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Computer systemRelated Patent Categories: Electrical Computers And Digital Processing Systems: Support, Digital Data Processing System Initialization Or Configuration (e.g., Initializing, Set Up, Configuration, Or Resetting)Computer system description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060212692, Computer system. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application relates to and claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-078366, filed on Mar. 18, 2005, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The present invention relates to assignment of volumes (also known as logical units (LUs)) within a storage array system to servers. [0004] 2. Description of the Related Art [0005] In recent years, processors have improved in performance and decreased in size. Concomitantly, development of blade server products each comprising a chassis on which a multiplicity of servers are installed is in progress. Such small-sized servers are not large enough to mount a disk device in each individual server. Therefore, a diskless server incorporating no disk device is frequently adopted. That is, each server is connected with a single storage array system via a SAN (storage area network), so that the storage array system is shared among the servers. [0006] The prior art for sharing a single storage array system among plural servers is disclosed in US2005/0021727A1 (JP-A-2000-259583). Also, a technique for dividing the storage area in a disk device into plural partitions and using them is disclosed (see "Partitions and Method of Creating them", [online], searched on Feb. 8, 2005, Internet<URL: http://nobumasa-web.hp.infoseek.co.jp/partition/partition.html>). SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0007] In the technique disclosed in US2005/0021727A1, logical units to be prepared in constructing a system are made to correspond in number with servers. [0008] On the other hand, in the technique disclosed in the above-cited "Partitions and Method of Creating them", plural operating systems capable of being executed by one server are stored in one logical unit. The single server can selectively run the operating systems (OSes), i.e., only one necessary OS at a time. [0009] The OS referred to herein consists of programs that must be read in immediately after the power supply of the server is turned on. The OS includes a function of initializing the resources of software and hardware in recognition of variations in configuration among individual servers. Therefore, setup information indicating how individual servers must be set up is necessary. Furthermore, there normally exist application programs which are intrinsic to individual servers and start to operate after the OS is booted on each server. Accordingly, with respect to data sets about individual servers, they are preferably stored in their respective logical units for the servers. [0010] On the other hand, if an error occurs in the system and a certain server cannot be activated, it is necessary to investigate the cause of the inability of activation. For this purpose, use of some OS and an application program is necessary. However, a situation in which the OS cannot be booted by the error may take place. Under these circumstances, it is considered that it is useful to previously prepare a maintenance logical unit having a simple structure in which an OS proved to be operable is stored. This is not taken into consideration in the above-described prior art techniques. [0011] In addition, the maintenance logical unit is only required to have a simple structure for checking of operation. Therefore, if logical units corresponding in number with servers are prepared for each server as in the above-described prior art, the efficiency is low. There is the problem that securing these logical units complicates assigning logical units for creating a system used in practice or carrying out the countermeasure against the fault. [0012] One preferred embodiment of the present invention which solves the aforementioned problem lies in a computer system having a first computer for executing a first OS, a second computer for executing a second OS, and a storage array system. The computer system further includes a disk device having a logical unit (LU) in which a boot loader is stored, as well as the first and second OSes. The boot loader is executed on any one of the first and second computers. Any one of the first and second OSes which corresponds to the currently operating computer is read into this computer, where the read OS is executed. [0013] Another preferred embodiment of the present invention lies in a computer system having a first computer, a second computer, a storage array system, and a disk device. This disk device has first, second, and third logical units (LUs). An OS executed by the first computer is stored in the first logical unit. An OS executed by the second computer is stored in the second logical unit. The OSes executed by the first and second computers, respectively, are stored in the third logical unit. The first computer selectively boots the OSes stored in the first and third logical units, respectively, one OS at a time. The second computer selectively boots the OSes stored in the second and third logical units, respectively, one OS at a time. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0014] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the whole configuration of a computer system; [0015] FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a BIOS; [0016] FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a first stage boot loader; [0017] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a second stage boot loader; [0018] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of configuration of a logical unit (LU); [0019] FIG. 6 is a diagram particularly illustrating a master boot record (MBR); [0020] FIG. 7 is another flowchart of the second stage boot loader; Continue reading about Computer system... Full patent description for Computer system Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Computer system patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. 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