Storage area network methods and apparatus for topology rendering

• US 20030167327A1
• Filed: 10/05/2001
• Published: 09/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Li, Raymond M., Baldwin, Duane Mark, Merbach, David Lynn, Cudmore, Sean P., Habib, Irfan Asif, Medlyn, William Allen, Carey, James Horan
• Granted Patent: US 7,430,593 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/225
• 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]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display

Abstract

A storage area network (“SAN”) includes one or more digital data processors that are coupled for communication with one or more storage devices (e.g., LUNs) over an interconnect. The improvement provides a mechanism for hierarchically displaying, e.g., on the administrator console or other output device, portions of the SAN topology. It includes a process that generates for application to the output device a plurality of graphical objects that represent “segments” of the SAN and/or components of the SAN, along with the interconnections between them. Thus, for example, a first graphical object displayed on the output device can represent a first segment of the SAN. A second graphical object can represent either a second segment of the SAN or a component (e.g., host or storage device) of the SAN. And, a third graphical object can represent the portion of the interconnect that couples the segments/component represented by the first and second graphical objects. The process selectively responds to operator/ administrator selection of any of the graphical objects that represent a segment by regenerating the display to depict the interconnected segments and/or components that make up that segment.

Claims

1. In a storage area network (“

SAN”

) of the type including one or more digital data processors coupled for communication with one or more storage devices over an interconnect, the digital data processors and storage devices collectively being referred to as “

components,”

the improvement for effecting display on an output device of at least a portion of a topology of the SAN, the improvement comprising

a process that is coupled to the output device and that generates for application thereto signals for effecting display thereon of a plurality of graphical objects, a first of which represents a first segment of the SAN, a second of which represents any of a second segment of the SAN or first component of the SAN, and a third of which represents at least a portion of the interconnect supporting communications between any of the segments and component represented by the first and second graphical objects, where a segment of the SAN comprises a plurality of components coupled for communication by the interconnect,

the process selectively responding to operator selection of any of the first and second graphical objects representing a segment of the SAN by generating signals for application to the output device for effecting display thereon of one or more graphical objects representing any of segments and components making up that segment.

2. In the SAN of claim 1, the further improvement wherein the process generates signals for effecting alternate display of any of (i) a component having a selected status, and (ii) a segment that includes a components having such status.

3. In the SAN of claim 1, the further improvement wherein the process generates signals for effecting alternate display of any of (i) a component having a failure status, and (ii) a segment that includes a components having such status.

4. In the SAN of claim 1, the further improvement wherein the process selectively responds to operator selection of one or more of the graphical objects by generating output representative of one or more properties of the component represented by the selected graphical object.

5. In the SAN of claim 4, the further improvement wherein the process generates the output for application to the output device for graphical display of the one or more properties.

6. In the SAN of claim 1, the further improvement wherein the process generates signals for application to the output device for effecting display thereon of one or more navigation objects representing any of the segments and component represented by the first and second graphical objects, the process responding to selection of any of the navigational object(s) representing a segment of the SAN by generating signals for application to the output device for effecting display thereon of one or more graphical objects representing any of segments and components making up that segment.

7. In the SAN of claim 6, the further improvement wherein the process generates signals for application to the output device for effecting display thereon of one or more navigation objects representing any of the segments and component not represented by the first and second graphical objects, the process responding to selection of any of the navigational object(s) representing a segment of the SAN by generating signals for application to the output device for effecting display thereon of one or more graphical objects representing any of segments and components making up that segment.

8. In the SAN of claim 6, wherein the process generates the signals to effect display of the graphical objects and navigational objects in separate display panels on the output device.

9. In a storage area network (“

SAN”

) of the type including one or more digital data processors coupled for communication with one or more storage devices over an interconnect, the digital data processors and storage devices collectively being referred to as “

components,”

the improvement comprising

a graphical display device,

a further digital data processor (“

manager”

) coupled to one or more of the components via a network and coupled to the graphical display device, the further digital data processor comprising

a store that maintains a topology model representing any of actual and possible communications between the components via the interconnect,

a process coupled to the store that selectively effects display on the graphical display device of a plurality of graphical objects, a first of which represents a first segment of the SAN, a second of which represents any of a second segment of the SAN or first component of the SAN, and a third of which represents at least a portion of the interconnect supporting actual or possible communications between any of the segments and component represented by the first and second graphical objects, where a segment of the SAN comprises a plurality of components coupled for communication by the interconnect.

