Method and apparatus for managing faults in storage system having job management function

• US 7,509,331 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2005
• Issued: 03/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Mogi, Kazuhiko, Nishikawa, Norifumi, Kawamura, Nobuo, Nemoto, Naokazu
• Primary Examiner(s): AL HASHEMI, SANA A
• Application Number:
  US11/247,160
• Publication Number:
  US 20060036899A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,259 Days
• Field of Search: 707100-102, 711/6, 711/114
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0709 in a distributed system consisting of a plurality of standalone computer nodes, e.g. clusters, client-server systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0727 in a storage system, e.g. in a DASD or network based storage system drivers for digital recording or reproducing units G06F3/06; circuits for error detection or correction within digital recording or reproducing units G11B20/18; 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], H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0748 in a remote unit communicating with a single-box computer node experiencing an error/fault remote testing G06F11/2294
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0775 Content or structure details of the error report, e.g. specific table structure, specific error fields
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2294 by remote test
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0617 in relation to availability
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0635 by changing the path, e.g. traffic rerouting, path reconfiguration
• 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 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: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A computer system identifies jobs affected by a fault which occurs in any device or mechanism in a storage system to control the execution of such jobs. The computer system includes a DBMS server device, a virtualization switch device, and storage device. Each of these devices holds part of data mapping information on a data mapping path from a particular DB table accessed by a job, through a logical volume for storing the table, to physical disk units for distributively storing data on the volume. The management server device acquires the part of data mapping information from each device, and integrates the data mapping information on a job-by-job basis. When any device or mechanism fails on the data mapping path, the management server device identifies jobs affected by the fault with reference to the data mapping information. The management server device also controls the execution of these jobs.

Claims

1. A server computer for identifying a job which is affected by a fault at a location existing on a data mapping path in a computer system having a computing device for executing jobs and a storage device including physical disk units, said data mapping path comprising a particular database table accessed by a particular job, a file for storing said particular database table, a logical disk unit for storing said file, and said physical disk units for distributively storing data on said logical disk unit, based on data mapping information related to said data mapping path, said data mapping information including an identifier of an interface situated on said data mapping path for interfacing one device to another, said server computer comprising:

collection means for collecting part of said data mapping information from each of the devices which hold corresponding information on said data mapping path from said job to said physical disk units through said particular database table, said file, and said logical disk unit;

integration means for integrating said data mapping information on a job-by-job basis for storage in a management information table; and

identifying means for identifying a job affected by a fault with reference to said management information table for displaying the affected job upon receipt of a fault report about any of said physical disk units from said storage device.

2. The server computer according to claim 1, wherein:

said data mapping information has a hierarchical structure comprised of a real volume for storing said file, one or more virtual volumes for storing said real volume, a plurality of said logical disk units for distributively storing data on said virtual volume, and said physical disk units for distributively storing data on said logical disk units; and

said computer system further comprises a virtualizer interposed between said computing device and said storage device for converting an identifier of said virtual volume included in an input/output request received from a higher rank device to an identifier of said logical disk unit.

3. The server computer according to claim 2, wherein said data mapping information includes information on a correspondence relationship between said file and said real volume, information on a correspondence relationship between said real volume and said virtual volume, information on a correspondence relationship between said virtual volume and said logical disk units, and information on a correspondence relationship between said logical disk units and said physical disk units.

4. The server computer for identifying a job which is affected by a fault at a location existing on a data mapping path, in a computer system having a computing device for executing jobs and a storage device including physical disk units, said data mapping path comprising a particular database table accessed by a particular job, a file for storing said particular database table, a logical disk unit for storing said file, and said physical disk units for distributively storing data on said logical disk unit, based on data mapping information related to said data mapping path, said data mapping information including correspondence relationships between identifiers for said job, said table, said file, said logical disk unit, and said physical disk units, and an identifier of an interface situated on said data mapping path for interfacing one device to another, said server computer comprising:

collection means for collecting part of said data mapping information from each of devices which hold the part of said data mapping information;

integration means for integrating said data mapping information on a job-by-job basis for storage in a management information table; and

identifying means for identifying a job affected by a fault with reference to said management information table for displaying the affected job upon receipt of a fault report about a location existing on said data mapping path, said location having an identifier stored in said management information table.

5. The server computer according to claim 4, wherein:

said data mapping information includes information on a correspondence relationship between said file and a real volume for storing said file, information on a correspondence relationship between said real volume and one or more virtual volumes for storing said real volume, information on a correspondence relationship between said virtual volumes and a plurality of said logical disk units for distributively storing data on said virtual volumes, and information on a correspondence relationship between said logical disk units and said physical disk units for distributively storing data on said logical disk units; and

said computer system further comprises a virtualizer interposed between said computing device and said storage device for converting an identifier of said virtual volume included in an input/output request received from a higher rank device to an identifier of said logical disk unit.

6. The server computer according to claim 4, further comprising means for processing said job identified to be affected by the fault by a processing method previously set in a job execution control table.

7. The server computer according to claim 6, further comprising means, responsive to information set in said job execution control table as to whether or not a human manager is requested to confirm the processing, for processing said job identified to be affected by the fault by said processing method when the human manager gives a permission.