JP2005322254A - Computer system, computer used for this computer system, and storage device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a computer system that allows a user to use an environment or data intended specifically for his/her use on any computer in a system where a plurality of users share a plurality of computers. <P>SOLUTION: In the computer system, a plurality of computers 2a, 2b, ..., 2n used by a plurality of users alternately and a storage 1 are connected via fiber channels, and logical volumes 17a, 17b, ..., 17n intended specifically for use of the respective users are defined in the storage 1. Every time a user uses a computer, the user is authenticated and an LU intended specifically for use of the user is controlled to be allowed to access only the computer used by the user. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a management method for a logical volume formed in a storage device, and in particular, allows a plurality of users to own a dedicated logical volume and use the dedicated logical volume without depending on the computer to be used. Regarding the method.

  A computer system in which a plurality of users perform business processing using a plurality of client computers is called a client computer system. Conventionally, a client computer system has been constructed using a computer such as a personal computer (PC) having a function capable of executing all the calculation processes independently. A computer used in such a client computer system is a “fat” computer having a high-performance CPU, a large-capacity memory, a large-capacity hard disk device, a high-speed graphic function, and the like. A client computer system using a fat client is also called a fat client system (FCS), which connects multiple fat clients to each other via a local area network (LAN). In response, communication such as file transfer, mail transmission / reception, etc. The Fat client generally includes an OS (operating system), an application program, or a local disk device for storing user data and the like.

  When a plurality of users use FCS, if one client computer is provided per person, each person can have a dedicated environment. Here, the environment refers to hardware, software such as OS settings, printer and network settings, application program settings, graphic screen settings, and disk device and tape device configurations for storing user data. This refers to the state of the computer including various settings and data. In an FCS having one client computer per person, each user can construct an environment according to his / her preference, owned hardware, and software configuration.

  On the other hand, in an FCS in which a plurality of computers are shared by a plurality of users and the user uses any free computer, the environment that can be used by the users is limited. In such a system, for example, the user's preference cannot be reflected in the operation setting of the application program and the setting of the graphic screen, or there is no dedicated disk device for storing own data. Particularly in such a configuration, unified management of data becomes a problem. For example, the data used by the user is distributed and arranged in each computer, and a great deal of time is required for version management and maintenance management such as backup.

  In such a case, install a file server in the system, create a partition dedicated to each person on the storage device of the file server under the management of the file server, mount it on the client computer via the network, and use it. For example, it can be used as if a dedicated disk device is connected to the client computer as a local disk.

  In recent years, a system called a network computer system (NC system) has been considered as another example of a client computer system. A computer that constructs a network computer system is called a network computer (NC), which is a low-cost and low-functional “slim” computer that does not include a hard disk device that stores an OS or application program. is there. Such a computer is referred to as a “Thin client” in contrast to a Fat client. This client computer system using a thin client is also called a thin client system (TCS).

  Hereinafter, an NC system system as an example of the TCS will be described with reference to FIG.

  In the figure, 2000 (ac) is a plurality of NCs, 7 is a server, 1 is a disk device connected to the server 7, and 9 is a network connecting the NC2000 and the server 7 to each other.

  NC2000 is not provided with a disk device for storing an OS, application programs, or user data. The NC 2000 mounts and uses a partial area of the disk device 1 of the server 7 as a remote disk device. The OS, application program, and user data are stored in the disk device 1. When starting up the NC2000, the OS is loaded from the disk device 1 via the network 9 to the NC2000 and executed. The application program is activated in the same manner.

  The user storage area provided in the disk device 1 is provided with a user-dedicated area according to server-side settings, and the server's exclusive control function restricts access so that other users cannot use it. As a result, the computer environment can be personalized exclusively for each person, and the personal environment and data can be used independently of the client computer to be used. All of these managements are performed in the server.

  As described above, in the conventional FCS, when a plurality of client computers are shared by a plurality of users, there is a problem that the computer environment cannot be personalized according to personal preference or request and is difficult to use. In addition, since personal data cannot be stored in a specific client computer, there is a problem that data is distributed and management becomes difficult.

  In order to solve such a problem, if a file server is provided in the FCS, data is unified and management becomes easy. However, the cost increases as the file server is required. Also, when accessing the disk, it goes through a network or server. For this reason, the performance deteriorates due to the overhead. Furthermore, there is a problem that disk access from a large number of clients occurs and the load on the network or server increases.

  The TCS represented by the NC system has the same problem as when a file server is provided in the FCS.

  In view of these problems in the prior art, an object of the present invention is to allow a user to use his / her own environment and data without selecting a computer in a system in which a plurality of users share a plurality of computers. It is to provide a computer system.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide a computer system capable of centrally managing user data.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive computer system that does not require a server for managing user data.

  A further object of the present invention is to provide a computer system that does not place a load on a LAN or server.

  Still another object of the present invention is to provide a computer system that realizes high-speed disk access without going through a LAN or a server during disk access.

  To achieve the above object, a computer system of the present invention includes a plurality of computers, a storage device shared by the plurality of computers, a management console for managing the storage device, a plurality of computers, and a storage device. And an I / O channel for interconnecting management consoles.

  In a preferred embodiment, each computer has a World Wide Name (WWN) defined to identify a means for connecting / controlling to an I / O channel and a means for connecting / controlling to an I / O channel. Means for storing an identification name, control means for booting up an OS from a storage device connected to an I / O channel, means for inputting user identification / authentication information such as a user name and password, and the user Means for transmitting identification / recognition information and computer identification information such as an IP address and a computer name to the management console.

