Data storage system and control method thereof

• US 7,305,462 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2002
• Issued: 12/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Nakamura, Yasuaki, Murakami, Tatsuya, Nakano, Toshio, Shimada, Akinobu, Morishima, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Dalencourt; Yves
• Application Number:
  US10/077,966
• Publication Number:
  US 20030061331A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,113 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/224, 707/10, 711/111, 711/112
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0637 Permissions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0843 based on generic templates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

In the configuration of multiple (M units of) disk subsystems shared from multiple (N units of) hosts, having

• • an exclusive control command that limits access to all disk subsystems temporarily is provided,
  • using this exclusive control command, configuration information of all multiple disk subsystems, for example, performance and a setting change, are acquired in point of time series and stored in a management server database (“configuration information database”), then managed in a centralized manner,
  • a function that associates the file that the application uses with the “configuration information database” is provided using a function that detects the position on the logical unit, and
  • a means that can retrieve the modified contents of the system configuration and time as keys is provided in the “configuration information database”.

Claims

1. A control method of a data storage system in which multiple external storage systems that store information are connected to a first network and each of said multiple external storage systems is arranged separately, comprising:

generating an interrupt by an external storage system to a management server;

issuing an exclusive control command by said management server to said external storage system, wherein said exclusive control command temporarily limits access to said external storage system such that said management server is the only control server that enables configuration setting of the data storage system;

receiving by said management server, configuration information from said external storage system in response to said command; and

storing in a database at said management server said configuration information that said management server received,

wherein said management server acquires configuration information of said external storage systems in point of time series and stores said configuration information in the database managed by said management server using said exclusive control command, and

wherein a time series acquisition is made with a simultaneous and periodic inquiry into multiple external storage systems as moments.

2. A control method of a data storage system in which multiple external storage systems that store information are connected to a first network and each of said multiple external storage systems is arranged separately, comprising:

issuing an exclusive control command by a management server to multiple external storage systems, wherein said exclusive control command temporarily limits access to said external storage system such that said management server is the only control server that enables configuration setting of the data storage system;

receiving by said management server, configuration information from said external storage system in response to said command; and

storing in a database at said management server, configuration information that said management server received,

wherein said management server acquires configuration information of said external storage systems in point of time series and stores said configuration information in the database managed by said management server using said exclusive control command, and

wherein a time series acquisition is made with a simultaneous and periodic inquiry into multiple external storage systems as moments.

3. A control method of a data storage system in which multiple computers that use information and multiple external storage systems that store information are connected to a network respectively and each of said multiple external storage systems is arranged separately, comprising:

logging on to a management server to request access permission;

issuing an exclusive control command by said management server to said external storage systems, wherein said exclusive control command temporarily limits access to said external storage systems such that said management server is the only control server that enables configuration setting of the data storage system;

receiving by said management server configuration information from said external storage systems in response to said command; and

storing in a database at said management server said configuration information that said management server received,

wherein said management server acquires configuration information of said external storage systems in point of time series and stores said configuration information in the database managed by said management server using said exclusive control command, and

wherein a time series acquisition is made with a simultaneous and periodic inquiry into multiple external storage systems as moments.

4. The control method of the data storage system according to claim 3, wherein said management server acquires configuration information of said all external storage systems and stores said configuration information in the database managed by said management server using said exclusive control command.

5. The control method of the data storage system according to claim 3, further comprising:

activating application programs of said multiple computers based on said exclusive control command issued by said management server; and

receiving by said management server, host logical configuration information from said multiple computers.

6. The control method of the data storage system according to claim 5, wherein said configuration information stored in said database and said host logical configuration information are associated and stored in a database.

7. A control method of a data storage system in which multiple computers that use information and multiple external storage systems that store information are connected to a network respectively and each of said multiple external storage systems is arranged separately, comprising:

logging on to a management server to request access permission;

sending configuration information by said management server;

instructing said management server to change said configuration information;

issuing an exclusive control command by said management server to multiple external storage systems, wherein said exclusive control command temporarily limits access to said external storage system such that said management server is the only control server that enables configuration setting of the data storage system;

receiving by said management server the completion of a setting of said configuration information from said external storage systems in response to the command; and

storing in a database at said management server, a change of said configuration information.

8. The control method of the data storage system according to claim 7, wherein said configuration information that said management server handles includes:

setting concerning an internal access path of an external storage system, a logical unit, capacity of the logical unit, an access authority to the logical unit, or data move;

setting concerning data copy between said external storage systems;

setting or acquisition of performance control modes or performance data of said external storage systems;

or

setting of a data storage system maintenance method, fault occurrence, fault notification, or user operation.

9. The control method of the data storage system according to claim 7, wherein an external storage system that is an object of a change of its configuration information is recognized and said exclusive control command is issued to only said external storage system.

