Information platform and configuration method of multiple information processing systems thereof

Abstract

An information platform system, the configuration thereof is able to change flexibly to meet the needs of the customers, and able to use a single adapter for multiple uses, wherein multiple general-purpose processing modules and dedicated processing modules for processing disks and external networks are connected to one another with switching hubs via respective adapters, and the platform system includes a management module having a system identifier management table specifying system type of the general-purpose processing modules, a functional set management table managing a functional set to be included by the general-purpose processing module of each system identifier, and the configuration management table managing the combination of the general-purpose processing modules and dedicated processing modules, and the management module selects a functional set from multiple functional sets, installs the selected functional set into a general-purpose processing module and an adapter, and manages the system configuration comprising of a general-purpose processing module and a dedicated processing module.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the entire configuration of the information platform system of the first embodiment in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the system configuration management table of the first embodiment in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the system identifier management table of the first embodiment in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the meaning of the system type identifier of the first embodiment in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the functional set management table of the first embodiment in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the functional set management unit of the first embodiment in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of the system identifier management unit of the first embodiment in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of the system configuration management unit of the first embodiment in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a table showing the kinds of system configuration requests of the first embodiment in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing the functional set registration processing of the first embodiment in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing the system configuration request processing of the first embodiment in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a flow chart showing the processing to a new system configuration request of the first embodiment in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 13 is a flow chart showing the module setting and table setting up processing to a new system configuration request of the first embodiment in accordance with the present invention; and

FIG. 14 is a block diagram showing the entire configuration of the information platform system of the second embodiment in accordance with the present invention.

Claims

1. An information platform system comprising: a plurality of general-purpose processing modules;a plurality of dedicated processing modules;a switch hub interconnecting each module via adapters mounted on each module, respectively; anda management module,whereinthe information platform system forms one or more information processing systems constituted from at least one of the general-purpose processing modules, and at least one of the dedicated processing modules as the component thereof,the management module comprises:a system management table managing the correspondence of formed information processing system with the general-purpose processing modules and the dedicated processing modules, both constitute the system;a system identifier management table managing system identifiers associated with each of the plurality of general-purpose processing modules;a functional set management table managing a plurality of functional sets of program groups to be installed for providing the general-purpose processing modules with high performance functions;the management module following to an information processing system configuration request, selecting a functional set from the plurality of functional set pairs, installing the functional set to the general-purpose processing module, and thereby constituting one or more information processing systems.

2. The information platform system according to claim 1, wherein the system identifier management table holds combinations of the system identifier specifying the information processing system whereto the general-purpose processing module belongs and the functional set for the general-purpose processing module, corresponding to the identifier of each general-purpose processing module.

3. The information platform system according to claim 2, wherein the functional set management table holds a combination of an OS, a device driver, and firmware corresponding to the functional set.

4. The information platform system according to claim 1, wherein the management module having a system configuration management unit, the system configuration management unit includes a system identifier management unit managing correspondence of the system processing module to the system identifier, a functional set management unit managing one or more functional sets, a system configuration display unit displaying the information processing system.

5. The information platform system according to claim 1, wherein the system identifier includes an identifier of system form and a unique identifier within a form for either a server, a router, or a storage system.

6. The information platform system according to claim 1, wherein the management module selectively installs a functional set according to a system identifier.

7. The information platform system according to claim 1, wherein the management module includes a verification unit to insure the functional set to be installed operates properly.

8. The information platform system according to claim 1, wherein the switch hub connects the general-purpose processing modules with the dedicated processing modules using the same physical interface.

9. The information platform system according to claim 1, wherein the switch hub receives a request from the adapter, and transmits the request to a route analyzing unit for specifying the address from the request header and to the address specified by the route analyzing unit.

10. The information platform system according to claim 1, wherein the adapter holds the identifier of a general-purpose processing module and the system identifier.

11. The information platform system according to claim 4, wherein the functional set management unit comprises an initialization unit and an installation unit, the initialization unit includes a functional set installation unit registering a functional set and functional set verification unit verifying normal operation of the registered functional set, the installation unit includes a table comparison unit comparing a system identifier on the general-purpose processing module with the information on the system identifier management table, a functional set selection unit selecting a functional set to be installed from a plurality of functional sets recorded on the functional set management table, a functional set installation unit installing the selected functional set in the general-purpose processing module.

12. An information processing system configuration method on a management module comprising; an information processing system, a system configuration management table managing the correspondence of general-purpose processing modules with dedicated processing modules, both constituting the system, a system identifier management table managing system identifier of the information processing system, whereto each of the general-purpose processing modules belong, a functional set management table managing a program group to be installed for the general-purpose processing modules as a functional set, wherein on an information platform having a switch hub interconnecting mutually a plurality of general-purpose processing modules, and a plurality of dedicated processing modules through adapters, each mounted on each module, respectively, and the management module, forming at least one information processing system including at least one of the general-purpose processing modules and at least one of the dedicated processing modules as components thereof, for the management module, the information processing system configuration method, wherein the management module manages a system configuration management table holding the correspondence of the information processing system to be formed to the general-purpose module and the dedicated processing module which constitute the system, a system identifier management table holding the system identifier associated with the general-purpose processing module, a functional set management table setting one or more functional set, and receives a system configuration request from the outside, the management module comprises the steps of:selecting one or more general-purpose processing modules and dedicated processing modules according to the system configuration request, selecting a functional set to be installed in the selected general-purpose processing modules from the function sets registered into the functional management table, installing the selected functional set to the selected general-purpose processing modules, and after installation updating the management table managing correspondence of a system identifier and a system configuration.

13. The information processing system configuration method according to claim 12, wherein the system identifier management table holds correspondence of the identifier of a general-purpose processing module to a system identifier, and a functional set identifier.

14. The information processing system configuration method according to claim 12, wherein the functional set is a combination of an OS, a device driver, and a firmware.

15. The information processing system configuration method according to claim 12, wherein the system identifier has an identifier indicating the system type either of a server, a router, or a storage system, a unique identifier for every system type.

16. The information processing system configuration method according to claim 12, wherein the system configuration request includes the information processing system type, the number of composition modules, and the identifier of a function set.

17. The information processing system configuration method according to claim 12, wherein the system configuration request includes new configuration request, configuration expansion request, configuration degeneration request, configuration delete request, and a function change request.

18. The information processing system configuration method according to claim 12, wherein when the management module receives the system configuration request, returns the list of functional set to be installed to a management console.

19. An information platform system having a plurality of general-purpose processing modules, a plurality of dedicated processing modules, and a switch hub interconnecting each module mutually via adapters each adapter mounted on each module, the information platform system forming one or more information processing system, with at least one of the general-purpose processing modules and at least one of the dedicated processing modules as the components thereof, wherein the management module includes the system configuration management table managing correspondence of the information processing system, to the general-purpose processing modules and the dedicated processing modules, both modules constituting the system, a system identifier management table managing the system identifiers associated with the general-purpose processing modules, and a functional set management table managing one or more functional sets, the management module, according to a system configuration request, adds a function to a general-purpose processing module by installing the functional set corresponding to the system identifier and uses the general-purpose processing module as a component of either of a server, a router, or a storage system.

20. The information platform system according to claim 1, wherein the adapter holds a subset of the system configuration management table.