Methods and apparatus for management of mixed protocol storage area networks

• US 20030204580A1
• Filed: 04/25/2002
• Published: 10/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Tevis, Gregory John, Baldwin, Duane Mark, Merbach, David Lynn
• Granted Patent: US 7,398,326 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• 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 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

The invention provides improvements on a digital data processing system of the type having a first set of hosts, storage devices or other components coupled for communication with a first network manager. A second set of components is likewise coupled to a second network manager. Communications between the network managers and their respective sets of components utilize different protocols, the first network manager referring to components of the first set with identifiers that are unique to those respective components under the first protocol, and the second network manager referring to components of the second set with identifiers that are unique to those respective components under the second protocol.

Claims

2. In a digital data processing system according to claim 1, the further improvement wherein the first network manager facilitates management of components of the second set.

11. A heterogeneous networked digital data processing system comprising

a first network comprising one or more components coupled for communication under a first protocol,

a second network comprising one or more components coupled for communication under a second protocol that differs from the first protocol,

a first network manager coupled to the first network and identifying one or more components thereon,

a second network manager coupled to the first network manager and to the second network, the second network manager identifying one or more components on the second network and transmitting information regard such component(s) to the first network manager,

the first network manager identifying from the transmitted information one or more components on the second network that are also on the first network.

12. A heterogeneous networked digital data processing system according to claim 11, wherein the first protocol is an internet protocol (IP) and the second protocol is a fiber channel protocol (FCP).

13. A heterogeneous networked digital data processing system according to claim 12, wherein the identifiers of the first type are IP addresses and the identifiers of the second type are FCP identifiers.

14. A heterogeneous networked digital data processing system according to claim 13, wherein the first network manager facilitates management of components of the second set.

15. A heterogeneous networked digital data processing system according to claim 13, wherein the first network manager compares the identifier of the first type provided with information regarding a component of the second set to determine if that component is also in the first set.

16. A heterogeneous networked digital data processing system according to claim 15, comprising

a console that is coupled with the first network manager,

the first network manager generating a display for application to the console that includes one or more components of the second set.

17. A heterogeneous networked digital data processing system according to claim 16, the further improvement wherein the first network manager generates the display to identify one or more components of the second set that are also components of the first set.

18. A heterogeneous networked digital data processing system comprising

a first network comprising one or more components coupled for communication under a first protocol,

a second network comprising one or more components coupled for communication under a second protocol that differs from the first protocol,

a first network manager coupled to the first network and communicating therewith using identifiers of the first type, each identifier being unique to each component with which the first network manager communicates under that protocol with respect to the other components in that network,

the first network manager identifying one or more components on the first network,

a second network manager coupled to the second network and communicating therewith using identifiers of the second type, each identifier being unique to each component with which the second network manager communicates under that protocol with respect to the other components in that network,

the second network manager coupled to the first network manager transmitting thereto information regard at least one component to the first network manager, the second network manager providing with that information an identifier of the first type, that identifier coinciding an identifier of a component in the first set if that component is in both sets,

the first network manager identifying from the transmitted information one or more components on the second network that are also on the first network.

1. In digital data processing system of the type having

a first set of one or more components coupled for communication with a first network manager via a first protocol, the first network manager identifying each such component with an identifier of a first type, the identifier being unique to that component under that protocol with respect to the other components in the first set,

a second set of one or more components coupled for communication with a second network manager via a second protocol, the second network manager identifying each such component with an identifier of a second type, the identifier being unique to that component under that protocol with respect to the other components in the second set,

wherein the first and second protocols differ,

the improvement wherein

the second network manager is coupled with the first network manager and transmits thereto information regarding at least one component in the second set, the second network manager providing with that information an identifier of the first type, that identifier coinciding an identifier of the first set if that component is in both sets.

6. In a digital data processing system according to claim 1, the further improvement wherein the first protocol is an internet protocol (IP) and the second protocol is a fiber channel protocol (FCP).

7. In a digital data processing system according to claim 6, the further improvement wherein the identifiers of the first type are IP addresses and the identifiers of the second type are FCP identifiers.

8. In a digital data processing system according to claim 1, the further improvement wherein the components comprise any of host devices and storage devices.

