System and method for designing storage area networks

• US 20040080527A1
• Filed: 10/29/2002
• Published: 04/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Elliott, Stephen J.
• Application Number:
  US10/282,684
• Publication Number:
  US 20040080527A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/734
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/145 involving simulating, designing, planning or modelling of a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• 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 user interface allows for simplified design of SANs while providing information for use in analyzing different configurations. Different SAN elements are represented in a user interface and may be selected and configured in different arrangements with real time information provided to design a system for a particular application. Using the interface, the advantages and disadvantages of a particular SAN configuration can be determined with respect to different characteristics of the system, including, price, expected performance and measured performance.

Claims

1. A display system for designing a storage area network, the display system comprising:

a plurality of selectable elements representing components for the storage area network, the plurality of selectable elements adapted for virtual connection; and

a graphical representation of information relating to the storage area network created by the virtual connection of at least some of the plurality of the selectable elements.

2. The display system according to claim 1 wherein the information comprises performance versus price information.

3. The display system according to claim 1 wherein the information comprises storage versus price information.

4. The display system according to claim 1 further comprising a graphical user interface for displaying the plurality of selectable elements and the graphical representation.

5. The display system according to claim 4 wherein the graphical user interface is configured for web-based operation.

6. The display system according to claim 1 wherein the information is adapted to provide notification of a storage area network that is inoperable.

7. The display system according to claim 1 wherein a predetermined set of selectable elements are provided.

8. The display system according to claim 1 wherein the graphical representation is updated based upon changes to a selection of at least some of the plurality of selectable elements creating the storage area network.

9. The display system according to claim 1 further comprising a selection panel having the plurality of selectable elements represented therein and a design panel for designing the storage area network by virtually connecting at least some of the selectable elements from the selection panel.

10. The display system according to claim 9 wherein a base set of selectable elements are initially provided and virtually connected within the design panel.

11. The display system according to claim 4 wherein the selectable elements comprise virtual icons.

12. The display system according to claim 11 further comprising virtual arrows representing the virtual connections.

13. An interface for designing a storage area network, the interface having graphical and textual content and comprising:

a first section having selectable elements representing components of the storage area network, each of the elements having textual content for identification; and

a second section having a graphical representation of selected information relating to the performance of the storage area network configured in the first section.

14. The interface according to claim 13 further comprising a predetermined set of selectable elements.

15. The interface according to claim 14 wherein the predetermined set of selectable elements comprise properties associated with each element.

16. The interface according to claim 15 wherein the properties comprise configuration information.

17. The interface according to claim 13 further comprising a selectable testing button adapted for activation to test a plurality of selectable elements virtually connected within the first section.

18. The interface according to claim 13 wherein the first and second sections are adapted for display on a graphical user interface with the selectable elements represented as icons.

19. An interface for virtually designing and analyzing a storage area network, the interface comprising:

means for identifying the components of the storage area network and virtually connecting the components; and

means for providing performance information relating to the virtually connected components.

20. The interface according to claim 19 further comprising means for testing the virtually connected components.

21. The interface according to claim 19 further comprising means for displaying the virtually connected components.

22. A method of designing and analyzing a storage area network, the method comprising:

virtually connecting a plurality of elements representing components of the storage area network; and

representing graphically performance information relating to the virtually connected plurality of elements.

23. The method according to claim 22 further comprising comparing performance information to price information to be represented graphically.

24. The method according to claim 22 further comprising means for displaying the virtually connected plurality of elements and the graphical performance information.

25. The method according to claim 22 further comprising associating property information with each of the plurality of elements.

26. A system for designing a storage area network, the system comprising:

a display including at least a first portion for displaying a virtual storage area comprising representations of selected components of a storage area network and representations of selected connections between the representations of selected components; and

a second portion for displaying a performance characteristic of the virtual storage area network.

27. The system according to claim 26 wherein the display displays representations of a plurality of possible components of a storage area network, and includes a input device for selecting components from the displayed possible components.

28. The system according to claim 26 further comprising an input device for indicating connections between selected representations of components of a storage area network, and wherein the system displays representations of the indicated connections.

29. The system according to claim 26 wherein the performance characteristic is displayed as a graph of system price versus performance for the configuration of the virtual storage area network.

30. The system according to claim 26 wherein the system further includes a trigger for causing the system to update the display performance characteristics.

31. The system according to claim 26 wherein the system automatically updates the display of performance characteristics when changes are made to the virtual storage area network.

32. A method of designing a storage area network comprising building a virtual storage area network by displaying representations of components of the storage area network selected by a user;

displaying representations of connections between the components of the storage area network indicated by the user; and

displaying a performance characteristic of the virtual storage area network being displayed.

33. The method according to claim 32 wherein the display of the performance characteristic is automatically updated as the user selects or deselects components or changes connections between selected components.

34. The method according to claim 32 wherein the display of the performance characteristic is updated after the user selects or deselects components or changes connections between selected components only upon a specific action by the user to trigger the update.