Storage system and method for controlling the same

• US 7,159,024 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2002
• Issued: 01/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Uchiumi, Katsuhiro, Mitsuoka, Yoshio
• Primary Examiner(s): Follansbee; John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Dustin
• Application Number:
  US10/245,165
• Publication Number:
  US 20030154281A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,569 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200, 709/225, 709/223, 709/216, 709/229, 711/111, 711/202, 711/148, 370/395, 370/906, 707/205, 705/1, 713/1, 713/153
• US Class Current: 709/225
• 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 3/0661 Format or protocol conversion arrangements
• 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 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A storage system storing data sending/receiving data to/from a plurality of external devices via a common network. The storage system controls access from the plurality of external devices. The storage system accepts accesses according to different protocols from the plurality of external devices via the common network. The storage system analyzes the protocol from the external devices which accessed through the external interface. The storage system sends/receives data based on the analysis result.

Claims

1. A storage control device for use in a storage system that carries out sending/receiving of data to/from a plurality of external devices via a common network, said storage control device controlling access from said plurality of external devices to a storage apparatus for storing said data, wherein the plurality of external devices include an external device which carries out block I/O access, an external device which carries out file I/O access, and an external device which carries out management-interface access according to out-of-band mode, said storage control device comprising:

an external interface section configured to receive, through a single port, network-interface accesses and block-storage-interface accesses from said plurality of external devices via said common network;

a data-transfer control section that

each time receiving an access via said common network, determines whether said access is the network-interface access or the block-storage-interface access depending on a destination port number contained in a TCP header of network protocol of said access,

when said access is determined to be the network-interface access, determines whether said access is the management-interface access according to out-of-band mode or the file I/O access based on the destination port number contained in said header of said access,

when said access is determined to be the block-storage-interface access, also determines whether said access is the management-interface access according to out-of-band mode or the block I/O access based on the destination port number contained in a destination-port-number field of said TCP header of said access, the block I/O access employing iSCSI technology, and

performs said access on the basis of results of the determinations; and

a table storing relationships between information included in the destination-port-number field of the TCP header and access types of the external devices;

wherein said plurality of external devices store devices store information which indicates any of the block I/O access, the file I/O access, and the management-interface access according to the out-of-band mode, as the destination port number in said header of said access.

2. A storage control device according to claim 1, wherein said data-transfer control determines the access type of said external device based on said destination port number using the table, and carries out said sending/receiving of data between said storage apparatus and said external device according to said access type.

3. A storage control device according to claim 2, wherein if said access is determined to be a network-interface access, said data-transfer control section further determines whether or not said access is said file I/O access or said management-interface access.

4. A storage control device according to claim 3, wherein if said data-transfer control section determines that said access is said file I/O access, an operating system of a management processor carries out execution of said access with respect to said data.

5. A storage control device according to claim 4, wherein if said file I/O access is a file access from a network attached storage client, said operating system of said management processor carries out execution of said file access to a network file system.

6. A storage control device according to claim 3, wherein said storage control device comprises a shared memory having a management-information database;

and

wherein said access is determined to be said management-interface access according to an out-of-band mode, a management-application program installed in an operating system of a management processor updates said management-information database.

7. A storage control device according to claim 2, wherein if said access is determined to be said block-storage-interface access, said data-transfer control section further determines whether or not said access is said block I/O access or said management-interface access according to an in-band mode.

8. A storage control device according to claim 7, wherein if said data-transfer control section determines that said access is said block I/O access, a device driver carries out a block-device access to said storage apparatus.

9. A storage control device according to claim 7, wherein said storage control device further comprises a shared memory having a management-information database;

and

wherein if said access is determined to be said management-interface access according to said in-band mode, said data-transfer control section updates said management-information database in said shared memory.

10. A storage control device according to claim 1, wherein the management-interface access according to the out-of-band mode access information including path-definition information, failure information, and monitoring data.

