Security method and system for storage subsystem

• US 6,947,938 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2003
• Issued: 09/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Okami, Yoshinori, Ito, Ryusuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Breene, John E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Liang, Gwen
• Application Number:
  US10/737,641
• Publication Number:
  US 20040128311A1
• Time in Patent Office: 645 Days
• Field of Search: 707/100, 707/9, 707/10, 709/229, 709/211, 709/238, 710/107, 711/152, 711/100
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2003/0697 device management, e.g. handlers, drivers, I/O schedulers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0601 Interfaces specially adapted for storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0622 in relation to access
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0635 by changing the path, e.g. traffic rerouting, path reconfiguration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0637 Permissions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0659 Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/103 across network layers, e.g. resolution of network layer into physical layer addresses or address resolution protocol [ARP]
• 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: Y10S 707/954 Relational
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access

Abstract

According to the present invention, techniques for performing security functions in computer storage subsystems in order to prevent illegal access by the host computers according to logical unit (LU) identity are provided. In representative embodiments management tables can be used to disclose the Logical Unit in the storage subsystem to the host computers in accordance with the users operational needs. In a specific embodiment, accessibility to a storage subsystem resource can be decided when an Inquiry Command is received, providing systems and apparatus wherein there is no further need to repeatedly determine accessibility for subsequent accesses to the Logical Unit. Many such embodiments can maintain relatively high performance, while providing robust security for each LU.

Claims

1. A storage system adapted to be coupled to a plurality of host computers, said storage system comprising:

a plurality of disk drives storing data from said host computers, said disk drives forming a plurality of logical units, said logical units having logical unit numbers; and

a controller controlling read/write of data from/to said disk drives in response to access from said host computers to said logical units by using a map,

wherein said map includes an identifier of a host group having some of said host computers and a plurality of virtual logical unit numbers, one or more of said virtual logical unit numbers being mapped to said identifier of said host group and each of said virtual logical unit numbers being a renumbered identifier of one of said logical unit numbers.

2. A storage system adapted to be coupled to a plurality of host computers, said storage system comprising:

a plurality of disk drives storing data from said host computers, said disk drives forming a plurality of logical units, said logical units having logical unit numbers; and

a controller having an access management map,

wherein said access management map includes an identifier of a host group having some of said host computers and a plurality of virtual logical unit numbers, one or more of said virtual logical unit numbers being mapped to said identifier of said host group and each of said virtual logical unit numbers being a renumbered identifier of one of said logical unit numbers, said access management map being used to control access from said host group to said logical units.

3. The storage system according to claim 2, wherein said access management map permits mapping of different logical unit numbers to a same virtual logical unit number for different host groups.

4. The storage system according to claim 2, wherein said access management map does not permit mapping of different logical unit numbers to one host group at a same virtual logical unit number.

5. The storage system according to claim 2, wherein said virtual logical unit numbers allocated to each host group begin with 0, and wherein each of said virtual logical unit numbers is a renumbered identifier of one of said logical unit numbers.

6. The storage system according to claim 2, wherein said virtual logical unit numbers allocated to each host group begin with 0 and increment by 1, and wherein each of said virtual logical unit numbers is a renumbered identifier of one of said logical unit numbers.

7. The storage system according to claim 2,

wherein each of said virtual logical unit numbers can be specified by a user.

8. The storage system according to claim 2, wherein said host computers included in said host group are related to each other.

9. A storage system adapted to be coupled to a plurality of host computers, said storage system comprising:

a plurality of disk drives storing data from said host computers, said disk drives forming a plurality of logical units, said logical units having logical unit numbers; and

a controller having an access management table,

wherein said access management table includes an identifier of a host group having some of said host computers and a plurality of virtual logical unit numbers, one or more of said virtual logical unit numbers being mapped to said identifier of said host group and each of said virtual logical unit numbers being a renumbered identifier of one of said logical unit numbers, said access management table being used to control access from said host group to said logical units.

10. The storage system according to claim 9, wherein said access management table permits mapping of different logical unit numbers to a same virtual logical unit number for different host groups.

11. The storage system according to claim 9, wherein said access management table does not permit mapping of different logical unit numbers to one host group at a same virtual logical unit number.

12. The storage system according to claim 9, wherein said virtual logical unit numbers allocated to each host group begin with 0, and wherein each of said virtual logical unit numbers is a renumbered identifier of one of said logical unit numbers.

13. The storage system according to claim 9, wherein said virtual logical unit numbers allocated to each host group begin with 0 and increment by 1, and wherein each of said virtual logical unit numbers is a renumbered identifier of one of said logical unit numbers.

14. The storage system according to claim 9, wherein each of said virtual logical unit numbers can be specified by a user.

