PHT100118IN01W r
[DESCRIPTION]
[Title of Invention]
SYSTEM FOR MANAGING TASK THAT IS FOR PROCESSING TO COMPUTER
SYSTEM AND THAT IS BASED ON USER OPERATION AND METHOD FOR
DISPLAYING INFORMATION RELATED TO TASK OF THAT TYPE
[Technical Field]
[0001]
The present invention relates to a technique for managing a
task.
[Background Art]
[0002]
As an example of a computer system that is a target of a
management, there can be mentioned for instance a storage system
that has a plurality of physical storage devices.
Conventionally, a storage system has been managed by one
computer. In recent years however, a storage system has been
managed by a management system that is configured by a plurality
of computers that include a management computer and a display
computer that is coupled to the management computer (see Patent
Literature 1). For the management system of this type, the
display computer has a user interface device (for instance, a
display and a keyboard) , and the management computer transmits
the information for a display to the display computer and/or
receives the information for an input from the display computer.
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[0003]
The display computer executes a dedicated program for a display
i in a quintessential way. Or more specifically, the display
computer downloads a Java applet via the Web browser and
executes the Java applet.
[Citation List]
[Patent Literature]
[0004]
[PTL 1]
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No.
2010-108114
[Summary of Invention]
[Technical Problem]
[0005]
The RIA (Rich Internet Application) has been in widespread use
for a Web application field that targets a personal application
and an office application (for instance, a Web mail, a word
processor, and a collaboration tool) . By accessing a Web server
by using a Web browser, it looks like that a personal application
or an office application is executed or provided on the Web
browser for a user of the Web browser. Consequently in recent
years, the RIA (Rich Internet Application) can be executed by
a great number of computers (such as a personal computer in which
the Microsoft Windows OS or iMac has been installed) or a
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smartphone in some cases ("Windows" and "iMac" are registered
trademarks).
[0006]
The RIA can be executed in a quintessential manner under a
program execution environment in which the Web browser includes
or utilizes Flash of Adobe Corporation or the Silverlight
technology of Microsoft Corporation. In recent years, an RIA
development environment in which an icon and a toolbar that are
visually beautiful for the RIA can be provided or displayed by
the RIA without any difficulty has also been provided. Although
only a processing that takes a user request as an opportunity
can be installed for a Web page based on HTML and Java, a
processing that is asynchronous with a user request can be
executed under the execution environment and the development
environment.
[0007]
In accordance with such a merit, it is thought that a management
client program of a computer system (such as a system that is
configured by a plurality of servers, a storage system that has
a plurality of physical storage devices, and a system that
includes a storage system and a host that is coupled to the
storage system) is made to be an RIA. However, the RIA execution
environment and the RIA development environment target an
application field such as a personal application and an office
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application, and it is not supposed that those are managed by
monitoring and operating a computer system and a storage system
in particular.
[0008]
On the other hand, a user that utilizes a management client
program executes a plurality of work operations in parallel to
the management client program in some cases. The case in which
the following work operations are executed in parallel is an
example:
(Example 1 of a work operation) There is a work operation for
a management work in which a setting or a configuration of a
system is modified. For the example, a concrete example of a
work operation is an instruction for executing a processing such
as a network configuration for a computer that is a management
target, an install of a program, and a processing of a volume
creation and a volume initialization for a storage system.
(Example 2 of a work operation) There is a work operation for
a monitoring work in which a system is monitored. For the
example, a concrete example of a work operation is an operation
for specifying a specific apparatus or a device that is included
in an apparatus in order to monitor a status of an apparatus
in detail, an operation that has a purpose opposite to that of
the operation (that is, an operation for transiting from a
detailed screen to a panoramic screen), or an operation for
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confirming an alert in a past time from a status in which a
current apparatus status is displayed. It is also possible to
think a status of a device as substitute for a status of an
apparatus for the present example.
[0009]
However, for the RIA execution environment and the RIA
development environment, it is not supposed that a user executes
a plurality of work operations in parallel by using one
application. Consequently, at the time point when the RIA
displays a new window or a new dialogue box, a user cannot execute
another work operation that a user wants to execute for the same
Web browser (for the tub in a Web browser that has a tub
function).
[0010]
By the above reasons, it is not easy to make the management client
program to be an RIA.
[Solution of Problem]
[0011]
A management computer, that is a computer managing a computer
system as a management target, is connected to a display
computer that is a computer displaying information provided
from the management computer.
[0012]
The display computer displays a management screen that is a
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screen that has a first area and a second area. In that case,
in the first area, information related to a computer system,
and an input object for a work operation that is a user operation
for registering a task of a processing to a computer system into
a management computer or an object for displaying the input
object are displayed. In the second area, a summary view
related to at least one task registered into the management
computer is displayed. The summary view is a view that has a
status object for each status of task, the status object
includes an object indicating a status and a value indicating
a number of tasks in the status. There are a waiting status
that represents that an execution of a task is waited, a running
status that represents that a task is being executed, and a
finished status that represents that a task has been finished
as a status of a task.
[0013]
The display computer updates a display in the first area in
accordance with a user operation to the first area.
[0014]
The management computer detects a modification of a status of
each task that has been registered. In the case in which the
modification is detected, the management computer transmits a
task number information that is information indicating a number
of tasks in the status to the display computer. The display
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computer receives the task number information and updates a
display in the second area in accordance with the task number
information.
[Brief Description of Drawings]
[0015]
[Fig. 1]
Fig. 1 shows an example of a Web browser screen in accordance
with an embodiment of the present invention.
[Fig. 2]
Fig. 2 shows an example of a Web browser screen after a switchover
of a tub screen.
[Fig. 3]
Fig. 3A shows a second area 120 at a point of time. Fig. 3B
shows an example of a highlighting that is executed in the case
in which the number of storage operation tasks of the status
"Finished" is increased. Fig. 3C shows that the highlighting
shown in Fig. 33 is canceled in the case in which a certain period
of time elapses after the highlighting is started.
[Fig. 4]
Fig. 4A shows a second area 120 at a point of time. Fig. 4B
shows an example of a highlighting for an alert object 161.
[Fig. 5]
Fig. 5 shows the configuration of a computer system and a
management system in accordance with an embodiment of the
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present invention.
[Fig. 6]
Fig. 6A shows the configuration of a task management table 543.
Fig. 6B shows the configuration of a user table 544.
[Fig. 7]
Fig. 7 shows a Web browser screen 101 at a point of time.
[Fig. 8]
Fig. 8 shows a dialogue box 8 01 that is displayed on the front
of the Web browser screen 101 in the case in which a specific
user operation is executed to a first area 110 of the Web browser
screen 101 of Fig. 7, and shows that the Web browser screen 101
is in a disable status.
[Fig. 9]
Fig. 9 shows a dialogue box 901 that is displayed on the front
of the Web browser screen 101 in the case in which a specific
work operation is executed to the dialogue box 801 of Fig. 8.
[Fig. 10]
Fig. 10 shows an example of a display update that is executed
in the case in which a specific work operation is executed to
the dialogue box 901 of Fig. 9.
• [Fig. 11]
Fig. 11 shows an example of a display update for the second area
120 that is executed after the display update shown in Fig. 10.
[Fig. 12]
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Fig. 12 shows a flow of a registration/execution processing of
a task.
[Fig. 13]
Fig. 13 shows a flow of a monitoring/display update processing
of a task.
[Fig. 14]
Fig. 14 shows an example of the Web browser screen that includes
the first area that displays a list (a first list) of the
information related to a storage operation task for a plurality
of users.
[Fig. 15]
Fig. 15 shows an example of the Web browser screen that includes
the first area that displays a list (a second list) of the
information related to a storage operation task for a plurality
of users.
