Storage network system, managing apparatus managing method and program

• US 7,412,504 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2005
• Issued: 08/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Hirata, Toshiaki, Hirabayashi, Motoaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Jacobs; Lashonda T
• Application Number:
  US11/196,441
• Publication Number:
  US 20060015605A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,104 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/224, 709/227, 370/389, 370/396, 370/397, 370/498, 710/36, 710/38, 710/46, 711/114
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3433 for load management allocation of a server based on load conditions G06F9/505; load rebalancing G06F9/5083; redistributing the load in a network by a load balancer H04L67/1029
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3485 for I/O devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/349 for interfaces, buses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/045 for graphical visualisation of monitoring data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/065 related to network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
• 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]

Abstract

A storage network system includes computers, storage systems, connection devices that control connection relations between the computers and the storage system, and a managing device that manages the computers, the storage system and the connection devices. The managing device includes a control section that specifies connection ports of the computers, the storage system and the connection devices that compose the storage network system. Further, the control device of the managing device displays on a display section a data traffic amount at each of the connection ports for each connection path from the computer to the storage system.

Claims

1. A method in a management computer coupled to a system, the system comprising a plurality of computers, a plurality of storage systems storing data accessed from the plurality of computers, and a plurality of switches coupled to the plurality of computers and the plurality of storage systems, the method comprising the steps of:

monitoring traffic amount of ports of the plurality of computers, the plurality of storage systems, and the plurality of switches;

storing access path information in a memory of the management computer, the access path information indicating at least one access path including a set of access ports used by a first computer of the plurality of computers to access a particular volume in a first storage system of the plurality of storage systems via a first switch of the plurality of switches;

specifying the particular volume which is configured by at least one disk drive of the first storage system;

identifying ports of the first storage system, the first switch, and the first computer, based upon the access path information stored in the memory of the management computer, wherein the identified ports are along the access path for accessing the specified volume; and

outputting information related to the monitored traffic amount of the identified ports so that a display device displays the traffic amount of the identified ports.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the particular volume is configured by a plurality of disk drives, the method further comprising the step of:

selecting one disk drive from the plurality of disk drives based on information of access load of the disk drives.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the one disk drive is selected if the access load of the one disk drive is greater than a threshold.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the method further comprising steps of:

selecting another volume which is configured by a plurality of disk drives including the selected disk drive;

identifying ports of the first storage system, a second switch of the plurality of switches, and a second computer of the plurality of computers, based upon the access path information stored in the memory of the management computer, wherein the identified ports are along another access path for accessing the another volume from the second computer; and

outputting information related to the monitored traffic amount of the identified ports so that a display device displays the traffic amount of the identified ports.

5. The method according to claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

calculating a transition of the traffic amounts of the ports; and

outputting information related to the calculated traffic amounts so that the display device displays the transition information.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the information related to the monitored traffic amount of the identified ports of the first storage system, the first switch, the second switch, the first computer, and the second computer is output as a list.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

monitoring access load of at least one disk drive of the first storage system which configures the particular volume, and

outputting information related to the monitored access load of the at least one disk drive of the first storage system.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the traffic amount of ports of the plurality of computers, the plurality of storage systems, and the plurality of switches is managed by calculating average values for a predetermined period of time.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the traffic amount of ports of the plurality of computers, the plurality of storage systems, and the plurality of switches is managed by periodically collected values.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein if the traffic amount of at least one port of the first storage system, the first switch, and the first computer is greater than a threshold, the method further comprising steps of:

specifying a port, whose traffic amount is greater than the threshold; and

switching a first access path from the first computer to the specified volume in the first storage system including the specified port to a second access path from the first computer to the specified volume in the first storage system without including the specified port.

11. A method in a management computer coupled to a system, the system comprising a plurality of computers, a plurality of storage systems storing data accessed from the plurality of computers, and a plurality of switches coupled the plurality of computers and the plurality of storage systems, the method in the management computer comprising the steps of:

monitoring traffic amount of ports of the plurality of computers, the plurality of storage systems, and the plurality of switches;

storing access path information in a memory of the management computer, the access path information indicating at least one access path including a set of access ports used by a first computer of the plurality of computers to access a particular volume in a first storage system of the plurality of storage systems via a first switch of the plurality of switches;

specifying the particular volume which is configured by at least one disk drive of the first storage system;

identifying an access path which is used by the first computer so as to access to the particular volume and which includes a set of ports of the first storage system, the first switch, and the first computer, based upon the access path information stored in a memory of the management computer; and

outputting information related to the monitored traffic amount of the identified ports so that a display device displays the traffic amount of the identified ports.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the particular volume is configured by a plurality of disk drives, the method further comprising the step of:

selecting the one of disk drives from the plurality of disk drives based on information of access load of the disk drives.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the one of the disk drives is selected if the access load of the disk device is greater than a threshold.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

calculating a transition of the traffic amounts of the ports; and

outputting information related to the calculated transition of the traffic amounts so that the display device displays the transition information.

15. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

monitoring access load of the at least one disk drive of the first storage system which configures the particular volume, and

outputting information related to the monitored access load of the at least one disk drive of the first storage system.

16. A computer program stored in a management computer coupled to a system, the system comprising a plurality of computers, a plurality of storage systems storing data accessed from the plurality of computers, and a plurality of switches coupled to the plurality of computers and the plurality of storage systems, the computer program comprising:

code for monitoring traffic amount of ports of the plurality of computers, the plurality of storage systems, and the plurality of switches;

code for storing access path information in a memory of the management computer, the access path information indicating at least one access path including a set of access ports used by a first computer of the plurality of computers to access a particular volume in the first storage system of the plurality of storage systems via a first switch of the plurality of switches;

code for specifying the particular volume which is configured by at least one disk drive of the first storage system;

code for identifying an access path which is used by the first computer so as to access to the specified particular volume and which includes a set of ports of the first storage system, the first switch, and the first computer, based upon the access path information stored in a memory of the management computer; and

a code for outputting information related to the monitored traffic amount of the identified ports so that a display device displays the traffic amount of the identified ports.

17. The computer program according to claim 16, wherein the particular volume is configured by a plurality of disk drives, the computer program further comprising:

code for selecting the one of disk drives from the plurality of disk drives based on information of access load of the disk drives.

18. The computer program according to claim 17, wherein the one of the disk drives is selected if the access load of the disk device is greater than a threshold.

19. The computer program according to claim 18, further comprising:

code for calculating a transition of the traffic amounts of the ports; and

code for outputting information related to the calculated transition of the traffic amounts so that the display device displays the transition information.

20. The computer program according to claim 16, further comprising:

code for monitoring access load of the at least one disk drive of the first storage system which configures the particular volume, and

code for outputting information related to the monitored access load of the at least one disk drive of the first storage system.