Storage network and method for storage network device mapping

• US 20050050191A1
• Filed: 04/26/2004
• Published: 03/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walter A. Hubis
• Original Assignee: Walter A. Hubis
• Inventors: Hubis, Walter A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,424,529 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 31/18 for HIV
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 35/00 Antineoplastic agents
• 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 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD
• 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

Structure, system, apparatus, method, and computer program for managing and configuring a computer storage system and which are well suited for managing and configuring array controllers in a storage subsystem by mapping the topology and connectivity of all servers, storage devices, and storage device controllers within the storage subsystem, based on unique identifiers especially WWN identifiers. A method for collecting connection information for a computer system having a server, at least one device controller coupled to the server, and a client coupled with the server. The method includes querying the server to identify host bus adapters coupled to it, querying each host bus adapter to identify attached device controllers, issuing a read connection information command to the device controller and returning the connection results including identifying devices coupled to the device controller, and storing the returned connection results in a data structure. In one embodiment, the connection results include a server identifier, a host bus adapter identifier corresponding to the server, and a device controller identifier, and the data structure comprises a server identification table and at least one host bus adapter connection table associated with a particular host bus adapter. In other aspects, the invention includes a computer program in the form of computer software and/or computer firmware implementing the inventive procedures and method, a computer program product storing the inventive computer program in tangible form, a device controller utilizing the structure and method of the invention, and a computer system incorporating the inventive mapping method.

Claims

1. A method for generating a connection topology for a computer system of the type having at least one server, and at least one device controller coupled to said server through a host bus adapter, said method comprising:

(a) querying said server to identify all host bus adapters coupled to said server;

(b) querying each identified host bus adapter to identify all device controllers attached to each said identified host bus adapter;

(c) issuing a read connection information command to each said identified device controller through the host bus adapter identifying the host bus adapter WWN to the device controller and requesting a response identifying the WWN for the device controller and for the host bus adapter to which the device controller is connected;

(d) receiving, for each said identified device controllers, connection results identifying a first WWN of the device controller and a second WWN of the host bus adapter to which the device controller is connected;

(e) storing the returned connection results in a data structure; and

(f) generating a connection topology from the data structure identifying the topology of said computer system including the topology of the at least one server and all controllers that are coupled to said server.

2. The method in claim 1, wherein at least one of said device controller WWN identifies a storage array device controller coupled to said host bus adapter.

3. The method in claim 1, wherein:

said data structure comprises a server identification table and at least one host bus adapter connection table associated with a particular host bus adapter; and

each said server identification table stores at least one server WWN identifier, and each host bus adapter is linked to at least one server table by a pointer and stores at least one device controller WWN identifier.

6. The method in claim 1, wherein:

said host bus adapters comprise SCSI-based fibre channel arbitrated loop bus adapters;

said device controller is coupled for communication to said host bus adapters by a communication channel including a Fiber Channel arbitrated loop channel;

said device controllers comprise RAID storage device array controllers;

said data structure comprises a host bus adapter connection table;

said computer system comprises a distributed computer system having a plurality of servers and a plurality of storage subsystems;

said computer network includes a RAID storage area network (SAN); and

said device comprise multiple storage subsystems connected to multiple server systems.

7. The method in claim 6, wherein said method further comprises the step of sending messages using a messaging protocol that permits a storage configuration tool to identify storage subsystems on said storage area network, and said messaging protocol is substantially independent of the operating system and channel type.

9. The method in claim 1, wherein:

said host bus adapters comprise Fibre Channel arbitrated loop bus adapters, said read connection information command comprises a Read Fibre Connection Information command, and said Read Fibre Connection Information command returns a fibre channel port WWN of a device controller; and

said Read Fibre Connection Information command returns a host bus adapter WWN of a fibre channel host bus adapter to which an array storage device is connected.

11. The method in claim 1, wherein said querying of said server is initiated by a request from an external client computer and said connection results are returned to said client computer, and said connection results identify all connections between a device controller and at least one server to said client.

12. The method in claim 11, wherein said server comprises an configuration server application software computer program executing on a server computer, and said client comprises a configuration client application software computer program executing on a computer selected from the group consisting of a client computer and said server computer.

13. The method in claim 12, wherein said server computer includes a plurality of host bus adapters and said disk array controller includes a plurality of Fibre Channel Ports, each of these host bus adapters and fibre channel ports being associated with a WWN.

