Storage system and management method in storage system

• US 8,473,592 B2
• Filed: 01/02/2008
• Issued: 06/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Masuda, Haruki
• Primary Examiner(s): Osman, Ramy M
• Application Number:
  US11/968,371
• Publication Number:
  US 20090006601A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,001 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/224, 709/227, 709/203, 709/213, 709/217, 710/38, 711/162, 711/170
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2003/0697 device management, e.g. handlers, drivers, I/O schedulers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0601 Interfaces specially adapted for storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0604 Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. storage management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0635 by changing the path, e.g. traffic rerouting, path reconfiguration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0638 Organizing or formatting or addressing of data
• 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

An object of the present invention is to recognize the presence of a business-use computer that can be a management target of a management computer, and to register the recognized business-use computer as a management target host.

A storage system includes business-use hosts 12 and 14, a management server 16 and a storage subsystem 18; wherein the business-use hosts 12 and 14 are connected via a SAN 22 to the storage subsystem 18, while the management server 16 is connected via a LAN 20 to the business-use hosts 12 and 14 and the storage subsystem 18. The management server 16 for recognizing business-use hosts that can be management objects, sends a communication request to all the IP addresses/ports within a range specified by the user, and registers business-use hosts returning a response in reply to the communication request as management targets.

Claims

1. A storage system comprising:

a plurality of business-use computers, each business-use computer capable of storing one of a multi-path management agent and a volume management agent;

a storage subsystem to which the plurality of business-use computers are connected; and

a management computer managing the plurality of business-use computers,

wherein the plurality of business-use computers, the storage subsystem and the management computer are connected to one another via a communication unit,

wherein the management computer includes a multi-path manager and a volume manager and a table for registering the business-use computers that are connected to the storage subsystem and storing information indicating whether or not each of the business-use computers has a volume management agent and information indicating whether or not each of the business-use computers has a multi-path management agent,

wherein the management computer sequentially sends a communication request via the communication unit to a communication target that can be a management target, registers in the table a reception result associated with the transmission of the communication request in the table, determines whether or not a business-use computer that does not return a response in reply to the communication request has the volume management agent or multi-path management agent, deletes the information concerning the volume management agent of the business-use computer from the table if the business-use computer does not have the volume management agent, and deletes the information concerning the multi-path management agent of the business-use computer from the table if the business-use computer does not have the multi-path management agent,

wherein the multi-path management agent is in communication with the multi-path manager of the management computer, and the multi-path management agent is agent software for replying to the multi-path manager of the management computer with management information concerning a multi-path between the business-use computer and the storage subsystem, and

wherein the volume management agent is in communication with the volume manager of the management computer, and the volume management agent is agent software for replying to the volume manager of the management computer with management information concerning volume information of the business-use computer.

2. The storage system according to claim 1, wherein the management computer recognizes all of one or more IP addresses and ports within a specified range as communication targets.

3. A management method in a storage system comprising:

a plurality of business-use computers, each business-use computer capable of storing one of a multi-path management agent and a volume management agent;

a storage subsystem to which the plurality of business-use computers are connected; and

a management computer managing the plurality of business-use computers,

wherein the plurality of business-use computers, the storage subsystem and the management computer are connected to one another via a communication unit,

wherein the management computer includes a multi-path manager and a volume manager and a table for registering the business-use computers that are connected to the storage subsystem and storing information indicating whether or not each of the business-use computers has a volume management agent and information indicating whether or not each of the business-use computers has a multi-path management agent, and manages a management target via the communication unit, and

wherein the management computer executes;

a first step of sequentially sending a communication request via the communication unit to a communication target that can be the management target,

a second step of registering in a table a reception result associated with a transmission of the communication request in the table,

a third step of determining whether or not a business-use computer that does not return a response in reply to the communication request has the volume management agent or the multi-path management agent, and

a fourth step of deleting the information concerning the volume management agent of the business-use computer from the table if the business-use computer does not have the volume management agent, and deleting the information concerning the multi-path management agent of the business-use computer from the table if the business-use computer does not have the multi-path management agent,

wherein the multi-path management agent is in communication with the multi-path manager of the management computer, and the multi-path management agent is agent software for replying to the multi-path manager of the management computer with management information concerning a multi-path between the business-use computer, and the storage subsystem, and

wherein the volume management agent is in communication with the volume manager of the management computer, and the volume management agent is agent software for replying to the volume manager of the management computer with management information concerning volume information of the business-use computer.

