Storage management integrated system and storage control method for storage management integrated system

• US 7,120,757 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2002
• Issued: 10/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Tsuge, Munetoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Vital, Pierre M.
• Application Number:
  US10/085,036
• Publication Number:
  US 20030163652A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,684 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/103.X, 707/205, 709/218, 709/213, 711/147, 711/151, 711/154
• US Class Current: 711/147
• 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 3/0643 Management of files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

It is intended to achieve an arrangement wherein, when file information of shared disks which are distributed in a plurality of computers connected to a network are used, operating conditions at the time of accessing shared disks can be defined, thus enabling users to easily share files without being bothered by setting-up, or operations of computers located on the other side when they are to perform file sharing.

In order to achieve the above-stated arrangement, a storage management integrated server 100 is provided in a network, and respective computers register conditions, an accessibility states and use types pertaining to shared volume to be offered to the server. Thereafter, when a certain computer is to make a file accessing to a shared volume, the computer makes an inquiry to the storage management integrated server for an adequate access destination, determines, on the basis of a response from the server, computers which are suitable to the access source, and makes direct accesses to such computers.

Claims

1. An integrated storage management system in which access computers each having an auxiliary storage are coupled to each other via a network, said system comprising:

a plurality of access computers; and

an integrated storage management server,

wherein an access computer as the write source sends an inquiry about an access computer as a write destination to be written to the integrated server, said inquiry including file information of a file to be written by the access computer as a write source,

wherein said integrated storage management server selects a candidate of said access computers as the write destination to be written and returns said candidate of said access computers to said access computer as the write source,

wherein said access computer as the write source selects, when writing the file from the access computer as the write source, an access computer to be used as the write destination to be written which has been returned as the candidate, and writes a file to the access computer as the write destination thus selected as the write destination,

wherein said integrated storage management server has policy information which defines a write policy that is used when said access computers are used as an access computer as a write destination,

wherein said integrated storage management server uses said policy information and said file information in order to select said candidate of said access computers as the write destination to be written, and

wherein said policy information is extracted from policy registration messages received from the access computers used as the write destination to be written.

2. An integrated storage management system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said access computer as the write source selects a candidate of the access computer that has been received from said integrated storage management server, and reports information on the selected access computer as the write destination to be written to said integrated storage management server, and

wherein the access computer as the write destination which has been written by said access computer as the write source reports the fact that a write procedure has been initiated to said integrated storage management server.

3. An integrated storage management system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said integrated storage management server retains location information of a file,

wherein said access computer as a delete source which deletes a file in said auxiliary storage managed by another access computer designates location information of a file and inquires an access computer as a delete destination which has the deleted file of said integrated storage management server,

wherein said integrated storage management server, based on said policy information and said location information of a file, returns a candidate of said access computer as the delete destination which has the deleted file to said access computer as the delete source, and

wherein said access computer as the delete source selects an access computer to be used when deleting a file from the access computer as the delete destination which has been returned as the candidate, and deletes a file to the access computer thus selected as the delete destination.

4. An integrated storage management system as claimed in claim 3, wherein location information of a file stored in said auxiliary storage includes information about an integrated storage management server to which an inquiry will be transferred.

5. An integrated storage management system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the access computer as the write or delete destination which has been written or deleted by said access computer as the write or delete source reports the fact that a write or delete procedure has been completed to said integrated storage management server, and

wherein said integrated storage management server updates said location information of a file based on the report which is received from said access computer as the write or delete source.

6. An integrated storage management system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said access computer as the write source retains location information of a file,

wherein said access computer as the write source, based on said location information of a file, selects an access computer to be used when deleting a file from the access computer as a delete destination which has been returned as the candidate, and deletes a file to the access computer thus selected as the delete destination in case that said access computer as the write source deletes a file in said auxiliary storage managed by another access computer.

