System and method for redirecting data generated by network devices

• US 20020069340A1
• Filed: 12/06/2000
• Published: 06/06/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daedalus Blue LLC
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Schenk, Jeffery A., Tindal, Glen
• Granted Patent: US 8,219,662 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

A system and method for efficiently and easily capturing data dumps generated by a network device is disclosed. In one embodiment, a storage management device is disposed between a network device and a storage device. The network device is programmed with a virtual address that is associated with the storage management device. Upon generating a data dump, the network device writes the data dump to the virtual address where the storage management device receives the data dump and redirects it to a long-term storage location. Additionally, the storage management device can generate a record of each data dump that indicates the network device that generated the data dump and where the data dump was stored.

Claims

1. A method for capturing a data dump generated by a network device, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving the data dump from the network device;

recording an identity indicator for the network device from which the date dump was received;

redirecting the received data dump to a storage device; and

recording the identity of the storage device to which the data dump was transferred;

wherein the identity of the storage device is recorded in association with the recorded identity indicator for the network device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

writing the data dump to a virtual address.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of:

reading the virtual address from a memory associated with the network device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

storing the received data dump in the storage device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

recording the identity indicator for the network device in a configuration record that is unique to the network device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration record is stored remotely from the network device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of redirecting comprises the step of:

redirecting the received data dump to a remote storage device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

posting a data dump indicator to a network manager.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of posting a data dump indicator further comprises the steps of:

posting the identity indicator to the network manager; and

posting the identity of the storage device to the network manager.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of:

executing a predefined action responsive to the data dump indicator being posted to the network manager.

11. A system for capturing a data dump generated by a network device, the system comprising:

means for receiving a data dump from a network device;

means for routing the received data dump to a storage device;

means for recording the identity of the network device from which the data dump was received; and

means for recording the address of the storage device in association with the recorded identity of the network device.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

means for storing the routed data dump.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

means for generating an indication that a data dump was received from the network device.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

means for determining a response to the generated indication.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the determined response comprises at least one of resetting the network device and taking the network device offline.

16. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

means for writing the data dump to a virtual address.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

means for determining the virtual address to which the data dump should be written.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the means for receiving the data dump is addressable via a virtual address.

19. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

means for determining the address of the storage device.

20. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

means for buffering the data dump.

21. A system for capturing a data dump generated by network device, the system comprising:

an interface connectable to the network device, the interface configured to receive the data dump generated by the network device;

a process manager connected to the interface, the process manager configured to transfer the received data dump to a first storage device; and

a second storage device connected to the process manager, the second storage device configured to store an allocation table.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the allocation table comprises a network allocation table.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the second storage device is configured to store the address of the first storage device and wherein the process manager is configured to access the second storage device and retrieve the address of the first storage device prior to transferring the received data dump.

24. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

a buffer connected to the interface, the buffer for storing the data dump received by the interface.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the process manager comprises:

a daemon.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein the process manager is further configured to write an entry to the allocation table indicating an identity for the network device that generated the data dump and the identity of the first storage device.

27. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

a directory in communication with the process manager, the directory configured to store a configuration record unique to the network device.

28. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

a storage device connected to the interface, the storage device configured to store the transferred data dump.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the allocation table comprises a network allocation table.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein the second storage device is configured to store the address of the first storage device and wherein the process manager is configured to access the second storage device and retrieve the address of the first storage device prior to transferring the received data dump.

32. The system of claim 29, further comprising:

a buffer connected to the interface, the buffer for storing the data dump received by the interface.

33. The system of claim 29, wherein the process manager comprises:

a daemon.

34. The system of claim 29, wherein the process manager is further configured to write an entry to the allocation table indicating an identity for the network device that generated the data dump and the identity of the first storage device.

35. The system of claim 29, further comprising:

a directory in communication with the process manager, the directory configured to store a configuration record unique to the network device.

36. The system of claim 29, further comprising:

a storage device connected to the interface, the storage device configured to store the transferred data dump.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the plurality of instructions are further configured to cause the at least a first processor to perform the step of:

writing the data dump to a virtual address.

39. The system of claim 37, wherein the plurality of instructions are further configured to cause the at least a first processor to perform the step of:

reading the virtual address from a memory associated with the network device.

40. The system of claim 37, wherein the plurality of instructions are further configured to cause the at least a first processor to perform the step of:

storing the received data dump in the storage device.

41. The system of claim 37, wherein the plurality of instructions are further configured to cause the at least a first processor to perform the step of:

recording the identity indicator for the network device in a configuration record that is unique to the network device.

42. The system of claim 37, wherein the configuration record is stored remotely from the network device.

43. The system of claim 37, wherein the plurality of instructions are configured to cause the at least a first processor to perform the steps of redirecting by:

transferring the received data dump to a remote storage device.

44. The system of claim 37, wherein the plurality of instructions are further configured to cause the at least a first processor to perform the step of:

posting a data dump indicator to a network manager.

45. The system of claim 37, wherein the plurality of instructions are further configured to cause the at least a first processor to perform the steps of posting a data dump indicator by:

posting the identity indicator to the network manager; and

posting the identity of the storage device to the network manager.

46. The system of claim 37 wherein the plurality of instructions are further configured to cause the at least a first processor to perform the step of:

executing a predefined action responsive to the data dump indicator being posted to the network manager.

47. The system of claim 37, wherein the plurality of instructions are configured to cause at least a first processor to perform the step of transferring by:

redirecting the received data.

29. A system for capturing a data dump generated by a network device, the system comprising:

an interface connectable to the network device, the interface configured to receive the data dump generated by the network device;

a process manager connected to the interface, the process manager configured to transfer the received data dump to a first storage device; and

a second storage device connected to the process manager, the second storage device configured to store an allocation table.

37. A system for capturing a data dump generated by a network device, the system comprising:

at least a first processor configured to generate instructions;

at least a first memory device connected to the processor;

a plurality of instructions stored on the memory device, the plurality of instructions configured to cause the at least a first processor to perform the steps of;

receiving the data dump from the network device;

recording an identity indicator for the network device from which the data dump was received;

transferring the received data dump to a storage device; and

recording the identity of the storage device to which the data dump was redirected;

wherein the identity of the storage device is recorded in association with the recorded identity indicator for the network device.