Apparatus and method for partitioning and managing subsystem logics

• US 7,062,629 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2005
• Issued: 06/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Fujii, Kozue, Tabuchi, Hideo, Nakamura, Yasuaki, Shimada, Akinobu, Ohno, Shotaro
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis, Kevin L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Doan, Duc T
• Application Number:
  US11/057,755
• Publication Number:
  US 20050149676A1
• Time in Patent Office: 483 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 711/170
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0622 in relation to access
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0637 Permissions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0644 Management of space entities, e.g. partitions, extents, pools
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0665 at area level, e.g. provisioning of virtual or logical volumes

Abstract

A subsystem logics partitioning and managing apparatus comprises a recognition unit for recognizing logical and physical resources that constitute a subsystem a partition definition table in which the logical and physical resources in the subsystem are assigned for each user at an interface level at which a storage configuration can be referenced by a storage management program an account table in which an account is set for each user-specific partition defined in the partition definition table a receiving unit for receiving a user account transmitted from an information processing unit and checking the received user account against the account table, to recognize a partition that corresponds to the user and a unit for outputting, at a GUI level, logical resources and physical resources that are contained in the recognized partition to an output interface as a resource configuration in the subsystem.

Claims

1. A storage system, comprising:

a disk array system comprising;

a port receiving data sent from a first information processing device;

a first controller transferring data received by said port;

a memory storing data in accordance with transferring by said first controller;

a second controller transferring data stored in said memory;

a disk drive group storing data transferred by said second controller and having a plurality of disk drives;

a logical unit being an address to which data is sent from said first information processing device and corresponding to a storage region in said disk drive group;

a plurality of resource groups each having a plural kinds of resources among said port, a part or all of said first controller, a part or all of said memory, a part or all of said second controller, said disk drive group and said logical unit; and

a second information processing device coupled to said disk array system and displaying first information of said plural kinds of resources in a first resource group of said resource groups and not displaying second information of said plural kinds of resources in a second resource group of said resource groups;

wherein, in order to change configuration in a first resource group of said resource groups, said disk array system permits to change from a first state of relating between a first resource and a second resource in said first resource group into a second state of relating between said first resource and a third resource in said first resource group and does not permit to change from said first state into a third state of relating between said first resource and a fourth resource in said second resource group.

2. A storage system according to claim 1, wherein:

said second information processing device is coupled to said first information processing device and requests to change said first state into said second state.

3. A storage system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a managing device having information relating to said resource groups;

wherein said second information processing device is coupled to said managing device and requests to change said first state into said second state.

4. A storage system according to claim 1, wherein:

said first resource group, in accordance with a received request, is formed and is assigned a part of said plural kinds of resources; and

another part of said plural kinds of resources of said first resource group is automatically selected based on a predetermined policy and is not assigned to said second resource group.

5. A storage system according to claim 1, wherein:

said first resource group, in accordance with a request received from said first information processing device or said second information processing device, is formed and is assigned said plural kinds of resources.

6. A storage system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of first information processing device groups sending data to a plurality of said ports and including said first information processing device, and

wherein each of said resource groups has a second plurality of resources among said ports, said first information processing device groups, a part or all of said first controller, a part or all of said memory, a part or all of said second controller, said disk drive group and said logical unit.

7. A storage system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of physical resources including said port, said first controller, said memory, said second controller, or said disk drive group; and

a plurality of logical resources including said logical unit;

wherein said first resource is one of said physical resources, and

wherein said second resource and said third resource each are one of said logical resources.

8. A storage system according to claim 1, wherein, in order to change configuration of said second resource group,

said fourth resource is permitted to change from a fourth state of relating to a fifth resource in said second resource group into a fifth state of relating to sixth resource in said second resource group and is not permitted to change from said fourth state into a sixth state of relating to resources in said first resource group, and

wherein one or more resources in said first resource group are a different kind of resource from all of resources in said second resource group.

9. A storage system according to claim 1, wherein, in order to change configuration in said second resource group,

said fourth resource is changed from a fourth state of relating to a fifth resource in said second resource group into a fifth state of relating to sixth resource in said second resource group;

a seventh resource among said port, said first controller, said memory, said second controller, said disk drive group and said logical unit in said disk array system does not belong to either of said first resource group and said second resource group.

10. A storage system according to claim 1, wherein:

said first resource and said second resource are used to transfer data sent from said first information processing device to a first storage region in said disk drive group in said first resource group; and

said first resource and said third resource are used to transfer data sent from said first information processing device to said first storage region or a second storage region in said disk drive group in said first resource group.

11. A storage system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of first information processing devices sending data to a plurality of said ports and including said first information processing device;

wherein one of said first information processing devices can be allowed to access data in a first storage region in said disk drive group in said first resource group and not allowed to access data in a second storage region in said disk drive group in said first resource group, and

wherein another of said first information processing devices can be allowed to access data in said second storage region and not allowed to access data in said first storage region.

