Storage switch system, storage switch method, management server, management method, and management program

• US 7,657,786 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2008
• Issued: 02/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Takuwa, Shinya, Masuda, Kouji, Takamoto, Yoshifumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Chu; Gabriel L
• Application Number:
  US12/341,274
• Publication Number:
  US 20090106579A1
• Time in Patent Office: 407 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 714/13
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2025 using centralised failover control functionality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2028 eliminating a faulty processor or activating a spare
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2038 with a single idle spare processing component
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2046 where the redundant components share persistent storage G06F11/2043 takes precedence

Abstract

A switch control system including a storage unit, a switch which logically sets a network topology between the storage unit and a plurality of computers, and a management server which communicates with the switch and the storage unit, wherein the storage unit includes at least one disk; wherein the management server comprises a memory and a processor, wherein the memory holds the network topology which is set by the switch, wherein when a failure is detected in one of the computers currently being used, the processor of the management server refers to the memory to change the network topology for the computer where the failure is detected and another computer which substitutes the computer where the failure is detected, and instructs the switch with the changed network topology so as to cause the switch to logically set the changed network topology, and wherein the management server controls the disk of the computer where the failure is detected to be accessible.

Claims

1. A switch control system including a storage unit, a switch which logically sets a network topology between the storage unit and a plurality of computers, and a management server which communicates with the switch and the storage unit, wherein

the storage unit comprises at least one disk;

wherein

the management server comprises a memory and a processor, wherein

the memory holds the network topology which is set by the switch, wherein

when a failure is detected in one of the computers currently being used, the processor of the management server refers to the memory to change the network topology for the computer where the failure is detected and another computer which substitutes for the computer where the failure is detected, and instructs the switch with the changed network topology so as to cause the switch to logically set the changed network topology, and wherein

the management server controls the at least one disk previously accessible by the computer where the failure is detected, to be accessible from the another computer.

2. A management server as claimed in claim 1, wherein the management server communicates with a plurality of computers connected to a storage unit by a network through a switch and comprises a memory and a processor, wherein

the memory holds a network topology which is set by the switch, and wherein

when a failure is detected in one of the computers currently being used, the processor of the management server refers to the memory to change the network topology for the computer where the failure is detected and another computer which substitutes the computer where the failure is detected, instructs the switch with the changed network topology so as to cause the switch to logically set the changed network topology, and instructs the storage unit to control accesses from the another computer to the disks corresponding to the computer where the failure is detected.

3. A management server as claimed in claim 2, wherein

the memory further holds current statuses of the computers, and wherein

the processor refers to the current statuses of the computers in the memory to search for a computer whose current status indicates a reserve as the another computer which substitutes the computer where the failure is detected.

4. A switch control method to switch a storage unit using a computer system which comprises a storage unit, a switch which logically sets a network topology between the storage unit and a plurality of computers, and a management server which communicates with the switch and the storage unit, wherein

the storage unit comprises at least one disk;

wherein

the management server comprises a memory and a processor, wherein

the memory holds the network topology which is set by the switch, comprising steps of;

when a failure is detected in one of the computers currently being used, the processor of the management server referring to the memory to change the network topology for the computer where the failure is detected and another computer which substitutes the computer where the failure is detected, and instructing the switch with the changed network topology so as to cause the switch to logically set the changed network topology; and

the management server controlling the at least one disk previously accessible by the computer where the failure is detected, to be accessible from the another computer.

5. A management method used in a management server as claimed in claim 4, wherein the management server communicates with a plurality of computers connected to a storage unit by a network through a switch and comprises a memory and a processor, wherein

the memory holds a network topology which is set by the switch, comprising steps of:

when a failure is detected in one of the computers currently being used, the processor of the management server referring to the memory to change the network topology for the computer where the failure is detected and another computer which substitutes the computer where the failure is detected, and instructing the switch with the changed network topology so as to cause the switch to logically set the changed network topology; and

the processor of the management server instructing the storage unit to control accesses from the another computer to the disks corresponding to the computer where the failure is detected.

6. A management method as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a step wherein

the memory further holds current statuses of the computers, and wherein

the processor refers to the current statuses of the computers in the memory to search for a computer whose current status indicates a reserve as the another computer which substitutes the computer where the failure is detected.

7. A computer readable storage medium embodying a management program which performs a management method as claimed in claim 6.

8. A management method as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a step of

specifying at least identifiers of the computers, an identifier of the switch, and port numbers of the switch, and identifying information of the network for the network topology which is held by the memory.

9. A management method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a step wherein

the processor receives an IP address sent from the computer where the failure is detected and the IP address is changed to an IP address which is an identifier of the another computer which substitutes the computer where the failure is detected.

10. A computer readable storage medium embodying a management program which performs a management method as claimed in claim 9.

11. A computer readable storage medium embodying a management program which performs a management method as claimed in claim 8.

12. A management method as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a step of

using a device which supports VLAN, or a router for the switch.

13. A computer readable storage medium embodying a management program which performs a management method as claimed in claim 12.

14. A computer readable storage medium embodying a management program which performs a management method as claimed in claim 5.

15. A computer readable storage medium embodying a management program which performs a storage switch method as claimed in claim 4.