[Description of Embodiments]
[0016]
A mode for the present invention will be described below in
detail with reference to the drawings,
[0017]
In the following descriptions, a wide variety of information
will be described by an expression of "xxx table" in some cases.
However, a wide variety of information can also be represented
by a data structure other than a table. In order to indicate
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that a data structure is not depended on, "xxx table" can also
be referred to as "xxx information".
[0018]
In the following descriptions, a processing will be described
while using a "program" as a subject in some cases. However,
since a program executes a predetermined processing while using
a storage resource (such as a memory) and/or a communication
interface device (such as a communication port) in an
appropriate fashion in the case in which the program is executed
by a processor (such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit)), a
subject of a processing can also be a processor. A processing
that is described while a program is used as a subject can also
be a processing that is executed by a processor or a management
system that has the processor (for instance, a display computer
(such as a client) or a management computer (such as a server) .
Moreover, the processor can also be a CPU itself, or can also
include a hardware circuit that executes a part or a whole of
a processing that is executed by the processor. A program can
also be installed to each controller from a program source. A
program source can also be a program distribution server or a
storage medium for instance. A program distribution server can
also be a management computer.
[0019]
A management system can also be configured by at least one
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computer. For instance to be more precise, in the case in which
a management computer displays the information or a management
computer transmits the information for a display to a remote
computer, the management computer is a management system. For
instance moreover, in the case in which a function equivalent
to a management computer is implemented by using a plurality
of computers, the plurality of computers is a management system
(a display computer can also be included in the case in which
a display is executed by a display computer) . In the present
embodiment, the management computer is a management system.
[0020]
In the following descriptions, a number, an identifier, or a
name is adopted as a type of the identification information of
a target of every sort and kind (such as a task, a host, and
a storage system). The number, the identifier, and the name
can also be substituent with each other, and a combination of
the identification information of a plurality of types can also
be the identification information.
[0021]
For an embodiment that will be described in the following, a
computer system that is a management target is a storage system.
However, a computer system is not restricted to a storage system.
For instance, a computer system can also be a system that is
configured by a plurality of servers and can also be a system
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that includes a storage system and a host computer (hereafter
referred to as a host) that is coupled to the storage system.
[0022]
In the following descriptions, a term of "time" is used.
However, a time can also indicates the information of a year,
a month, and a day, and a time can also indicates an hour, a
minute, and a second (that includes a second after the decimal
point) as a matter of course.
[0023]
In the following descriptions, a user operation that is executed
to a management screen of a computer system (a storage system
in the present embodiment) can also be referred to as a "user
operation". As a user operation, a "specification" of a tub
or an object can be mentioned for instance. The "specification"
that is described here is an operation in which a cursor of a
pointing device (such as a mouse) is put on a tub or an object
and the pointing device is clicked or double-clicked after the
cursor is put on the tub or the object for instance. Such a
specification is referred to as a "user specification" in the
following. The user specification is one of user operations.
[0024]
In the following descriptions, a user operation that is executed
to browse (check for instance) the information related to a
computer system (a storage system in the present embodiment)
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can also be referred to as a "management operation".
[0025]
In the following descriptions, a user operation that is executed
to create a task for executing a processing that is executed
by a computer system (a storage system in the present
embodiment) (hereafter referred to as a storage operation task)
can also be referred to as a "work operation". There is a wide
variety of types of storage operation tasks (for instance a
step) . For instance, as a storage operation task, there is at
least one of a creation of a logical volume, an allocation of
a logical volume to a host (a configuration of a logical volume
and a host to which the logical volume is provided), and a
creation of a pool. The "logical volume" can be a substantive
logical volume (a real volume) based on at least one physical
storage device (for instance a RAID (Redundant Array of
Independent (or Inexpensive) Disks) group) that is configured
by a plurality of physical storage devices or a virtual logical
volume (a virtual volume) that conforms to the Thin Provisioning
or a storage virtualization technique. The "pool" can be a
logical storage area based on at least one physical storage
device (for instance a RAID (Redundant Array of Independent (or
Inexpensive) Disks) group) and an aggregate of at least one
logical volume for instance. The "pool" can be a pool that
stores a difference between an original logical volume and the
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snap shot of the original logical or a pool that has a storage
area that is allocated to a virtual volume that conforms to the
I Thin Provisioning.
[0026]
The task is a logical existence that is associated with a
processing that is to be executed by a computer system (or a
component of a computer system).
[0027]

[0028]
Fig. 1 shows an example of a Web browser screen in accordance
with an embodiment of the present invention.
[0029]
A Web browser screen 101 is a screen that is displayed on a
display device of a client computer (hereafter referred to as
a client) that is an example of a display computer. The client
is coupled to a server computer (hereafter referred to as a
server) that is an example of a management computer that is
coupled to a display computer.
[0030]
The client executes a Web browser and a management client
program that has been made to be an RIA as described later.
Since the management client program is an RIA, the Web browser
includes Flash of Adobe Corporation or the Silverlight
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technology of Microsoft Corporation in a quintessential manner
(or is executed under the program execution environment that
uses the technology) . The information that is displayed on the
Web browser screen 101 is the information that is provided from
the management client program to the Web browser and that is
displayed by the Web browser. The information that is provided
from the management client program to the Web browser can
includes the information that is received from a server by the
management client program. In case of a software architecture
in which a part of a display control of the Web browser screen
101 is executed by the management client program, it is not
necessary the case that the management client program provides
the information to the Web browser. This is because the
processing can be executed in such a manner that the management
client program displays the necessary information on a part of
the Web browser screen 101. This point is equivalent that of
an input processing. In the case in which the display
information of the management client program can be displayed
on the Web browser screen, other methods and other software
architectures can also be adopted.
[0031]
The Web browser screen 101 has a first area 110 and a second
area 120.
[0032]
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The first area 110 is an area in which the information that
indicates a status related to a storage system and/or an input
object that can be operated by a user for a storage system are
displayed. More specifically, a tub screen is displayed on the
first area 110. A tub screen is changed corresponding to a tub
in which a user specification has been executed. On any of the
tub screens, the information that indicates a status related
to a storage system and/or an input object that can be operated
by a user for a storage system are displayed. A tub screen shown
in Fig. 1 is a tub screen 111 that is displayed in the case in
which a mouse cursor 103 is put on a tub "Resource" and a user
specification is executed. The tub screen 111 displays the
following sub areas for instance:
(*) a sub area 181 in which a list of the identification
information of at least one resource that belongs to a resource
type in which a user specification has been executed is
displayed;
(*) a sub area 183 in which a list of types of work operations
is displayed;
(*) a sub area 185 in which a summary of a resource in which
a user specification has been executed in the sub area 181 is
displayed; and
(*) a sub area 187 in which a detail of a resource in which a
user specification has been executed in the sub area 181 is
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displayed.
The information that conforms to a management operation of a
user is displayed in the first area 110. More specifically,
the information related to a storage system is displayed on a
tub screen of a tub in which a user specification has been
executed for instance. The resource is a physical or logical
component of a storage system or a host. As a resource, there
can be mentioned for instance a physical storage device, a
physical storage device group, a controller, and a volume.
[0033]
The second area 12 0 displays a summary view related to at least
one storage operation task that has been created by executing
a work operation of a user. The summary view has status objects
122, 132, 142, and 152 for every status type related to a storage
operation task and an alert object 161 for instance.
[0034]
As a status related to a storage operation task, the following
four types are mentioned for instance:
(A) "Running" that represents that a storage operation task is
being executed;
(B) "Waiting" that represents that an execution of a storage
operation task is waited;
(C) "Finished" that represents that a storage operation task
has been finished; and
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(D) "Error" that represents that an error has occurred for a
storage operation task.
