Method and apparatus for external event notification management over in-band and out-of-band networks in storage system controllers

• US 20070073633A1
• Filed: 09/22/2005
• Published: 03/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dot Hill Systems Corporation (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Dot Hill Systems Corporation (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Gallant, David, Ashmore, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 7,743,138 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/344 Out-of-band transfers
• 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 67/55 Push-based network services

Abstract

Methods and systems for managing user access to a storage system storage controller are provided. In particular, user login requirements and permissions are administered, and individual user and external user interface pairs are tracked, through a user table and a session table established as part of the storage system controller. The external user interfaces may be interconnected to the storage system controller through different networks and/or protocols. Notification of events to external interfaces is performed as part of a task running on the storage system controller. In particular, an event notification manager determines whether notification of an event should be provided in connection with active sessions, with the result that the storage system controller only sends notification of events that have not previously been reported to a user and external interface pair.

Claims

1. A method for providing entities with notification of events associated with a data storage system, comprising:

one of receiving and generating at a data storage system controller information related to a first event concerning said data storage system;

referencing a session manager, wherein a first entity is identified as having a notification subscription that includes said first event;

determining that said first entity has not been provided with notification of said first event by said data storage system controller; and

sending notification of said first event to said first entity.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing said first event in a global event log maintained by said data storage system controller.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

one of receiving and generating at said data storage system controller information related to a second event concerning said data storage system;

referencing said session manager, wherein said first entity is identified through a notification mask as having a notification subscription that includes said second event;

determining that said first entity has not been provided with notification of said second event by said data system controller; and

sending notification of said second event to said first entity, wherein said sending notification of said second event is performed after said sending notification of said first event to said first entity, and wherein said notification of said second event sent to said first entity does not include notification of said first event.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said notification of said first event includes at least some of said information related to said first event.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said information related to said first event concerning said data storage system is received at said data storage system controller from a connection with a storage device established at least in part by a first network, and wherein said sending notification of said first event to said first entity comprises sending said notification of said first event over a connection with said first entity established at least in part by a second network.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said data storage system controller includes a management controller and a storage controller, wherein said storage controller is an initiator on said first network, wherein said storage controller passes said first event to said management controller, wherein said management controller is an initiator on said second network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a second entity is identified by said referencing said session manager as having a notification subscription that includes said first event, said method further comprising:

sending notification of said first event to said second entity.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

one of receiving and generating at said data storage system controller information related to a second event concerning said data storage system, wherein said referencing said session manager further identifies that said notification subscription of said first entity does not include said second event and identifies a second entity as having a notification subscription that includes said second event;

sending notification of said second event to said second entity but not to said first entity.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said first event is related to at least one of said data storage system controller and a data storage device included in said data storage system.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

polling said event log for new events, wherein said referencing a session manager is performed in response to detecting a new event in said event log.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said method is performed by operation of a notification manager application running on said data storage system controller.

12. A method for notifying users of events, comprising:

detecting a first event;

placing said first event in a global event log;

incrementing a global event log index value;

comparing said global event log index value with a local event log index value;

in response to determining that said global event log index value does not equal said local event log index, identifying a first session;

obtaining at least a first notification parameter for said first session;

determining that said first event has not been reported in connection with said first session;

generating a first notification package containing said first event, wherein said notification package is formatted in accordance with said at least a first notification parameter for said first session;

sending said first notification package to an external user interface associated with said first session.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

incrementing a last event identifier for said first session.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein said determining that said first event has not been reported in connection with said first session includes determining that a second event prior to said first event has been reported in connection with said first session, and wherein said first notification package includes notification of only said first event.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

identifying a second session;

obtaining at least a first notification parameter for said second session;

determining that said first event and said second event have not been reported in connection with said second session;

generating a second notification package containing said first and second event, wherein said notification package is formatted in accordance with said at least a first notification parameter for said second session;

sending said second notification package to an external user interface associated with said second session.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein in response to a successful delivery of said first notification package to said first external user interface a last event identifier for said first session is updated, and wherein in response to a successful delivery of said second notification package to said second external user interface a last event identifier for said second session is updated.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein in response to a successful delivery of said first notification package to said first external user interface a last event identifier for said first session is updated, and wherein in response to an unsuccessful delivery of said second notification package to said second external user interface a last event identifier for said second session is not updated.

18. A data storage system, comprising:

a storage system controller, including;

a processor;

memory;

an event log maintained in said memory, wherein said event log contains information related to events concerning said data storage system;

a user table maintained in said memory;

a session table maintained in said memory, wherein for each active session said session table includes an identifier of a last event for which notification was provided to an external interface associated with said active session;

an event notification manager running on said processor, wherein said event notification manager monitors said event log and asynchronously informs external user interfaces of events for which notification has not already been provided to said external user interfaces.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

a storage device.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

a first user interface;

a second user interface;

a first network interconnecting said storage system controller and said first user interface;

a second network interconnecting said storage system controller and said second user interface.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein said controller further includes:

a storage controller, wherein said storage controller is an initiator on said first network;

a management controller, wherein said management controller is an initiator on said second network.

22. A data storage system capable of notifying subscriber entities of previously reported events related to said data storage system, comprising:

means for maintaining subscription information;

means for logging events;

means for generating notification of previously unreported events in response to;

     1) determining that a new event including information related to said data storage system is available in said means for logging events, and

     2) determining that said subscriber entity has subscribed to a said new event.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein said means for generating notification of previously unreported events further operates to generate a notification in response to a request for information received from said subscriber entity.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein said means for generating notification of previously unreported events further operates to generate a notification in response to detection of a new event in said means for logging events that is subscribed to by said subscriber entity.