Method for detecting changes in a storage area network without external tools and hardware

• US 20060089934A1
• Filed: 10/25/2004
• Published: 04/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
• Original Assignee: LSI Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jibbe, Mahmoud K., Hass, Kenneth
• Granted Patent: US 7,769,849 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2247 Verification or detection of system hardware configuration

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a method and system for detecting component level changes in a storage area network during power off state is provided. Storage profile changes may monitoring components during a power cycle period of a storage array system coupled to a SAN. During the power on state of the storage array system, a storage profile (an on-power-storage profile) is collected and time stamped after predefined set of trigger points. Another storage profile (an off-power-storage profile) of the same storage array system may be collected immediately after a power cycle. The two versions of the storage profiles are compared immediately after the off-power-storage profile is created to determine whether the predetermined condition happened. A delta file may be generated after the comparison of the two versions of storage profiles. Each detected conditions may be logged in a log file of the storage array system.

Claims

1. A method for detecting changes in a storage area network during power off state of a storage array system wherein the storage area network comprises the storage array system, comprising:

generating a first storage profile after a power cycle if a second storage profile has been generated;

detecting a plurality of components having changed conditions by comparing the first and second storage profiles;

creating a delta file based on the plurality of detected components; and

generating a log entry for each component detected in the delta file,

wherein the second storage profile is stored.

2. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring the storage area network;

detecting the triggering event;

generating the second storage profile upon detection of the triggering event; and

storing the second storage profile while deleting a old second storage profile,

wherein the old storage profile has been generated prior to the triggering event.

3. The method as described in claim 2, wherein the second storage profile replaces the old storage profile.

4. The method as described in claim 2, wherein the second storage profile is not generated while the first and the second storage profiles are compared to detect the plurality of components with changed conditions.

5. The method as described in claim 2, wherein the second storage profile is generated through a background task of the storage array system.

6. The method as described in claim 1, the detecting a plurality of component step further comprising:

changing a version of the first storage profile after the comparison of the first and the second storage profiles.

7. The method as described in claim 2, wherein the triggering event is a removal of at least one of the components in the storage area network.

8. The method as described in claim 2, wherein the triggering event is a status change of at least one of the components in the storage area network.

9. The method as described in claim 2, wherein the triggering event is a loss of resources.

10. The method as described in claim 2, wherein the triggering event is a path failover event.

11. The method as described in claim 2, wherein the triggering event is a configuration change on the storage area network.

12. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the stable memory area includes hard disk, Non-Volatile memory and random access memory backed with battery.

13. A system for detecting component-level event changes in a storage area network during power off state of a storage array system, comprising:

means for generating a first storage profile after power cycle,

wherein a second storage profile already has been generated;

means for comparing the first storage profile and second storage profile;

means for detecting a plurality of components having changed conditions;

means for creating a delta file based on the plurality of detected components; and

means for generating a log entry for each component detected in the delta file,

wherein the storage area network comprises the storage array system.

14. The system as described in claim 13, the generating a first storage profile further comprising:

means for monitoring the storage area network;

means for detecting the triggering event;

means for generating the second storage profile upon detection of the triggering event; and

means for storing the second storage profile to non-volatile memory while deleting a old second storage profile from the non volatile memory,

wherein the old storage profile has been generated prior to the triggering event.

15. The system as described in claim 14, wherein the second storage profile replaces the old storage profile.

16. The system as described in claim 14, wherein the second storage profile is not generated while the first and the second storage profiles are compared to detect the plurality of components having changed conditions.

17. The system as described in claim 14, wherein the second storage profile is generated through a background task.

18. The system as described in claim 14, the means for detecting a plurality of component further comprising:

means for changing a version of the first storage profile after the comparison of the first and the second storage profiles.

19. The method as described in claim 14, wherein the triggering event is a host operating system change.

20. The method as described in claim 14, wherein the triggering event is a connectivity device change.

21. The method as described in claim 14, wherein the triggering event is a storage array device configuration change.

22. The method as described in claim 14, wherein the triggering event is a new software download.

23. The method as described in claim 14, wherein the triggering event is a removal of components in the storage array system.

24. A method for detecting component level tampering in a storage area network system during power off state, comprising:

generating a first storage profile after a power cycle,

wherein a second storage profile has been generated upon detection of a triggering event during power on state and the second storage profile is saved in a stable memory area;

comparing the first and second storage profiles to detect a plurality of components having changed conditions during power off state;

changing a version of the first storage profile after the comparison of the first and the second storage profiles;

creating a delta file based on the plurality of detected components; and

generating a log entry for each component detected in the delta file.

25. The method as described in claim 24, further comprising:

monitoring the storage area network;

detecting the triggering event;

generating the second storage profile upon detection of the triggering event; and

storing the second storage profile while deleting an old second storage profile,

wherein the old storage profile has been generated prior to the triggering event and the second storage profile is not generated while the first and the second storage profiles are compared to detect the plurality of components having changed conditions.

26. The method as described in claim 25, wherein the second storage profile is generated through a background task.

27. The method as described in claim 24, wherein the stable memory area includes non-volatile memory, hard disks and optical disks.

28. The method as described in claim 24, wherein the triggering event is a removal of at least one of components in the storage array system.

29. The method as described in claim 28, wherein the at least one of components includes a field replaceable unit, an optical component and a non-field replaceable unit.

30. The method as described in claim 24, wherein the triggering event is a status change of at least one of the components in the storage array system.