Storage management command control in virtualized environment

1. A method for creating a command device in a storage system in a server virtualization environment, the storage system being coupled to a host computer having a virtual machine, the host computer including a memory and a processor, the method comprising:

receiving a command device registration request to register the command device as a storage device for command transmission, the command device to be used in the virtual machine of the host computer;

creating a virtual device by allocating a storage area of the storage system to the virtual device; and

mounting the virtual device as the command device to the virtual machine in which the command device is used.

2. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

sending to the storage system the command device registration request and address information of the storage area which is allocated to the virtual device.

3. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving the command device registration request from the host computer; and

creating command device mapping information, which includes information to identify the command device, information to identify a type of the command device, information to identify command device volume of the command device, and address information of the virtual device.

4. A method according to claim 3 , further comprising:

receiving, by the host computer, a write request command specifying an address of the storage area and containing write data;

checking whether the write request command is directed to the command device; and

if the write request command is directed to the command device, executing the write data in the write request command as a command.

5. A method according to claim 4 , wherein the checking of whether the write request command is directed to the command device comprises:

checking whether the address of the storage area matches any command device volume in the command device mapping information;

checking whether the command device is a virtual device with reference to the command device mapping information;

if the command device is a virtual device, checking if the address of storage area matches an address registered as the command device in the command device mapping information; and

if the address of the storage area matches the address registered as the command device, judging the write data in the write request command as being a command directed to the command device.

6. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

checking whether the command device registration request contains a request to create a physical device or a virtual device used for a command device.

7. A method according to claim 6 , further comprising, if the command device registration request contains a request to create a physical device:

sending the command device registration request to the storage system;

creating a physical device by allocating a logical volume to the physical device; and

mounting a physical device as a command device to a virtual machine in which the command device corresponding to the physical device is used.

8. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

requesting the virtual machine to execute a write operation to the virtual device; and

in response to the request to execute the write operation, writing dummy data to the virtual device.

9. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the storage area comprises one or multiple storage blocks within a logical volume in the storage system.

10. A system including a host computer coupled to a storage system for creating a command device in a server virtualization environment, the host computer comprising:

a processor, a memory, and one or more virtual machines;

wherein the memory includes a virtualization module and an operating system, one of which is configured to process a command device registration request to register the command device as a storage device for command transmission, the command device to be used in a virtual machine of the host computer; and

wherein the virtualization module is configured to prepare a virtual device by allocating a storage area from a logical volume of the storage system to the virtual device, and mount the virtual device as the command device to the virtual machine in which the command device is used.

11. The system according to claim 10 ,

wherein the memory includes a command device registration module configured to send to the storage system the command device registration request and address information of the storage area which is allocated to the virtual device.

12. The system according to claim 10 ,

wherein the memory includes a command device registration module configured to check whether the command device registration request contains a request to create a physical device or a virtual device used for a command device.

13. The system according to claim 12 , wherein, if the command device registration request contains a request to create a physical device, the command device registration module:

sends the command device registration request to the storage system wherein the physical device is created by allocating a logical volume to the physical device; and

mounts the physical device as a command device to a virtual machine in which the command device corresponding to the physical device is used.

14. The system according to claim 10 ,

wherein the virtualization module is configured to request the virtual machine in which the command device is used to execute a write operation to the virtual device; and

wherein the virtual machine in which the command device is used, in response to the request to execute the write operation, writes dummy data to the virtual device.

15. The system according to claim 10 , further comprising:

an output device having a management window which comprises a first area whereby the virtual machine in which the command device is used is selected and a second area whereby a type of command device is selected.

16. The system according to claim 15 ,

wherein selection of the type of command device comprises selection of a virtual device and a physical device, and

wherein the physical device comprises one or more logical volumes of the storage system, dedicated for use as the command device.

17. A system including a host computer coupled to a storage system for creating a command device in a server virtualization environment, the storage system comprising:

a processor, a memory, and one or more logical volumes;

wherein the memory includes a command device management module configured to process a command device registration request to register the command device as a storage device for command transmission, the command device to be used in a virtual machine of the host computer; and

wherein a virtual device is created by allocating a storage area of the storage system to the virtual device, and is to be mounted as the command device.

18. The system according to claim 17 ,

wherein the memory includes an I/O control module to receive a write request command specifying an address of the storage area and containing write data;

wherein the command device management module is configured to check whether the write request command is directed to the command device; and

wherein if the write request command is directed to the command device, the command device management module transfers the write data in the write request command to a command control program in the memory to be executed as a command.

19. The system according to claim 18 ,

wherein the command device management module processes the command device registration request by creating command device mapping information, which includes information to identify the command device, information to identify a type of the command device, information to identify command device volume of the command device, and address information of the virtual device.

20. The system according to claim 19 , wherein to check whether the write request command is directed to the command device, the command device management module:

checks whether the address of the storage area matches any command device volume in the command device mapping information;

checks whether the command device is a virtual device with reference to the command device mapping information;

if the command device is a virtual device, checks if the address of storage area matches an address registered as the command device in the command device mapping information; and

if the address of the storage area matches the address registered as the command device, judges the write data in the write request command as being a command directed to the command device.