Computer system for central management of asset information

• US 7,870,045 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2002
• Issued: 01/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Yagishita, Keiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Apple; Kirsten S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Trotter; Scott S
• Application Number:
  US10/200,736
• Publication Number:
  US 20030135439A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,093 Days
• Field of Search: 705/35, 714/5
• US Class Current: 705/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis

Abstract

A computer system includes one or more host computers, one or more hardware devices, and a management server for managing the assets in the system. The host computer includes an agent unit for notifying the management server of the data of the assets of the device to which it belongs based on a predetermined data structure. The hardware device includes an assets information notification unit for performing a similar process of the agent unit. The management server includes an information management unit for managing the data of the assets received from the agent unit and the information notification unit as associated with the predetermined data structure. Thus, the data of all assets in the system can be centralized using the predetermined data structure, and can be centrally managed corresponding to the structure.

Claims

1. A computer system for central management of assets information, comprising:

one or more host computers;

one or more hardware devices;

a management server; and

a database for storing information used by the management server, and

wherein each of said one or more hardware devices provided to said one or more host computers at least including one of a host bus adapter, a disk array and a switch, each of said one or more hardware devices comprises an input/output processing unit, an information record unit, a communications control unit, an event processing unit, a trouble management unit, a performance management unit, and a capacity management;

each of said one or more host computers comprises an agent unit notifying the management server of information about assets in a device to which a corresponding host computer belongs in response to a request from the management server based on a data structure included in said agent unit in which higher and lower assets are associated and a host bus adapter, the host bus adapter is coupled with the disk array through the switch where the host bus adapter and the switch operate as a path between a host computer and the disk array;

the agent unit comprises an information collection unit, an information record unit, a communications control unit, an event processing unit, a trouble management unit, a performance management unit, and a capacity management unit;

the management server comprises an information collection unit, an information management unit managing information received from across each agent unit in association with said information about assets from said assets information notification unit in accordance with the data structure, an input/output processing unit, a communications control unit, an event processing unit, a trouble management unit, a performance management unit, and a capacity management unit;

said data structure has an area storing data indicating higher and lower assets of current assets in the system,

said agent unit generates information in which the data structure is in common among each host computer and each hardware device, and in response to a request from the management server, associates the higher and the lower assets and notifies of information having common data structure, and

an application name on a host computer as a file name which is used in an application is associated with lower assets with a file name,

said agent unit collects an application name and an access file, a database management system related to a database, a raw device as a lower device in a host computer, and an access file, a file system, and a raw device related to an operating system, and

said agent unit collects information by issuing a command corresponding to each operating system when different operating systems are used among host computers, the obtained information is converted into a unique information format as a same information format for central management by the management server, and the converted information is transmitted to the management server.

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

each of said agent unit of each host computer and said hardware device comprises a trouble management unit notifying said management server of data relating to trouble when the trouble occurs in a device to which each belongs; and

upon receipt of the data relating to the trouble, said information management unit of said management server sets status of information about assets related to the trouble and information about assets relating to the assets as an error state among information associated corresponding to the data structure.

3. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein:

each of said agent unit of each host computer and said hardware device comprises a trouble management unit notifying said management server of data indicating a sign of trouble each time the trouble can occur in a device to which each belongs; and

each time said information management unit of said management server receives the data indicating the sign of the trouble, said information management unit increments a counter value corresponding to a device which has transmitted the data, and sets information about the assets of the device about which the data indicating the sign of the trouble is notified of, and information about assets relating to the assets as an error state among information associated corresponding to the data structure when the count value exceeds a threshold.

4. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein:

each of said agent unit of each host computer and said hardware device comprises a performance management unit managing performance of a device to which each belongs, and said management server comprises a performance management unit managing performance of an entire system;

said performance management unit of each hardware device and each host computer collects performance information about a device to which each belongs in response to a request to said management server, and transmits the information to said management server; and

said performance management unit manages the performance of the entire system by associating information about assets of a device which has transmitted the performance information with information about other assets related by said information management unit.

5. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein:

each of said agent unit of each host computer and said hardware device comprises a capacity management unit managing a capacity of an asset of a device to which each belongs;

said capacity management unit of each host computer and each hardware device monitors whether or not the capacity of the asset of the device to which each belongs has exceeded a threshold in response to a request from the management server, and notifies said management server of the exceeded threshold when the threshold is exceeded; and

said information management unit sets as an error state a status of information about assets whose threshold has been exceeded and information about assets related to the assets among information associated corresponding to the data structure.

6. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein:

the application name on a host as the file name, which is used in said application or the assets of a database, is associated with a file system and a hardware device as lower assets with a file name; and

data of a host bus adapter and a storage access path as assets lower than the hardware device is associated with another hardware device, and a further lower channel adapter, a device controller, a device adapter, a storage device are associated with the storage access path.

7. A computer-readable storage medium, used by a management server for central managing of assets information, storing a program for directing a computer to perform operations, comprising:

storing information used by the management server;

receiving information about assets of each device transmitted from each host computer and associating said information about assets of each device with information of each one or more hardware devices in the system based on a data structure in which higher and lower assets are associated;

associating the received information corresponding to the data structure; and

wherein said data structure has an area storing data indicating higher and lower assets of current assets in the system,

information in which the data structure is in common among each host computer and each hardware device is generated, and in response to a request, the higher and the lower assets are associated and information having common data structure is provided,

an application name on a computer host as a file name which is used in an application is associated with lower assets with a file name,

each host computer including a host bus adapter coupled with a disk array through a switch where the host bus adapter and the switch operate as a path between the host and the disk array, and

each of said one or more hardware devices provided to said one or more host computers, and said one or more hardware devices comprising the host bus adapter, the disk array, the switch and an assets information notifying unit,

wherein each of one or more hardware devices provided to one or more host computers at least including one of a host bus adapter, a disk array and a switch, each of said one or more hardware devices comprises an input/output processing unit, an information record unit, a communications control unit, an event processing unit, a trouble management unit, a performance management unit, and a capacity management;

an agent unit collects an application name and an access file, a database management system related to a database, a raw device as a lower device in a host computer, and an access file, a file system, and a raw device related to an operating system, and

said agent unit collects information by issuing a command corresponding to each operating system when different operating systems are used among host computers, the obtained information is converted into a unique information format as a same information format for central management by the management server, and the converted information is transmitted to the management server.

