System and method for displaying storage system topology

• US 7,072,986 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2002
• Issued: 07/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Kitamura, Manabu, Takamoto, Kenichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Follansbee, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, ASHOKKUMAR B
• Application Number:
  US10/072,573
• Publication Number:
  US 20030088683A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,607 Days
• Field of Search: 709/230, 709/250, 715734-736, 707/10, 711 1- 5, 711/100, 711/111, 711/148, 711/170
• US Class Current: 709/249
• 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]

Abstract

A management display method according to each type of interfaces and devices is provided in an environment where host computers are interconnected with storage apparatuses through plural types of interfaces. The management host computer includes a display apparatus and allows a user to select a physical view for displaying a physical topology between each host and storage subsystems or a logical view for displaying a connecting relation between the devices of the storage subsystem and each host computer. The management host computer operates to collect the information of the Fibre channel interface and the Ethernet interface and the information about an access limitation of each device, included in each host computer and storage subsystem and then to display the connecting relation according to the display method (view) selected by the user, based on the collected information.

Claims

1. A computer system configured of a plurality of computers, a plurality of storage subsystems, and a storage management computer, comprising:

said computers having means for transmitting a plurality of input/output requests and input/output data between said computers and a first portion of said storage subsystems through Ethernet and between said computers and a second portion of said storage subsystems through a Fibre Channel (FC), said first portion of said storage subsystems including at least one Internet SCSI (iSCSI) storage device;

said storage subsystems including at least one of first storage device to be accessed by said computers according to a file access protocol and at least one of second storage device to be accessed by said computers according to a block access protocol, said second storage devices including said iSCSI storage device;

said storage management computer connected with said storage subsystems through said Ethernet and FC and having,

a display apparatus, and

a physical view display means for displaying physical connecting relation on said display apparatus in one of

(a) a first display mode of displaying said computers and said storage subsystems interconnected through said Ethernet and their connecting relation (topology),

(b) a second display mode of displaying said computers and said storage subsystems interconnected through said FC and their connecting relation (topology), and

(c) a third mode of displaying the physical connecting relation both of said first and second display modes at a time,

a logical view display means for displaying logical connecting relation on said display apparatus in one of

(d) a fourth display mode for displaying said computers, said first storage devices and their topology, said first storage devices being identified under a first condition that a export directory of each of said storage device is specified as a mount point, and

(e) a fifth display mode for displaying said computers, said second storage devices and their topology, said second storage devices being identified under a second condition that said block access protocol is used to access to each of said devices and/or a third condition that said export directory of each of said storage devices is not specified,

(f) a sixth mode of displaying the logical connecting relation both of said third and fourth display modes at a time,

(g) a seventh display mode for displaying unused storage device, and

(h) an eighth display mode for displaying connection between said computers and said first and second storage devices under access limitation, and

means for allowing a user to select one of said first to eighth display mode.

2. A computer system as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of said second storage devices is a storage device to be accessed by one of said computers according to said file access protocol.

3. In a computer system configured of a plurality of storage subsystems, a plurality of computers for transmitting a plurality of input/output requests and input/output data between said computers and a first portion of said storage subsystems through Ethernet and between said computers and a second portion of said storage subsystems through a Fibre Channel (FC), said first portion of said storage subsystems including at least one Internet SCSI (iSCSI) storage device and a storage management computer being connected with said storage subsystems through said Ethernet and FC and having a display apparatus, a storage management method executed by said storage management computer comprising the steps of:

obtaining first display information used for displaying said computers and said storage subsystems interconnected through said Ethernet and their connecting relation (topology) on said display apparatus;

obtaining second display information used for displaying said computers and said storage subsystems interconnected through said FC and their connecting relation (topology) on said display apparatus; and

obtaining third display information used for displaying a topology between a first storage device to be accessed by said computers according to a file access protocol, said, first storage device being included in said storage subsystems, and said computers, wherein said first storage devices being identified under a first condition that an export directory of each said storage device is specified as a mount point;

obtaining fourth display information used for displaying a topology between a second storage device to be accessed by said computers according to a block access protocol, said second storage device being included in said storage subsystems, and said computers, wherein said second storage devices being identified under a second condition that said block access protocol is used to access to each of said devices and or a third condition that said export directory of each said storage device is not specified;

obtaining fifth display information used for displaying unused storage devices,

obtaining sixth display information for displaying connection between said computers and said first and second storage devices under access limitation, and

displaying at least one of said first to sixth display information on the basis of an indication entered into said storage management computer.