Configuration management system and configuration management method for storage system

• US 8,341,140 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2009
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Nagahori, Ryuji, Watanabe, Takashi, Inoue, Shiori
• Primary Examiner(s): Trujillo, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): Black, Linh
• Application Number:
  US12/527,128
• Publication Number:
  US 20110202549A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,271 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7.11, 705/7.38, 705/7.39, 705/20, 705/330, 705/335, 705/11, 705/7.15, 705/1.1, 705/26.1, 707/698, 707/741, 707/747, 707/707, 707/830, 709/223, 717/151
• US Class Current: 707/707
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3485 for I/O devices
• 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 3/0629 Configuration or reconfiguration of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

A configuration management system for a storage system including a host computer, a storage device providing a storage area for data processed by the host computer, and a communication network connecting the host computer and the storage device communicatively is disclosed. The configuration management system comprises a system condition table storing a system condition, a storage configuration table storing storage configuration information, a performance table storing a performance condition indicating a storage performance. searching the system condition table is searched using the required system condition and the performance table is searched using the required performance condition. If the storage system satisfying the required conditions fails to be extracted, content of the required system condition is changed and searching of the system condition table and the performance table is carried out.

Claims

1. A configuration management system for a storage system including a host computer, a storage device providing a storage area for data processed by the host computer, and a communication network connecting the host computer and the storage device communicatively, the configuration management system comprising:

a system condition storage unit storing a system condition that includes a combination of components configuring the storage system;

a storage configuration storage unit storing storage configuration information that is a combination of components configuring the storage device;

a performance condition storage unit storing correspondence of the system condition, the storage configuration information given to the storage device included in the storage system with the system condition, and a performance condition indicating a storage performance provided by the storage system,

wherein the performance condition includes a data length of data in one data I/O (input/output) performed in the storage system, a maximum response time for one data I/O, and a minimum number of data I/O performed in a unit of time;

a configuration condition search unit, when a required system condition that is a condition required for the system condition and a required performance condition that is a condition required for the performance condition are input, searching the system condition storage unit using the required system condition and searching the performance condition storage unit using the required performance condition; and

a configuration condition creation unit, if the storage system with the system condition and the performance condition satisfying the required system condition and the required performance condition fails to be extracted by the configuration condition search unit, changing content of the required system condition and searching the system condition storage unit and the performance condition storage unit,

wherein when receiving storage requirement from a user, the configuration condition search unit determines a priority of the maximum response time, and if the priority of the maximum response time is determined to be a predetermined priority value, then the configuration condition search unit performs response time search processing,

wherein the response time search processing includes searching the storage system configuration satisfying the conditions of the maximum response time input by a user,

wherein if the priority of the maximum response time is not determined to be the predetermined priority value, the configuration condition search unit determines a priority of minimum number of data I/O performed in a unit of time, price information and delivery date information corresponding to the storage configuration information, and if the priority of the minimum number of data I/O performed in a unit of time is determined to be the predetermined priority value, the configuration condition search unit performs minimum number of data I/O performed in a unit of time search processing, price search processing, and delivery date search processing, and

wherein the minimum number of data I/O performed in a unit of time search processing, price search processing, and delivery date search processing includes searching the storage system configuration satisfying the conditions of the minimum number of data I/O performed in a unit of time, the price, and the delivery date input by the user.

2. The configuration management system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a price/delivery date storage unit storing the storage configuration information, and the price information and the delivery date information corresponding to the storage configuration information, the price information and delivery date information each indicating a price and a delivery date of the storage device with a configuration specified by the storage configuration information,

wherein the system condition includes each piece of information specifying the host computer in the storage system, a communication port provided to the host computer, the communication port facilitating communication with the storage device, and hardware and software used in a switch provided in the communication network,

wherein, when a required price condition that is a condition required for the price of the storage device and a required delivery date condition that is a condition required for the delivery date of the storage device are input, the configuration condition search unit searches the price/delivery date storage unit using the required price condition and the required delivery date condition, and determines whether or not the storage configuration information that satisfies the required price condition and the required delivery date condition exists,

wherein, when the required performance condition, the required price condition, and the required delivery date condition as input each accompany a priority that is an index indicating which condition should be preceded, the configuration condition search unit searches the performance condition storage unit and the price/delivery date storage unit using the required performance condition, the required price condition, and the required delivery date condition in a predetermined order according to the priorities,

wherein, when the configuration condition search unit cannot extract the storage system that accompanies the system condition and the performance condition satisfying the required system condition and the required performance condition, the configuration condition creation unit repeats search of the system condition storage unit and the performance condition storage unit while deleting an item in the required system condition one by one, and

wherein, when the system requirement condition is not input, the configuration condition search unit searches the performance condition storage unit using the required performance condition and determines whether or not the storage configuration information that satisfies the required performance condition exists.