7. An integrated storage management system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising proxy access computers as a plurality of said access computers;

wherein said integrated storage management server, when receiving an inquiry from said access computer as the write source, designates and returns a proxy access computer as a candidate for a write destination in addition to said access computer to be written to said access computer as the write source, and

wherein said access computer as the write source can, in addition to direct writing a file to said access computer to be written, write a file to said access computer to be written via said proxy access computer.

8. An integrated storage management system as claimed in claim 1, comprising a plurality of said integrated storage management servers,

wherein, when said access computer as the write or delete source inquires an access computer to be written or deleted of a first integrated storage management server and if no access computer that corresponds to an access computer managed by said first integrated storage management server exists, said first integrated storage management server transfers such inquiry to a second integrated storage management server, and

wherein if an access computer that corresponds to an access computer managed by said second integrated storage management server exists, said second integrated storage management server returns a candidate for said access computer to be written or deleted back to said access computer.

9. An integrated storage management system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said access computer as the delete source selects a candidate of the access computer that has been received from said integrated storage management server, and reports information on the selected access computers as a delete destination to be deleted to said storage integrated management server, and

wherein the access computer as the delete destination which has been deleted by said access computer as the delete source reports the fact that a delete procedure has been completed to said integrated storage management server.

10. An integrated storage management system, in which access computers each having an each auxiliary storage are coupled to each other via a network, said system comprising:

a plurality of access computers; and

an integrated storage management server,

wherein an said access computer as the write source sends an inquiry about an access computer as a write destination to be written to the integrated server, said the inquiry including file information of a file to be written by the access computer as a write source,

wherein said integrated storage management server selects a candidate of said access computers as the write destination to be written and returns said candidate of said access computers to said access computer as the write source,

wherein said access computer as the write source selects, when writing the file from the access computer as the write source, an access computer to be used as the write destination to be written which has been returned as the candidate, and writes a file to the access computer as the write destination thus selected as the write destination,

wherein said integrated storage management server has policy information which defines a write policy that is used when said access computers computer are used as an access computer as a write destination,

wherein said integrated storage management server uses said policy information and said file information in order to select said candidate of said access computers as the write destination to be written, and

wherein said policy information managed by said integrated storage management server has definitions of a type of computer for indicating whether said access computer is always connected to said integrated management system or not, total available space of the auxiliary storage which is offered to other access computers, available time zone for indicating accessible time for other access computers, and priority of selection of an access computer as a write destination for indicating a degree when said access computer is selected by other access computers as a write source, for respective access computers.

11. A storage management control method of an integrated storage management system in which computers having each auxiliary storage are coupled to each other via a network, said integrated storage management system comprising:

a plurality of access computers; and

an integrated storage management server;

wherein said integrated storage management server has policy information which defines a write policy that is used when said access computers are used as an access computer as a write,

said method comprising;

a step in which said integrated storage management server receives a policy registration message from the access computer as a write destination and extracts said policy information from the policy registration message,

a step in which said access computer as the write source sends an inquiry about an access computer as a write destination to be written to the integrated server, said inquiry including file information of a file to be written by the access computer as a write source,

a step in which said integrated storage management server selects a candidate of said access computers as a write destination to be written to by said access computer as the write source by using said policy information and said file information,

a step in which said integrated storage management server returns said candidate of said access computers as a write destination to be written to said access computer as the write source, and

a step in which said access computer as the write source selects, when writing the file from the access computer as the write source, an access computer to be used as the write destination to be written which has been returned as the candidate, and writes a file to the access computer as the write destination thus selected as the write destination.

12. A storage management control method of an integrated storage management system as claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

a step in which said access computer as the write source selects a candidate of the access computer that has been received from said integrated storage management server, and reports information on the selected access computer as the write destination to be written to said integrated storage management server, and

a step in which the access computer as the write destination which has been written by said access computer as the write source reports the fact that a write procedure has been initiated to said integrated storage management server.