The status type is not restricted to the above four types. For
instance, the status types can also be more or less than the
above four types . Moreover, at least one of the above four types
can also be the other status types.
[0035]
The status object 122 is corresponded to the status of "Running",
the status object 132 is corresponded to the status of "Waiting",
the status object 142 is corresponded to the status of
"Finished", and the status object 152 is corresponded to the
status of "Error".
[0036]
Each of the status objects includes an object that indicates
a status type and a value that indicates the number of storage
operation tasks that belong to the status type. The object that
indicates a status type can include at least one of a graphic
(an icon) that indicates a status type and a character string
that indicates a name of a status type for instance. The object
that indicates a status type can also include an object of a
type different from a graphic and a character string.
[0037]
The alert object 161 is an object related to an alert that is
generated by detecting a failure of hardware in a storage system.
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The alert object 161 include an object that indicates an alert
and the value that indicates the number of alerts for instance.
The object that indicates an alert can include at least one of
a graphic (an icon) that indicates an alert and a character
string that indicates an alert (for instance "New Alerts") . The
object that indicates an alert can also include an object of
a type different from a graphic and a character string.
[0038]
The second area 12 0 is displayed without being affected by a
switch of a tub screen. In other words, although is switched
corresponding to a tub in which a user specification has been
executed for the first area 110, a display of the second area
120 is not affected by a switch of a tub screen. More
specifically, as shown in Fig. 2 for instance, in the case in
which a user specification is executed for another tub "Report",
although a tub screen is switched from a tub screen 111 shown
in Fig.l to a tub screen 211 shown in Fig. 2 for the first area
110, a display of the second area 120 is not modified in
synchronization with a switch of a tub screen. By the above
configuration, even in the case in which a user operation is
executed on a specific tub screen, a task status can be easily
confirmed.
[0039]
The meanings of "without being affected" and "not modified in
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synchronization with" are that at least the second area 120 is
not affected or not modified for the purpose of that "a summary
view related to at least one storage operation task that has
been created by executing a work operation of a user is
displayed". For instance, even in the case in which a display
of the second area 120 is switched corresponding to a switch
of a tub screen, when a user who is in visual contact with the
screen can recognize it as the same siommary, it is apparent that
an understanding of a summary by a user is not affected even
in the case in which at least one of the following items and
a display switch of the second area 120 occur corresponding to
a switch of a tub screen:
(*) a display location of a status object or an alert object
is modified;
(*) a font of a status object or an alert object is modified;
(*) an icon that indicates a type of status of a font of a status
object is modified. An icon before a modification and an icon
after a modification represent the same type of a status; and
{*) an icon that represents an alert of an alert object is
modified. Both of an icon before a modification and an icon
after a modification represent an alert.
[0040]
As another example of being not affected or being not modified,
there can be mentioned for instance (1) a type of a status that
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is represented by a status object that is displayed in the second
area 120 by a switch of a tub screen is not changed, or (2) a
value that indicates the number of storage operation tasks that
belong to each of the status types is not changed. Moreover,
as a second example, a display dot of the second area 120 is
not changed by a switch of a tub screen. For the second example,
a load of a screen display processing is smallest as compared
with other examples. In addition, since a display dot of a
screen display is not changed for the Flash technology and the
Silverlight technology, it can make a contribution to a
reduction of a communication amount between a client 555 and
a server 557.
[0041]
It is preferable that the second area 120 is displayed in such
a manner that the second area 120 is not overlapped on the first
area 110 (in particular a tub screen) . In the present
embodiment, the second area 120 is a band-like area that is long
in a horizontal direction (in a transverse direction), and is
disposed under the first area 110 (for instance, at the bottom
of the Web browser screen 101). However, the location of the
second area 120 is not restricted to the location shown in the
figure. The second area 120 can also be disposed on the first
area 110 for instance. Moreover, the second area 120 can also
be a band-like area that is long in a vertical direction (in
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a longitudinal direction), and can be disposed at the right of
or at the left of the first area 110. Moreover, the second area
120 can also be displayed on the front of the first area 110.
[0042]
The management client program is an RIA. Consequently, a
management client program receives the information from a
server without issuing a request to the server. In other words,
a server can provide the information to a client without a
request from a client (or in non-synchronization with the
operation timing of an input device) not as a response to a
request from a client. There are some types of the information,
and two examples of them will be described in the following.
[0043]
(Example 1) In the case in which a server detects that a status
of a storage operation task is modified, the server transmits
the information that indicates the modification of the storage
operation task (hereafter referred to as the task status
modification information) to a client. More specifically, a
display of the second area 120 at a point of time is one shown
in Fig. 3A for instance. In the course of time, a storage
operation task that has a status of "Running" (that is, a task
that is being executed) is terminated. In the case in which
a server detects that, the server transmits the task status
modification information to a client. The task status
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modification information includes the information that
indicates a reduction of the number of storage operation tasks
that belong to a status in which the number of storage operation
tasks is reduced ("Running") and the information that indicates
an increase of the number of storage operation tasks that belong
to a status in which the number of storage operation tasks is
increased ("Finished") for instance. The information that
indicates a reduction can also be a value that indicates the
number of storage operation tasks after the reduction and can
also be the information that indicates a reduction by 1.
Similarly, the information that indicates an increase can also
be a value that indicates the number of storage operation tasks
after the increase and can also be the information that
indicates an increase by 1. In the case in which a client
receives the task status modification information, the
management client program modifies a display of the second area
120 in accordance with the task status modification information.
More specifically, the management client program executes the
following modification of a display as being found by comparing
Fig. 3A and Fig. 3B:
(*) makes the niamber of storage operation tasks that belong to
the status "Running" to be a value that is obtained by
subtracting 1 from the number of storage operation tasks; and
(*) makes a display mode of an icon that is corresponded to the
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status "Finished" to be another display mode for a certain
period of time, and makes the number of storage operation tasks
that belong to the status "Finished" to be a value that is
obtained by adding 1 to the number of storage operation tasks.
In the case in which another display mode of an icon is a display
mode different from a normal display mode of an icon, any display
mode can also be adopted. In the present embodiment, a display
that conforms to another display mode of an icon is a display
in which an icon is luminous in such a manner that a range that
includes an icon and that is larger than an icon is luminous
in a sickly bright color as shown in Fig, 3B. The display is
terminated after a certain period of time (for instance several
seconds) elapses. In other words, a display of the second area
120 transits from a display shown in Fig. 3B to a display shown
in Fig. 3C after a certain period of time. For this example,
although some modification examples (for instance the following
modification example) are thought, it is though to be preferable
that a display mode is modified only for a status object of a
status in which the number of storage operation tasks is
increased (that is, a status to which a storage operation task
is transited is notified of) of a status object of a status in
which the number of storage operation tasks is increased and
a status object of a status in which the number of storage
operation tasks is reduced from the point of view of
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understanding an execution situation of a storage operation
task by a user.
(*) a display mode of a whole or a part (for instance a text)
of a status object that is corresponded to a status in which
the number of storage operation tasks has been increased (here
a status object 142) is modified; and
(*) a display mode of a whole or a part (for instance an icon
and/or a text) of a status object that is corresponded to a status
in which the number of storage operation tasks has been
increased (here a status object 122) is modified as substitute
for or in addition to a status in which the number of storage
operation tasks has been increased.
[0044]
(Example 2) In the case in which a server detects some kind or
another hardware failure related to a storage system (for
instance, a failure of a controller and a failure of a physical
storage device), the server transmits the information that
indicates the modification related to a hardware failure
(hereafter referred to as the alert information) to a client.