3. The configuration management system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a price/delivery date storage unit storing the storage configuration information, and price information and delivery date information corresponding to the storage configuration information, the price information and delivery date information each indicating a price and a delivery date of the storage device with a configuration specified by the storage configuration information,

wherein when a required price condition that is a condition required for the price of the storage device and a required delivery date condition that is a condition required for the delivery date of the storage device are input, the configuration condition search unit searches the price/delivery date storage unit using the required price condition and the required delivery date condition, and determines whether or not the storage configuration information that satisfies the required price condition and the required delivery date condition exists.

4. The configuration management system according to claim 3, wherein when the required performance condition, the required price condition, and the required delivery date condition as input each accompany a priority that is an index indicating which condition should be preceded, the configuration condition search unit searches the performance condition storage unit and the price/delivery date storage unit using the required performance condition, the required price condition, and the required delivery date condition in a predetermined order according to the priorities.

5. The configuration management system according to claim 1, wherein when the configuration condition search unit cannot extract the storage system that accompanies the system condition and the performance condition satisfying the required system condition and the required performance condition, the configuration condition creation unit repeats search of the system condition storage unit and the performance condition storage unit while deleting an item in the required system condition one by one.

6. The configuration management system according to claim 1, wherein the system condition includes each piece of information specifying the host computer in the storage system, a communication port provided to the host computer, the communication port facilitating communication with the storage device, and hardware and software used in a switch provided in the communication network.

7. The configuration management system according to claim 1, wherein when the system requirement condition is not input, the configuration condition search unit searches the performance condition storage unit using the performance requirement condition and determines whether or not the storage configuration information that satisfies the performance requirement condition exists.

8. A configuration management method for a storage system including a host computer, a storage device providing a storage area for data processed by the host computer, and a communication network connecting the host computer and the storage device communicatively, the configuration management method comprising:

providing a computer with a system condition storage unit storing a system condition that includes a combination of components configuring the storage system;

a storage configuration storage unit storing storage configuration information that is a combination of components configuring the storage device;

a performance condition storage unit storing correspondence of the system condition, the storage configuration information given to the storage device included in the storage system with the system condition, and a performance condition indicating a storage performance provided by the storage system,

wherein the performance condition includes a data length of data in one data I/O (input/output) performed in the storage system, a maximum response time for one data I/O, and a minimum number of data I/O performed in a unit of time;

when a required system condition that is a condition required for the system condition and a required performance condition that is a condition required for the performance condition are input, searching the system condition storage unit using the required system condition and searching the performance condition storage unit using the required performance condition; and

if the storage system with the system condition and the performance condition satisfying the required system condition and the required performance condition fails to be extracted by the configuration condition search unit, changing content of the required system condition and searching the system condition storage unit and the performance condition storage unit,

wherein when receiving storage requirement from a user, the configuration condition search unit determines a priority of the maximum response time, and if the priority of the maximum response time is determined to be a predetermined priority value, then the configuration condition search unit performs response time search processing,

wherein the response time search processing includes searching the storage system configuration satisfying the conditions of the maximum response time input by a user,

wherein if the priority the maximum response time is not determined to be the predetermined priority value, the configuration condition search unit determines a priority of minimum number of data I/O performed in a unit of time, price information and deliver date information corresponding to the storage configuration information, and if the priority of the minimum number of data I/O performed in a unit of time is determined to be the predetermined priority value, the configuration condition search unit performs minimum number of data I/O performed in a unit of time search processing, price search processing, and delivery date search processing, and

wherein the minimum number of data I/O performed in a unit of time search processing, price search processing, and delivery date search processing includes searching the storage system configuration satisfying the conditions of the minimum number of data I/O performed in a unit of time, the price, and the delivery date input by the user.

9. The configuration management method according to claim 8, further comprising:

providing the computer with a price/delivery date storage unit storing the storage configuration information, and price information and delivery date information corresponding to the storage configuration information, the price information and delivery date information each indicating a price and a delivery date of the storage device with a configuration specified by the storage configuration information; and

when a required price condition that is a condition required for the price of the storage device and a required delivery date condition that is a condition required for the delivery date of the storage device are input, searching the price/delivery date storage unit using the required price condition and the required delivery date condition, and determines whether or not the storage configuration information that satisfies the required price condition and the required delivery date condition exists.

10. The configuration management method according to claim 9, further comprising:

when the required performance condition, the required price condition, and the required delivery date condition as input each accompany a priority that is an index indicating which condition should be preceded, searching the performance condition storage unit and the price/delivery date storage unit using the required performance condition, the required price condition, and the required delivery date condition in a predetermined order according to the priorities.

11. The configuration management method according to claim 8, further comprising:

when the configuration condition search unit cannot extract the storage system that accompanies the system condition and the performance condition satisfying the required system condition and the required performance condition, repeating search of the system condition storage unit and the performance condition storage unit while deleting an item in the required system condition one by one.

12. The configuration management method according to claim 8, wherein the system condition includes each piece of information specifying the host computer in the storage system, a communication port provided to the host computer, the communication port facilitating communication with the storage device, and hardware and software used in a switch provided in the communication network.

13. The configuration management method according to claim 8, further comprising:

when the system requirement condition is not input, searching the performance condition storage unit using the performance requirement condition and determines whether or not the storage configuration information that satisfies the performance requirement condition exists.