Storage system storing golden image of a server or a physical/virtual machine execution environment

• US 8,051,262 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2009
• Issued: 11/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Ichikawa, Naoko, Kaneda, Yasunori
• Primary Examiner(s): Verbrugge; Kevin
• Application Number:
  US12/411,293
• Publication Number:
  US 20100250878A1
• Time in Patent Office: 951 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 711/162
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0607 by facilitating the process of upgrading existing storage systems, e.g. for improving compatibility between host and storage device
• 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]

Abstract

A storage system stores golden image of a server or any physical/virtual machine execution environment and associate the golden image and the storage port. The storage system also creates the copy of the golden image to the logical volume, and allocates the internal path between the storage port and the logical volume. Upon receiving an access request from the host computer via the storage port, the storage system transfers the access request between the storage port and the logical volume which stores the copy of golden image associated with the host computer.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a host computer; and

a storage system coupled to the host computer via a network;

the storage system comprising;

a plurality of ports;

a storage controller; and

a plurality of logical volumes;

wherein the storage controller is configured to;

associate between the at least one of the plurality of ports and a golden image;

receive an access request from the host computer via a port that the host computer is connected thereto; and

transfer the access request between the port and the logical volume which stores a copy of the golden image associated with the port.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the storage controller is further configured to check if the host computer is new access to the storage system when the access request is received.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the storage controller is further configured to, if the host computer is new access to the storage system, check if there is a logical volume which stores a copy of a golden image associated with the port.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein, if there is no logical volume which stores a copy of the golden image associated with the port, the storage controller is further configured to:

create a logical volume based on the request;

copy a golden image data to the logical volume;

and allocate an internal path between the port and the logical volume.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of ports is associated with a plurality of golden images.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the golden image is associated with zone setting in SAN switch in the network.

7. The system of claim 5, further comprising a user interface whereby the user can select one of the plurality of golden images.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the user interface comprises a dial which indicates the plurality of golden images to be selected by user.

9. A system comprising:

a host computer; and

a storage system coupled to the host computer via a network;

the storage system comprising;

a plurality of ports;

a storage controller; and

a plurality of logical volumes;

wherein, upon receiving a request, the storage controller configured to;

create a logical volume based on the request;

register a golden image data as a golden image;

associate at least one of the plurality of ports with the golden image;

copy the golden image data to at least one of the plurality of logical volumes;

and allocate an internal path between the at least one of the plurality of ports and the at least one of the plurality of the logical volumes.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the storage controller is further configured to check if there is available capacity for logical volumes in the storage system.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the golden image is created by installing a server operation system or an application.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the golden image is a SAN boot image.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the golden image is at least one of virtual disk files that are used to provision at least one of virtual machines.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the storage controller further comprises a memory which maintains a port attribute management table.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the port attribute management table comprises information of a port ID and a golden image name.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the storage controller is further configured to, if there is an available port for the registered golden image, associate the available port with the registered golden image.

17. The system of claim 9, wherein the storage controller is further configured to receive a golden image copy request which comprises identification of golden image and required number of copies to be created for the golden image.

18. The system of claim 9, wherein the storage controller further comprises a memory which maintains a path management table.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the path management table comprises information of a logical volume ID and a port ID.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the storage controller further updates the port attribute management table when the internal path between the one of the plurality of ports and the one of the plurality of the logical volumes is allocated.