Patent Abstract:
Respective WWNs (World Wide Names) which can be allocated to a plurality of computers, business application identity information of programs to be booted and area identity information, of areas in a storage system in which the programs are stored, are associated and stored. In response to the entry of a boot request including the business application identity information of a designated computer to be booted, the WWN and the area identity information corresponding to the business application identity information are sent to the computer in order to boot the program. In the computer, the sent WWN is set and the area identity information is set as the area to be booted. Subsequently, by means of a restart of the computer, the program stored in the area is booted to operate.

Full Description:
INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE  
       [0001]     The present application claims priority from U.S. application Ser. No. 11/366,560 (still pending) filed on Mar. 3, 2006, which claims priority from Japanese application JP2005-357118 filed on Dec. 12, 2005. The contents of all of the above-identified is hereby incorporated by reference into this application. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention pertains to boot technology for booting a program executed on a computer.  
         [0003]     Generally, in computer systems equipped with a disk device, there is adopted a method wherein the Operating System (OS) of a computer is installed on a boot disk within the disk device, the boot disk is discovered at the time of starting (activating) the computer, and the operating system stored on the boot disk is booted.  
         [0004]     As one piece of prior art, there is the method of booting from a disk built into the computer.  
         [0005]     In this method, it is possible to boot the computer by preparing a disk device for installing the operating system in the computer in advance and installing the operating system on the same disk. Only one boot disk (the disk on which the OS to be booted is stored) exists for the computer and also, the boot disk is not shared by other computers. Consequently, it is a method with high security in which there is a low possibility that a reference or an update is carried out from another computer with respect to the boot disk.  
         [0006]     On the other hand, there is the method of booting from an external disk array or equivalent.  
         [0007]     A disk array possesses large-scale capacity and can connect multiple computers via a Fibre Channel and a Fibre Channel switch. In case the OS is booted from an external disk like a disk array device, there are issues with security. Disk array devices can consult or update disks inside the disk array devices from all the connected computers, basically in the same way as a network. Consequently, there is the possibility to be altered and to be referred to in the contents of the boot disk by other computers.  
         [0008]     With respect to this issue, the disk array device uses a WWN (World Wide Name) which is a unique device identifier (ID) (also called network identity information or device identity information) stored inside a Host Bus Adapter (HBA) which is a Fibre Channel network adapter that the computer has and has the function of performing an association between the WWN possessed by some specific computer and a disk inside a disk array device. For example, it functions to restrict (limit) the range of access such that only disk  1  can be accessed from a computer  1  having a WWN1 even if the computer accesses a disk array device. A function providing this kind of zone or group is also called zoning or host grouping, and by using this zoning, it has become possible to maintain security with respect to access to disks shared between computers. This kind of technology is disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0059816 A1.  
         [0009]     As for the maintenance, reconfiguration and so forth of computer systems, it is common, by making an operating schedule in advance and, based on the information defined in the schedule, performing the deployment of functions (system programs: including business application and the Operating System (OS)) of computers constituting the computer system, and booting these, to have computers execute the same functions, this kind of maintenance being performed by human intervention. Regarding the contents of technology related to this kind of booting and deployment, a disclosure is made in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0010918A1.  
         [0010]     Generally, the boot disk settings in the computers and the security settings in the disk array have been performed by manual work of the system operations administrator, and since the WWN is modified when the computer changes, a setting of the host group in the disk array device is necessary each time, so there has been the issue that the time and the effort are necessary to operate. Moreover, even in the case that the business operations executed on the computers (system programs) are modified, since there arise modifications in the boot disks and modifications in the configuration of the disks which are the object of that processing, a modification of the host group in the disk array device becomes necessary.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0011]     It is an object of the present invention to simplify the setting of computer systems.  
         [0012]     In general, system programs to be booted are decided upon prior to the start of operations, so the disk configuration to be utilized is also determined. If one considers the simplification of operations, it is desirable to be able to modify the computers executing the same system programs. Consequently, a modification of the host group on the disk array side becomes unnecessary if the WWN of the same computer is handed over, even if there is a modification in a computer executing system programs.  
         [0013]     From the foregoing, in the present invention, respective WWN which can be allocated to a plurality of computers, program names of programs to be booted, and area identity information of areas inside the aforementioned storage system in which the programs are stored, are associated and stored. In response to the entry of a boot request including the program name of the designated computer to be booted, the WWN and the area identity information corresponding to the program name are sent to the computer in order to boot the program. In the aforementioned computer, the transmitted WWN is set, and the area identity information is set as the booting area. Subsequently, by means of a restart of the aforementioned computer, the program stored in the area is booted to operate.  