11. A storage system for carrying out sending/receiving of data to/from a plurality of external devices via a common network, wherein the plurality of external devices include an external device which carries out block I/O access, an external device which carries out file I/O access, and an external device which carries out management-interface access according to out-of-band mode, said storage system comprising:

a storage apparatus for storing said data; and

a storage control device for controlling access from said plurality of external devices,

said storage control device including;

an external interface section configured to receive, through a single port, network-interface accesses and block-storage-interface accesses from said plurality of

a data-transfer control section that

each time receiving an access via said common network, determines whether said access is the network-interface access or the block-storage-interface access depending on a destination port number contained in a TCP header of network protocol of said access,

when said access is determined to be the network-interface access, determined whether said access is the management-interface access according to out-of-band mode or the file I/O access based on the destination port number contained in said header of said access,

when said access is determined to be the block-storage-interface access, also determines whether said access is the management-interface access according to out-of-band mode or the block I/O access based on the destination port number contained in a destination-port-number field of said TCP header of said access, the block I/O access employing iSCSI technology, and

performs said access on the basis of results of the determinations; and

a table storing relationships between information included in the destination-port-number field of the TCP header and access types of the external devices;

wherein said plurality of external devices store information which indicates any of the block I/O access, the file I/O access, and the management-interface access according to the out-of-band mode, as the destination port number in said header of said access.

12. A storage system according to claim 11, wherein said data-transfer control section determines the access type of said external device based on said destination port number using the table, and carries out said sending/receiving of data between said storage apparatus and said external device according to said access type.

13. A storage system according to claim 12, wherein if said access type is determined to be said network-interface access, said data-transfer control section further determines whether or not said access is said file I/O access or said management-interface access;

and

wherein if said data-transfer control section determines that said access is said file I/O access, an operating system of a management processor carries out execution of said access with respect to said data.

14. A storage system according to claim 13, wherein said storage control device further comprises a shared memory having a management-information database;

and

wherein if said data-transfer control section determines that said access is said management-interface access according to an out-of-band mode, a management-application program installed in said operating system of said processor updates said management-information database.

15. A storage system according to claim 12, wherein

if said access type is determined to be said block-storage-interface access, said data-transfer control section further determines whether or not said access is said block I/O access or said management-interface access according to an in-band mode;

and

wherein if said data-transfer control section determines that said access is said block I/O access, a device driver carries out a block-device access to said storage apparatus.

16. A storage system according to claim 15, wherein said storage control device further comprises a shared memory having a management-information database;

and

wherein if said access is determined to be said management-interface access according to said in-band mode, said data-transfer control section updates said management-information database in said shared memory.

17. A method of controlling a storage system that carries out sending/receiving of data to/from a plurality of external devices via a common network, said method for controlling access from said plurality of external devices to a storage apparatus for storing said data, wherein the plurality of external devices include an external device which carries out block I/O access, an external device which carries out file I/O access, and an external device which carries out management-interface access according to out-of-band mode, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving, through a single port, network-interface access and block-storage-interface accesses from said plurality of external devices via said common network;

each time receiving an access via said common network, determining whether said access is the network-interface access or the block-storage-interface access depending on a destination port number contained in a TCP header of network protocol of said access;

when said access is determined to be the network-interface access, determining whether said access is the management-interface access according to out-of-band mode of the file I/O access based on the destination port number contained in said header of said access,

when said access is determined to be the block-storage-interface access, also determining whether said access is the management-interface access according to out-of-band mode or the block I/O access based on the destination port number contained in a destination-port-number field of said TCP header of said access, the block I/O access employing iSCSI technology; and

providing a table storing relationships between information included in the destination-port-number field of the TCP header and access types of the external devices;

performing said access on the basis of results of the determinations;

wherein said plurality of external devices store information which indicates any of the block I/O access, the file I/O access, and the management-interface access according to the out-of-band mode, as the destination port number in said header of said access.

18. A method of controlling a storage system according to claim 17, further comprising:

determining the access type of said external device based on said destination port number using the table; and

said step of performing said access on the basis of results of the determinations includes;

carrying out said sending/receiving of data between said storage apparatus and said external device according to said access type.

19. A method of controlling a storage system according to claim 18, wherein said step of determining an access type includes the steps of:

if said access is determined to be said network-interface access, determining whether or not said access is said file I/O access or said management-interface access;

if said access is determined to be said file I/O access, making an operating system of a management processor carry out execution of said access with respect to said data; and

if said access is determined to be said management-interface access according to an out-of-band mode, making a management-application program installed in said operating system of said management processor update a management-information database.

20. A method of controlling a storage system according to claim 18, wherein said step of determining an access type includes the steps of:

if said access is determined to be said block-storage-interface access, further deciding whether or not said access is said block I/O access or said management-interface access according to an in-band mode;

if said access is determined to be said block I/O access, making a device driver carry out a block-device access to said storage apparatus; and

if said access is determined to be said management-interface access according to said in-band mode, making a data-transfer control section update a management-information database in a shared memory.