15. A storage system adapted to be coupled to a plurality of host computers, said storage system comprising:

a plurality of disk drives storing data from said host computers, said disk drives forming a plurality of logical units, said logical units having logical unit numbers; and

a controller controlling read/write of data from/to said disk drives in response to access from said host computers to said logical units by using an access management map,

wherein said access management map includes an identifier of a host group having some of said host computers and a plurality of virtual logical unit numbers, one or more of said virtual logical unit numbers being mapped to said identifier of said host group rind each of said virtual logical unit numbers being a renumbered identifier of one of said logical unit numbers.

16. The storage system according to claim 15, wherein said access management map permits mapping of different logical unit numbers to a same virtual logical unit number for different host groups.

17. The storage system according to claim 15, wherein said access management map does not permit mapping of different logical unit numbers to one host group at a same virtual logical unit number.

18. The storage system according to claim 15, wherein said virtual logical unit numbers allocated to each host group begin with 0, and wherein each of said virtual logical unit numbers is a renumbered identifier of one of said logical unit numbers.

19. The storage system according to claim 15, wherein said virtual logical unit numbers allocated to each host group begin with 0 and increment by 1, and wherein each of said virtual logical unit numbers is a renumbered identifier of one of said logical unit numbers.

20. The storage system according to claim 15, wherein each of said virtual logical unit numbers can be specified by a user.

21. A storage system adapted to be coupled to a plurality of host computers, said storage system comprising:

a plurality of disk drives storing data from said host computers, said disk drives forming a plurality of logical units, said logical units having logical unit numbers; and

a controller controlling read/write of data from/to said disk drives in response to accesses from said host computers to said logical units by using an access management table,

wherein said access management table includes an identifier of a host group having some of said host computers and a plurality of virtual logical unit numbers, one or more of said virtual logical unit numbers being mapped to said identifier of said host group and each of said virtual logical unit numbers being a renumbered identifier of one of said logical unit numbers.

22. The storage system according to claim 21, wherein said access management table permits mapping of different logical unit numbers to a same virtual logical unit number for different host groups.

23. The storage system according to claim 21, wherein said access management table does not permit mapping of different logical unit numbers to one host group at a same virtual logical unit number.

24. The storage system according to claim 21, wherein said virtual logical unit numbers allocated to each host group begin with 0, and wherein each of said virtual logical unit numbers is a renumbered identifier of one of said logical unit numbers.

25. The storage system according to claim 21, wherein said virtual logical unit numbers allocated to each host group begin with 0 and increment by 1, and wherein each of said virtual logical unit numbers is a renumbered identifier of one of said logical unit numbers.

26. The storage system according to claim 21, wherein each of said virtual logical unit numbers can be specified by a user.

27. The storage system according to claim 21, wherein said host computers included in said host group are related to each other.

28. A storage system adapted to be coupled to a plurality of host computers, said storage system comprising:

a plurality of disk drives storing data from said host computers, said disk drives forming a plurality of logical units, said logical units having logical unit numbers; and

a controller controlling read/write of data from/to said disk drives in response to accesses from said host computers to said logical units;

wherein said controller includes an access management map which includes a plurality of identifiers each of said identifiers corresponding to a host group having some of said host computers and a plurality of virtual logical unit numbers, each being a renumbered identifier of one of said logical unit numbers,

wherein some of said virtual logical unit numbers allocated to each said host group begin with zero and others begin with a non-zero number, and

wherein said controller controls access from said host group to said logical units in accordance with said access management map.

29. The storage system according to claim 28, wherein said access management map permits mapping of different logical unit numbers to a same virtual logical unit number for different host groups.

30. The storage system according to claim 28, wherein said access management map does not permit mapping of different logical unit numbers to one host group at a same virtual logical unit number.

31. The storage system according to claim 28, wherein some of said virtual logical unit numbers corresponding to said host group increment by 1.

32. The storage system according to claim 28, wherein each of said virtual logical unit numbers can be specified by a user.

33. A storage system adapted to be coupled to a plurality of host computers, said storage system comprising:

a plurality of disk drives storing data from said host computers, said disk drives forming a plurality of logical units, said logical units having logical unit numbers; and

a controller controlling read/write of data from/to said disk drives in response to accesses from said host computers to said logical units;

wherein said controller includes an access management table which maps an identifier of a host group having some of said host computers and a plurality of virtual logical unit numbers, each being a renumbered identifier of one of said logical unit numbers,

wherein said virtual logical unit numbers begin with a non-zero number, and

wherein said controller controls access from said host group to said logical units in accordance with said access management table.

34. The storage system according to claim 33, wherein said access management table permits mapping of different logical unit numbers to a same virtual logical unit number for different host groups.

35. The storage system according to claim 33, wherein said access management table does not permit mapping of different logical unit numbers to one host group at a same virtual logical unit number.

36. The storage system according to claim 33, wherein said virtual logical unit numbers corresponding to said host group begin with said non-zero number and increment by 1.

37. The storage system according to claim 33, wherein each of said virtual logical unit numbers can be specified by a user.