         [0014]     Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0015]      FIG. 1  is a general block diagram showing the first embodiment pertaining to the present invention.  
         [0016]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram of a server.  
         [0017]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram of a disk mapping table.  
         [0018]      FIG. 4  is a block diagram of a boot management table.  
         [0019]      FIG. 5  is a block diagram of a server management table.  
         [0020]      FIG. 6  shows an example of a switchover of system programs.  
         [0021]      FIG. 7  shows system program switchover sequence.  
         [0022]      FIG. 8  shows an example of a system program failover.  
         [0023]      FIG. 9  shows a system program failover sequence. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS  
       [0024]     Below, the embodiments of the present invention will be explained.  
         [0025]      FIG. 1  shows a computer system of an embodiment in the present invention. A plurality of servers  102  are connected to a network switch (NS SW)  105  via Network Interface Cards (NIC)  121  and are connected to a Fibre Channel switch (FC SW)  104  via Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapters (HBA)  120 . Moreover, Fibre Channel switch  104  is also connected to a disk array device  103  and can be accessed from servers  102 . Network switch  105  is also connected to a management server  101  managing the system. In addition, servers  102  are equipped with BMC (Baseboard Management Controllers)  122  which, via the network, enable condition monitoring and power control of the hardware of server  101 . Management server  101  performs condition monitoring and, as needed, control via the network, with respect to servers  102 , disk array device  103 , Fibre Channel switch  104 , and Network Switch  105 . Management server  101  has programs of a server management part  110  and a boot disk management part  111  stored in a memory  116  and is provided with a CPU  115 , an HBA  106 , and a NIC  107  executing these programs. Servers  102  and management server  101  can be implemented in a computer or also in an information processing device.  
         [0026]     When there occurs a fault in servers  102 , server management part  110  performs collection and management of management information of each server such as the reception of fault reports from BMC  122 , power control to BMC  122 , and system programs executed in each server. Boot disk management part  111  is a processing part performing control and the like of a disk management part  130  of disk array device  103  and is one distinguishing feature of the present embodiment. Disk management part  130  in disk array device  103  has a function of setting the host group controlling the servers  102  able to access a disk  131  and performs the attachment of, and stores in a disk mapping table  132 , relationships of HBA  120  loaded in servers  102  and disk  131 . The setting of disk mapping table  132  of disk array device  103  is performed by a zone setting part  112  of boot disk management part  111 . In the present embodiment, servers  102  utilize disk  131  inside disk array device  103  as the boot disk, the OS and system programs including business applications and the like being stored on disk  131 . Each processing part ( 110 ,  111 ,  112 ,  130 ,  203 ,  204 ,  207 ) described above can be implemented with hardware or programs. Also, each processing part can be implemented by objects, threads, processes, or the like. Servers  102  can also utilize blades in blade systems. Management server  101  may be one of the blades. Also, management server  101  may be a service processor used for maintenance in blade systems.  
         [0027]      FIG. 2  shows the detailed configuration of a server  102  in the present embodiment. Server  102  consists of a memory  201  storing the programs of a boot setting part  203 , a business processing part  204 , and the like, and data such as boot information  205 , a CPU  202  executing the programs in memory  201 , an HBA  120 , an NIC  121 , and a BMC  122 . In HBA  120 , a unique device identifier (ID) called a WWN (World Wide Name)  206  (also called device identity information or network identity information) required in order to specify an identity of each element in Fibre Channel networks is stored in the memory of HBA  120 .  
         [0028]     BMC  122  mainly performs monitoring and control of the hardware of server  102 . In case an anomaly occurs in the hardware of server  102 , it is possible for a fault detection mechanism  207  to detect it and notify it externally. Also, on/off the power supply, shutting-down and restart (hardware reset or software reset) operation of server  102  is possible from management server  101  via BMC  122 .  
         [0029]     Boot setting part  203  receives the WWN transmitted from management server  101  and area identity information showing the boot disk via NIC  121 . Next, the received WWN is set in HBA  120  and the area identity information is set in boot information  205 . Business processing part  204  refers to boot information  205 , accesses, via HBA  120 , the disk indicated by the area identity information for specifying the area in which the program to be booted is stored, boots the program which is stored in the area, and performs the business operation by executing the system programs including business applications. For the boot setting part  203  and business processing part  204  execution, a number of occasions and methods can be considered. One way is the method of transferring boot setting part  203  and business processing part  204  via the network at the time of starting server  102 , using the network boot feature possessed by NIC  121 . In this method, it is possible to switch business operations even if an OS is not installed in server  102 . Also, as a second method, there is the method of installing boot setting part  203  and business processing part  204  at the time of installing the OS, automatically activating boot setting part  203  and business processing part  204  when activating the OS, and setting a state in which a request is received. In this method, the installation of an OS is always required, but as mentioned above, the mechanism becomes simpler, since the network boot mechanism becomes unnecessary. Moreover, in case a fault occurs and utilization is not possible, information indicating that a fault is occurred is stored.  