  The storage device defines and creates a plurality of logical volumes (LUs) in the storage device in accordance with the means for communicating with the management console and the instructions from the management console. Define an “internal LUN (Logical Unit Number)” that is a unique name in the management console, and specify the “virtual LUN” that is a virtual LUN that is recognized by the computer that is allowed to access the LU. And a means for managing the correspondence relationship between the internal LUN, the virtual LUN, and the computer, and a means for inhibiting it when accessed from a computer other than the correspondence relationship managed for a certain LU.

  The management console receives means for receiving user identification / authentication information and computer identification information transmitted from the computer, means for communicating with the storage device, and instructs the LU to create an LU in the storage device. Means for instructing the storage device a virtual LUN, which is a LUN recognized by the computer, and identification / authentication information for managing the user who uses the computer system. A means for creating a dedicated LU, and managing the user identification information, the identification information of the computer currently used by the user, and the relationship between the internal LUN and the virtual LUN of the LU dedicated to the user.

  According to the present invention, a user-specific LU can be defined in the storage, and the LU can be dynamically mounted on a computer used by the user. As a result, personalization such as storing a unique OS and application program in each LU can be performed, and a highly flexible computer system in which any user can use any computer while maintaining a dedicated environment can be constructed.

  And, since these programs and data can be directly I / O loaded from the storage to the computer without going through the server or network as in the past, it is possible to start a faster program without imposing a load on the network or server. Execution can be realized.

  As a result, the user's OS, application programs, and data can all be collected in a single LU, thereby facilitating management.

  In addition, a server for executing each user's application program and managing user data is unnecessary, and the cost of the entire system can be reduced.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to this embodiment.

  FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a computer system according to the first embodiment.

  In the figure, 2 (2a to 2n) is a computer, 1 is a storage device shared by all the computers 2 (hereinafter referred to as storage), 4 is a management console for managing the storage 1, and 3 is The fiber channel connection means 5a to 5n for mutually connecting the computer 2, the storage 1, and the management console 4 are fiber channels. 6 is a communication means for the storage 1 and the management console 4 to communicate with each other, and 9 is a network for connecting a plurality of computers 2 and the management console 4 and communicating between them.

  Reference numeral 17 (17a to 17n) denotes a plurality of logical units (LUs) defined and created in the storage 1. The logical unit is synonymous with the logical volume used in the above description, and is a protocol of an interface (hereinafter abbreviated as I / F) for connecting a computer and a storage such as a so-called personal computer (PC) or workstation (WS). It is a name defined in a specification of a certain SCSI (Small Computer System Interface). Hereinafter, in the embodiment of the present invention, it is assumed that the I / F is Fiber Channel and the protocol is SCSI, and the logical volume is simply referred to as LU. The number for identifying the LU is called LUN (Logical Unit Number). In the following description of this embodiment, it is assumed that all LUs are defined exclusively for a certain user.

  FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of the computer 2.

  21 is a central control means for controlling the entire computer, 22 is a fiber channel I / F control board mounted on the computer 2 to connect and control the fiber channel, and 23 uses the computer 2. Input / output means for the user to input and output information, 24 is a network control means for performing communication control using the network 9, and 25 is for the central control means 21 to execute various controls. A memory for storing necessary programs and data. The memory 25 holds a user management program 251 that is executed by the central control means 21 in order to manage users who use the computer 2.

  The fiber channel I / F control means 220 includes a fiber channel I / F control means 220 for controlling the fiber channel, programs and data necessary for the fiber channel I / F control means 220 to control, and the central control means 21. Has a memory 221 for storing programs and data necessary for controlling the fiber channel I / F control means 220.

  The memory 221 includes boot-up control executed by the central control unit 21 to control the fiber channel I / F control unit 220 when the OS is started from the storage 1 external to the computer 2 connected to the fiber channel 5. WWN (World Wide Name) 2212 which is information of the only name in the world provided for identifying the program 2211 and the fiber channel I / F control means 220 is stored. Here, in the present embodiment, the fiber channel I / F control board 22 is mounted on the computer 2, but the fiber channel I / F control means 220 and the memory 221 mounted on the board are provided inside the computer 2. It may be directly mounted without using the fiber channel I / F control board 22, and even in this case, the operation and effect of the present invention are exactly the same.

  FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of the storage 1.

  11 is a central control means for controlling the entire storage, 12 is a fiber channel I / F control means for connecting to and controlling the fiber channel 5d, 13 is a central control means 11 for internal control of the storage 1 A memory for storing a program and data for performing storage, 14 is a communication control means for controlling communication with the management console 4 managing the storage 1, and 170 to 176 are a plurality of units provided in the storage 1. The logical unit (LU) is a logical volume that is configured in a certain area of the storage space of the physical disk device and is visible to the host device. In the following description, 17X is used as a reference number when quoting LUs 170 to 176 collectively.

  In the memory 13, the LU definition program 131 executed by the central control means 11 to define and create a plurality of LUs 17X, each computer 2 prohibits / permits access to each of the plurality of LUs 17X, the attributes of the LU 17X, and the upper computer. According to the information in the LUN management table 132 and the LUN management table 132 used by the central control unit 11 to manage the correspondence between the recognized virtual LUN and the internal LUN added to manage the LU 17X in the storage. An access control program 133 that is executed by the central control unit 11 for restricting / permitting access to each LU 17X from each computer 2 and controlling read / write access to the LU 17X when access is permitted. Stored.

  FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of the management console 4.

  41 is a central control means for controlling the entire management console 4, 42 is an input / output means for the administrator to operate the management console 4, and 43 is a communication means 6 for performing communication for various settings of the storage 1. Is a communication control means for controlling the computer, 44 is a memory for storing programs and data executed by the central control means 41, 46 is a network control means for controlling the network 9 for communicating with the computer 2, and 47 is This is a local disk that is an internal disk that stores the OS and programs of the management console 4.

