Automatic scenario management for a policy-based storage system

• US 7,159,081 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2003
• Issued: 01/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Suzuki, Masao
• Primary Examiner(s): Padmanabhan; Mano
• Assistant Examiner(s): Choi; Woo H.
• Application Number:
  US10/649,705
• Publication Number:
  US 20040148485A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,223 Days
• Field of Search: 711/111, 711/112, 711/114, 711/161, 711/162, 711/154
• US Class Current: 711/154
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0604 Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. storage management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0629 Configuration or reconfiguration of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0659 Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

A method for managing storage devices provides a function of automatically changing a scenario and automatically making a partial change to the scenario according to a change in the environment, which are made possible by executing an operation procedure according to an operation rule for storage devices and feeding back a result of execution of the scenario. A storage managing server contains a policy definition file, a scenario definition file, a priority definition file, an execution result value file, a feedback definition file, and a scenario parameter definition file, and also obtains performance information and executes scenarios. By using all those files and processes, the storage managing server implements automatic management of a policy-based storage system.

Claims

1. A method for managing storage devices by using a computer, wherein said computer reads information about an operation rule for said storage devices accommodated previously in a memory device and information about an operation procedure being an order of execution of a plurality of operations of said storage devices associated with said operation rule for said storage devices,

wherein said operation rule defines for said operation procedure a predetermined action to be taken if a preset condition is not satisfied upon execution of said operation procedure,

wherein said computer receives an instruction to select said information about said operation rule for said storage devices from a user, sends said storage devices an instruction to execute said operation procedure of said storage devices associated with information about said operation rule based on said operation rule received, obtains a result of execution of said operation procedure, and changes the execution order of the operations of said operation procedure if the execution result indicates the preset condition has not been satisfied,

wherein the execution order of operations of each operation procedure is different relative to the execution order of operations of each of a plurality of other operation procedures.

9. A method of managing storage devices according to claim 1, wherein said operation procedure includes a plurality of parameters, and said change of the execution order of the operations of said operation procedure includes a change of at least one of said parameters.

10. A method of managing storage devices according to claim 1, wherein said memory has a plurality of operation procedures, each of the operation procedures has a priority level, and said change of the execution order of the operations of said operation procedure includes a change of said priority level of at least one of operation procedure.

2. A method of managing storage devices by using a computer, wherein said computer reads first information about an operation rule for said storage devices accommodated previously in a memory device and second information about an operation procedure being an order of execution of a plurality of operations of said storage devices associated with said operation rule for said storage devices,

wherein said operation rule defines for said operation procedure a predetermined action to be taken if a preset condition is not satisfied upon execution of said operation procedure,

wherein said computer sends said storage devices an instruction to execute said operation procedure of said storage devices based on said operation rule and said operation procedure of said storage devices, which have been read, obtains third information from said storage devices indicative of a result of execution of said operation procedure, and based on said third information obtained from said storage devices, changes the execution order of the operations of said operation procedure if the execution result indicates the preset condition has not been satisfied, and

wherein the execution order of operations of each operation procedure is different relative to the execution order of operations of each of a plurality of other operation procedures.

3. A method for managing storage devices according to claim 2, wherein said third information obtained from said storage devices includes at least one item of information about utilization state, performance and fault.

11. A method of managing storage devices according to claim 2, wherein said operation procedure includes a plurality of parameters, and said change of the execution order of the operations of said second operation procedure includes a change of at least one of said parameters.

12. A method of managing storage devices according to claim 2, wherein said memory has a plurality of operation procedures, each of the operation procedures has a priority level, and said change of the execution order of the operations of said second operation procedure includes a change of said priority level of at least one of operation procedures.

4. A method of operational support for storage devices by using a computer, wherein said computer reads information about an operation rule for said storage devices accommodated previously in a memory device and information about an operation procedure being an order of execution of a plurality of operations of said storage devices associated with said, operation rule for said storage devices,

wherein said operation rule defines for said operation procedure a predetermined action to be taken if a preset condition is not satisfied upon execution of said operation procedure,

wherein said computer obtains information of a result of execution of an operation by said storage devices from said storage devices, and based on said information obtained from said storage devices, changes the execution order of the operations of said operation procedure if the execution result indicates the preset condition has not been satisfied, and displays, on the screen, information about the execution order of the operations of said operation procedure of said storage devices and information about said operation procedure after said information is changed,

wherein the execution order of operations of each operation procedure is different relative to the execution order of operations of each of a plurality of other operation procedures.

5. A method of operational support for storage devices according to claim 4, wherein said information obtained from said storage device includes at least one item of information about utilization state, performance and fault.

13. A method operational support according to claim 4, wherein said operation procedure includes a plurality of parameters, and said change of the execution order of the operations of said operation procedure includes a change of at least one of said parameters.

14. A method of operational support according to claim 4, wherein said memory has a plurality of operation procedures, each of the operation procedures has a priority level, and said change of the execution order of the operations of said operation procedure includes a change of said priority level of at least one of operation procedures.

6. A program, stored on a storage medium, for managing storage devices, wherein said program, when executed by a computer, reads information about an operation rule for said storage devices accommodated previously in a memory device and information about an operation procedure being an order of execution of a plurality of operations of said storage devices associated with said operation rule for said storage devices,

wherein said operation rule defines for said operation procedure a predetermined action to be taken if a preset condition is not satisfied upon execution of said operation procedure,

wherein said computer receives an instruction to select said information about said operation rule for said storage devices from a user, sends said storage devices an instruction to execute said operation procedure of said storage devices associated with information about said operation rule based on said operation rule received, and obtains a result of execution of said operation procedure, and changes the execution order of the operations of said operation procedure if the execution result indicates the preset condition has not been satisfied,

wherein the execution order of operations of each operation procedure is different relative to the execution order of operations of each of a plurality of other operation procedures.

15. A program for managing storage devices according to claim 6, wherein said operation procedure includes a plurality of parameters, and said change of the execution order of the operations of said operation procedure includes a change of at least one of said parameters.

16. A program for managing storage devices according to claim 6, wherein said memory has a plurality of operation procedures, each of the operation procedures has a priority level, and said change of the execution order of the operations of said operation procedure includes a change of said priority level of at least one of operation procedures.

7. A program, stored on a storage medium, for managing storage devices, wherein said program, when executed by a computer, reads first information about an operation rule for said storage devices accommodated previously in a memory device and second information about an operation procedure being an order of execution of a plurality of operations of said storage devices associated with said operation rule for said storage devices,

wherein said operation rule defines for said operation procedure a predetermined action to be taken if a preset condition is not satisfied upon execution of said operation procedure,

wherein said computer sends said storage devices an instruction to execute said operation procedure of said storage devices based on said operation rule and said operation procedure of said storage devices, which have been read, obtains third information from said storage devices indicative of a result of execution of said operation procedure, and based on said third information obtained from said storage devices, changes the execution order of the operations of said operation procedure if the execution result indicates the preset condition has not been satisfied,

wherein the execution order of operations of each operation procedure is different relative to the execution order of operations of each of a plurality of other operation procedures.

8. A program for managing storage devices according to claim 7, wherein said third information obtained from said storage devices includes at least one item of information about utilization state, performance and fault.

17. A method of managing storage devices according to claim 7, wherein said operation procedure includes a plurality of parameters, and said change of the execution order of the operations of said second operation procedure includes a change of at least one of said parameters.

18. A method of managing storage devices according to claim 7, wherein said memory has a plurality of operation procedures, each of the operation procedures has a priority level, and said change of the execution order of the operations of said second operation procedure includes a change of said priority level of at least one of operation procedures.