         [0030]      FIG. 3  shows the details of a disk mapping table  132  of disk management part  130  in  FIG. 1 . Disk management part  130  makes a connection with disks and WWN, the identifiers of the HBA loaded in servers  102 . This information is stored by disk management part  130  in disk mapping table  132 . A column  301  shows the WWN of the HBA built into the server. A column  302  shows logical disk numbers which are virtual disk numbers for the disks corresponding to WWN. A column  303  shows the physical disk numbers of the same disks. The logical disk numbers are virtual disk numbers (or area identifiers) which are utilized when specifying the areas accessed by server  102  and can be set regardless of the physical disk numbers. In the present example, it is shown that LUN 0 , LUN 1 , and LUN 2  are allocated to WWNS 5 , and for the physical disk numbers thereof, LU 31 , LU 32 , and LU 33  are allocated. The disk numbers correspond to information for designating disk areas storing programs and data and, not being limited to numbers, may be addresses or indirect addresses.  
         [0031]      FIG. 4  shows the details of a boot management table  113  of boot disk management part  111  in  FIG. 1 . Boot disk management part  111  allocates WWN  402  to be set in the HBA built into the servers and logical disk numbers  403  showing boot disks with respect to business identifiers  401 , which correspond to system program (including business application) identity information. If the system programs which are executed by server  102  are determined, WWN  402  for the HBA which accesses disk array device  103  and logical disk numbers  403  of the disk to be booted are determined, so boot disk management part  111  can transmit WWN  402  and logical disk numbers  403  to servers  102 . In the present example, it is shown that WWNS 4  and LUN 2  are allocated to system program P 5 . In other words, it is shown that the OS and the business applications required to provide system program P 5  are stored in the aforementioned LUN 2 . By booting LUN 2  as the boot disk, it becomes possible for a server  102  to perform system program P 5 .  
         [0032]      FIG. 5  shows the details of a server management table  114  of server management part  110  in  FIG. 1 . Server management part  110  performs condition monitoring of servers  102  and performs the operation status monitoring and the fault monitoring and the power control of servers  102 . When a fault occurs in a server, if a fault is detected in BMC  122  shown in  FIG. 1  or the server, server management part  110  is notified of the occurrence of the fault. A column  501  shows server identifiers which are the identifiers of servers  102 , a column  502  shows an executed business ID, a column  503  shows WWN set in the HBA of servers  102 , and a column  504  shows booted logical disk numbers. In the present example, it is shown that a system program P 3  is executed in server S 1 , WWNS 3  is set in the HBA, and the boot logical disk number is LUN 3 .  
         [0033]      FIG. 6  shows an example of a system program modification in the present embodiment. An HBA  610 , built into an active server  601  which is one machine within server  102 , has an L-WWN1  611 . These are connected to disk array device  103  via Fibre Channel switch  104 . The mapping of the disks is controlled by disk management part  130 , virtual disk group  603 , including virtual disks  631 ,  632 , being mapped to L-WWN1  611  of active server  601 . The substance of logical disks  631 ,  632  is the physical disks  604 ,  605  which have boot disks included in which OS and business applications are installed. In case there has been a switchover of system programs, the disk mapping is modified by overwriting L-WWN1  611  of active server  601  with L-WWN2  621 .  
         [0034]     At this point, the mapping between active server  601  L-WWN1  611  and group  603  is released and mapping is carried out onto L-WWN2  621 . In this way, it is possible for active server  601  to switch over to disks  633 ,  634  including OS and business applications performing a new system program. By starting standby server  601  in this state, it becomes possible for active server  601  to execute a new system program.  
         [0035]      FIG. 7  shows an example of an operating sequence of the present embodiment. The illustrated sequence shows the processing between an active server  701 , which is one machine within server  102 , and management server  101 .  