  The memory 44 includes a user-LUN management program 441 executed by the central control unit 41 for managing the relationship between the user and the LUN, and a user-LUN for managing the user, the LUN, and the computer 5 used by the user. A management table 442 and a computer management table 443 for managing the relationship between the computer 5 and the WWN 2212 set in the fiber channel I / F control means 220 installed in the computer 5 are stored.

Hereinafter, the computer system in the present embodiment will be described in more detail.
(1) Internal LUN and virtual LUN
First, an LU (Logical Unit) in this embodiment will be described. An LU is a logical volume as viewed from a storage upper computer. The host computer recognizes one LU as one storage.

  The storage 1 can be divided into a plurality of areas and each divided area can be defined and constructed as an LU. This is called an internal LU. Since the storage 1 manages the internal LU, a serial number is assigned to each LU with an integer starting from 0. This number is called an internal LUN (Logical Unit Number).

On the other hand, when a plurality of computers 2 share one storage as in the computer system in this embodiment, a dedicated LU is assigned to each computer 2. In general, a host computer such as a PC searches a storage to be connected when the OS is booted to detect an LU. The search method at this time may have some restrictions. that is,
(a) Search LUNs in order from 0.
(b) It is assumed that LUNs exist with consecutive numbers, and if a certain number does not exist, the search after that number is not performed. These are two points. This is a device for shortening the search time.

Also in the present embodiment, it is assumed that the computer 2 is a host computer that complies with this restriction. In such a case, if an internal LUN is assigned to a higher-order computer as it is, a computer to which an LU with an internal LUN other than 0 is assigned cannot detect this LU. Therefore, it is desirable to assign LUs having LUNs with consecutive numbers starting from 0 to all computers. In this embodiment, the storage 1 solves this problem for each computer 2 by redefining the LUNs of the LUs used by the computer 2 so as to be consecutive numbers starting from 0. Here, the LU recognized from each computer 2 is called a virtual LU, and the LUN assigned to the virtual LU is called a virtual LUN, and is distinguished from an internal LU and an internal LUN. The correspondence relationship between the internal LUN and the virtual LUN is managed by the LUN management table 132 provided in the storage 1.
(2) LUN management table An example of the LUN management table 132 is shown in FIG. The LUN management table 132 stores a port number, Target ID, virtual LUN, internal LUN, WWN, S_ID, and attribute.

  The port number is the number of the Fiber Channel connection port provided in the storage 1. In this embodiment, since the number of ports is one, 0 is stored uniformly.

  Target ID is an identifier (ID) assigned to the storage 1 in the connection I / F with the host computer. When the connection I / F with the host computer is a fiber channel as in this embodiment, each port has a unique D_ID (Destination ID), but may be omitted because there is a port number term. The D_ID determined at the time of initialization of the fiber channel may be stored. In the case of SCSI, since a plurality of IDs can be provided for the same port, the Target ID to which each LUN belongs at that time is stored. Hereinafter, in this embodiment, it is assumed that the fiber channel is used, the Target ID is unused, and 0 is stored uniformly in the Target ID column.

  The virtual LUN and the internal LUN indicate a correspondence relationship between the internal LUN assigned to the host computer and the virtual LUN recognized by each host computer. For example, in FIG. 5, the internal LUN0 is defined as a virtual LUN0, and the internal LUN5 is also defined as a virtual LUN0. Both are defined as virtual LUN0, but the computers 2 that can be used are different.

  The WWN is a World Wide Name that is information for specifying the fiber channel I / F connection means 220 of each host computer. The WWN of each host computer is notified to the storage 1 at the time of port login processing for establishing the connection relationship between the fiber channel ports.

  S_ID is ID information stored in a Fiber Channel frame header, and is an ID for identifying the source (initiator) that created the frame. The S_ID is dynamically assigned when the Fiber Channel is initialized. The WWN described above is a value uniquely set by each Fiber Channel port exchanged at the time of initialization. By associating the WWN with the S_ID, only the S_ID can be obtained without checking the WWN for each frame. By checking, it is possible to identify the host computer.

The attribute indicates the ownership attribute of each LU. “Proprietary” indicates that the LU is exclusively used by one host computer. “Shared” indicates that the LU is shared by a plurality of higher-level computers. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that each LU is exclusively used by a single host computer.
(3) Relationship between User and LU In this embodiment, it is assumed that there is at least one user 8 who uses the computer system, and the user 8 can use any computer 2. The user 8 can have one or more LUs each storing an environment used by the user 8. In the following description, for simplicity, it is assumed that each user 8 owns one dedicated LU.

  The relationship between the user and the LU owned by the user is managed by a user-LUN management table 442 provided in the management console 4. An example of the user-LUN management table 442 is shown in FIG.

  In the figure, the user name is an identification name for identifying the user 8, the password is an authentication code for authenticating whether or not the user 8 is the user, and the virtual LUN is used when the user 8 is present. The LUN recognized by the computer 2 and the internal LUN are the internal LUNs of the LU dedicated to each user 8, and the registration status is registered in the storage 1 so that a user-specific LU can be used in the computer 2 used by the user 8. Indicates whether or not The port number, TargetID, and attribute are the same as those in the LUN management table 132 described above. The computer name indicates the name of the computer 2 currently used by a certain user 8.

