates to files, frequency of updates to files, and frequency of backups for files.