File sharing system and file sharing system setting method

• US 7,836,157 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2008
• Issued: 11/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/25/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Komaki, Toshio
• Primary Examiner(s): EL CHANTI, HUSSEIN A
• Application Number:
  US12/071,898
• Publication Number:
  US 20090164608A1
• Time in Patent Office: 993 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220, 709/221, 709/223, 709/226
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/176 Support for shared access to files; File sharing support
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1827 Management specifically adapted to NAS management of storage area networks [SAN] G06F3/067
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0632 by initialisation or re-initialisation of storage systems
• 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]

Abstract

The file sharing system of the present invention can collectively carry out the settings for a primary NAS and a secondary NAS by sending a plurality of pieces of configuration information to the respective NAS from a setting device. The configuration information setting device sends NAS configuration information, disk configuration information, snapshot configuration information, and remote copy configuration information to the primary NAS and the secondary NAS in a prescribed order. The respective NAS determine whether or not the respective configuration information received from the configuration information setting device can be realized, and when the determination is that this configuration information is realizable, respectively set the configuration information in their own devices.

Claims

1. A file sharing system, comprising:

a first file sharing device having a first storage device;

a second file sharing device having a second storage device; and

a setting device connected to the file sharing devices,

wherein the setting device comprises;

a configuration information storage unit for respectively storing first configuration information required for providing the file sharing devices to a host computer via a communication network, second configuration information for respectively setting the configurations of the storage devices, and third configuration information required for executing a prescribed process carried out between the first storage device and the second storage device;

a configuration information manager for respectively managing the respective configuration information stored in the configuration information storage unit; and

a configuration information setting unit for respectively setting the respective configuration information in the file sharing devices by respectively sending the respective configuration information to either one or both of the file sharing devices in a prescribed order of the first configuration information, the second configuration information, and the third configuration information,

wherein the configuration information manager respectively manages the history of prescribed one or a plurality of pieces of information of the respective configuration information, and

comprises a configuration information creation unit for using the history of the respective prescribed configuration information to create new prescribed configuration information to be set, and

the configuration information setting unit respectively sends to either one or both of the file sharing devices the difference between the contents of the new prescribed configuration information created by the configuration information creation unit, and the histories.

2. The file sharing system according to claim 1, wherein the first configuration information comprises unique information peculiar to each of the file sharing devices, and common information, which is common to the file sharing devices, and

the configuration information setting unit:

(1) determines whether or not the common information set in the first file sharing device coincides with the common information set in the second file sharing device by respectively accessing the file sharing devices; and

(2) when the two pieces of common information do not coincide, makes the common information of the first file sharing device coincide with the common information of the second file sharing device by sending the common information set in the first file sharing device to the second file sharing device, and setting this common information in the second file sharing device.

3. The file sharing system according to claim 1, wherein, when the second file sharing device is already used by a different host computer, the configuration information creation unit uses unused portions of the second file sharing device not used by the different host computer to create the prescribed new respective configuration information.

4. The file sharing system according to claim 1, wherein the prescribed configuration information is the second configuration information and the third configuration information.