System and method for monitoring computer system resource performance

Abstract

According to the present invention, policies are prepared for a plurality of resources residing in a computer system comprising a storage system for copying data from a copy source volume to a copy target volume, and an evaluation is carried out for an evaluation-target resource of the plurality of resources for determining whether or not to execute a predefined action based on the policy of this evaluation-target resource. A policy corresponding to a resource related to copying of the plurality of resources is determined based on a time period related to the copying.

1 . A management device, which monitors the performance of a plurality of resources residing in a computer system comprising a storage system for copying data from a copy source volume to a copy target volume, the management device comprising:
 a policy determination unit that determines a policy corresponding to a resource related to the copying in policy information expressing a plurality of polices corresponding to the plurality of resources, based on a time period related to the copying; and   a resource evaluation unit that determines whether or not to execute a predefined action based on a policy of the plurality of policies, which corresponds to an evaluation-target resource of the plurality of resources, using a performance value of this evaluation-target resource.   
     
     
         2 . The management device according to  claim 1 , wherein the resource related to copying is the copy target volume; and
 the policy determination unit references tier management information expressing the relationship between a plurality of tiers and a plurality of resources of the storage system, to determine a policy corresponding to the copy target volume subsequent to the copying having ended, based on the performance value and/or policy of a resource belonging to a first tier to which the copy source volume of the plurality of logical volumes belongs, and the performance value and/or policy of a resource belonging to a second tier to which the copy target volume of the plurality of logical volumes belongs.   
     
     
         3 . The management device according to  claim 2 , wherein the policy is a threshold, which is compared against the performance value of a resource; and
 the policy determination unit determines a threshold corresponding to the copy target volume based on the performance value of a resource belonging to the first tier, and on the performance value of a resource belonging to the second tier.   
     
     
         4 . The management device according to  claim 2 , wherein the policy is an interval of time for executing an evaluation, which is a determination as to whether or not to execute an action based on the performance value of a resource; and
 the policy determination unit determines an evaluation time interval corresponding to the copy target volume based on both the evaluation time interval of a resource belonging to the first tier and the evaluation time interval of a resource belonging to the second tier, or on the evaluation time interval of a resource belonging to the second tier.   
     
     
         5 . The management device according to  claim 2 , further comprising a history manager, which adds information expressing the corresponding relationship between an identifier of the copy source volume and a policy corresponding to this copy source volume, to history information expressing the history of the corresponding relationship, and
 when either the copy target volume or the second tier to which this copy target volume belongs coincides with either the copy source volume specified from the history information or the tier to which this copy source volume belongs, the policy determination unit determines either the policy corresponding to this copy source volume, or the policy corresponding to another logical volume belonging to this tier to be the policy of the copy target volume.   
     
     
         6 . The management device according to  claim 1 , wherein the policy determination unit references path management information expressing which resource belongs to which path, to specify a resource, which directly and indirectly belongs to a path belonging to the copy source volume, and a resource, which directly and indirectly belongs to a path belonging to the copy target volume, as the resources related to the copying, and determines, for the specified resources, a certain-period policy which corresponds to a certain period from immediately subsequent to the end of the copying until a fixed time has elapsed, and
 during the certain period, the resource evaluation unit uses the performance value of the evaluation-target resource to determine whether or not to execute an action based on the determined certain-period policy.   
     
     
         7 . The management device according to  claim 6 , wherein the certain-period policy is a stricter policy than the policy for a period subsequent to the certain period. 
     
     
         8 . The management device according to  claim 7 , wherein the policy is either a time interval for executing an evaluation, which is a determination as to whether or not to execute an action based on the performance value of a resource, or the number of performance values acquired in an evaluation time interval, and
 the evaluation time interval for the certain period is shorter than the evaluation time interval for a period subsequent to the certain period, and the number for the certain period is larger than the number acquired subsequent to the certain period.   
     
     
         9 . The management device according to  claim 6 , further comprising an action execution controller for validating the determined certain-period policy subsequent to the end of the copying, and
 if the certain-period policy is not valid, the resource evaluation unit does not execute a determination based on this certain-period policy, and if this certain-period policy is valid, the resource evaluation unit executes a determination based on this certain-period policy.   
     
     
         10 . The management device according to  claim 1 , wherein the policy determination unit references path management information expressing which resource belongs to which path, to specify resources belonging directly and indirectly to a path over which data passes during copying from the copy source volume to the copy target volume as the resources related to the copying, and determines a copy-period policy, which corresponds to an execution period of the copying, for the specified resources, and
 during the copy execution period, the resource evaluation unit uses the performance value of the evaluation-target resource to determine whether or not to execute an action based on the determined copy-period policy.   
     
     
         11 . The management device according to  claim 10 , wherein the policy is either a threshold which is compared against the performance value of a resource, an interval of time for executing an evaluation, which is a determination as to whether or not to execute an action based on the performance value of a resource, or the number of performance values acquired during an evaluation time interval, and
 the policy determination unit determines either a copy-period threshold, evaluation time interval, or number of performance values corresponding to the specified resource to be either a pre-defined value, or a value obtained by correcting this value.   
     
     
         12 . The management device according to  claim 10 , wherein, if it is determined during the copy execution period to execute an action for the evaluation-target resource, the resource evaluation unit indicates to the storage system to suspend or retard the copying as the action execution. 
     
