Apparatus, system, and method for facilitating management of logical nodes through a single management module

• US 20060095702A1
• Filed: 10/12/2004
• Published: 05/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hickman, John Edward, Van Gundy, Steven Richard
• Granted Patent: US 7,734,753 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/170
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0604 Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. storage management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0659 Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5077 Logical partitioning of resources; Management or configuration of virtualized resources specific details on emulation or internal functioning of virtual machines G06F9/455

Abstract

An apparatus, system, and method are provided for facilitating management of logical nodes through a single management module. The present invention includes a communication module that selectively communicates a management command from a single management module to one or more logical nodes. A translation module translates the management command into one or more functionally equivalent software-layer commands recognized by one of the software layers of the one or more logical nodes. The software-layer commands are compatible with each logical node. A direction module directs the one or more software-layer commands to an appropriate one of the software layers according to a management command scope. The present invention can address management commands to a plurality of logical nodes having disparate operating systems and executing applications.

Claims

1. An apparatus to facilitate management of logical nodes through a single management module, the apparatus comprising:

a communication module configured to selectively communicate a management command from a single management module to one or more logical nodes;

a translation module configured to translate the management command into one or more functionally equivalent software-layer commands recognized by one of the software layers of the one or more logical nodes, the software-layer commands configured for compatibility with each logical node; and

a direction module configured to direct the one or more software-layer commands to an appropriate one of the software layers according to a management command scope.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more logical nodes comprises at least one pair of logical nodes in a peer-to-peer domain such that a first logical node of the pair mirrors data processing operations of a second logical node of the pair.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the pair of logical nodes define an independently manageable Storage Facility Image (SFI) and wherein the communication module is further configured to send the management command to a plurality of SFIs.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the pair of logical nodes define an independently manageable Storage Application Image (SAI) and wherein the communication module is further configured to send the management command to a plurality of SAIs.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a user interface configured to allow a user to direct the management command to a domain, the domain comprising at least two logical nodes.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communication module, translation module, and direction module cooperate to pass the software-layer commands through a management subsystem linking the management module and the one or more logical nodes.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the management subsystem comprises an object model representative of firmware, software, hardware, and logical entities present on the logical nodes.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the software layers are selected from the group consisting of an application layer, a system layer, and a firmware layer.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the single management module comprises a dedicated management hardware device.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more logical nodes comprise Logical Partitions (LPARS) of a common hardware platform, the LPARS configured such that each LPAR executes on a separate Central Electronics Complex (CEC) of the common hardware platform.

11. An apparatus to facilitate management of logical nodes through a single management module, the apparatus comprising:

a translation module configured to translate a management command into one or more functionally equivalent software-layer commands recognized by a software layer of a plurality of logical nodes, the software-layer commands configured for compatibility with each logical node;

a direction module configured to route the one or more software-layer commands to an appropriate one of the software layers according to a management command scope; and

a communication module configured to selectively communicate the software-layer commands to the logical nodes.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the one or more logical nodes comprises at least one pair of logical nodes that define an independently manageable Storage Facility Image (SFI) and wherein the communication module relays the one or more software-layer commands to corresponding software layers of a plurality of SFIs.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the pair of logical nodes define an independently manageable Storage Application Image (SAI) and wherein the communication module relays the one or more software-layer commands to corresponding software layers of a plurality of SAIs.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the communication module communicates the one or more software-layer commands to corresponding software layers of a plurality of SFIs and SAIs.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a user interface configured to allow a user to direct the management command to a domain, the domain comprising at least two logical nodes.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the communication module communicates the one or more software-layer commands through a management subsystem linking the apparatus and the one or more logical nodes.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the management subsystem comprises an object model representative of firmware, software, hardware, and logical entities present on the logical nodes.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the software layers are selected from the group consisting of an application layer, a system layer, and a firmware layer.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus comprises a dedicated management hardware device.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the one or more logical nodes comprise Logical Partitions (LPARS) of a common hardware platform, the LPARS configured such that each LPAR executes on a separate Central Electronics Complex (CEC) of the common hardware platform.

21. A system to facilitate management of logical nodes through a single management module, comprising:

a first Central Electronics Complex (CEC) operatively coupled to a hardware platform, the first CEC comprising a plurality of symmetric multiprocessors organized into a first processor complex, a plurality of electronic memory devices, a plurality of direct access storage devices, a plurality of network Input/Output (I/O) interface devices, and a plurality of management interface devices, each of the devices of the CEC electronically coupled for exchange of data and control information;

a second CEC operatively coupled to the hardware platform, the second CEC comprising a plurality of symmetric multiprocessors organized into a second processor complex, a plurality of electronic memory devices, a plurality of direct access storage devices, a plurality of network Input/Output (I/O) interface devices, and a plurality of management interface devices, each of the devices of the CEC electronically coupled for exchange of data and control information;

