Storage having logical partitioning capability and systems which include the storage

• US 7,127,585 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2004
• Issued: 10/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Shimada, Kentaro, Hashimoto, Akiyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Padmanabhan, Mano
• Assistant Examiner(s): Flournoy, Horace L.
• Application Number:
  US10/873,304
• Publication Number:
  US 20050091454A1
• Time in Patent Office: 853 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 711/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0664 at device level, e.g. emulation of a storage device or system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

A storage includes: host interface units; file control processors which receives a file input/output request and translates the file input/output request into a data input/output request; file control memories which store translation control data; groups of disk drives; disk control processors; disk interface units which connect the groups of disk drives and the disk control processors; cache memories; and inter-processor communication units. The storage logically partitions these devices to cause the partitioned devices to operate as two or more virtual NASs.

Claims

1. A management device connectable to a storage device, the storage device having resources including a control processor, a cache memory, and a plurality of disk drives, the control processor controlling the storage device to store data to the disk drives, the cache memory being arranged to temporarily store data, and the disk drives being arranged to store data, the management device comprising:

an input device;

a processor;

a memory; and

a port connectable to the storage device,

wherein the input device receives information including the number of a plurality of logical partitions of the storage device and characteristics information of each of the plurality of logical partitions, wherein the logical partitions are units each including a different partitioned part of the control processor, a different partitioned part of the cache memory, and a different partitioned part of the disk drives in said storage device, and

wherein the processor calculates an amount of each of said resources to be assigned to each of the plurality of logical partitions based on resource information stored in the memory and based on relative functional relationships among each of said resources, the number of the plurality of logical partitions and the characteristics information and sends results of calculation and the number of the plurality of logical partitions to the storage device via the port.

2. A management device according to claim 1,

wherein the resource information includes information on kinds of resources and number of resources included in the storage device.

3. A management device according to claim 1, wherein said storage device further comprises at least one host interface unit arranged to communicate with a host processor, wherein each of the logical partitions includes a different partitioned part of said at least one host interface unit.

4. A management device according to claim 1, wherein said control processor is at least one disk control processor that controls input/output of data to and from the disk drives, wherein each of the logical partitions includes a different partitioned part of said at least one disk control processor.

5. A management device according to claim 1, wherein said control processor is at least one file control processor that translates input/output requests by unit of file from a host processor into input/output requests of data by unit of block, wherein each of the logical partitions includes a different partitioned part of said at least one file control processor.

6. A management device according to claim 2,

wherein the input device receives a plurality of IP addresses, each of which is assigned to one of the plurality of logical partitions,

wherein the processor sends information on the plurality of IP addresses to the storage device via the port, and

wherein the plurality of IP addresses are used for addresses of network attached storage (NAS).

7. A management device according to claim 6,

wherein the resource information includes information on amount of cache memory, and

wherein if the characteristics information for one of the plurality of logical partitions indicates that a host computer using the one of the plurality of logical partitions performs sequential continuous access, the processor assigns a large amount of cache memory to the one of the plurality of logical partitions.

8. A management device according to claim 6,

wherein the resource information includes information on amount of cache memory, and

wherein if the characteristics information for one of the plurality of logical partitions indicates that a host computer using the one of the plurality of logical partitions performs random access, the processor assigns a small amount of cache memory to the one of the plurality of logical partitions.

9. A management device according to claim 6,

wherein the resource information includes information of an amount of cache memory, and

wherein if the characteristics information for one of the plurality of logical partitions indicates that a host computer using the one of the plurality of logical partitions demands priority of response time, the processor assigns a small amount of cache memory to the one of the plurality of logical partitions.

10. A management device according to claim 6,

wherein the resource information includes information of an amount of cache memory, and

wherein if the characteristics information for one of the plurality of logical partitions indicates that a host computer using the one of the plurality of logical partitions demands priority of data transfer rate, the processor assigns a large amount of cache memory to the one of the plurality of logical partitions.

11. A management device according to claim 6,

wherein the input device comprises:

a set of setting buttons; and

a display panel,

wherein the display panel displays one of the plurality of IP addresses inputted by the set of setting buttons.

12. A management device according to claim 6, wherein the processor stores the result of the calculation into the memory.

13. A management device connectable to a storage device, the storage device having resources including a control processor, a cache memory, and a plurality of disk drives, the control processor controlling the storage device to store data to the disk drives, the cache memory being arranged to temporarily store data, and the disk drives being arranged to store data, the management device comprising:

an input device;

a processor;

a memory; and

a port connectable to the storage device,

wherein the input device receives information including the number of a plurality of logical partitions of the storage device, characteristics information of each of the plurality of logical partitions and a plurality of IP addresses, each of which is assigned to one of the plurality of logical partitions, wherein the logical partitions are units each including a different partitioned part of the control processor, a different partitioned part of the cache memory, and a different partitioned part of the disk drives in said storage device,

wherein the processor calculates amount of each of said resources to be assigned to each of the plurality of logical partitions based on resource information stored in the memory and based on relative functional relationships among each of said resources, the number of the plurality of logical partitions and the characteristics information and sends result of calculation, the number of the plurality of logical partitions and information of the plurality of IP addresses to the storage device via the port,

wherein the resource information includes information on kinds of resources and number of resources included in the storage device, and

wherein the plurality of IP addresses are used for addresses of network attached storage (NAS).