Storage area network resource management

• US 20020143942A1
• Filed: 09/11/2001
• Published: 10/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sarnoff Corporation (SRI International, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sarnoff Corporation (SRI International, Inc.)
• Inventors: Li, Hua, Alonso, Rafael
• Application Number:
  US09/950,501
• Publication Number:
  US 20020143942A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• 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 storage area network (SAN) resource manager is adapted to provide common management of storage devices in a network that comprises a heterogeneous SAN in which different storage devices are separately managed by different SAN subsystems management applications that communicate with storage device management agents residing on the storage devices to set operational parameters of and receive management information from the storage devices. The SAN resource manager communicates with the SAN subsystems management applications, causing each SAN subsystems management application to set operational parameters of and receive management information from the storage devices it manages and to communicate received management information to the SAN resource manager. The SAN resource manager may also manage SAN networking devices, so that all SAN resources are under common management. The SAN resource manager may be operated as a stand-alone application or may be integrated with higher level management applications to place SAN resources under common management with other network resources.

Claims

1. A storage area network (SAN) resource manager for use in a network that comprises a heterogeneous SAN, said SAN having a plurality of servers, a plurality of storage devices, at least one networking device interconnecting said servers and said storage devices, and a plurality of SAN subsystems management applications, each of said SAN subsystems management applications managing one or more storage devices by communicating with a storage device management agent residing on said storage device to set operational parameters of and receive management information from said storage device, said SAN resource manager comprising a server application adapted to reside on one of said servers and communicate with said SAN subsystems management applications causing each said SAN subsystems management application to set operational parameters of and receive management information from the storage devices it manages and to communicate received management information to said server application, wherein said SAN resource manager is adapted to provide common management of said storage devices.

2. The invention of claim 1, wherein said SAN resource manager includes a database and stores management information received by said server application in said database.

3. The invention of claim 1, wherein said SAN resource manager includes a client GUI application adapted to communicate with said server application to manage said storage devices.

4. The invention of claim 1, wherein said SAN resource manager includes an integration module adapted to enable a storage resource manager, an enterprise management application, or other higher level management application to communicate with said server application to manage said storage devices.

5. The invention of claim 1, wherein said SAN resource manager includes a native management module adapted to enable said server application to communicate with and directly manage said storage devices.

6. The invention of claim 1, wherein said SAN resource manager includes a plurality of wrapper modules, each said wrapper module being adapted to mediate communication between said server application and one of said SAN subsystems management applications.

7. The invention of claim 1, wherein said networking device has a networking device management agent residing thereon, and wherein said SAN resource manager is adapted to communicate with said networking device management agent to cause said networking device management agent to set operational parameters of said networking device and to communicate management information regarding said networking device to said SAN resource manager.

8. The invention of claim 1, wherein said SAN resource manager includes:

a database, said SAN resource manager storing management information received by said server application in said database;

at least one of a client GUI application and an integration module, said client GUI application being adapted to communicate with said server application to manage said storage devices, and said integration module being adapted to enable a storage resource manager, an enterprise management application, or other higher level management application to communicate with said server application to manage said storage devices;

a native management module adapted to enable said server application to communicate with and directly manage said storage devices; and

a plurality of wrapper modules, each said wrapper module being adapted to mediate communication between said server application and one of said SAN subsystems management applications.

9. A method of managing a heterogeneous storage area network, said network having a plurality of servers, a plurality of storage devices, at least one networking device interconnecting said servers and said storage devices, and a plurality of SAN subsystems management applications, each of said SAN subsystems management applications managing at least one storage device by communicating with a storage device management agent residing on said storage device to set operational parameters of and receive management information from said storage device, comprising the steps of:

communicating from a SAN resource manager to said SAN subsystems management applications causing each said SAN subsystems management application to set operational parameters of and receive management information from the storage devices it manages and to communicate received management information to said SAN resource manager; and

receiving, in said SAN resource manager, management information communicated by said SAN subsystems management applications,

wherein said SAN resource manager provides common management of said storage devices.

10. The invention of claim 9, further comprising the step of storing management information received by said SAN resource manager in a database.

11. The invention of claim 9, further comprising the step of controlling the operation of said SAN resource manager by a client GUI application.

12. The invention of claim 9, further comprising the step of controlling the operation of said SAN resource manager by a storage resource manager, an enterprise management application, or other higher level management application.

13. The invention of claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

communicating from said SAN resource manager to at least one of said storage device management agents causing said storage device management agent to set operational parameters of the storage devices it manages and to communicate management information from the storage devices it manages to said SAN resource manager; and

receiving, in said SAN resource manager, management information communicated by said storage device management agent,

whereby said SAN resource manager provides direct management of said storage device.

14. The invention of claim 9, wherein said communicating step includes communicating between a wrapper module comprising said SAN resource manager and said SAN subsystems management applications.

15. The invention of claim 9, wherein said networking device has a networking device management agent residing thereon, said networking device management application setting operational parameters of said networking device in response to received communications and communicating management information regarding the networking device, further comprising the step of said SAN resource manager communicating with said networking device management agent to manage said networking device.

16. The invention of claim 9, wherein said communicating step includes communicating between a wrapper module comprising said SAN resource manager and said SAN subsystems management applications, further comprising the steps of:

storing management information received by said SAN resource manager in a database;

controlling the operation of said SAN resource manager by a client GUI application or by a storage resource manager, an enterprise management application, or other higher level management application;

communicating from said SAN resource manager to at least one of said storage device management agents causing said storage device management agent to set operational parameters of the storage devices it manages and to communicate management information from the storage devices it manages to said SAN resource manager; and

receiving, in said SAN resource manager, management information communicated by said storage device management agent.

17. A machine-readable medium, having encoded thereon program code, wherein, when the program code is executed by a machine, the machine implements a method of managing a heterogeneous storage area network, said network having a plurality of servers, a plurality of storage devices, at least one networking device interconnecting said servers and said storage devices, and a plurality of SAN subsystems management applications, each of said SAN subsystems management applications managing at least one storage device by communicating with a storage device management agent residing on said storage device to set operational parameters of and receive management information from said storage device, comprising the steps of:

communicating from a SAN resource manager to said SAN subsystems management applications causing each said SAN subsystems management application to set operational parameters of and receive management information from the storage devices it manages and to communicate received management information to said SAN resource manager; and

receiving, in said SAN resource manager, management information communicated by said SAN subsystems management applications,

wherein said SAN resource manager provides common management of said storage devices.

18. A network including a heterogeneous storage area network (SAN), said network comprising:

a plurality of servers;

a plurality of storage devices, each of said storage devices having a storage device management agent residing thereon, each said storage device management agent setting operational parameters of the storage device on which it resides in response to received communications and communicating management information regarding the storage device on which it resides;

at least one networking device interconnecting said servers and said storage devices in a storage area network;

a plurality of SAN subsystems management applications, each residing on one of said servers and managing one or more of said storage devices, each SAN subsystems management application managing at least one storage device by communicating with the storage device management agent residing on said storage device to set operational parameters of and receive management information from said storage device; and

a SAN resource manager residing on one of said servers and communicating with said SAN subsystems management applications, said SAN resource manager causing each said SAN subsystems management application to set operational parameters of and receive management information from the storage devices it manages and to communicate received management information to said SAN resource manager, wherein said SAN resource manager provides common management of said storage devices.