Mapping of logical volumes to host clusters

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9280295-B2
Application number	US-201514711066-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 13, 2015
Priority date	Aug 15, 2008
Publication date	Mar 8, 2016
Grant date	Mar 8, 2016

Abstract

A method for data storage includes defining a host cluster within a group of host computers, which access a storage system that includes multiple logical volumes. The host cluster includes two or more of the host computers. A single mapping instruction, which specifies the host cluster and a set of one or more of the logical volumes, is accepted. Responsively to the single mapping instruction, each of the host computers in the host cluster is mapped to access the logical volumes in the set. In another disclosed method, a single control instruction, which specifies the host cluster and a configuration operation to be applied to the host computers in the host cluster, is accepted. Responsively to the single control instruction, the configuration operation is applied to each of the host computers in the host cluster.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for storing data in a distributed network comprising a plurality of host computers in communication with a data storage system comprising a plurality of logical volumes including a first subset of the logical volumes, the plurality of host computers including a first subset of host computers including at least a first host computer and a second subset of host computers including the first host computer and a second host computer that is not included in the first subset of host computers such that the first host computer is included in both the first subset of host computers and the second subset of host computers, said method comprising:
receiving a single first mapping instruction that specifies a first volume group and one of the first subset of host computers and the second subset of host computers; and
in response to receiving the single first mapping instruction, mapping, by a processor, each host computer in the one of the first subset of host computers and the second subset of host computers to each logical volume in the first subset of the logical volumes.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of logical volumes includes a second subset of the logical volumes and wherein the single first mapping instruction specifies the first subset of the host computers and the processor maps each host computer in the first subset of the host computers to each logical volume in the first subset of the logical volumes, the method further comprising:
receiving a single second mapping instruction that specifies the second subset of the host computers and the second subset of the logical volumes; and
responsively to receiving the single second mapping instruction, mapping, by the processor, each host computer in the second subset of the host computers to each logical volume in the second subset of the logical volumes.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, by the processor, a single management command for performing a configuration operation on one of the first subset of the host computers and on the second subset of the host computers; and
responsively to receiving the single management command, performing, by the processor, the configuration operation on each host computer in one of the first subset of the host computers and the second subset of the host computers.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the configuration operation comprises assigning a specified level of service to each host computer in one of the first subset of the host computers and the second subset of the host computers.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the configuration operation comprises assigning a new physical port to each host computer in one of the first subset of the host computers and the second subset of the host computers.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein the configuration operation comprises verifying redundancy for each host computer in one of the first subset of the host computers and the second subset of the host computers.

7. The method of claim 3 , wherein the configuration operation comprises verifying communication paths between each logical volume in the first subset of the logical volumes and each host computer in one of the first subset of the host computers and the second subset of the host computers.

8. A distributed network for storing data, comprising:
a data storage system comprising a plurality of logical volumes including a first subset of the logical volumes;
a plurality of host computers in communication with the data storage system, the plurality of host computers including a first subset of host computers including at least a first host computer and a second subset of host computers including the first host computer and a second host computer that is not included in the first subset of host computers such that the first host computer is included in both the first subset of host computers and the second subset of host computers; and
a processor in communication with the data storage system and the plurality of host computers, the processor configured for:
receiving a single first mapping instruction that specifies a first volume group and one of the first subset of host computers and the second subset of host computers, and
in response to receiving the single first mapping instruction, mapping, by a processor, each host computer in the one of the first subset of host computers and the second subset of host computers to each logical volume in the first subset of the logical volumes.

9. The distributed network of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of logical volumes includes a second subset of the logical volumes and wherein the single first mapping instruction specifies the first subset of the host computers and the processor maps each host computer in the first subset of the host computers to each logical volume in the first subset of the logical volumes, the processor further configured for:
receiving a single second mapping instruction that specifies the second subset of the host computers and the second subset of the logical volumes; and
responsively to receiving the single second mapping instruction, mapping, by the processor, each host computer in the second subset of the host computers to each logical volume in the second subset of the logical volumes.

10. The distributed network of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further configured for:
receiving a single management command for performing a configuration operation on one of the first subset of the host computers and on the second subset of the host computers; and
responsively to receiving the single management command, performing, by the processor, the configuration operation on each host computer in one of the first subset of the host computers and the second subset of the host computers.

11. The distributed network of claim 10 , wherein, when performing the configuration operation, the processor is configured for assigning a specified level of service to each host computer in one of the first subset of the host computers and the second subset of the host computers.

12. The distributed network of claim 10 , wherein, when performing the configuration operation, the processor is configured for assigning a new physical port to each host computer in one of the first subset of the host computers and the second subset of the host computers.

13. The distributed network of claim 10 , wherein, when performing the configuration operation, the processor is configured for verifying redundancy for each host computer in one of the first subset of the host computers and the second subset of the host computers.

14. The distributed network of claim 10 , wherein, when performing the configuration operation, the processor is configured for verifying communication paths between each logical volume in the first subset of the logical volumes and each host computer in one of the first subset of the host computers and the second subset of the host computers.

15. A computer program product comprising a computer-useable memory including computer-readable program code embodied therein for storing data in a distributed network comprising a plurality of host computers in communication with a data storage system comprising a plurality of logical volumes including a first subset of the logical volumes, the plurality of host computers including a first subset of host computers including at least a first host computer and a second subset of host computers including the first host computer and a second host computer that is not included in the first subset of host computers such that the first host computer is included in both

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Helman Haim
• Palmon Omri

Classifications

• G06F3/0637 Primary

  Permissions · CPC title

• G06F3/0689

  Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD · CPC title

• H04L29/08549

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04L67/1097

  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] · CPC title

• H04L29/0827

  Electricity · mapped topic