12. A storage system, comprising:

a disk array system comprising;

a port receiving data from an first information processing device;

a logical unit provided for said first information processing device and relating to a storage region;

a RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) group relating to a plurality of disk drives, said disk drives storing a plurality of data and a parity data related to data sent from said first information processing device and relating to said storage region;

a plurality of logical resources having said port, said logical unit and said RAID group;

a plurality of physical resources having said disk drives;

a plurality of resource groups each having one or more of said logical resources and one or more of said physical resources;

one or more first resources belonging to a first resource group and a second resource group of said resource groups; and

a second information processing device coupled to said disk array system and displaying first information of said one or more of said logical resources in said first resource group and second information of said one or more first resources;

wherein, in order to change configuration in said first resource group, said disk array system allows to change a first state of relating between a second resource and a third resource in said first resource group into a second state of relating between said second resource and a fourth resource in said first resource group and does not allow to change said first state into a third state of relating between said second resource and a fifth resource in a second resource group of said resource groups.

13. A storage system, comprising:

a disk array system comprising;

a port receiving data from a first information processing device;

a plurality of logical units being provided for said first information processing device and relating to a plurality of storage regions;

a plurality of disk drives having said storage regions;

a plurality of ECC (Error Check and Correct) groups relating to said disk drives and each of said ECC groups storing a plurality of data and a parity data related to data sent from said first information processing device;

a first plurality of resources having a plurality of said ports, said logical units, said disk drives and said ECC groups;

a second plurality of resources having plural types of resources in said first plurality of resources;

a plurality of resource groups each having said second plurality of resources;

a second information processing device coupled to said disk array system and displaying information of said second plurality of resources of said resource groups, whereby a relationship between said second plurality of resources in a first resource group of said resource groups can be changed independently of another one of said resource groups; and

a first resource of said first resource group being permitted to change from a first state of relating between said first resource and a second resource in said first resource group into a second state of relating between said first resource and a third resource in said first resource group and being not permitted to change a third state of relating between a fourth resource and a fifth resource in said first resource group into a fourth state of relating between said fourth resource and a sixth resource in said another one of said resource groups.

14. A storage system, comprising:

a disk array system comprising;

a plurality of ports each receiving data from a first information processing device;

a plurality of logical units being provided for said first information processing device and relating to a plurality of storage regions;

a plurality of disk drives having said storage regions;

a plurality of ECC (Error Check and Correct) groups relating to said disk drives and each of said ECC groups storing a plurality of data and a parity data related to data sent from said first information processing device;

a first plurality of resources having said plurality of ports, said logical units, said disk drives and said ECC groups;

a second plurality of resources having plural types of resources in said first plurality of resources;

a plurality of resource groups each having said second plurality of resources;

a second information processing device coupled to said disk array system and displaying information of said second plurality of resources of said resource groups, whereby a relationship between said second plurality of resources in a first resource group of said resource groups can be changed independently of another one of said resource groups; and

a first resource of said first resource group being permitted to change from a first state of relating between said first resource and a second resource in said first resource group into a second state of relating between said first resource and a third resource in said first resource group and being not permitted to change a third state of relating between a fourth resource and a fifth resource in said first resource group into a fourth state of relating between said fourth resource and a sixth resource in said another one of said resource groups.

15. A storage system, comprising:

a disk array system comprising;

a port receiving data sent from a first information processing device;

a logical unit provided for said first information processing device to store data and relating to a storage region;

a plurality of disk drives having said storage region;

a RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) group relating to said disk drives, said disk drives storing a plurality of data and a parity data related to data sent from said first information processing device; and

a plurality of resource groups each having a plural types of resources among said port, said logical unit, said disk drives and said RAID group and each resource group being mutually partitioned by a logical partition; and

a second information processing device coupled to said disk array system and displaying first information of said plurality of resources in a first resource group of said resource groups and not displaying second information of said plurality of resources in another resource group of said resource groups,

wherein, if said second information processing device changes configuration in said first resource group, said first resource group is permitted to change a relationship between said plural types of resources in said first resource group and is not permitted to change a relationship between one resource in said first resource group and another resource in another resource group.

16. A storage system, comprising:

a disk array system comprising;

a port receiving data from one or more information processing devices;

a controller transferring data received by said port;

a memory storing information which is used to control;

a plurality of disk drives storing data transferred and having a plurality of storage regions; and

a plurality of resource groups each being mutually partitioned by a logical partition and each resource group having said ports, a part of logical parts corresponding to said controller, a part of logical parts corresponding to said memory and said disk drives;

wherein each of said resource groups can be related to at least one said information processing device;

wherein a first of said information processing devices related to a first resource group of said resource groups can access resources in said first resource group and cannot access resources in a second resource group of said resource groups; and

wherein said first information processing device can display information related to resources in said first resource group.

17. A storage system, comprising:

a disk array system comprising;

a port receiving data from one or more information processing devices;

a controller transferring data received by said port;

a memory storing data received by said port;

a plurality of disk drives storing data transferred and having a plurality of storage regions; and

a plurality of resource groups each being mutually partitioned by a logical partition and each resource group having said ports, a part of logical parts corresponding to said controller, a part of logical parts corresponding to said memory and said disk drives;

wherein each of said resource groups can be related to at least one said information processing device,

wherein a first of said information processing devices related to a first resource group of said resource groups can access resources in said first resource group and cannot access resources in a second resource group of said resource groups; and

wherein said first information processing device can display information related to resources in said first resource group.