Assigning logical storage units to host computers

• US 20050125538A1
• Filed: 12/03/2003
• Published: 06/09/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Tawil, Ahmad H.
• Application Number:
  US10/727,215
• Publication Number:
  US 20050125538A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/226
• 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

Methods, systems, and computer programs are disclosed for assigning logical storage units to host computers in an information handling system. The method includes associating an application program to one or more storage units and assigning each storage unit to an associated host computer.

Claims

1. A method for assigning one or more storage units to one or more host computers in an information handling system, the method comprising:

associating one or more application identifiers and one or more storage unit identifiers to form one or more associations, each application identifier identifying an application of a host computer, each storage unit identifier identifying a storage unit of the information handling system; and

for each of the one or more associations, assigning each storage unit identified by each storage unit identifier to each host computer having the application identified by each associated application identifier.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the association module includes a mapping table having one or more rows, each row of the mapping table including a storage unit identifier, and an application identifier, each row of the mapping table forming an association of a storage unit and an application.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each application identifier includes a node name and a port name of a host bus adapter of the host computer having the application identified by the application identifier.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the node name includes a World-Wide Name (WWN).

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the port name includes a World-Wide Name (WWN).

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the storage unit identifier includes a logical unit number (LUN).

7. A method for permitting access to one or more storage units in an information handling system, the method comprising:

associating an application identifier and a storage unit identifier to form an association, each application identifier identifying an application of a host computer, each storage unit identifier identifying a storage unit of the information handling system;

receiving, at one of the one or more storage units, a request from a host, the request including a request application identifier; and

permitting access to the one of the one or more storage units if the identifier of the one of the one or more storage units, and the request application identifier have an association in the association module.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the association module includes a mapping table having one or more rows, each row of the mapping table including a storage unit identifier, and an application identifier, each row of the mapping table forming an association of a storage unit and an application.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein each application identifier includes a node name and a port name of a host bus adapter of the host computer having the application identified by the application identifier.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the node name includes a World-Wide Name (WWN).

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the port name includes a World-Wide Name (WWN).

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the storage unit identifier includes a logical unit number (LUN).

13. The method of claim 7, wherein creating an association module includes

selecting an application identifier;

and

assigning one or more of the one or more storage units to the host computer having the application identified by the application identifier.

14. A method for installing an application in a host computer of an information handling system, the information handling system including one or more storage units, the method comprising:

booting the host computer, the host computer including an application, the application having an application identifier;

selecting an application identifier;

assigning one or more of the one or more storage units to the host, the assigned one or more storage units being associated with the application identifier to form an association; and

installing the application on the host computer.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

booting the host computer;

selecting an application identifier, the application identifier being associated with a desired application;

configuring the host computer to include the application identifier; and

booting the host computer.

16. An information handling system for assigning one or more storage units to one or more host connections, the system comprising:

one or more host computers having one or more applications, each of the one or more applications having an application identifier;

a storage medium interfaced with the one or more host computers, the storage medium including one or more storage units, each storage unit having a storage identifier;

an association module associating one or more application identifiers and one or more storage unit identifiers to form an association;

a control module in communication with the storage medium and the one or more host connections, the control module performs operations comprising;

associating one or more application identifiers and one or more storage unit identifiers to form an association; and

for each association, assigning each storage unit identified by each storage unit identifier to each host having the application identified by each associated application identifier.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the association module includes a mapping table having one or more rows, each row of the mapping table including a storage unit identifier and an application identifier, each row of the mapping table forming an association of a storage unit and an application.

18. A computer program for assigning one or more storage units in an information handling system to one or more host connections, the computer program comprising executing instructions that cause an information handling system to:

associate one or more application identifiers and one or more storage unit identifiers to form an association, each application identifier identifying an application of a host computer, each host computer having one or more host connections, each storage unit identifier identifying one or more storage units of the information handling system; and

for each association, assigning each storage unit identified by each storage unit identifier to each host having the application identified by each associated application identifier.

19. The computer program of claim 18, wherein the association module includes a mapping table having one or more rows, each row of the mapping table including a storage unit identifier and an application identifier, each row of the mapping table forming an association of a storage unit and an application.

20. A data structure for assigning one or more storage units of an information handling system to one or more host connections, the information handling system including one or more host computers having one or more applications, each of the one or more applications having an application identifier, each of the one or more storage units having a storage identifier, the data structure comprising:

a mapping table having one or more rows, each row of the mapping table including a storage unit identifier and an application identifier, each row of the mapping table forming an association of a storage unit identified by the storage identifier and a host having the application identified by each associated application identifier.