9. In a digital data processing system according to claim 1, the further improvement wherein at least one of the sets of components comprise storage area network.

10. In a digital data processing system according to claim 9, the further improvement wherein the first set of components comprise an IP storage area network and the second set of components comprise an FCP storage area network.

19. A heterogeneous networked digital data processing system according to claim 18, wherein the first protocol is an internet protocol (IP) and the second protocol is a fiber channel protocol (FCP).

20. A heterogeneous networked digital data processing system according to claim 19, wherein the identifiers of the first type are IP addresses and the identifiers of the second type are FCP identifiers.

21. A heterogeneous networked digital data processing system according to claim 20, wherein the first network manager manages components of the second set.

21-1. A heterogeneous network according to claim 18, wherein the first network manager generates the display to identify components on the first network that are iSCSI components.

22. A heterogeneous networked digital data processing system according to claim 20, wherein the first network manager compares the identifier of the first type provided with information regarding a component of the second set to determine if a component of the second set is also in the first set.

3. In a digital data processing system according to claim 1, wherein the first network manager compares the identifier provided with information regarding the component of the second set with identifiers of components in the first set determine if the component of the second set is also in the first set.

4. In a digital data processing system according to claim 2, comprising

a console that is coupled with the first network manager,

the first network manager generating a display for application to the console that represents one or more components of the second set.

5. In a digital data processing system according to claim 3, the further improvement wherein the first network manager generates the display to identify one or more components of the second set that are also components of the first set.

23. A heterogeneous networked digital data processing system according to claim 22, comprising

a console that is coupled with the first network manager,

the first network manager generating a display for application to the console that represents one or more components on the second network.

24. A heterogeneous networked digital data processing system according to claim 23, the further improvement wherein the first network manager generates the display to identify one or more components of the second set that are also components of the first set.

25. A heterogeneous network according to claim 18, wherein the first network manager generates the display to include one or more components on the first network.

26. The method of claim 25, comprising generating the display to identify one or more components of the second set that are also components of the first set.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein the first protocol is any of an internet protocol (IP) and a fiber channel protocol (FCP), and wherein the second protocol is the other of said IP and FCP.

22-2. A method of operating a network manager (hereinafter, “

first network manager”

), the method comprising

communicating with a first set of one or more network components via a first protocol and identifying each such component with an identifier of a first type, the identifier being unique to that component under that protocol with respect to the other components in the first set,

receiving information regarding at least one component in a second set of one or more network components, that information including an identifier of the first type, the information being received from a second network manager that (i) communicates with the second set of network components via a second protocol and (ii) identifies each such component with an identifier of a second type unique to that component under that protocol with respect to the other components in the second set,

using said information to determine whether the component in which it regards is common to the first and second sets.

23-3. The method of claim 22, comprising using the information in the first network manager to manage the second set of components.

24-4. The method of claim 22, comprising comparing the identifier provided with information with identifiers of components in the first set to determine if the component in which the information regards is also in the first set.

25-5. The method of claim 22, comprising generating with the first network manager a display for application to the console that represents one or more components of the second set.

28. A method of operating a manager (hereinafter, “

second network manager”

) of a second set of network components, the method comprising

communicating with the second set of network components via a second protocol and identifying each such component with an identifier of a second type, the identifier being unique to that component under that protocol with respect to the other components in the second set,

generating for use by a first network manager information regarding at least one component in the second set of components, that information including an identifier of a first type, that first type being a type used by the first manager in communications with components of the first set via a first protocol, the generated identifier coinciding with an identifier of the first set of components if the component in which it regards is in both first and second sets.

29. A method of operating a network manager (hereinafter, “

first network manager”

), the method comprising

communicating with a first set of one or more network components via a first protocol and identifying each such component with an identifier of a first type, the identifier being unique to that component under that protocol with respect to the other components in the first set,

receiving information regarding at least one component in a second set of one or more network components, that information including an identifier of the first type, the information being received from a second network manager that (i) communicates with the second set of network components via a second protocol and (ii) identifies each such component with an identifier of a second type unique to that component under that protocol with respect to the other components in the second set,

using said information in the first network manager to provide at least selected management functions with respect to the second set of components.