Graphical storage system visualization, timeline based event visualization, and storage system configuration visualization

• US 9,383,892 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2013
• Issued: 07/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
• Original Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
• Inventors: Kandlikar, Yogesh, Bocskai, Diana, Cruz, Art
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEEMA, AZAM M
• Application Number:
  US13/863,309
• Publication Number:
  US 20140109014A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,177 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance

Abstract

A method and system for visually displaying and navigating a computer storage system are disclosed. The storage system can be graphically browsed to select a particular entity in the storage system. A graphical timeline of events relating to the selected entity is displayed. Selecting an event from the timeline displays a graphical representation of the storage system at a time relating to the selected event or additional graphical detail about the selected event. Based on the selected event, configuration information for the entity in the storage system that experienced the event can be displayed and compared against the configuration of the entity at a different time or against a predefined template.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an interface;

a processor coupled with the interface, the processor operable to generate a graphical user interface (GUI) based at least partially on information communicated via the interface, the GUI to display details regarding a selected event that occurred on a selected entity in a computer storage system, the GUI comprising;

a graphical view of the storage system, the graphical view selected from predefined views, the predefined views presented in the graphical view as selectable thumbnails comprising at least a physical system view thumbnail, a disk-level view thumbnail, a redundant array of inexpensive disks (RAID) level view thumbnail, a logical volume layout thumbnail, and a capacity view thumbnail;

a view selection element for selecting among the predefined views;

a location information element for displaying a current location in the storage system, the location information element showing a path through a hierarchical structure of the storage system from a top-level entity in the storage system to the selected entity;

an event identifier for identifying the selected event.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the graphical view is a physical system view based on a selection of the physical system view thumbnail, including disk shelves present in the storage system and adapters present on each disk shelf.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the graphical view is a disk-level view based on a selection of the disk-level view thumbnail, including disk shelves present in the storage system and each disk on each disk shelf.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the graphical view is a RAID level view based on a selection of the RAID level view thumbnail, including a structure of the RAID.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the RAID level view includes each of the disks in a RAID group, each RAID group in a plex, and each plex in an aggregate.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the graphical view is a logical volume layout based on the selection of the logical volume layout thumbnail, including each logical unit number in a volume and each volume in an aggregate.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the graphical view is a capacity view of a logical volume based on a selection of the capacity view thumbnail, including a first indicator of a percentage of space used in the volume and a second indicator of a percentage of space available in the volume.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a list of recently viewed event.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an export option selector to select how data shown in the graphical view is to be exported.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the storage system is a clustered file server system comprising a plurality of nodes interconnected by a switching fabric, each node including:

a network module configured to enable the node to communicate with other nodes and other entities;

a disk module configured to enable the node to connect to one or more disks; and

a management module configured to provide management functions for the node.