13. A storage management control method of an integrated storage management server system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said integrated storage management server retains location information of a file, further comprising:

a step in which said access computer as a delete source which deletes a file in said auxiliary storage managed by another access computer designates location information of a file and inquires an access computer as a delete destination which has the deleted file of said integrated storage management server,

a step in which said integrated storage management server, based on said policy information and said location information of a file, returns a candidate of said access computer as the delete destination which has the deleted file to said access computer as the delete source, and

a step in which said access computer as the delete source selects an access computer to be used when deleting a file from the access computer as the delete destination which has been returned as the candidate, and deletes a file to the access computer thus selected as the delete destination.

14. A storage management control method of an integrated storage management system as claimed in claim 13, further comprising:

a step in which the access computer as the write or delete destination which has been written or deleted by said access computer as the write or delete source reports the fact that a write or delete procedure has been completed to said integrated storage management server, and

a step in which said integrated storage management server updates said location information of a file based on the report which is received from said access computer as the write or delete source.

15. A storage management control method of an integrated storage management system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said access computer as the write source retains location information of a file further comprising:

a step in which said access computer as the write source, based on said location information of a file, selects an access computer to be used when deleting a file from the access computer as a delete destination which has been returned as the candidate, and deletes a file to the access computer thus selected as the delete destination in case that said access computer as the write source deletes a file in said auxiliary storage managed by another access computer.

16. A storage management control method of an integrated storage management system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said integrated storage management system further comprises proxy access computers as a plurality of said access computers;

wherein said integrated storage management server, when receiving an inquiry from said access computer as the write source, designates and returns a proxy access computer as a candidate for a write destination in addition to said access computer to be written to said access computer as the write source, and

wherein said access computer as the write source can, in addition to direct writing a file to said access computer to be written, write a file to said access computer to be written via said proxy access computer.

17. A storage management control method of an integrated storage management system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said system comprises a plurality of said integrated storage management servers;

wherein, when said access computer as the write or delete source inquires an access computer to be written or deleted of a first integrated storage management and if no access computer that corresponds to an access computer managed by said first integrated storage management exists, said first integrated storage management transfers such inquiry to a second integrated storage management server, and

wherein if an access computer that corresponds to an access computer managed by said second integrated storage management server exists, said second integrated storage management server returns a candidate for said access computer to be written or deleted back to said access computer.

18. A storage management control method of an integrated storage management system as claimed in claim 11, wherein location information of a file stored in said auxiliary storage includes information about an integrated storage management server to which an inquiry will be transferred.

19. A storage management control method of an integrated storage management system as claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

a step in which said access computer as the delete source selects a candidate of the access computer that has been received from said integrated storage management server, and reports information on the selected access computers as a delete destination to be deleted to said integrated storage management server, and

a step in which the access computer as the delete destination which has been deleted by said access computer as the delete source reports the fact that a delete procedure has been completed to said integrated storage management.

20. A storage management control method of an integrated storage management system in which computers having each auxiliary storage are coupled to each other via a network,

said integrated storage management system comprising:

a plurality of access computers; and

an integrated storage management server;

wherein said integrated storage management server has policy information which defines a write policy that is used when said access computers are used as an access computer as a write;

said method comprising;

a step in which said access computer as the write source sends an inquiry about an access computer as a write destination to be written to the integrated server, said inquiry including file information of a file to be written by the access computer as a write source,

a step in which said integrated storage management server selects a candidate of said access computers as a write destination to be written to by said access computer as the write source by using said policy information and said file information,

a step in which said integrated storage management server returns said candidate of said access computers as a write destination to be written to said access computer as the write source, and

a step in which said access computer as the write source selects, when writing the file from the access computer as the write source, an access computer to be used as the write destination to be written which has been returned as the candidate, and writes a file to the access computer as the write destination thus selected as the write destination,

wherein said policy information managed by said integrated storage management server has definitions of a type of computer for indicating whether said access computer is always connected to said integrated management system or not, total available space of the auxiliary storage which is offered to other access computers, available time zone for indicating accessible time for other access computers, and priority of selection of an access computer as a write destination for indicating a degree when said access computer is selected by other access computers as a write source, for respective access computers.