The alert information can include the information that
indicates that a hardware failure has occurred and the detailed
information related to a hardware failure that has been detected
(for instance, the identification information (such as a name)
of a device in which a failure has occurred and a location in
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which the device is mounted) for instance. In the case in which
a client receives the alert information, the management client
program modifies a display mode of an alert object 161 of the
second area 120. More specifically, the management client
program adds 1 to a value that indicates the number of alerts
and modifies a display mode of a whole of the alert object 161
from a normal display mode as being found by a comparison of
Fig. 4A and Fig. 4B for instance. Further more specifically,
the management client program makes a whole of the alert object
161 to be a red display and makes the red display blink on and
off. Not only a whole but also a part (for instance, an icon
or a text) of a display mode of an alert object 161 can also
be modified. Amodif ication of a display mode of an alert object
161 is not restricted to blinking, and it can also be another
modification such as lighting.
[0045]
The above described an example of the information that is
transmitted from a server to a client in a positive manner.
[0046]
In accordance with the above example 1, some kind or another
highlighting is executed for a certain period of time as a
modification of a display mode of a status object, and the
highlighting is then terminated in an automatic manner (that
is, without a specific user operation). A "specific user
27
PHT100118IN01W
I operation" described here can be a user operation for notifying
the management client program of that a user has found some kind
or another highlighting related to a status object.
[0047]
On the other hand, in accordance with the above example 2, some
kind or another highlighting (for instance, a blinking of a
display of a predetermined color) is continued until the
specific user operation is executed as a modification of a
display mode of an alert object 161. A "specific user
operation" described here can be a user operation (for instance,
a click of an alert object 161) for notifying the management
client program of that a user has found some kind or another
highlighting related to the alert object 161.
[0048]
As described above, for a highlighting of a status object, a
highlighting is terminated in the case in which a certain period
of time elapses without a specific user operation. However,
for a highlighting of an alert object 161, a highlighting is
continued in the case in which a specific user operation is not
executed. Any highlighting brings about an attention of a user.
A highlighting of a status object is terminated in an automatic
manner in the case in which a certain period of time elapses.
Consequently, the strength of bringing about an attention of
a user for a highlighting of a status object is smaller than
28
^ PHT100118IN01W
the strength of bringing about an attention of a user for a
highlighting of an alert object 161.
[0049]
In the following descriptions, a highlighting of a status object
(a highlighting that is terminated without a specific user
operation in the case in which a certain period of time elapses)
will be referred to as a "weak arousal display", and a
highlighting of an alert object 161 (a highlighting that is
j
terminated by a specific user operation) will be referred to
as a "strong arousal display".
[0050]
It is thought that a detection of a modification of a status
of a storage operation task has an importance lower than that
of a detection of a hardware failure. Consequently, in the case
in which a highlighting of a status object and a highlighting
of an alert object 161 are displays that have the equivalent
strength, the second area 120 may be hard to be visible.
Therefore, it is preferable that a strong arousal display is
executed for an alert object 161 and a weak arousal display (a
highlighting that is terminated in an automatic manner in the
case in which a certain period of time elapses) is executed for
a status object.
[0051]
Moreover, a modification of a status of a storage operation task
29
j ^ PHT100118IN01W
is executed from one moment to the next as there is a larger
amount of storage operation tasks that is waiting an execution
and/or storage operation tasks that is being executed. However,
in the case in which a highlighting of a status object is
continued until a specific user operation is executed, a
highlighting of all status objects is executed in the course
of time. In that case, a situation of an execution of a storage
operation task is hard to be known. From such a point of view,
for a modification of a status of a storage operation task, it
is preferable that a weak arousal display is executed for a
status object.
[0052]
A mode for the present invention will be described below in
detail.
[0053]

[0054]
Fig. 5 shows the configuration of a computer system and a
management system in accordance with an embodiment of the
present invention.
[0055]
A computer system includes at least one host 553 and at least
one storage system 551 that is coupled to the at least one host
553. The host 553 is coupled to the storage system 551 via a
30
^ PHT100118IN01W
communication network (such as a SAN (Storage Area Network) or
a LAN (Local Area Network)) for instance.
[0056]
The storage system 551 has a physical storage device group 563
and a controller 561 that is coupled to the physical storage
device group 563.
[0057]
The physical storage device group 563 has at least one RAID
(Redundant Array of Independent (or Inexpensive) Disks) group
i
(referred to as a parity group in some cases) . The RAID group
is configured by a plurality of physical storage devices and
stores data in accordance with a predetermined RAID level. The
physical storage device is an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD
(Solid State Drive) for instance.
[0058]
The storage system 551 has a plurality of logical volumes. As
a logical volume, there can be mentioned for instance a
substantive logical volume (a real volume) 565 based on the RAID
(Redundant Array of Independent (or Inexpensive) Disks) group)
or a virtual logical volume (a virtual volume) 567 that conforms
to the Thin Provisioning or a storage virtualization technique.
It is not necessary that one storage system 551 has logical
voliomes of a plurality of types. For instance, the storage
system 551 can have only a real volume 565 as a logical volume.
31
^ PHT100118IN01W
[0059]
The controller 561 receives an I/O (Input/Output) command (a
write command or a read command) from the host 553, and controls
the I/O of data that conforms to the I/O command. More
specifically, the controller 561 specifies a logical volume of
an I/O destination from the I/O command that has been received,
and executes the I/O of data to the logical volume that has been
specified for instance.
[0060]
The management system includes a server 557 and at least one
client 555 that is coupled to the server 557. The client 555
is coupled to the server 557 via a communication network (such
as a LAN, a WAN (World Area Network) , and the Internet) 521 for
instance.
[0061]
The client 555 has an input device 501, a display device 502,
a storage resource (such as a memory) 505, a communication
interface device (hereafter referred to as an I/F) 507, and a
processor (such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit)) 503 that
is coupled to the input device 501, the display device 502, the
storage resource 505, and the communication interface device
507. The input device 501 is a pointing device and a keyboard
for instance. The display device 502 is a device that has a
display screen on which the information is displayed for
32
^. PHT100118IN01W
instance. A device of a touch panel type in which the input
device 501 and the display device 502 are formed in an integrated
manner with each other can also be adopted. The I/F 507 is
coupled to the communication network 521, and the client 555
can communicate with the server 557 via the I/F 507. A part
or a whole of a network that connects the communication network
521 and the host 553 with each other and a part or a whole of
a network that connects the communication network 521 and the
storage system 551 with each other can share each other in
common.
I
[0062]
The storage resource 505 has at least a main storage device (a
memory in a quintessential manner) of a main storage device and
an auxiliary storage device for instance. The storage resource
505 can store a computer program that is executed by the
processor 503 and the information that is used by the processor
503. More specifically, the storage resource 505 stores a Web
browser 511 and a management client program 513 for instance.
The management client program 513 is an RIA (Rich Internet
Application) . More specifically, the management client
program 513, which is a program file, is downloaded from the
server 557 (or another computer) and is stored into the storage
resource 505 for instance. The management client program 513
is executed by a computer program not shown (such as the flash
33
PHT100118IN01W 4
player of Adobe Corporation) in an RIA execution environment.
Consequently in the present embodiment, an operation of the
management client program 513 is an operation that conforms to
the RIA execution environment (a computer program that executes
the management client program) . Even in the case in which a
function set that is not installed in the RIA execution
environment that is executed by a client (for instance, a
communication processing, an I/O processing, and a processing
call of a subroutine and an event handler, etc.) is provided
in a development environment that is not the RIA, it can be said
that the function set cannot be used by the management client
program 513.
[0063]
The server 557 has a storage resource 535, an I/F 537, and a
processor (such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit)) 533 that
is coupled to the storage resource 535 and the I/F 537. The
I/F 537 is coupled to a communication network 521, and the server
557 can communicate with a client 555 via the I/F 537.