4. The management method according to claim 3, wherein, in the first step,

wherein the management computer recognizes all the IP addresses and ports within a specified range as communication targets.

5. A management server including a multi-path manager and a volume manager and a table for registering a plurality of business-use computers that are connected via a communication unit to a storage subsystem, and a processor receiving information from the business-use computers via the communication unit and processing the information,

wherein each business-use computer is capable of storing one of a multi-path management agent and a volume management agent;

wherein the table stores information indicating whether or not each of the business-use computers has a volume management agent and information indicating whether or not each of the business-use computers has a multi-path management agent,

wherein the processor sequentially sends a communication request via the communication unit to a communication target that can be a management target, registers a reception result that is associated with the transmission of the communication request in the table, determines whether or not a business-use computer that does not return a response in reply to the communication request has the volume management agent or the multi-path management agent, deletes the information concerning the volume management agent of the business-use computer from the table if the business-use computer does not have the volume management agent, and deletes the information concerning the multi-path management agent of the business-use computer from the table if the business-use computer does not have the multi-path management agent,

wherein the multi-path management agent is in communication with the multi-path manager of the management server, and the multi-path management agent is agent software for replying to the multi-path manager of the management computer with management information concerning a multi-path between the business-use computer and the storage subsystem, and

wherein the volume agent is in communication with the volume manager of the management computer, and the volume management agent is agent software for replying to the volume manager of the management computer with management information concerning volume information of the business-use computer.

6. A storage system comprising:

a plurality of business-use computers, each business-use computer capable of storing a multi-path management agent;

a storage subsystem to which the plurality of business-use computers are connected; and

a management computer managing the plurality of business-use computers,

wherein the plurality of business-use computers, the storage subsystem and the management computer are connected to one another via a communication unit,

wherein the management computer includes a multi-path manager and a table for registering the business-use computers that are connected to the storage subsystem and storing information indicating whether or not each of the business-use computers has a multi-path management agent,

wherein the management computer sequentially sends a communication request via the communication unit to a communication target that can be a management target, registers in the table a reception result associated with the transmission of the communication request in the table, determines whether or not a business-use computer that does not return a response in reply to the communication request has the multi-path management agent, deletes the information concerning the multi-path management agent of the business-use computer from the table if the business-use computer does not have the multi-path management agent, and

wherein the multi-path management agent is in communication with the multi-path manager of the management computer, and the multi-path management agent is agent software for replying to the multi-path manager of the management computer with management information concerning a multi- path between the business-use computer and the storage subsystem.

7. A storage system comprising:

a plurality of business-use computers, each business-use computer capable of storing a volume management agent;

a storage subsystem to which the plurality of business-use computers are connected; and

a management computer managing the plurality of business-use computers,

wherein the plurality of business-use computers, the storage subsystem and the management computer are connected to one another via a communication unit,

wherein the management computer includes a volume manager and a table for registering the business-use computers that are connected to the storage subsystem and storing information indicating whether or not each of the business-use computers has a volume management agent,

wherein the management computer sequentially sends a communication request via the communication unit to a communication target that can be a management target, registers in the table a reception result associated with the transmission of the communication request in the table, determines whether or not a business-use computer that does not return a response in reply to the communication request has the volume management agent, deletes the information concerning the volume management agent of the business-use computer from the table if the business-use computer does not have the volume management agent, and

wherein the volume management agent is in communication with the volume manager of the management computer, and the volume management agent is agent software for replying to the volume manager of the management computer with management information concerning volume information of the business-use computer.