10. A control method of a data storage system in which multiple computers that use information and multiple external storage systems that store information are connected to a network respectively and each of said multiple external storage systems is arranged separately, comprising:

issuing an exclusive control command by a management server to multiple external storage systems, wherein said exclusive control command temporarily limits access to said multiple external storage systems such that said management server is the only control server that enables configuration setting of the data storage system;

receiving by said management server configuration information from said external storage systems in response to said command;

activating application programs of said multiple computers based on said exclusive control command issued by said management server;

receiving by said management server, host logical configuration information from said multiple computers; and

storing in a database at said management server said received configuration information and host logical configuration information,

wherein said management server acquires configuration information of said external storage systems in point of time series and stores said configuration information in the database managed by said management server using said exclusive control command, and

wherein a time series acquisition is made with a simultaneous and periodic inquiry into multiple external storage systems as moments.

11. The control method of the data storage system according to claim 10, further comprising:

generating an interrupt by said external storage systems to said management server.

12. The control method of the data storage system according to claim 10, wherein said management server acquires configuration information of the whole data storage system in point of time series and associates said configuration information of the whole data storage system in point in time series, then stores said configuration information of the whole data storage system in point in time series in a database of the management server using the exclusive control command.

13. A control method of a data storage system in which multiple computers that use information and multiple external storage systems that store information are connected to a network respectively, each of said multiple external storage systems is arranged separately, and the data storage system has a management server connected via a first network, comprising:

inputting a file type and time that said multiple computers use, to said management server;

retrieving by said management server a configuration information database and displaying a physical storage position of a logical unit that corresponds to a file;

retrieving another logical unit related to said physical storage position and displaying said another logical unit;

retrieving data in which a modification history of said data storage system is accumulated, and displaying modified contents of said data storage system related to said storage position before said time;

retrieving data in which a performance history of a logical unit is accumulated, and displaying a performance of a logical volume after said time; and

displaying or posting said modified contents of said system when the performance of said logical volume is degraded,

wherein said management server acquires configuration information of said external storage systems in point of time series and stores said configuration information in the database managed by said management server using said exclusive control command, and

wherein a time series acquisition is made with a simultaneous and periodic inquiry into multiple external storage systems as moments.

14. A control method of a data storage system in which multiple computers that use information and multiple external storage systems that store information are connected to a network respectively, each of said multiple computers and said multiple external storage systems is arranged separately, and the data storage system has a management server connected via a first network, comprising:

inquiring by the management server, to a computer of the size of a file that an application software of said computer uses, and receiving a response in point of time series; and

retrieving by said management server, association between a logical disk unit and said file that was stored in the unit from contents of a configuration Information database, and indicating a relationship between the capacity of said logical disk unit and the size of said file in point of time series,

wherein a time series acquisition is made with a simultaneous and periodic inquiry into multiple external storage systems as moments.

15. The control method of the data storage system according to claim 14, wherein said relationship predicts, displays or posts the time when said capacity of said logical disk unit and said file size become equal using the contents of said configuration Information database.

16. A data storage system in which multiple external storage systems that store information are connected to a network and each of said multiple external storage systems is arranged separately, each external storage system has an external connection interface that sends event information in order to define or refer to its own configuration, show performance and data or post a fault, comprising:

a management server part, which is connected to said multiple external storage systems; and

a configuration information database that accumulates a time for each event and the corresponding event information of said multiple external storage systems via said external connection interface,

wherein said management server part issues an exclusive control command to said multiple external storage systems when the time for each event and the corresponding event information in said configuration information database is accumulated,

wherein said management server acquires configuration information of said external storage systems in point of time series and stores said configuration information in the database managed by said management server using said exclusive control command, and

wherein a time series acquisition is made with a simultaneous and periodic inquiry into multiple external storage systems as moments.

17. A data storage system in which multiple computers that use information and multiple external storage systems that store information are connected to a network respectively and each of said multiple external storage systems is arranged separately, each computer installs an application for acquiring its own host logical configuration information, each external storage system has an external connection interface that sends event information in order to define or refer to its own configuration, to show performance and data, or to post a fault, comprising:

a management server part; and

a configuration information database,

wherein the management server part is connected to said external storage systems and accumulates a time for each event and the corresponding event information of said multiple external storage systems via said external connection interface into said configuration information database, and

wherein the management server part is connected to said computers and accumulates host logical configuration information of said multiple computers via said network, in point of time series,

wherein said management server part comprises a function that posts the time when the size of a file that an application of said computer uses reaches the capacity of a logical disk unit of said external storage system, and

wherein a time series acquisition is made with a simultaneous and periodic inquiry into multiple external storage systems as moments.

18. The data storage system according to claim 17, wherein said management server part makes said event information of said multiple external storage systems and said host logical configuration information correspond to each other when they are accumulated in said configuration information database in point of time series.

19. The data storage system according to claim 18, wherein said management server part comprises a function of retrieving said configuration information database by specifying a file and time information said computers handle.

20. The data storage system according to claim 18, wherein said management server part comprises a function of displaying a modification history of a system configuration or a history of a system performance.