With the user-LUN management table 442, it is possible to grasp the correspondence and usage status of each user 8 and the LU dedicated to that user 8.
(4) Relationship between Computer Name and WWN FIG. 7 shows an example of the computer management table 443 provided in the management console 4. In the figure, the computer name is an identification name for identifying the computer 2, and the identifier is an identifier for uniquely identifying the computer 2, and an IP address or the like can be used. The WWN is a WWN provided in the fiber channel I / F control means 220 provided in the computer 2. The relationship between the computer 2 and WWN can be managed by this table.
(5) User Registration Next, registration of the user 8 will be described. In the present embodiment, a method for centrally managing the management of the user 8 using the management console 4 will be described. Other methods will be described in the second and third embodiments. In the management console 4, the administrator executes the user-LUN management program 441 and registers the user name and password using the input / output means 42. The user can change the password later. Through the above processing, the user-LUN management program 441 registers the user name and password in the user-LUN management table 442.
(6) LU creation Subsequently, the administrator creates an LU for the user 8. The administrator continues to operate the user-LUN management program 441 to select a physical disk device that creates an LU in the storage 1. If the storage 1 includes a plurality of disk devices, one of them is selected. Further, if the storage 1 constitutes a RAID (Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks), a plurality of disk devices are selected, and these are grouped and treated as a single virtual physical disk device.

  Next, an LU capacity, an internal LUN, a virtual LUN, a port number of a disk array used for the LUN access, a Target ID, and an attribute indicating whether it is exclusive or shared are defined. Using the above setting information, the administrator operates the user-LUN management program 441 to issue an LU creation command to the storage 1. The central control unit 41 controls the communication control unit 43 and transfers setting information to the storage 1 via the communication unit 6.

The communication control means 14 of the storage 1 receives this and notifies the central control means 11 of it. Upon receiving this notification, the central control means 11 activates the LU definition program 131. The LU definition program 131 creates an LU with a specified capacity on a specified physical disk device. Then, the port number, TargetID, virtual LUN, internal LUN, and attribute are registered in the LUN management table 132. These settings may be changed later. At this time, WWN and S_ID remain unset. The LU definition program 131 controls the communication control unit 14 and reports to the management console 4 that the LU has been successfully created via the communication unit 6. The management console 4 receives this report and notifies the administrator of LU creation success.
(7) User Login Next, a procedure in which a user uses a computer and uses an LU dedicated to the user will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

In the computer 2, the user turns on the power of the computer 2 that has not been used at that time (step 1000). As a result, the user management program 251 of the computer 2 is activated (step 1001). The user management program 251 can be implemented as an extended BIOS function when the computer 2 is a PC. If the computer 2 is WS, it can be implemented as part of the initialization program. The user management program 251 is a program executed by the central control unit 21. The user management program 251 requests input of a user name and a password. In response to this, the user inputs his / her user name and password using the input / output means 23 (step 1002). The user management program 251 controls the network control unit 24 to transmit the user name and password and the identifier (for example, IP address) of the computer 2 to the management console 4 through the network 9. These pieces of transmitted information are referred to as user login information.
(8) User Authentication In the management console 4, the network control unit 46 acquires user login information and notifies the central control unit 41. The central control unit 41 activates the user-LUN management program 441. The user-LUN management program 441 is a program executed by the central control unit 41. The user-LUN management program 441 refers to the user name and password in the user-LUN management table 442, and authenticates that this user is a regular user with a usage right (step 1010).
(9) Confirmation of Virtual LUN and Internal LUN of User-Dedicated LU The user-LUN management program 441 refers to the computer management table 443 and confirms the WWN of the computer from the identifier of the computer 2 (step 1011). Next, the user-LUN management program 441 checks the LU owned by the user with reference to the user-LUN management table 442. Here, since there is a possibility that the corresponding LU is already mounted on the computer 2, it is necessary to determine this. For example, if the user 8 who is going to use the computer 2 is the last user who used the computer 2 before, the storage is set as it is mounted as it is unless the administrator explicitly performs the unmount process. 1 is maintained. Therefore, in such a case, the corresponding LU is already mounted.

The virtual LUN to be determined first is set to n. Usually, n = 0 (step 1012). Next, an internal LUN corresponding to the virtual LUN = n (= 0) of the user 8 is specified with reference to the user-LUN management table 442. In the user-LUN management table 442, for example, in the user-LUN management table 442 shown in FIG. 6A, it is understood that the internal LUN = 0 corresponds to the virtual LUN = 0 of the user A (step 1013). .
(10) Confirmation of internal LUN registration It is confirmed whether the LU having the internal LUN specified in step 1013 is registered in the storage 1 so that it can be used by the computer 2. The user-LUN management program 441 refers to the user-LUN management table 442 to compare whether the internal LUN is already mounted on the computer 2 and compare the computer name column with the computer name acquired earlier. Confirmation (steps 1014 and 1015). If the computer name has already been registered, the following process is skipped and the process proceeds to step 1017.

When the computer name has not been registered, the user-LUN management program 441 controls the communication control unit 43 for all information of the virtual LUN, the internal LUN, the port number, the Target ID, the attribute, and the WWN. Send to storage 1. These pieces of information are called mount information (step 1016).
(11) Execution of Registration Processing In the storage 1, the communication control unit 14 receives the mount information and notifies the central control unit 11. The central control unit 11 activates the LU definition program 131, sets the port number, Target ID, virtual LUN, WWN, and attribute of the corresponding internal LUN row in the LUN management table 132 using the mount information, and sets the internal LUN. Is registered so that it can be used from the computer 2. S_ID is blank because it has not been determined yet. The LU definition program 131 reports (termination report) to the management console that the registration setting has been correctly completed (step 1021).
(12) Completion of Registration Processing Upon receipt of the completion report from the storage 1, the user-LUN management program 441 of the management console 4 checks whether or not registration processing for all virtual LUNs owned by the user has been completed (step 1017). If there is still a corresponding virtual LUN, the next virtual LUN is set, and the processing after step 1013 is repeatedly executed (step 1018). When registration of all virtual LUNs is completed, the computer 2 is notified of the completion report (step 1017).
(13) Bootup control program and extended BIOS
When receiving the end report from the management console 4, the computer 2 ends the processing by the user management program 251 (step 1004).

