Method and system for displaying the configuration of storage network

• US 7,003,567 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2003
• Issued: 02/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Suzuki, Masao, Kuroda, Takaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson, Marc D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MESFIN, YEMANE
• Application Number:
  US10/365,517
• Publication Number:
  US 20030195953A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,104 Days
• Field of Search: 708/220, 709/223, 709/224, 709/220, 715/501.1, 715733-736, 715853-855, 715/1, 711/114
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• 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 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

It is an object of the present invention to provide the function for displaying the configuration of storages not in a form peculiar to a storage system but in a more general purpose system. The present invention provides a method and system for displaying the configuration of a storage network, wherein each piece of apparatus constituting the storage network is connected to a control network different from the storage network connecting the pieces of apparatus to one another, and configuration information about each piece of apparatus is acquired using the control network, and a screen for displaying the configuration of the storage network is generated and displayed based on the acquired configuration information.

Claims

1. A method for displaying the configuration of a storage network, comprising the steps of:

connecting each piece of apparatus of hosts, switches and disk units constituting said storage network to a control network different from said storage network connecting said pieces of apparatus to one another;

broadcasting a ping to acquire an IP address from each connected piece of apparatus;

retrieving the acquired IP address from an apparatus database having at least an IP address field and an apparatus classification field;

detecting, when there is an IP address newly discovered as a result of the retrieval in said retrieving step, apparatus classification of each piece of apparatus relating to the newly discovered IP address included in said storage network by use of identification information common to each piece of apparatus to register the acquired information in the apparatus database;

issuing, when the apparatus classification cannot be detected by use of the common identification information, a query unique to a switch when said detected apparatus classification of each piece of apparatus is a switch, so as to acquire information about which piece of apparatus is connected to which port of said switch, and issuing a query unique to a RAID when said detected apparatus classification of each piece of apparatus is a RAID, so as to acquire information about which host has access to disks of said RAID to register the acquired information in the apparatus database;

generating a screen for displaying the configuration of said storage network based on said acquired information; and

displaying said generated screen.

2. A method for displaying the configuration of a storage network according to claim 1, wherein said control network is a TCP/IP network.

3. A method for displaying the configuration of a storage network according to claim 2, wherein said screen for displaying the configuration of said storage network includes a fabric view indicating the connection relationship among hosts, switches connected to said hosts, and disk units connected to said switches.

4. A method for displaying the configuration of a storage network according to claim 2, wherein said screen for displaying the configuration of said storage network includes a storage device view indicating the connection relationship among logical devices in disk units, logical units corresponding to said logical devices, and ports of switches using said logical units.

5. A computer readable medium, comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed by a computer, are for:

connecting each piece of apparatus constituting a storage network to a control network different from said storage network connecting said pieces of apparatus to one another;

broadcasting a ping to acquire an IP address from each connected piece of apparatus;

retrieving the acquired IP address from an apparatus database having at least an IP address field and an apparatus classification field;

detecting when there is an IP address newly discovered as a result of the retrieval in said retrieving step, apparatus classification of each piece of apparatus relating to the newly discovered IP address included in said storage network by use of identification information common to each piece of apparatus to register the acquired information in the apparatus database;

issuing, when the apparatus classification cannot be detected by use of the common identification information, a query unique to a switch when said detected apparatus classification of each piece of apparatus is a switch, so as to acquire information about which piece of apparatus is connected to which port of said switch, and issuing a query unique to a RAID when said detected apparatus classification of each piece of apparatus is a RAID, so as to acquire information about which host has access to disks of said RAID to register the acquired information in the apparatus database;

generating a screen for displaying the configuration of said storage network based on said acquired information; and

displaying said generated screen.

6. A method for displaying the configuration of a storage network, comprising the steps of:

connecting each piece of apparatus of hosts, switches and disk units constituting said storage network to a control network different from said storage network connecting said pieces of apparatus to one another;

detecting apparatus classification of each piece of apparatus included in said storage network by use of said control network;

issuing a query unique to a switch when said detected apparatus classification of each piece of apparatus is a switch, so as to acquire information indicating which piece of apparatus is connected to which port of said switch, and issuing a query unique to a RAID when said detected apparatus classification of each piece of apparatus is a RAID, so as to acquire information indicating which host has access to disks of said RAID;

generating a screen display for displaying the configuration of said storage network based on said acquired information, said configuration showing connection relationship among said hosts, said switches and said disk units indicated by symbols respectively corresponding to said hosts, said switches and said disk units;

displaying said screen display; and

displaying connection relationship of one of said symbols on said displayed screen display when said one symbol is clicked, in order to display configuration of connection relationship relating which piece of apparatus is connected to which port of a switch when said one symbol is said switch, and display configuration of connection relationship relating which host has access to disks of a RAID when said one symbol is said RAID.