         [0036]     If management server  101  receives a system program switchover request including the name of the system program to be switched over from and the name of the system program to be switched over to (Step  720 ), it is determined, by referring to server management table  114 , which server executes the same system program to be switched over from, and by referring to boot management table  113 , a WWN is acquired as the HBA information pertaining to the system program to be switched over to and the boot logical disk number is acquired as BIOS information (boot information) (Step  721 ). Next, the WWN and the boot logical disk number are sent to the server (in the present example, active server  701 ) executing the system program to be switched over from (Step  722 ).  
         [0037]     In active server  701 , if a WWN is set in HBA and a boot logical disk number is set in the boot information, it is notified to management server  101  that settings have come to an end (Step  710 ).  
         [0038]     When management server  101  receives the same notification, a restart request is sent to active server  701  (Step  723 ). When active server  701  receives the restart request, it begins the restart (Step  711 ). The active server refers to the boot information to start the boot from the set logical disk number, and after the boot, the system program to be switched over to is executed in active server  701 . By performing in this way, the switchover of system programs can be accomplished without modifying the settings in disk array device  103 .  
         [0039]      FIG. 8  shows an example of a modification of a system program in the present embodiment. An HBA  810 , which is built into an active server  801 , has a WWN1  811 . These are connected to disk array device  103  via Fibre Channel switch  104 . The mapping of the disks is controlled by disk mapping function  130 , virtual disk group  803  including virtual disks  831 ,  832 ,  833  being mapped to WWN1  811  of active server  801 . The substance of virtual disks  831 ,  832 ,  833  is logical disks  804 ,  805 ,  806  which include boot disks on which OS and business applications are installed. In case a fault occurs in active server  801 , the disk mapping is modified to a standby server  802 . At this point, the mapping between WWN1  811  of active server  801  and virtual disk group  803  is released, and by setting a WWN1  821  in standby server  802 , it is possible to make a mapping onto standby server  802 . In this way, standby server  802  can take over the disks including the OS and business applications utilized by active server  801 . By starting standby server  802  in this state, a failover of system programs from active server  801  is implemented.  
         [0040]      FIG. 9  shows an operating sequence of an embodiment in the present invention. The illustrated sequence involves an active server  901 , a management server  101 , and a standby server  904 . Step  910  shows the occurrence of a fault in the active server. The occurrence of the fault is detected in the BMC built into active server  901  and is notified to management server  101 . In Step  920 , management server  101  detects the detected fault. In Step  921 , information on the WWN of active server  901 , the boot logical disk number and the like is acquired. This information is acquired from server management table  110 .  
         [0041]     In Step  922 , active server  901  is shut down. If active server  901  is left operating, there are cases where the OS and the business applications operate under unstable conditions, and they may issue improper inputs and outputs.  
         [0042]     Further, the moment the standby server takes over the system programs, if the active server is still working, the result is that servers having the same IP address coexist. In order to prevent this, a shutdown of active server  901  is necessary. However, in case active server  901  is during dump processing, the shutdown is not executed until dump processing has come to an end.  
         [0043]     Moreover, there are also cases where management server  101  makes a request to active server  901  for the activation of dump processing. In Step  911 , active server  901  receives a shutdown request and executes shutdown processing. In case shutdown processing is impossible, management server  101  executes force cut off the power supply of active server  901 . The force cut off of the power supply is executed giving an instruction with respect to the BMC built into the server. In Step  923 , a search is carried out for a standby server capable of taking over the system programs, based on the active server information acquired in Step  921 . It is implemented by referring to server management table  114  to search for an available server. As a result of the search, the discovered server is taken to be standby server  904 . In Step  924 , a WWN is acquired as the HBA information set in active server  901 , and a boot logical disk number is acquired as the BIOS information, from server management table  114 . Next, the WWN and the boot logical disk number are sent to the determined standby server  904  (Step  924 ).  
         [0044]     In standby server  904 , when a WWN is set in the HBA and a boot logical disk number is set in the boot information, it is notified to management server  101  that the settings have come to an end (Step  930 ).  
         [0045]     When management server  101  receives that notification, it sends a restart request to standby server  904  (Step  925 ). When standby server  904  receives the restart request, it begins a restart (Step  931 ). The active server refers to the boot information, begins the boot from the set logical disk number, and after the boot, the system programs to be switched over to are executed in active server  701  (Step  932 ).  
         [0046]     By the processing in this way, it becomes possible, since the OS and the business application are activated, to resume the system programs.  
         [0047]     According to the present invention, it is possible to simplify the operation of a computer system by reducing the setting operation steps required on the storage system side.  
         [0048]     It should be further understood by those skilled in the art that although the foregoing description has been made on embodiments of the invention, the invention is not limited thereto and various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 7