Storage area network mapping

• US 20040088366A1
• Filed: 10/31/2002
• Published: 05/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Kellogg, Harry E., Purdy, Paulene M., McDougall, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,019,840 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/213
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0632 by initialisation or re-initialisation of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0686 Libraries, e.g. tape libraries, jukebox

Abstract

A computerized method for determining whether a storage device detected in a SAN is associated with a storage array detected in the SAN, where the storage array has one or more storage devices associated therewith. The computerized method includes obtaining identifying information for the detected storage device, obtaining identifying information for the one or more storage devices associated with the detected storage array, and processing the obtained information to determine whether the detected storage device is one of the one or more storage devices associated with the detected storage array.

Claims

1. A computer device configured for determining whether a storage device detected in a SAN is one of one or more storage devices associated with a storage array detected in the SAN.

2. The computer device of claim 1 wherein the computer device is connected to one or more hosts for the SAN.

3. The computer device of claim 1 wherein the computer device is configured for collecting identifying information for the detected storage device and the one or more storage devices associated with the detected storage array, and for comparing the collected identifying information to detect matches.

4. The computer device of claim 1 wherein the detected storage device is a tape drive, the one or more storage devices are tape drives, and the detected storage array is a tape library.

5. The computer device of claim 4 wherein the computer device is configured to produce a topology map for the SAN which depicts an association between the detected storage device and the detected storage array.

6. A computerized method of determining whether a detected storage device in a SAN is one of one or more storage devices associated with a detected storage array in the SAN, the method comprising:

obtaining identifying information for the detected storage device;

obtaining identifying information for each of the one or more storage devices associated with the detected storage array; and

processing the obtained information to determine whether the detected storage device is one of the one or more storage devices associated with the detected storage array.

7. The computerized method of claim 6 wherein processing includes comparing the identifying information obtained for the detected storage device with the identifying information obtained for each of the one or more storage devices associated with the detected storage array.

8. The computerized method of claim 6 further comprising generating a topology map for the SAN.

9. The computerized method of claim 8 wherein generating includes illustrating a detected association between the detected storage device and the detected storage array.

10. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 6.

11. A computerized method of determining whether a storage device attached to an interface device in a SAN is associated with a storage array in the SAN, the method comprising:

obtaining information identifying the storage device attached to the interface device;

obtaining information identifying each of one or more storage devices associated with the storage array; and

processing the obtained information to determine whether the storage device attached to the interface device is one of the one or more storage devices associated with the storage array.

12. The computerized method of claim 11 wherein processing includes comparing the information identifying the storage device attached to the interface device with the information identifying each of the one or more storage devices associated with the storage array.

13. The computerized method of claim 11 further comprising generating a topology map for at least a portion of the SAN.

14. The computerized method of claim 13 wherein generating includes illustrating a link between the interface device and the storage array upon determining that the storage device attached to the interface device is one of the storage devices associated with the storage array.

15. The computerized method of claim 13 wherein generating includes illustrating an association of the storage device attached to the interface device with the storage array upon determining that the storage device attached to the interface device is one of the storage devices associated with the storage array.

16. The computerized method of claim 11 wherein the interface device is a bridge.

17. The computerized method of claim 16 wherein the bridge is a FC-SCSI bridge.

18. The computerized method of claim 11 wherein the storage array is a tape library and the storage devices are tape drives.

19. The computerized method of claim 11 wherein the information identifying the storage device attached to the interface device is obtained from the interface device.

20. The computerized method of claim 11 wherein the information identifying each of the one or more storage devices associated with the storage array is obtained from the storage array.

21. The computerized method of claim 11 wherein the information identifying the storage device attached to the interface device and the information identifying each of the one or more storage devices associated with the storage array is serial number information.

22. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 11.

23. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 12.

24. A computerized method comprising:

collecting a list of tape drives, bridges and tape libraries in a SAN;

obtaining from each said bridge identifying information for each tape drive attached thereto;

obtaining from each said tape library identifying information for each tape drive associated therewith; and

processing the identifying information obtained for each tape drive connected to one of said bridges and the identifying information obtained for each tape drive associated with one of said tape libraries to identify tape drives that are both connected to one of said bridges and associated with one of said tape libraries.

25. A computerized method of determining whether a tape drive attached to a FC-SCSI bridge in a SAN is associated with a tape library in the SAN, the tape library having a plurality of tape drives associated therewith, the method comprising:

obtaining identifying information for the tape drive attached to the FC-SCSI bridge;

obtaining identifying information for each of the plurality of tape drives associated with the tape library; and

processing the obtained identifying information to determine whether the tape drive attached to the FC-SCSI bridge is one of the plurality of tape drives associated with the tape library.