[0064]
The storage resource 535 has at least a main storage device (a
memory in a quintessential manner) of a main storage device and
an auxiliary storage device for instance. The storage resource
535 can store a computer program that is executed by the
processor 533 and the information that is used by the processor
34
PHT100118IN01W 4
533. More specifically, the storage resource 535 stores a
storage management program 540 and the storage management
information 545 for instance. The storage management program
540 has a task control program 541 and a task monitoring program
i 542. The storage management information 545 has a task
management table 543 and a user table 544. The task control
program 541 registers and executes a storage operation task.
The task monitoring program 542 monitors a change of a status
of a storage operation task. The task management table 543 has
the information related to a storage operation task. The user
table 544 has the information related to a wide variety of
statuses for every user. In addition, the storage management
information 545 can also have the configuration information and
the setting information of the storage system 551 (for instance,
at least one of contents that is displayed on the screen of Fig.
1) . Although it is assumed that at least a part of contents
of the storage management information is received from the
storage system 551, a part of contents of the storage management
information can also be received by other methods (such as a
manual input and acquiring via another computer or a storage
medium) . Although the storage management information 545 also
includes the information related to a hardware failure as a
matter of course, the information related to a hardware failure
can also exist as a part of the configuration information or
35
> PHT100118IN01W
can also exist as a failure history.
[0065]
The storage management processing that is corresponded to a user
operation can be implemented by a cooperative processing of the
storage management program 540, the Web browser 511 (or the RIA
execution environment of a client), and the management client
program 513. As an example of the cooperative processing, there
can be mentioned for instance the following processing:
(Cooperative example 1) The Web browser 511 (or the management
client program 513) stores a part of the storage management
information 545 that is necessary for a user operation that is
executed on a screen that is being displayed and the display
information that has been calculated based on the storage
management information 545 as the temporary information into
the storage resource 505. The display information indicates
not only the information that is displayed but also the control
information that is used for a display processing. A part of
the storage management information 545 is transmitted by the
storage management program 54 0 . Moreover, a part of the display
information can also be calculated and transmitted by the
storage management program 540. The management client program
513 then implement a storage management processing by using the
temporary information to a part of a user operation.
(Cooperative example 2) The storage management program 540
36
PHT100118IN01W
creates and transmits a display image. The Web browser 511 (or
the management client program 513) receives the display image
and executes an actual screen display. The Web browser 511 (or
the management client program 513) receives an input of a user
(a keyboard input and a click location) , and transmits the input
of a user to the storage management program 540.
[0066]
It is not necessary that the management client program 513
communicates with the storage management program 54 0 on a
consistent basis in some cases (in the case in which the
management client program 513 can correspond to a user operation
by the temporary information for instance) . In this case, the
client 555 as a simple element can provide a monitoring work
or a management work to a user. The following descriptions will
be carried out while assuming Cooperative example 1. However,
the following descriptions can also be understood as the
descriptions of Cooperative example 2 by considering that a part
of the management client program 513 is executed by the storage
management program 540 as a matter of course.
[0067]
Fig. 6A shows the configuration of a task management table 543.
[0068]
The task management table 543 has the following information for
every storage operation task for instance:
37
. PHT100118IN01W
(*) a task ID 601 that is an identifier of a storage operation
I task;
(*) a storage ID 602 that is an identifier of a storage system
551 that is an operation target that conforms to a storage
operation task;
(*) a task type 603 that is the information that indicates a
type of a storage operation task;
(*) a user ID 604 that is an identifier of a user who has executed
a work operation for creating a storage operation task;
{*) a status 605 that is a value that indicates a status of a
storage operation task; and
(*) an update time 606 that is the information that indicates
a latest time when a status of a storage operation task was
updated.
As described above, the task management table 543 has the
information related to all storage operation tasks that have
been created by all work operations of a user of at least one
client 555.
As a type of a storage operation task, there can be mentioned
for instance a wide variety of types such as the following types:
(*) creating a logical volume (for instance, a real volume or
a virtual volume) in the storage system 551;
{*) allocating a logical volume that has been created in the
storage system 551 to a host 553 (determining and specifying
38
V PHT100118IN01W
a host 553 and a logical volume that is provided to the host
553) ;
{*) associating a pool (a storage area that has been configured
by a sub storage area of a "page" that is a unit of an allocation)
with a virtual volume that conforms to the Thin Provisioning;
and
(*) associating a real volume in a storage system other than
a storage system that has the virtual volume with a virtual
volume that conforms to the storage virtualization technique.
[0069]
Fig. 6B shows the configuration of a user table 544.
[0070]
The user table 544 has the following information for every user
for instance:
{*) a user ID 611 that is an identifier of a user;
(*) the number of Waiting statuses 612 that is a value that
indicates the number of storage operation tasks that has a
status of "Waiting";
(*) the number of Running statuses 613 that is a value that
indicates the number of storage operation tasks that has a
status of "Running";
(*) the niamber of Finished statuses 614 that is a value that
indicates the number of storage operation tasks that has a
status of "Finished";
39
, PHT100118IN01W
(*) the number of Error statuses 615 that is a value that
• indicates the number of storage operation tasks that has a
status of "Error"; and
(*) the number of alerts 616 that is a value that indicates the
number of alerts (for instance, unresolved alerts).
As described above, the t user table 544 has the information
that indicates a status of a storage operation task that exists,
the number of the storage operation tasks, and the niomber of
alerts for every user.
[0071]
An example of a flow that is executed in the present embodiment
will be described below in detail. In the example, a storage
operation task is an allocation of a logical volume to a host.
Moreover, one user is adopted as an example in the following.
The user is referred to as a "target user" in the following.
The task control program 541 can identify that a user of a client
555 of the other side of a communication is a target user for
the server 557. For instance, a target user can be identified
by a user ID that has been input during a login of a target user.
The storage management program 540 can executed the above
identification by inputting a user ID from a user to a client
555 and by transmitting the user ID to the server 557.
[0072]
As shown in Fig. 7, the following processing is executed on a
40
PHT100118IN01W
tub screen of a tub "Resource":
(*) a user specification of a storage ID "DEF" of a resource
"Storages" is executed for a sub area 181; and
(*) a user specification of a task type "Allocate Storages" is
executed for a sub area 183.
The management client program 513 detects that such a user
specification has been executed via the Web browser 511.
[0073]
A value that is displayed in the second area 120 of Fig. 7 is
a value that is indicated by the number of statuses 612 to 615
and the number of alerts 616 that have registered in the user
table 544 for the server 557 at first. The value that is
indicated by the number of statuses 612 to 615 and the number
of alerts 616 is notified of from the task control program 541
to the management client program 513, and is stored into a
storage resource (such as a memory) 505 of the client 555. The
value that has been stored is then displayed in the second area
120 by the Web browser 505. The value that is indicated by the
number of statuses 612 to 615 and the number of alerts 616 is
a value that indicates the number of storage operation tasks
that belong to a status of "Running", a value that indicates
the number of storage operation tasks that belong to a status
of "Waiting", a value that indicates the number of storage
operation tasks that belong to a status of "Finished", a value
41
»
i. PHT100118IN01W
that indicates the number of storage operation tasks that belong
to a status of "Error", and a value that indicates the number
of alerts in the second area 120. Moreover for instance, "at
first" means a time when a display that contains the first area
110 and the second area 120 is executed on the Web browser screen
101 for the first time.
[0074]
In the case in which the management client program 513 detects
the above described user specification to the Web browser screen
101 shown in Fig. 7, the management client program 513 displays
a dialog box 801 as shown in Fig. 8 and makes the Web browser
screen 101 other than the dialog box 801 be in a disable state
(a state in which a user operation to the Web browser screen
101 is disable) . The dialog box 801 has an input field (that
is also an object) of the information of a type that is required
for allocating a logical volume in a storage system to a host
and a button 803 for executing a display of an allocation plan
that conforms to the information that has been input. It can
also be said that the "plan" is a proposal of the storage
management program 540.