14. The method in claim 12, wherein said configuration server application software computer program allows specific configuration and control commands to be sent by the server computer to the storage array controller from the configuration client.

15. The method in claim 12, wherein said storage array controller comprises a Fibre Channel compliant RAID controller.

16. The method in claim 12, wherein said configuration server application software computer program allows information from said device controller to be sent to the configuration client.

26. The method in claim 1, wherein the generating of a connection topology includes generating a graphical connection topology on a display device, the graphical display showing a complex connection of server(s), device controller(s), and storage system(s) to be mapped for the purpose of managing and configuring storage device controllers.

27. The method in claim 1, wherein said querying to identify all server host bus adapters is performed in response to a request by a client communicating with said server.

28. The method in claim 1, wherein:

said read connection information command comprises a SCSI read connection information command; and

said first WWN is to a particular port of the device controller when the device controller includes a plurality of device ports, and said second WWN is to a particular port of the host bus adapter when the host bus adapter includes a plurality of adapter ports.

29. The method in claim 1, wherein:

the computer system includes a plurality of servers and the method further includes, prior to generating the topology, repeating each of the querying identified host adapter, issuing read connection information command, receiving connection results, and storing connection results steps for each server and generating a topology for the plurality of servers of the computer system including displaying devices and device controllers that are attached to single servers and to multiple servers.

30. The method in claim 1 wherein the data structure comprises:

a server table having;

(i) a server entry for each server identified to the computer system that is connected to least one device controller, each entry having a pointer to a particular host bus adapter connection table, the host bus adapter table capable of being different for each entry;

(ii) an end of controller list entry in the host bus adapter connection tables containing a predetermined indicator to indicate the end of the list of device controllers attached to the host bus adapter; and

(iii) a next host adapter entry in the in the host bus adapter connection tables including a pointer to the next host bus adapter connection table for that server where such next host bus adapter connection table exists or some other indicator to denote that there are no further host bus adapters attached to that server;

the host bus connection table containing the WWN of each host bus adapter connected to a server and the WWN of each device controller connected to the host bus adapter; and

an instantiation of the host bus adapter connection table being stored on the or each of the servers in the computer system, and each instantiation of the host bus adapter connection table storing the WWN of the server host bus adapter in a first position of the host bus adapter connection table and a list if WWNs for each device controller attached to that host bus adapter in other positions of the host bus adapter connection table.

4. (Cancelled)

5. (Cancelled)

8. (Cancelled)

10. (Cancelled)

17. A read connection information command for collecting connecting information and generating a network topology of a computer system including for components coupled to a server, said components selected from the group consisting of bus adapters, device controllers, and devices coupled to said device controllers, said read connection information command comprising:

a direct command operation code field identifying the command to be executed; and

an allocation length field indicating the number of bytes the initiator has allocated for information returned in connection with execution of said command;

said information returned being selected from the group consisting of an identifier of the Initiator issuing the command, an identifier of the controller receiving the command, an identifier of the partner controller, and combinations thereof.

19. The read connection information command in claim 17, wherein said identifier of the Initiator issuing the command comprises a WWN of the Initiator issuing the command, said identifier of the controller receiving the command comprises a WWN of the controller receiving the command, and said identifier of the partner controller comprises a WWN of the partner controller.

18. (Cancelled)

20. A computer program product for use in conjunction with a computer system of the type having at least one server, and at least one device controller coupled to said server through a host bus adapter, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium and a computer program mechanism embedded therein, the computer program mechanism, comprising:

(a) querying said server to identify all host bus adapters coupled to said server;

(b) querying each identified host bus adapter to identify all device controllers attached to each said identified host bus adapter;

(c) issuing a read connection information command to each said identified device controller through the host bus adapter identifying the host bus adapter WWN to the device controller and requesting a response identifying the WWN for the device controller and for the host bus adapter to which the device controller is connected;

(d) receiving, for each said identified device controllers, connection results identifying a first WWN of the device controller and a second WWN of the host bus adapter to which the device controller is connected;

(e) storing the returned connection results in a data structure; and

(f) generating a connection topology from the data structure identifying the topology of said computer system including the topology of the at least one server and all controllers that are coupled to said server.