  Subsequently, the bootup control program 2211 is activated. When the computer 2 is a PC, the boot-up control program 2211 is a program stored in the memory 221 on the fiber channel I / F control board 22. This program is a program that expands the function of the PC called the expansion BIOS, and this program makes it possible to boot up the OS from the storage 1 outside the computer 2 connected to the fiber channel 5. When the computer 2 is other than a PC, there is no program called extended BIOS, so the bootup control program needs to be located in the memory 25. In the present embodiment, a PC is assumed as the computer 2, and the bootup control program 2211 is described as being an extended BIOS.

When the central control unit 21 searches the memory 221 on the fiber channel I / F control board 22 and detects the bootup control program 2211 (extended BIOS), the central control unit 21 copies the bootup control program 2211 from the memory 221 to the memory 25, Execute on the memory 25. The memory 25 is called a so-called main memory, and generally a relatively high-speed memory element is used. On the other hand, the memory 221 is called a flash memory and is slower than a memory element used for the main memory. An element is used. Therefore, in order to speed up the execution of the program, the bootup control program 2211 is copied to the memory 25 and executed in this way (step 1005).
(14) Initialization of Fiber Channel When the bootup control program 2211 is activated, it starts the initialization process of the Fiber Channel 5. In this process, a logical connection between each Fiber Channel port called a port login is executed. If this port login process is successful, a logical connection between the ports is established. In port login, WWN is used as the port name. Also, the ID of each port is determined. This ID is dynamically determined and set by a protocol such that each port has an independent number. In the storage 1, the central control unit 11 activates the LU definition program 131. The LU definition program 131 identifies the fiber channel I / F control means 220 of the host computer as one fiber channel port by WWN, and sets the ID as S_ID in the LUN management table 132 (
Step 1006). When the initial processing of the fiber channel 5 is finished, the central processing unit 21 performs bootup processing by the bootup control program 2211 and boots the OS (step 1007).
(15) Start of Boot-Up Process FIG. 10 shows the detailed procedure of the boot-up process in Step 1007.

The bootup control program 2211 inspects the LU built in the storage 1 connected to the computer 2. In starting the inspection, first, the inspection target LUN is set to 0 (step 1101). Designate this LUN and issue an Inquiry command to the LU. The Inquiry command is a SCSI command prepared for investigating the storage type, capacity, and other characteristics (step 1102).
(16) LUN Access Determination In the storage 1, when the Fiber Channel I / F control means 12 receives the Inquiry command, the central control means 11 receives this and starts the access control program 133 (step 1120). The access control program 133 is a program executed by the central control unit 11. The access control program 133 refers to the LUN management table 132 and confirms the inspection target LUN specified by the Inquiry command issued by the computer 2. Here, the inspection target LUN designated by the host computer 2 is a virtual LUN when viewed from the storage 1. The access control program 133 confirms the presence or absence of an internal LUN from the port number that received the Inquiry command, the specified Target ID, and the virtual LUN. If the corresponding internal LUN exists, the S_ID of the issuer included in the command frame of the Inquiry command is compared with the S_ID stored in the LUN management table 132 and checked (steps 1121 and 1122). If the S_IDs match, the virtual LUN to be inspected is permitted to be accessed by the computer 2, so the capacity of the corresponding LU and other characteristic information are returned to the computer 2 as a response together with information indicating "LUN present". (Step 1123).

If the S_IDs do not match, access to the LU to which the LUN is assigned from the computer 2 is not permitted, so information indicating “no LUN” is returned to the computer 2 as a response (step 1124). Further, in the confirmation of the presence or absence of an internal LUN based on the port number of the port that has received the Inquiry command, the specified Target ID, and the virtual LUN, it is similarly treated as “no LUN” when there is no corresponding internal LUN.
(17) Boot loader activation When there is a response indicating “LUN present” from the storage 1, the boot-up control program 2211 of the computer 2 increments the inspection target LUN and repeats the above processing to search for the next LUN ( Step 1104).

  When the response from the storage 1 indicates “no LUN”, the bootup control program 2211 ends the LUN search (step 1105). As a result of the search, the boot loader stored in the LU having the LUN designated in advance by the “boot designated LUN” among the detected LUNs is read into the memory 25 and the OS boot process is performed. The bootup control program 2211 can designate “boot designation LUN” in advance. “Boot designation LUN” designates from which LUN of which storage the OS is booted when a plurality of storages or a plurality of LUNs are detected (step 1106).

  As described above, the user 8 can use any vacant computer 2 and mount the user-specific LUN on the computer 2 for use.

  FIG. 8 shows an example in which a plurality of users are using the computer system according to this embodiment.

  Assume that the usage status of the system at a certain time is the usage status shown in FIG. In this state, the LUN management table 132 and the user-LUN management table 442 are in the states shown in FIG. 5A and FIG. 6A, respectively.

  Here, the user A who has used the computer a and the user E who has used the computer c have finished using them, and then, as shown in FIG. Assume that H starts using computer c and user A starts using computer h. Each new user performs a login process as described above. Accordingly, in the management console 4, the user-LUN management table 442 is changed as shown in FIG. 6B, and in the storage 1, the LUN management table 132 shown in FIG. 5 is also changed as shown in FIG. Be changed.