[0075]
In the case in which the information of a wide variety of types
is input to the dialog box 801 by a user operation and a user
specification is executed for the button 803 (the button 803
42
J PHT100118IN01W
is pressed), the management client program 513 transmits the
information of a wide variety of types that have been input to
the server 557. The server 557 creates an allocation plan of
a logical volume based on the information of a wide variety of
types and transmits the information that indicates the plan
(hereafter referred to as the allocation plan information) to
the client 555. The client 555 receives the allocation plan
information, and the management client program 513 displays the
dialog box 901 as shown in Fig. 9. Even at this point of time,
a screen other than the dialog box 901 in the Web browser screen
101 is in a disable state. The dialog box 901 displays the
allocation plan information that has been received by the client
555 and a button 903 for notifying of that the allocation plan
that conforms to the information is arrived at an agreement.
[0076]
In the case in which a user specification is executed for the
button 903 (the button 903 is pressed), the management client
program 513 executes the following processing:
(al) the management client program 513 closes the dialog box
901 as shown in Fig. 10;
{a2) the management client program 513 smoothly (or a little
bit at a time in small steps) reduces a display in the Web browser
screen 101 to be a status object 132 (such as an icon) of a status
type of "Waiting" as shown in Fig. 10;
43
J PHT100118IN01W
(a3) the management client program 513 executes a weak arousal
display for a status object 132 of a status of "Waiting" (more
specifically, executes a highlighting of an icon for a certain
period of time) as shown in Fig. 11;
{a4) the management client program 513 increases a value of the
number of storage operation tasks that belong to a status of
"Waiting" by 1 (and increases a value of the number of statuses
of "Waiting" that has been stored into the storage resource 505
of the client 555 by 1) as shown in Fig. 11;
(a5) the management client program 513 changes a state of the
Web browser screen 101 from a disable state to an enable state
(a state in which a user operation to the Web browser screen
101 is valid) as shown in Fig. 11; and
(a6) the management client program 513 transmits the
information that indicates a storage operation task (hereafter
referred to as the task information) that conforms to the
information (for instance, a content that is displayed as a
plan) that indicates an allocation plan that has been arrived
at an agreement by a target user (an allocation plan that has
been displayed in the dialog box 901) to the task control program
541.
In the case in which the task control program 541 receives the
task information from the client 555, the task control program
541 executes a registration/execution processing of a task.
44
j^ PHT100118IN01W
The task information includes a storage ID ("DEF") and the
information that indicates a type of a task ("Allocate Storage")
for instance.
[0077]
Since a plan that is a source of the task information is created
by the storage management program 540, it is also possible that
an identifier of a plan is transmitted in the above (a6) and
the task control program 541 creates the task information that
is received based on the identifier of a plan that has been
received and the information of a plan in the above processing,
[0078]
Fig. 12 shows a flow of a registration/execution processing of
a task.
[0079]
The task control program 541 executes a registration processing
of a task in the S1201. In other words, the task control program
541 adds the information related to a task that conforms to the
task information to the task management table 543. More
specifically, the task control program 541 executes the
following processing for instance:
(*) the task control program 541 decides a task ID for the storage
operation task and registers the task ID that has been decided
as a task ID 601;
(*) the task control program 541 registers a storage ID that
45
, PHT100118IN01W
is included in the task information as a storage ID 602;
(*) the task control program 541 registers the information that
indicates a task type that is included in the task information
as a task type 603;
(*) the task control program 541 registers "Waiting" as a status
605; and
(*) the task control program 541 registers the information that
indicates a current time (the information that indicates a time
at a point of time of S1201) as an update time 606.
[0080]
In the next place, the task control program 541 executes an
execution processing of a task (the processing that includes
the processing of S1202 to S1206) . As substitute for or in
addition to that the execution processing of a task is executed
after the registration processing of a task (the execution
processing of a task is executed taking the registration
processing of a task as an opportunity) , the execution
processing of a task can also be executed without taking the
execution processing of a task as an opportunity. For instance,
the execution processing of a task can also be executed on a
periodic basis.
[0081]
In the S1202, the task control program 541 specifies the oldest
Waiting task. More specifically, the task control program 541
46
, PHT100118IN01W
I specifies a storage operation task in which a time that is
indicated by an update time 606 is oldest of at least one storage
operation task that has a status 605 of "Waiting" for instance.
[0082]
In the S1203, the task control program 541 modifies the status
605 to be "Running" and updates the update time 606 to be the
information that indicates a time at a point of time of S1203
for the storage operation task that has been specified in the
S1202.
[0083]
In the S1204, the task control program 541 executes the storage
operation task that has been specified in the S1202. More
specifically, the task control program 541 creates a storage
management instruction that is required for executing the
storage operation task, transmits the storage management
instruction to the storage system 551, and receives a result
of the storage management instruction as needed to execute the
storage operation task.
[0084]
In the case in which the storage operation task that has been
executed in the S1204 is terminated (S1205: Yes), the task
control program 541 modifies the status 605 to be "Finished"
and updates the update time 60 6 to be the information that
indicates a time at a point of time of S1206 for the storage
47
PHT100118IN01W
operation task.
[0085]
Fig. 13 shows a flow of a monitoring/display update processing
of a task.
[0086]
The present processing is started by the task monitoring program
542 on a periodic basis (or in a repetitive manner) for instance.
The processing of the S1301 and the subsequent processing are
executed for each of the information 612 to 616. The present
processing will be described using one status as an example
(referred to as a target status in the descriptions of Fig. 13) .
[0087]
In the S1301, the task monitoring program 542 refers to a user
table 544 and specifies the number of the storage operation
tasks that belong to the target status (the number of statuses) .
[0088]
In the S1302, the task monitoring program 542 refers to the task
management table 543 and counts the number of the storage
operation tasks that have the status 605 equivalent to the
target status.
[0089]
In the S1303, the task monitoring program 542 judges whether
or not the number that has been specified in the S1301 and the
number that has been counted in the S1302 are different from
48
. PHT100118IN01W A
each other. In the case in which the result of the judgment
is positive, the S1304 is executed. In the case in which the
result of the judgment is negative, the processing is terminated
for the target status and the S1301 is executed for another
status.
[0090]
In the S1304, the task monitoring program 542 updates the value
that is corresponded to the target status in the user table 544
to be the value that indicates the number that has been counted
i
in the S1302. Moreover, the task monitoring program 542
notifies the management client program 513 of the value that
indicates the number that has been counted in the S1302.
[0091]
In the S1305, the management client program 513 receives he
value that indicates the number that has been counted in the
S1302 from the task monitoring program 542, and updates the
value that indicates the number of the storage operation tasks
that belong to the target status in the second area 120 to be
the value that has been received (the value that indicates the
number that has been counted in the S1302).
[0092]
In the S1306, the management client program 513 judges whether
or not the value after the update in the S1305 is larger than
the value before the update in the S1305 in the second area 120.
49
. PHT100118IN01W
A
In other words, the management client program 513 judges whether
or not the number of the storage operation tasks that belong
to the target status has been increased. In the case in which
the result of the judgment is positive, the S1307 is executed.
In the case in which the result of the judgment is negative,
the processing is terminated for the target status and the S1301
is executed for another status.
[0093]
In the S1307, the management client program 513 executes a weak
arousal display for an icon that is corresponded to the target
status. The S1307 and the S1305 can also be executed at the
same time.
[0094]
The descriptions of the present embodiment have been executed
above. The storage management software can be provided as an
RIA by the present embodiment.
