Method for changing booting configuration and computer system capable of booting OS

• US 8,352,720 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2011
• Issued: 01/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Hatasaki, Keisuke, Nakajima, Takao
• Primary Examiner(s): Stoynov, Stefan
• Application Number:
  US13/137,275
• Publication Number:
  US 20110296160A1
• Time in Patent Office: 524 Days
• Field of Search: 713/1, 713/2, 713/100, 713/300, 709/211, 709/216, 709/220, 710/104, 711/114, 712/28, 714/12
• US Class Current: 713/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4401 Bootstrapping security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

In a computer system in which a server has, in addition to a disk used for booting, an operation transfer destination disk that has the same content as the boot disk, a method for changing the disk used by the server or another server in the computer system for booting to the operation transfer destination disk is realized by changing the content of the operation transfer destination disk to enable the OS and applications installed in the operation transfer destination disk to be booted from the destination disk and by changing the setting of a boot program of the server to enable booting from the operation transfer destination disk.

Claims

1. A boot configuration changing method executed by a management server in a computer system in which the management server and a plurality of servers are connected to an external disk drive via a network switch and in which each server can be made operational by booting an operating system from the external disk drive, the boot configuration changing method comprising:

requesting initiation of synchronization processing between a first disk and a second disk of the external disk drive with respect to a first content of the first disk that is used for booting a first server of the plurality of servers;

changing a setting of a boot program of a second server of the plurality of servers so that the second server is booted from the second disk; and

changing a second content of the second disk so that software installed in the second disk is booted from the second disk.

2. The boot configuration changing method according to claim 1, wherein, upon initiation of the synchronization processing being requested, the external disk drive writes information that is to be written into the first disk into the first disk and the second disk to thereby synchronize the contents of the first and second disks.

3. The boot configuration changing method according to claim 1, wherein changing the setting of the boot program of the second server comprises booting the second server and transmitting an agent to the second server through a network boot, and wherein the second server boots the agent to cause a change in the setting of the boot program of the second server.

4. The boot configuration changing method according to claim 1, wherein changing the second content of the second disk comprises booting the second server and transmitting an agent to the second server through a network boot, and wherein the second server boots the agent to cause a change in a boot loader setting and a mount setting.

5. The boot configuration changing method according to claim 1, wherein the network switch includes a security module which controls permission and rejection of access of the external disk drive by the second disk using identification information of the second server, and wherein the management server transmits a request to the external disk drive to allow the second server to access the second disk.

6. A computer system, comprising:

an external disk drive;

a management server connected to the external disk drive via a network switch; and

a plurality of servers connected to the external disk drive via the network switch, each server of the plurality of servers being configured to be made operational by booting an operating system from the external disk drive, and

wherein the management server is configured to request initiation of synchronization processing between a first disk and a second disk of the external disk drive with respect to a first content of the first disk that is used for booting a first server of the plurality of servers, and

wherein the management server is configured to direct a first change in a setting of a boot program of a second server of the plurality of servers so that the second server is booted from the second disk, and direct a second change in a second content of the second disk so that software installed in the second disk is booted from the second disk.

7. The computer system according to claim 6, wherein, upon initiation of the synchronization processing being requested by the management server, the external disk drive writes information that is to be written into the first disk into the first disk and the second disk to thereby synchronize the contents of the first and second disks.

8. The computer system according to claim 6, wherein the management server directs the first change in the setting of the boot program of the second server by booting the second server and transmitting an agent to the second server through a network boot, and wherein the second server boots the agent to cause the setting of the boot program of the second server to change.

9. The computer system according to claim 6, wherein the management server directs the second change in the second content of the second disk by booting the second server and transmitting an agent to the second server through a network boot, and wherein the second server boots the agent to cause a boot loader setting and a mount setting to change.

10. The computer system according to claim 6, wherein the network switch includes a security module which controls permission and rejection of access of the external disk drive by the second disk using identification information of the second server, and wherein the management server transmits a request to the external disk drive to allow the second server to access the second disk.

11. A management server, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing computer readable instructions for execution by the processor to perform a boot configuration changing method for a computer system in which the management server and a plurality of servers are connected to an external disk drive via a network switch and in which each server can be made operational by booting an operating system from the external disk drive, and

wherein the boot configuration changing method comprises;

requesting initiation of synchronization processing between a first disk and a second disk of the external disk drive with respect to a first content of the first disk that is used for booting a first server of the plurality of servers;

changing a setting of a boot program of a second server of the plurality of servers so that the second server is booted from the second disk; and

changing a second content of the second disk so that software installed in the second disk is booted from the second disk.

12. The management server according to claim 11, wherein, upon initiation of the synchronization processing being requested, the external disk drive writes information that is to be written into the first disk into the first disk and the second disk to thereby synchronize the contents of the first and second disks.

13. The management server according to claim 11, wherein changing the setting of the boot program of the second server comprises booting the second server and transmitting an agent to the second server through a network boot, and wherein the second server boots the agent to cause a change in the setting of the boot program of the second server.

14. The management server according to claim 11, wherein changing the second content of the second disk comprises booting the second server and transmitting an agent to the second server through a network boot, and wherein the second server boots the agent to cause a change in a boot loader setting and a mount setting.

15. The management server according to claim 11, wherein the network switch includes a security module which controls permission and rejection of access of the external disk drive by the second disk using identification information of the second server, and wherein the management server transmits a request to the external disk drive to allow the second server to access the second disk.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer readable instructions stored thereon for execution by a processor of a management server to perform a boot configuration changing method for a computer system in which the management server and a plurality of servers are connected to an external disk drive via a network switch and in which each server can be made operational by booting an operating system from the external disk drive, the boot configuration changing method comprising:

requesting initiation of synchronization processing between a first disk and a second disk of the external disk drive with respect to a first content of the first disk that is used for booting a first server of the plurality of servers;

changing a setting of a boot program of a second server of the plurality of servers, so that the second server is booted from the second disk; and

changing a second content of the second disk so that software installed in the second disk is booted from the second disk.

17. The computer-readable medium according to claim 16, wherein, upon initiation of the synchronization processing being requested, the external disk drive writes information that is to be written into the first disk into the first disk and the second disk to thereby synchronize the contents of the first and second disks.

18. The computer-readable medium according to claim 16, wherein changing the setting of the boot program of the second server comprises booting the second server and transmitting an agent to the second server through a network boot, and wherein the second server boots the agent to cause a change in the setting of the boot program of the second server.

19. The computer-readable medium according to claim 16, wherein changing the second content of the second disk comprises booting the second server and transmitting an agent to the second server through a network boot, and wherein the second server boots the agent to cause a change in a boot loader setting and a mount setting.

20. The computer-readable medium according to claim 16, wherein the network switch includes a security module which controls permission and rejection of access of the external disk drive by the second disk using identification information of the second server, and wherein the management server transmits a request to the external disk drive to allow the second server to access the second disk.