8. A host computer configuring a computer system having a management server for managing assets in a system, comprising:

one or more hardware devices;

a database for storing information used by the management server;

a connection unit for connection to the computer system;

an agent unit notifying the management server of information about the assets of a device to which said unit belongs in response to a request from the management server, said information about the assets and information of said unit being associated based on a data structure included in said agent unit in which higher and lower assets are associated; and

wherein each of said one or more hardware devices provided to one or more host computers at least including one of a host bus adapter, a disk array and a switch, each of said one or more hardware devices comprises an input/output processing unit, an information record unit, a communications control unit, an event processing unit, a trouble management unit, a performance management unit, and a capacity management;

wherein said data structure has an area storing data indicating higher and lower assets of current assets in the system,

said agent unit generates information in which the data structure is in common among each hardware device, and in response to a request from the management server, associates the higher and the lower assets and notifies of information having common data structure,

the agent unit comprises an information collection unit, an information record unit, a communications control unit, an event processing unit, a trouble management unit, a performance management unit, and a capacity management unit;

an application name on a host computer as a file name which is used in an application is associated with lower assets with a file name,

each host computer including a host bus adapter coupled with a disk array through a switch where the host bus adapter and the switch operate as a path between the host and the disk array, and

each said hardware device provided to said each host computer, and each said hardware device comprising the host bus adapter, the disk array the switch and an assets information notifying unit,

said agent unit collects an application name and an access file, a database management system related to a database, a raw device as a lower device in a host computer, and an access file, a file system, and a raw device related to an operating system, and

said agent unit collects information by issuing a command corresponding to each operating system when different operating systems are used among host computers, the obtained information is converted into a unique information format as a same information format for central management by the management server, and the converted information is transmitted to the management server.

9. A management server for managing assets in a computer system configured by one or more host computers and one or more hardware devices, comprising:

one or more host computers;

one or more hardware devices; and

a database for storing information used by the management server;

a connection unit for connection to the computer system;

an information management unit managing information transmitted from each of said one or more host computers and each of said one or more hardware devices in association with each other based on a data structure included in an agent in which higher and lower assets are associated; and

wherein each of said one or more hardware devices provided to said one or more host computers at least including one of a host bus adapter, a disk array and a switch, each of said one or more hardware devices comprises an input/output processing unit, an information record unit, a communications control unit, an event processing unit, a trouble management unit, a performance management unit, and a capacity management;

wherein said data structure has an area storing data indicating higher and lower assets of current assets in the system,

said agent unit generates information in which the data structure is in common among each host computer and each hardware device, and in response to a request from the management server, associates the higher and the lower assets and notifies of information having common data structure,

an application name on a host computer as a file name which is used in an application is associated with lower assets with a file name,

each host computer including a host bus adapter coupled with a disk array through a switch where the host bus adapter and the switch operate as a path between the host and the disk array, and

each of said one or more hardware devices provided to said one or more host computers, and said one or more hardware devices comprising the host bus adapter, the disk array, the switch and an assets notification information,

said agent unit collects an application name and an access file, a database management system related to a database, a raw device as a lower device in a host computer, and an access file, a file system, and a raw device related to an operating system, and

said agent unit collects information by issuing a command corresponding to each operating system when different operating systems are used among host computers, the obtained information is converted into a unique information format as a same information format for central management by the management server, and the converted information is transmitted to the management server.

10. A computer system for central management of assets information, comprising:

one or more host computers;

one or more hardware devices;

a management server; and

a database for storing information used by the management server, and

wherein each of said one or more hardware devices provided to said one or more host computers at least including one of a host bus adapter, a disk array and a switch, each of said one or more hardware devices comprises an input/output processing unit, an information record unit, a communications control unit, an event processing unit, a trouble management unit, a performance management unit, and a capacity management;

each of said one or more host computers comprises an agent for notifying the management server of information about assets in a device to which a corresponding host computer belongs in response to a request from the management server based on a data structure included in said agent in which higher and lower assets are associated and a host bus adapter, the host bus adapter is coupled with the disk array through the switch where the host bus adapter and the switch operate as a path between a host computer and the disk array;

the agent unit comprises an information collection unit, an information record unit, a communications control unit, an event processing unit, a trouble management unit, a performance management unit, and a capacity management unit;

the management server comprises an information collection unit, an information management means for managing the information received from across each agent in association with said information from said assets information notification means in accordance with the data structure, an input/output processing unit, a communications control unit, an event processing unit, a trouble management unit, a performance management unit, and a capacity management unit;

wherein said data structure has an area storing data indicating higher and lower assets of current assets in the system,

said agent generates information in which the data structure is in common among each host computer and each hardware device, and in response to a request from the management server, associates the higher and the lower assets and notifies of information having common data structure, and

an application name on a host computer as a file name which is used in an application is associated with lower assets with a file name,

said agent unit collects an application name and an access file, a database management system related to a database, a raw device as a lower device in a host computer, and an access file, a file system, and a raw device related to an operating system, and

said agent unit collects information by issuing a command corresponding to each operating system when different operating systems are used among host computers, the obtained information is converted into a unique information format as a same information format for central management by the management server, and the converted information is transmitted to the management server.