at least one Storage Facility Image (SFI) comprising a first Logical Partition (LPAR) defined to operate using computing resources of the first CEC and a second LPAR defined to operate using computing resources of the second CEC, the first LPAR in a peer-to-peer domain with the second LPAR such that the second LPAR mirrors data processing operations of the first LPAR, the first LPAR and second LPAR dedicated to storage and retrieval of data;

at least one Storage Application Image (SAI) comprising a third Logical Partition (LPAR) defined to operate using computing resources of the first CEC and a fourth LPAR defined to operate using computing resources of the second CEC, the third LPAR in a peer-to-peer domain with the fourth LPAR such that the fourth LPAR mirrors data processing operations of the third LPAR, the third LPAR and fourth LPAR dedicated to data storage applications;

a management module in communication with a communication module configured to selectively communicate a management command from a single management module to one or more of the at least one SFI and at least one SAI;

a translation module configured to translate the management command into one or more functionally equivalent software-layer commands recognized by one of the software layers of the LPARs included in the at least one SFI and at least one SAI, the software-layer commands configured for compatibility with each LPAR; and

a direction module configured to direct the one or more software-layer commands to an appropriate one of the software layers according to a management command scope.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the communication module communicates the one or more software-layer commands to corresponding software layers of a plurality of SFIs and SAIs defined for a plurality of hardware platforms.

23. The system of claim 21, further comprising a user interface configured to allow a user to direct the management command to one or more domains, each domain comprising an SFI, an SAI, or a combination of SFIs and SAIs.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the communication module communicates the one or more software-layer commands through a management subsystem linking the management module and the at least one SFI and at least one SAI.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the management subsystem comprises an object model representative of firmware, software, hardware, and logical entities present on the at least one SFI and at least one SAI.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein the software layers are selected from the group consisting of an application layer, a system layer, and a firmware layer.

27. The system of claim 21, wherein the management module comprises a dedicated management hardware device.

28. A signal bearing medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to perform operations to facilitate management of logical nodes through a single management module, the operations comprising:

an operation to communicate a management command selectively from a single management module to one or more logical nodes;

an operation to translate the management command into one or more functionally equivalent software-layer commands recognized by one of the software layers of the one or more logical nodes, the software-layer commands configured for compatibility with each logical node; and

an operation to direct the one or more software-layer commands to at least one of the software layers according to a management command scope.

29. The signal bearing medium of claim 28, wherein the one or more logical nodes comprises at least one pair of logical nodes in a peer-to-peer domain such that a first logical node of the pair mirrors data processing operations of a second logical node of the pair.

30. The signal bearing medium of claim 29, wherein the pair of logical nodes define an independently manageable Storage Facility Image (SFI) and wherein communicating further comprises sending the management command to a plurality of SFIs.

31. The signal bearing medium of claim 28, further comprises an operation to present a user interface configured to allow a user to direct the management command to a domain, the domain comprising at least two logical nodes.

32. The signal bearing medium of claim 28, wherein the operation to direct the one or more software-layer commands further comprises an operation to pass the software-layer commands through a management subsystem linking the management module and the one or more logical nodes.

33. The signal bearing medium of claim 32, wherein the management subsystem comprises an object model representative of firmware, software, hardware, and logical entities present on the logical nodes.

34. The signal bearing medium of claim 28, wherein the software layers are selected from the group consisting of an application layer, a system layer, and a firmware layer.

35. The signal bearing medium of claim 28, wherein the single management module comprises a dedicated management hardware device.

36. The signal bearing medium of claim 28, wherein the one or more logical nodes comprise Logical Partitions (LPARS) of a common hardware platform, the LPARS configured such that each LPAR executes on a separate Central Electronics Complex (CEC) of the common hardware platform.

37. The signal bearing medium of claim 28, further comprising an operation to relay response messages from the one or more logical nodes to the single management module.

38. The signal bearing medium of claim 28, wherein the software-layer commands are communicated out-of band.

39. A method for facilitating management of logical nodes through a single management module, the method comprising:

communicating a management command selectively from a single management module to one or more logical nodes;

translating the management command into one or more functionally equivalent software-layer commands recognized by one of the software layers of the one or more logical nodes, the software-layer commands configured for compatibility with each logical node; and

directing the one or more software-layer commands to at least one of the software layers according to a management command scope.

40. An apparatus for facilitating management of logical nodes through a single management module, the apparatus comprising:

means for communicating a management command selectively from a single management module to one or more logical nodes;

means for translating the management command into one or more functionally equivalent software-layer commands recognized by one of the software layers of the one or more logical nodes, the software-layer commands configured for compatibility with each logical node; and

means for directing the one or more software-layer commands to at least one of the software layers according to a management command scope.