21. A RAID storage subsystem controller for use in a computer system of the type having at least one server, said RAID storage subsystem controller being coupled with said sever via a host bus adapter, said RAID storage subsystem controller comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to said processor storing procedures and data, said data including a host interface connection table storing a host interface identifier and at least one storage system controller identifier, said procedures including a configuration client procedure;

a host interface input/output processor;

a RAID storage device interface input/output processor;

means responsive to a query from the host bus adapter to store a WWN of a host bus adapter and to identify a WWN of the device controller; and

means responsive to a read connection information command from said host bus adapter to said device controller to return the connection topology results determined by said command including identifying a WWN of the requesting host bus adapters and a WWN of the device controller receiving the request.

22. The RAID storage subsystem controller in claim 21, wherein:

said storage subsystem comprises a RAID disk array storage subsystem;

said host interface input/output processor comprises a Fibre Channel input/output processor;

said host interface identifier comprises a Fiber Channel input/output processor WWN;

said configuration client communicating configuration and control commands to said storage array controller; and

said configuration client communicates said configuration and control commands to said storage array controller via a configuration server.

23. A system for collecting connection information for a network computer system comprising:

a server;

at least one device controller coupled to said server by a first communication channel;

a client coupled in communication with said server;

means querying said server to identify all host bus adapters coupled thereto;

means querying each host bus adapter to identify all device controllers in communication with said host bus adapter;

means issuing a read connection information command to said device controller through the host bus adapter and returning the connection topology results determined by said command including identifying a WWN of at least one of the host bus adapters and a WWN of at least one of the device controllers;

means receiving the connection results identifying the WWN of the device controller and the WWN of the host bus adapter to which the device controller is connected;

means storing the returned connection results in a data structure; and

means generating a connection topology from the data structure identifying the topology of said computer system including the topology of the at least one server and all controllers that are coupled to said server.

24. The system in claim 23, wherein:

said host bus adapters comprise Fibre Channel arbitrated loop bus adapters and said read connection information command comprises a SCSI Read Fibre Connection Information command;

said SCSI Read Fibre Connection Information command returns a fibre channel port WWN of a device controller;

said SCSI Read Fibre Connection Information command returns a host bus adapter WWN of a fibre channel host bus adapter to which an array storage device is connected;

said a SCSI read connection information command comprises;

instructions for collecting connecting information for components coupled to said server, said components selected from the group consisting of bus adapters, device controllers, and devices coupled to said device controllers; and

has a command structure including;

(i) a direct command operation code field identifying the command to be executed; and

(ii) an allocation length field indicating the number of bytes the initiator has allocated for information returned in connection with execution of said command;

said SCSI read connection information command returns connection information selected from the group consisting of an identifier of an initiator issuing the command, an identifier of the controller receiving the command, an identifier of the partner controller, and combinations thereof;

said identifier of the Initiator issuing the command comprises a WWN of the Initiator issuing the command, said identifier of the controller receiving the command comprises a WWN of the controller receiving the command, and said identifier of the partner controller comprises a WWN of the partner controller;

said connection results include a server identifier, a host bus adapter identifier corresponding to said server, and at least one device controller identifier corresponding to a device controller coupled to said host bus adapter;

said data structure comprises a server identification table and at least one host bus adapter connection table associated with a particular host bus adapter;

each said server identification table stores at least one server identifier, and each host bus adapter is linked to at least one server table by a pointer and stores at least one device controller identifier;

said means querying said server to identify all host bus adapters coupled thereto includes at least a first computer program instruction;

said means querying each host bus adapter to identify all device controllers attached on said communication channel includes at least a second computer program instruction;

said means issuing a read connection information command to said device controller and returning the connection results determined by said command including identifying all devices coupled to said device controller includes at least a third computer program instruction; and

said means storing the returned connection results in a data structure includes at least a fourth computer program instruction.

25. A method for collecting connection information and generating a graphical system topology in a system of the type comprising at least one disk array controller coupled to at least one configuration server, the configuration server having a host bus adapter, the method comprising:

generating a SCSI read fibre connection information command in the configuration server;

issuing the SCSI read fibre connection information command to the at least one disk array controller through the host bus adapter;

receiving a first WWN of the host bus adapter and a second WWN of the disk array controller responsive to the SCSI read fibre connection information command for each disk array controller and each host bus adapter;

storing the received first and second WWN in a data structure; and

generating a graphical connection topology diagram from the data stored in the data structure identifying the connection topology of said computer system including the topology of the at least one configuration server and all host bus adapters and array controllers having a WWN coupled to the configuration server.