[0095]
Moreover, in the case in which a user operation for executing
a work operation for creating a storage operation task moreover,
the Web browser screen 101 becomes in the disable state and a
work operation screen (such as a dialog box) that is a screen
that is used in a work operation is displayed on the front of
the Web browser screen 101. In the case in which a work
operation is executed via a work operation screen (for instance,
50
, PHT100118IN01W A
in the case in which the information related to a storage
operation task is input) , a status of the storage operation task
that conforms to the work operation is managed as "Waiting".
The disable state of the Web browser screen 101 is then canceled
without an execution or a termination of the storage operation
task. In other word, a work operation for newly creating a
storage operation task can be enabled.
[0096]
In the case in which a plurality of Web browsers is started and
displayed and the same RIA is executed on each of a plurality
of screens (more specifically, a plurality of the RIAs is
executed by accessing Web pages that provide the same RIA in
parallel in the Web browser screen (or in a tub screen of the
Web browser screen) ) , a plurality of user operations are thought
to be possible on the surface. However, it is not always true
that an operation that has been executed by a storage operation
task (process) is reflected to another storage operation task
(process) in an expeditious way from the point of view of a
characteristic of the RIA. As one of causes related to the
reflection, the RIA is a program in which a wide area network
(such as the Internet) is assumed. Even in the case in which
a plurality of the RIAs that have been started is executed by
the same client, each of the RIAs is frequently handled as being
executed by different computers from the point of view of an
51
. PHT100118IN01W
• ^
RIA execution environment. As a result, even in the case in
which a plurality of the RIAs is started by the same client,
the above reflection cannot be executed in an orderly fashion
and a storage management cannot be easily executed.
[0097]
Consequently, even in the case in which the management client
program is an RIA in the present embodiment, it can be said that
a plurality of the information of the storage operation task
can be input in parallel in essence without opening a plurality
of Web browser screens (in other words, in a single Web browser
screen) . More specifically, in the case in which at least one
storage operation task is in a wait state, it can be said that
the information of the storage operation task can be newly input
via a work operation screen that is displayed on the front of
the Web browser screen. As a result, even in the case in which
the management client program 513 is an RIA, a reduction of
operability for a user can be moderated.
[0098]
In accordance with the present embodiment, in the case in which
a status of a storage operation task that is managed by the server
557 is modified, a value that indicates the latest number (the
number after the update) of storage operation tasks that belong
to the status is notified of from the task monitoring program
542 to the management client program 513. The value that is
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corresponded to the status in the second area 120 is then updated
to be the value that has been notified of. Consequently, a user
can know the latest number of storage operation tasks that is
accompanied with a modification of a status of the storage
operation task in an expeditious way.
[0099]
While the preferred embodiments in accordance with the present
invention have been described above, the present invention is
not restricted to the embodiments, and various changes,
modifications, and functional additions can be thus made
without departing from the scope of the present invention as
a matter of course.
[0100]
For instance, for the display device 502 of the client 555, it
can also be possible that the display on the first area 110 is
a display for a plurality of user (for instance, all users) and
the display on the second area 120 is a display for a user of
the client 555. The display for a plurality of user can also
be a list of the information related to a storage operation task
that belongs to Waiting, Running, and Error (hereafter referred
to as a first list) as shown in Fig. 14, or the display for a
plurality of user can also be a list of the information related
to a storage operation task that belongs to Finished (hereafter
referred to as a second list) as shown in Fig. 15. The first
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list and the second list can also include the information that
is included in the task management table 543, can also be
transmitted from the task control program 557 to the management
client program 513, and can also be displayed on the first area
110 by the management client program 513. This is because an
ingenuity on a display of the second area 120 targets a task
of a target user whereby a highlighting is avoided, and on the
other hand, a situation of a task that has been created by another
user must be confirmed as needed in some case (for instance,
in the case of a user of an upper level of each user).
[0101]
Moreover for instance, the processing that has been described
with reference to Fig. 10 and Fig. 11 can also be executed after
the task control program 541 executes a task registration
processing. More specifically, the following flow can also be
executed:
(*) the management client program 513 transmits the information
related to that an allocation plan has been arrived at an I
agreement by a user to the task control program 541;
(*) the task control program 541 receives the information,
executes the task registration processing, and transmits the
information related to the number of storage operation tasks
that belong to a status of "Waiting" (for instance, that the
number has been increased by 1, or the niomber after the
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A
modification) to the management client program 513; and
(*) the management client program 513 receives the information
and executes the processing that has been described with
reference to Fig. 10 and Fig. 11.
[0102]
Moreover, the processing of a wide variety of types that has
been described in the present embodiment can also be executed
by the storage management program 540 or the management client
program 513. However, it is preferable that the server 557 is
in charge of the processing for obtaining the information from
the storage system and the processing for transmitting a
management instruction that is to be configured for the storage
system. This is because since the client 555 can be a computer
that is coupled to the communication network 521 even on a
temporary basis, an installation of a processing for obtaining
the information in a repetitive manner from the storage system
is unsuitable {or the installation is hard to be executed).
Moreover, it is convenient from a point of view of a security
that a management instruction that may cause an elimination of
data or a stoppage of a storage system is transmitted from the
server 557 that has been determined.
[Reference Signs List]
[0103]
101: Web browser screen
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511: Web browser
513: Management client program
541: Task control program
542: Task monitoring program
543: Task management table
544: User table

Claims
A display method implemented by a management system which has
a management computer that is a computer managing a computer
system as a management target and a display computer that is
a computer coupled to the management computer and displaying
information provided from the management computer, wherein:
(a) the display computer displays a management screen that is
a screen has a first area and a second area, and in that case,
(al) in the first area, information related to the computer
system, and an input object for a work operation that is a user
operation for registering a task of a processing to the computer
system into the management computer or an object for displaying
the input object, are displayed; and
{a2) in the second area, a summary view related to at least
one task registered into the management computer is displayed,
wherein the summary view is a view that has a status object for
each status of task, the status object includes an object
indicating a status and a value indicating a number of the tasks
in the status, and wherein there are a waiting status that
represents that an execution of a task is waited, a running
status that represents that a task is being executed, and a
finished status that represents that a task has been finished
as a status of a task,
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(b) the display computer updates a display in the first area
in accordance with a user operation to the first area, and
(c) the management computer detects a modification of a status
of each task that has been registered, transmits task number
information that is information indicating a number of tasks
of the status to the display computer, and the display computer
receives the task number information and updates a value
indicating the number of tasks in the second area in accordance
with the task number information.
[Claim 2]
A display method according to claim 1,
wherein the management screen is a screen that is included in
a Web browser screen that is displayed in the case in which a
Web browser is executed by the display computer,
wherein information that is displayed on the management screen
is information that is displayed in the case in which a
management client program being an RIA is executed by the
display computer,
wherein the display computer is coupled to the management
computer via a wide area network,
wherein (d) the display computer displays the input object on
the front of the management screen in response to a user
operation to the first area, and makes the Web browser screen
to be in a disable state,
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wherein (e) in the case in which the work operation including
an information input is executed to the , input object, the
display computer transmits the input information to the
management computer, the management computer receives the input
information and registers a task according to the input
information, wherein, in this series of processing, the task
registered is managed as a wait state, and wherein the display
computer closes the input object, increases a value indicating
the number of tasks that is in a wait state in the second area,
and cancels the disable state of the Web browser screen, and
wherein, in the (c) , the management computer transmits the task
number information without a request from the display computer.