  As a result of the above processing, as shown in FIG. 8B, the new users G, H, and A use the LUs of the internal LUNs 6, 7, and 0, which are dedicated LUs, to the computers a, c, and h used respectively. Can be mounted and used.

  As described above, a plurality of users can mount and use a computer dedicated to use an LU dedicated to each user regardless of the computer 2 to be used. As a result, each unique OS and application program can be stored in a dedicated LU, and these programs can be directly I / O loaded. Each data can also be stored in the same storage.

  According to the above embodiment, it is possible to construct a computer system in which any user can use any computer while maintaining a dedicated environment. As a result, the user's OS, application programs, and data can all be collected in a single LU, making management easier.

  In addition, since the program can be directly I / O loaded from the storage 1 to the computer 2 without going through a server or network, there is no effect on the network or server, and the program can be started and executed at high speed. There is.

  In addition, there is no need for a server for executing each user's application program or managing user data, and the cost of the entire system can be reduced.

  FIG. 11 is a configuration diagram of a computer system according to the second embodiment of this invention. The difference from the first embodiment is that the storage 1 is connected to the network 9, and the rest is configured in the same manner as the computer system in the first embodiment.

  FIG. 12 is a configuration diagram of the computer 2 of the present embodiment. The computer in this embodiment is different from the computer 2 in the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2 in that a user-LUN management table 252 is stored on the memory 25. About another structure, it is the same as that of the computer in 1st Embodiment.

  FIG. 15 shows an example of the user-LUN management table 252 of this embodiment. The user-LUN management table 252 is obtained by removing the items “registration status” and “computer name” from the user-LUN management table 442 in the first embodiment shown in FIG. This is the same as the user-LUN management table 442.

  FIG. 13 is a configuration diagram of the storage 1 of the present embodiment.

  The storage 1 of this embodiment has network connection means 15 provided between the central control means 11 and the network 9 in order to connect to the network 9 to which the computer 2 and the management console 4 are connected. The configuration of the stored LUN management table 132 is different from the storage 1 of the first embodiment shown in FIG. Other configurations are the same as the storage 1 of the first embodiment shown in FIG.

  FIG. 16 shows an example of the LUN management table 132 of this embodiment. As shown in the figure, in the LUN management table 132 of this embodiment, an item “Usage Status” is added in addition to the items of the LUN management table 132 of the first embodiment shown in FIG.

  FIG. 14 is a configuration diagram of the management console 4 of the present embodiment. The management console 4 of this embodiment does not have the user-LUN management table 442 and the computer management table 443 stored in the memory 44 of the management console 4 in the first embodiment, and instead of the user-LUN management program 441, the LUN It differs from the management console 4 in the first embodiment in that it has a management program 444. About another part, it is comprised similarly to the management console in 1st Embodiment.

Hereinafter, the details of the computer system in the present embodiment will be described focusing on differences from the first embodiment.
(1) Relationship between User and LU In this embodiment, the relationship between the user and the LU owned by the user is managed by the user-LUN management table 252 provided in all the computers 2.
(2) User Registration Next, registration of the user 8 will be described. In the computer 2 to be used, the administrator or the user 8 executes the user management program 251 and inputs the user name and password using the input / output means 23. The user can change the password later. The user management program 251 registers the input user name and password in the user name and password fields of the user-LUN management table 252.
(3) LU Creation LU creation is performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment by the administrator communicating with the storage 1 using the management console 4. However, unlike the first embodiment, the management console 4 does not manage users. The management console 4 simply communicates with the storage 1 to define and create LUs. The association between the LU and the user is performed by each computer 2.
(4) User Login and Authentication Next, a procedure in which the user 8 uses the computer and uses the user-specific LU will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

In the computer 2, the user turns on the power of the computer 2 that is unused at that time (step 1500). In response to this, the user management program 251 of the computer 2 is activated (step 1501). The user management program 251 is a program executed by the central control unit 21. When started, the user management program 251 prompts for input of a user name and a password. In response to this, the user 8 inputs his user name and password using the input / output means 23 (step 1502). The user management program 251 refers to the user name and password in the user-LUN management table 252 and authenticates that the user is a legitimate user having a usage right (step 1503).
(5) Confirmation of Virtual LUN and Internal LUN of User-Dedicated LU Next, the user management program 251 refers to the WWN information 2212 stored in the memory 221 on the fiber channel I / F control board 22, and the computer 2 The WWN is confirmed (step 1504).

Next, the user management program 251 confirms the LU owned by the user with reference to the user-LUN management table 252. Here, first, the virtual LUN to be determined is set to n. Usually, n = 0 (step 1505). The user management program 251 specifies an internal LUN corresponding to the virtual LUN to be determined with reference to the user-LUN management table 252 (step 1506).
(6) Registration of internal LUN The user management program 251 controls the network control unit 24 to transmit all information of the virtual LUN, internal LUN, port number, Target ID, attribute, and WWN to the storage 1 via the network 9. (Step 1507). Such information is referred to as mount information.
(7) Execution of Registration Processing In the storage 1, as in the first embodiment, based on the mount information received by the LU definition program 131, the LU specified by the transmission source computer 2 can be used. It is registered in the LUN management table 132 (step 1520). At this time, a “use” flag is set in the “use status” column. This flag is an exclusive flag for preventing the same LU from being mounted on the computer due to mounting information based on the same user ID from another computer 2. If the “use” flag has already been set, the LU to be used has already been used by another user with the same user ID for some reason. For this reason, this registration fails. In the first embodiment, since the centralized management can be performed by the management console 4, such a procedure is not necessary. However, in the case of distributed management by each computer 2 as in the present embodiment, it is an indispensable process. . When the registration is completed correctly, the LU definition program 131 reports the registration completion to the computer 2 (step 1521).
(8) Completion of registration processing When a registration completion report is received from the storage 1, the user-LUN management program 251 of the computer 2 confirms whether registration processing has been completed for all virtual LUNs owned by the user (step 1508). If there is still a virtual LUN to be registered, the process returns to step 1506 to repeat the registration process (step 1509). When the registration of all virtual LUNs is completed, the computer 2 terminates the user management program 251 (step 1510), and executes OS boot-up as in the first embodiment (steps 1511 and 1512). .
(9) Canceling Registration Once the LU used by the user 8 is registered in the storage 1 so as to be mounted on a certain computer 2, the same LU cannot be used from another computer 2. Therefore, when the use is finished, it is necessary to cancel the registration so that the LU is unmounted.