10. In the SAN of claim 9, the further improvement wherein the process responding to operator selection of any of the first and second graphical objects representing a segment of the SAN by effecting display on the graphical display device of one or more graphical objects representing any of segments and components making up that segment.

11. In the SAN of claim 10, wherein the interconnect comprises fiber channel media and wherein the network comprises an IP network.

12. In method of operating a storage area network (“

SAN”

) of the type including one or more digital data processors coupled for communication with one or more storage devices over an interconnect, the digital data processors and storage devices collectively being referred to as “

components,”

the improvement for displaying a topological model of the SAN comprising the steps of

display on an output device of a plurality of graphical objects, a first of which represents a first segment of the SAN, a second of which represents any of a second segment of the SAN or first component of the SAN, and a third of which represents at least a portion of the interconnect supporting communications between any of the segments and component represented by the first and second graphical objects, where a segment of the SAN comprises a plurality of components coupled for communication by the interconnect,

responding to operator selection of any of the first and second graphical objects representing a segment of the SAN by generating signals for application to the output device for effecting display thereon of one or more graphical objects representing any of segments and components making up that segment.

13. In the method of claim 12, the further improvement comprising responding to operator selection of one or more of the graphical objects by displaying one or more properties of the component represented by the selected graphical object.

14. In the method of claim 12, the further improvement comprising displaying on the output device one or more navigation objects representing any of the segments and component represented by the first and second graphical objects, responding to selection of any of the navigational object(s) representing a segment of the SAN by generating signals for application to the output device for effecting display thereon of one or more graphical objects representing any of segments and components making up that segment.

15. In the method of claim 14, the further improvement comprising

displaying on the output device one or more navigation objects representing any of the segments and component not represented by the first and second graphical objects,

responding to selection of any of the navigational object(s) representing a segment of the SAN by generating signals for application to the output device for effecting display thereon of one or more graphical objects representing any of segments and components making up that segment.

16. In the method of claim 15, the further improvement comprising displaying the graphical objects and navigational objects in separate display panels on the output device.

17. A method of operating a storage area network (“

SAN”

) of the type including one or more digital data processors coupled for communication with one or more storage devices over an interconnect, the digital data processors and storage devices collectively being referred to as “

components,”

the method comprising

maintaining a representation of a topology of the SAN,

displaying on a graphical output device at least a portion of the topology of the SAN, the displaying step including displaying a plurality of hierarchically related graphical objects, at least one of the graphical objects representing any of a segment of a SAN, another of the graphical objects representing any of a segment of the SAN and a component of the SAN, and still another of the graphical objects representing an interconnect between the segments and/or component represented by the other graphical objects, where a segment of the SAN comprises a plurality of components coupled for communication by the interconnect, and where a component of the SAN includes any of a storage device and a digital data processor,

responding to selection of a graphical object that represents a segment of the SAN by displaying a further portion of the topology of the SAN hierarchically related to the selected graphical object.

18. A method of claim 17, wherein comprising

communicating between one or more storage devices that comprise components of the SAN and one or more digital data processors that comprise components of the SAN over a first network,

executing the displaying steps on a manager digital data processor that is coupled to the one or more components of the SAN via a second network.

19. A method of claim 17, comprising responding to operator selection of one or more of the graphical objects by generating output representative of one or more properties of the component represented by the selected graphical object.

20. A method of claim 17 comprising

displaying on the output device one or more further graphical objects that represents any of segments of the SAN and components of the SAN that are not hierarchically direct descendants of the other displayed graphical objects, responding to selection of such further graphical object by displaying a further portion of the topology of the SAN including any of the component and segment represented thereby.

21. A method of claim 17 comprising displaying in alternate form any of (i) a component having a selected status, and (ii) a segment that includes a components having such status.

22. A method of claim 21 comprising displaying in alternate form any of (i) a component having a failure status, and (ii) a segment that includes a components having such status.