     
         13 . The management device according to  claim 10 , further comprising an action execution controller for validating the determined copy-period policy during the copy period, and
 if the copy-period policy is not valid, the resource evaluation unit does not execute a determination based on this copy-period policy, and if this copy-period policy is valid, the resource evaluation unit executes a determination based on this copy-period policy.   
     
     
         14 . The management device according to  claim 1 , further comprising an action execution controller for controlling the execution of an action,
 wherein the policy determination unit references path management information expressing which resource belongs to which path, to specify resources, which belong directly and indirectly to a path belonging to the copy source volume, and resources, which belong directly and indirectly to a path belonging to the copy target volume, as the resources related to the copying, and determines, for these specified resources, a policy which is stricter than the policy for a period subsequent to the certain period, as a certain-period policy corresponding to a certain period from immediately subsequent to the end of the copying until a fixed time has elapsed, and references the path management information to specify resources belonging directly and indirectly to a path over which data passes during copying from the copy source volume to the copy target volume as the resources related to the copying, and determines for these specified resources a copy-period policy corresponding to the copy execution period;   the action execution controller validates the determined copy-period policy during the copy period, and validates the certain-period policy subsequent to the copy having ended; and   the resource evaluation unit uses the performance value of the evaluation-target resource to determine whether or not to execute an action based on the policy, which has been validated.   
     
     
         15 . The management device according to  claim 14 , wherein the policy determination unit references tier management information expressing the relationship between a plurality of tiers and a plurality of resources of the storage system, to determine a valid policy corresponding to the copy target volume subsequent to the copy having ended, based on the performance value and/or policy of a resource belonging to a first tier to which the copy source volume of the plurality of logical volumes belongs, and the performance value and/or policy of a resource belonging to a second tier to which the copy target volume of the plurality of logical volumes belongs. 
     
     
         16 . The management device according to  claim 1 , further comprising an action execution controller for controlling the execution of an action,
 wherein the policy determination unit references tier management information expressing the relationship between a plurality of tiers and a plurality of resources of the storage system, to determine a valid policy corresponding to the copy target volume subsequent to the copy having ended, based on the performance value and/or policy of a resource belonging to a first tier to which the copy source volume of the plurality of logical volumes belongs, and the performance value and/or policy of a resource belonging to a second tier to which the copy target volume of the plurality of logical volumes belongs, and references path management information expressing which resource belongs to which path, to specify resources, which belong directly and indirectly to a path belonging to the copy source volume, and resources, which belong directly and indirectly to a path belonging to the copy target volume, as the resources related to the copying, and determines, for these specified resources, a policy which is stricter than the policy for a period subsequent to the certain period, as a certain-period policy corresponding to a certain period from immediately subsequent to the end of the copying until a fixed time has elapsed;   the action execution controller validates the determined certain-period policy subsequent to the copy having ended; and   the resource evaluation unit uses the performance value of the evaluation-target resource to determine whether or not to execute an action based on the policy, which has been validated.   
     
     
         17 . The management device according to  claim 1 , further comprising an action execution controller for controlling the execution of an action,
 wherein the policy determination unit references tier management information expressing the relationship between a plurality of tiers and a plurality of resources of the storage system, to determine a valid policy corresponding to the copy target volume subsequent to the copy having ended, based on the performance value and/or policy of a resource belonging to a first tier to which the copy source volume of the plurality of logical volumes belongs, and the performance value and/or policy of a resource belonging to a second tier to which the copy target volume of the plurality of logical volumes belongs, and references path management information expressing which resource belongs to which path, to specify resources belonging directly and indirectly to a path over which data passes during copying from the copy source volume to the copy target volume as the resources related to the copying, and determines, for these specified resources, a copy-period policy corresponding to an execution period of the copying;   the action execution controller validates the determined copy-period policy during the copy period; and   the resource evaluation unit uses the performance value of the evaluation-target resource to determine whether or not to execute an action based on the policy, which has been validated.   
     
     
         18 . A computer system, comprising:
 a storage system for copying data from a copy source volume to a copy target volume of a plurality of logical volumes;   a host computer for issuing an I/O command, which specifies any of the plurality of logical volumes;   a relay device for relaying an access command sent from the host computer;   a policy determination unit for determining, based on a time period related to the copying, a policy corresponding to a resource related to the copying in policy information expressing a plurality of policies corresponding to a plurality of resources related to the storage system, the host computer, and the relay device; and   a resource evaluation unit for using the performance value of an evaluation-target resource to determine whether or not to execute a predefined action based on a policy of the plurality of policies, which corresponds to this evaluation-target resource of the plurality of resources.   
     
     
         19 . A resource monitoring method, comprising the steps of:
 determining, based on a time period related to copying, a policy corresponding to a resource related to the copying in policy information expressing a plurality of policies corresponding to a plurality of resources residing in a computer system comprising a storage system for copying data from a copy source volume to a copy target volume; and   determining, by using the performance value of an evaluation-target resource, whether or not to execute a predefined action based on a policy of the plurality of policies, which corresponds to this evaluation-target resource of the plurality of resources.   
     
     
         20 . A computer program which causes a computer to execute the steps of:
 determining, based on a time period related to copying, a policy corresponding to a resource related to the copying in policy information expressing a plurality of policies corresponding to a plurality of resources residing in a computer system comprising a storage system for copying data from a copy source volume to a copy target volume; and   determining, by using the performance value of an evaluation-target resource, whether or not to execute a predefined action based on a policy of the plurality of policies, which corresponds to this evaluation-target resource of the plurality of resources.