  For example, when the user 8 ends the use of the computer 2, the user management program 251 is activated when the power is turned off. Then, the user management program 251 can communicate with the storage 1 in the same way as the registration process to cancel the registration. In many cases, the power switch of the computer 2 has a specification for power-off by software control, usually called a soft switch, and in this case, this method can be used. In addition, it can be realized by another method such as starting a program for canceling registration at the time of OS disconnection processing.

  By performing this deregistration process, the “use status” in the LUN management table 132 of the storage 1 is changed to “unused”, and the same user 8 uses the same LU using another computer 2 thereafter. Will be able to.

  FIG. 18 is a configuration diagram of a computer system according to the third embodiment of this invention. Hereinafter, the present embodiment will be described focusing on differences from the first embodiment.

  The computer system of this embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the computer 2 and the management console 4 are not connected via a network. Of course, a network is not necessary for realizing the present embodiment described below, and it goes without saying that a network may be constructed.

  FIG. 19 is a configuration diagram of the computer 2 of the present embodiment. The computer 2 of this embodiment is different from the computer 2 of the first embodiment in that a user-WWN management table 253 and a WWN information change program 254 are stored in the memory 25.

  The management console 4 is configured similarly to the management console in the second embodiment.

Hereinafter, the details of the computer system of this embodiment will be described focusing on the differences from the first embodiment.
(1) Relationship between user and LU In this embodiment, as in the first and second embodiments, the user can define a dedicated LU. In the first embodiment, the management console 4 manages the correspondence between the user and the LU in the second embodiment. In this embodiment, the management console 4 manages the correspondence between the user and the LU. Not. Instead, one WWN is assigned to each user, and the correspondence between the WWN and the LU is managed in the storage 1 to indirectly manage the association between the user and the LU.
(2) User Registration Registration of the user 8 is performed by the administrator or the user 8 executing the user management program 251 and inputting the user name and password using the input / output means 23 in all the computers 2. . At this time, one WWN is allocated per user. The user can change the password later. The user management program 251 registers the input user name and password and the assigned WWN in the user name, password, and WWN column of the user-WWN management table 253.
(3) LU Creation LU creation is performed in the same manner as in the second embodiment by the administrator communicating with the storage 1 using the management console 4. When creating an LU, the management console 4 issues an instruction to the storage 1 in order to store the WWN assigned to the user of the LU in the LUN management table 132 of the storage 1. The LU definition program 131 of the storage 1 creates the LUN management table 132 in response to this instruction.
(4) User Login and Authentication Next, the procedure in which the user 8 uses the computer 2 and uses the user-dedicated LU will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

The user turns on the power of any computer 2 that has not been used at that time (step 1800). In response to this, the user management program 251 of the computer 2 is activated (step 1801). The user management program 251 is a program executed by the central control unit 21. When started, the user management program 251 prompts for input of a user name and a password. In response to this, the user 8 inputs his / her user name and password using the input / output means 23 (step 1802). The user management program 251 refers to the user name and password in the user-WWN management table 253, and authenticates that the user 8 is a legitimate user having a usage right (step 1803).
(5) Setting of User WWN The user management program 251 refers to the user-WWN management table, confirms the WWN assigned to the user 8 (step 1804), and starts the WWN information change program 254 (step 1805). . The WWN information change program 254 is a program executed by the central control means 21 of the computer 2. The WWN information change program 254 rewrites the WWN information 2212 stored in the memory 2221 on the fiber channel I / F control board 22 to the WWN of this user (step 1806). When the rewriting of the WWN information 2212 ends, the WWN information change program 254 ends (step 1807), returns to the user management program 251, and the user management program 251 also ends the process (step 1808).
(6) Boot process Hereinafter, a boot-up process is performed as in the first embodiment (steps 1809 and 1810). Since the storage 1 performs LU exclusive access control for each WWN, access is permitted only when the relationship between the internal LUN stored in the LUN management table 132 and the WWN is established. Therefore, it is possible to access this user-dedicated LU only from the computer 2 in which the user-dedicated WWN is set.

  In the first to third embodiments described above, a case has been described in which a plurality of users use a computer alternately. However, when this is applied, the computer can be used in other cases.

  For example, the present invention can be applied when a computer is a server and a plurality of LUs having different OS environments, application environments, and the like are prepared and used by switching each of them. In this case, by assigning the environment name instead of the user name and logging in to the server with that name, the OS can be booted from the LU having the necessary environment. When this method is used, when booting from a certain LU, LUs including other environments can be concealed. Therefore, no special settings are required for the OS and applications compared to the conventional OS switching method using multiboot. Therefore, more stable system switching can be realized.

  Also, in the program development environment, test environment, etc., it is necessary to change the settings by switching the LU in the event that it is necessary to return to the old state by acquiring a daily backup to the LU. It is possible to return to the desired environment immediately without doing.