[Claim 3]
A display method according to claim 2,
wherein an alert object, which includes an object indicating
an alert that occurs in the case in which a hardware failure
of the computer system is detected, and which includes a value
indicating a number of alerts, is displayed in the second area
in addition to a plurality of status objects,
wherein, in case of increasing of a value indicating a number
of alerts in the alert object, the display computer executes
a highlighting until a specific user operation is executed for
a whole or a part of the alert object, and
wherein, in case of updating of a value indicating a number of
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tasks in a certain status object, the display computer executes
a highlighting for a whole or a part of the certain status object
and cancels the highlighting in the case in which a certain
period of time elapses after the highlighting is started, even
if there are no specific user operation after the highlighting.
[Claim 4]
A display method according to claim 3,
wherein a plurality of display computers are coupled to the
management computer,
wherein the management computer has information related to a
task for a plurality of users of the plurality of display
computers, and
wherein information related to a task for at least two users
of the plurality of users is displayed in the first area, and
the summary view related to a task for a user of the display
computer that displays the second area is displayed in the
second area.
[Claim 5]
A display method according to claim 4,
wherein the computer system is a storage system that has a
plurality of logical volumes, and at least one host computer
is coupled to the storage system, and
wherein the work operation to the input object, which is
executed in the (e) , is a user operation for allocating at least
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one of the plurality of logical volumes to any one of the at
least one host computer.
[Claim 6]
A management system comprising:
a management computer that is a computer managing a computer
system as a management target; and
a display computer that is a computer coupled to the management
computer and displaying information that is provided from the
management computer,
wherein:
(a) the display computer displays a management screen that is
a screen that has a first area and a second area, and in that
I case, wherein in the first area, information related to the
computer system, and an input object for a work operation that
is a user operation for registering a task of a processing to
the computer system into the management computer or an object
for displaying the input object, are displayed, wherein in the
second area, a summary view related to at least one task
registered into the management computer is displayed, wherein
the summary view is a view that has a status object for each
status of task, the status object includes an object indicating
a status and a value indicating a number of tasks in the status,
and wherein there are a waiting status that represents that an
execution of a task is waited, a running status that represents
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that a task is being executed, and a finished status that
represents that a task has been finished as a status of a task,
(b) the display computer updates a display in the first area
in accordance with a user operation to the first area, and
(c) the management computer detects a modification of a status
of each task that has been registered and transmits task number
information that is information indicating a number of tasks
of the status to the display computer, and the display computer
receives the task number information and updates a value
indicating the number of tasks in the second area in accordance
with the task number information.
[Claim 7]
A management system according to claim 6,
wherein the management screen is a screen that is included in
a Web browser screen that is displayed in the case in which a
Web browser is executed by the display computer,
wherein information that is displayed on the management screen
is information that is displayed in the case in which a
management client program that is an RIA is executed by the
display computer,
wherein the display computer is coupled to the management
computer via a wide area network,
wherein (d) the display computer displays the input object on
the front of the management screen in response to a user
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operation to the first area, and makes the Web browser screen
to be in a disable state,
wherein (e) in the case in which the work operation including
an information input is executed to the input object, the
display computer transmits the input information to the
management computer, the management computer receives the input
information and registers a task according to the input
information, wherein, in this series of processing, the task
is managed as a wait state, and wherein the display computer
closes the input object, increases a value indicating the number
of tasks that is in a wait state in the second area, and cancels
the disable state of the Web browser screen, and
wherein, in the (c) , the management computer transmits the task
number information without a request from the display computer.
[Claim 8]
A management system according to claim 6,
wherein an alert object, which includes an object indicating
an alert that occurs in the case in which a hardware failure
of the computer system is detected, and which includes a value
indicating a number of alerts, is displayed in the second area
in addition to a plurality of status objects,
wherein, in the case of increasing of a value indicating a number
of alerts in the alert object, the display computer executes
a highlighting until a specific user operation is executed for
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a whole or a part of the alert object, and
wherein, in the case of updating of a value indicating a number
of tasks in a certain status object, the display computer
executes a highlighting for a whole or a part of the certain
status object and cancels the highlighting in the case in which
a certain period of time elapses after the highlighting is
started, even if there are no specific user operation after the
highlighting.
[Claim 9]
A management system according to claim 6,
wherein a plurality of display computers are coupled to the
management computer,
wherein the management computer has information related to a
task for a plurality of users of the plurality of display
computers, and
wherein information related to a task for at least two users
of the plurality of users is displayed in the first area, and
the summary view related to a task for a user of the display
computer that displays the second area is displayed in the
second area.
[Claim 10]
A management system according to claim 6,
wherein the computer system is a storage system that has a
plurality of logical volumes, and at least one host computer
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is coupled to the storage system, and
wherein the work operation to the input object is a user
operation for allocating at least one of the plurality of
logical volumes to any one of the at least one host computer.
[Claim 11]
A computer program to be executed by a display computer that
is coupled to a management computer that is a computer managing
a computer system as a management target and that is a computer
displaying information provided from the management computer,
the computer program making the display computer to execute the
following processing:
(a) displaying a management screen that is a screen that has
a first area and a second area, and in that case, wherein in
the first area, information related to the computer system, and
an input object for a work operation that is a user operation
for registering a task of a processing to the computer system
into the management computer or an object for displaying the
input object, are displayed, wherein in the second area, a
summary view related to at least one task registered into the
management computer is displayed, wherein the summary view is
a view that has a status object for each status of task, the
status object includes an object indicating a status and a value
indicating a number of tasks of the status, and wherein there
are a waiting status that represents that an execution of a task
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is waited, a running status that represents that a task is being
executed, and a finished status that represents that a task has
been finished as a status of a task,
(b) updating a display in the first area in accordance with a
user operation to the first area, and
(c) receiving information that indicates a number of tasks in
I accordance with a modification of a status of a task registered
in the management computer, from the management computer, and
updating a value indicating a number of tasks in the second area
in accordance with the task number information.
[Claim 12]
A computer program according to claim 11,
wherein the computer program is a RIA,
wherein the management screen is a screen that is included in
a Web browser screen that is displayed in the case in which a
Web browser is executed by the display computer,
wherein the display computer is coupled to the management
computer via a wide area network,
wherein the computer program making the display computer to
execute the following processing:
(d) displaying the input object on the front of the management
screen in response to a user operation to the first area, and
making the Web browser screen to be in a disable state, and
(e) in the case in which the work operation includes an
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information input is executed to the input object, transmitting
the input information to the management computer, closing the
input object, increasing a value indicating a number of tasks
that is in a wait state in the second area, and cancelling the
disable state of the Web browser screen.
[Claim 13]
A management system according to claim 11,
wherein an alert object, which includes an object indicating
an alert that occurs in the case in which a hardware failure
of the computer system is detected, and which includes a value
indicating a number of alerts, is displayed in the second area
in addition to a plurality of status objects,
wherein the computer program making the display computer
execute the following processing:
in the case of increasing of a value indicating a number of alerts
in the alert object, executing a highlighting until a specific
user operation is executed for a whole or a part of the alert
object; and
in the case of updating of a value indicating a number of tasks
in a certain status object, executing a highlighting for a whole
or a part of the certain status object, and cancelling the
highlighting in the case in which a certain period of time
elapses after the highlighting is started, even if there are
no specific user operation after the highlighting.
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[Claim 14]
A computer program according to claim 11,
wherein a plurality of display computers are coupled to the
management computer,
wherein the management computer has information related to a
task for a plurality of users of the plurality of computers for
a display, and
wherein information related to a task for at least two users
of the plurality of users is displayed in the first area, and
the summary view related to a task for a user of the display
computer that displays the second area is displayed in the
second area.
[Claim 15]
A computer program according to claim 11,
wherein the computer system is a storage system that has a
plurality of logical volumes, and at least one host computer
is coupled to the storage system, and
wherein the work operation to the input object is a user
operation for allocating at least one of the plurality of
logical volumes to any one of the at least one host computer.