  Thus, by extending the relationship between the user and the LU to the relationship between the environment and the LU, a very wide range of highly flexible computer systems can be constructed. In this case, any of the first to third embodiments can be used.

It is a block diagram of the computer system in 1st Embodiment. It is a block diagram of a computer. It is a block diagram of a storage. It is a block diagram of a management console. It is a block diagram of the LUN management table of a storage. It is a block diagram of the user-LUN management table of the management console. It is a block diagram of the computer management table of a management console. It is a relationship diagram between a computer, a user, and LUN. It is a flowchart of the process performed at the time of computer starting. It is a flowchart of a boot-up process. It is a block diagram of the computer system in 2nd Embodiment. It is a block diagram of a computer. It is a block diagram of a storage. It is a block diagram of a management console. It is a block diagram of the user-LUN management table of a computer. It is a block diagram of the LUN management table of a storage. It is a flowchart of the process performed at the time of computer starting. It is a block diagram of the computer system in 3rd Embodiment. It is a block diagram of a computer. It is a block diagram of a computer and a user-WWN management table. It is a flowchart of the process performed at the time of computer starting. It is a block diagram of the conventional computer system.

Explanation of symbols

1 Storage 11 Central Control Unit 12 Fiber Channel I / F Control Unit 13 Memory 14 Communication Control Unit 17 Logical Unit 2 Computer 21 Central Control Unit 22 Fiber Channel I / F Control Board 23 I / O Unit 24 Network Control Unit 25 Memory 3 Fiber Channel Connection means 4 Management console 41 Central control means 42 Input / output means 43 Communication control means 44 Memory 46 Network control means 5 Fiber channel 6 Communication means 7 Server 9 Network

Claims (13)

In a computer system having a plurality of computers and a storage device shared by the plurality of computers,
The storage device includes means for creating a plurality of logical volumes, and means for performing exclusive access control of the logical volumes based on identification information assigned to the plurality of computers, and is used by a user-specific logical volume and a user A computer system characterized by permitting access to a logical volume dedicated to the user only to the computer used by the user based on the correspondence relationship of the computer. 2. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein access to the logical volume of the user is permitted from a different computer used by the user by changing a correspondence relationship between the logical volume dedicated to the user and the computer used by the user. A computer system characterized by The computer includes a user management program that manages a user authentication name and password and performs login processing, and identification information for uniquely identifying the computer,
The storage device includes a management console that manages a correspondence relationship between a user and a logical volume, and the computer stores user identification information when the user logs in to the computer and identification information of the computer in the management console of the storage device. 3. The management console operates the storage device based on the information, and the storage device permits only the computer to access a logical volume for a user by the operation. The computer system described. The computer includes a user management program for managing a user authentication name and password and performing login processing, means for managing a correspondence relationship between a user and a logical volume dedicated to the user, and identification information for uniquely identifying the computer. And the identification information of the logical volume dedicated to the user and the identification information of the computer are transmitted to the storage device, and the storage device permits only the computer to access the logical volume for the user based on the information. The computer system according to claim 1 or 2. The computer manages a user management program that manages a user authentication name and password and performs login processing, the identification information of the computer, the identification information of the computer prepared as individual information for each user, and the correspondence between the users And means for changing the identification information of the individual computer managed by the means for managing the correspondence as the identification information of the computer according to the user, and the storage device sets the identification information for the individual user 3. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein access to a logical volume for a user is permitted only to a designated computer. 6. The interface connecting the computer and the storage device is a fiber channel, and the identification information for the storage device to identify the computer is a world wide name of the fiber channel. A computer system according to any one of the above. A computer used in a computer system in which a plurality of computers share a single storage, a user management program for managing user authentication names and passwords and performing login processing, and an identification for uniquely identifying the computer A computer comprising: information; user identification information when a user logs in to the computer; and means for transmitting the identification information of the computer to the storage. A computer used in a computer system in which a plurality of computers share a single storage, a user management program for managing user authentication names and passwords and performing login processing, a user, and a user dedicated to the user built in the storage Means for managing the correspondence relationship between the logical volume, identification information for uniquely identifying the computer, identification information for the logical volume dedicated to the user, and identification information for the computer to the storage. A computer characterized by A computer used in a computer system in which a plurality of computers share one storage, a user management program that manages a user's authentication name and password and performs a login process, identification information of the computer, and each user The identification information of the computer prepared as individual information and means for managing the correspondence relationship between the computer and the identification information of the computer managed by the means for managing the correspondence relationship according to the user A computer comprising means for changing to 10. The interface for connecting the computer and the storage is a fiber channel, and the identification information for identifying the computer is a world wide name of the fiber channel. Calculator. A storage device that can be shared by a plurality of computers, comprising: means for creating a plurality of logical volumes; means for performing exclusive access control of the logical volumes based on identification information of the computers; and a management console, the management console The console includes means for managing a correspondence relationship between a user and the logical volume dedicated to the user, user authentication information transmitted from the computer, and means for receiving identification information for uniquely identifying the computer. And the correspondence between the identification information of the computer used by the user and the logical volume used by the user is set in the storage device, and access to the logical volume dedicated to the user is set to the user. A storage device characterized by permitting only a computer used by the computer. A storage device that can be shared by a plurality of computers, a unit that creates a plurality of logical volumes, a unit that performs access exclusive control of the logical volume based on identification information of the computer, and a user-dedicated device that is transmitted from the computer Means for receiving the logical volume identification information and the computer identification information, and based on these received information, only the computer used by the user is allowed to access the logical volume dedicated to the user. A storage device. 12. The interface connecting the computer and the storage device is a fiber channel, and the identification information of the computer used for determination by the means for performing exclusive access control is a fiber channel world wide name. Or the memory | storage device of 12.

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