System and method for failover of iSCSI target portal groups in a cluster environment

• US 20070168693A1
• Filed: 11/29/2005
• Published: 07/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Network Appliance Incorporated (NetApp, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Network Appliance Incorporated (NetApp, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pittman, Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 7,797,570 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2005 using redundant communication controllers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2092 Techniques of failing over between control units

Abstract

A system and method for the failover of iSCSI target portal groups (TPGs) is provided. Each network portal within a storage system is associated with a network portal data structure identifying a destination storage system in the event of failover/takeover operation. A management module ensures that all network portals associated with a target portal group have the same destination as a failover storage system. During a failover operation, all network portals within a TPG failover to the same destination storage system.

Claims

1. A method for failover of one or more network portals, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting a failure condition of a first storage system;

alerting one or more surviving storage systems of the detected failure;

obtaining one or more network portal data structures at the surviving storage systems;

determining if one or more network portals are to be assumed by one of the one or more surviving storage systems; and

in response to determining that one or more network portals are to be assumed by one of the surviving storage systems, assuming one or more identities of the one or more network portals by the one surviving storage system, wherein the identities of all network portals within a single target portal group are assumed by one of the surviving storage systems.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of obtaining one or more network portal data structures comprises the step of retrieving the one or more network portal data structures from a replicated database.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the storage systems comprise network elements.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein each network portal comprises a network address and a port number.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the network address comprises an Internet Protocol address.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the port number comprises a Transport Control Protocol Port number.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of processing data access requests directed to the assumed one or more network portals by the one surviving storage system.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of assuming the identity of the one or more network portals by the one surviving storage system further comprises the step of assigning the one or more network portals to one or more network adapters associated with the one surviving storage system.

9. A system for failover of one or more network portals, the system comprising:

means for detecting a failure condition of a first storage system;

means for alerting one or more surviving storage systems of the detected failure;

means for obtaining one or more network portal data structures at the surviving storage systems;

means for determining if one or more network portals are to be assumed by one of the one or more surviving storage systems; and

in response to determining that one or more network portals are to be assumed by one of the surviving storage systems, means for assuming one or more identities of the one or more network portals by the one surviving storage system, wherein the identities of all network portals within a single target portal group are assumed by the one surviving storage systems.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the means for obtaining one or more network portal data structures comprises means for retrieving the one or more network portal data structures from a replicated database.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the storage systems comprise network elements.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein each network portal comprises of a network address and a port number.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the network address comprises an Internet Protocol address.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the port number comprises a Transport Control Protocol Port number.

15. The system of claim 9 further comprising means for processing data access requests directed to the assumed one or more network portals by the one of the one or more surviving storage systems.

16. The system of claim 9 wherein the means for assuming the identity of the one or more network portals by one of the one or more surviving storage systems further comprises means for assigning the one or more network portals to one or more network adapters associated with the one of the one or more surviving storage systems.

17. A computer readable medium for failover of one or more network portals, the computer readable medium including program instructions for performing the steps of:

detecting a failure condition of a first storage system;

alerting one or more surviving storage systems of the detected failure;

obtaining one or more network portal data structures at the surviving storage systems;

determining if one or more network portals are to be assumed by one of the one or more surviving storage systems; and

in response to determining that one or more network portals are to be assumed by one of the surviving storage systems, assuming one or more identities of the one or more network portals by the one surviving storage system, wherein the identities of all network portals within a single target portal group are assumed by one of the surviving storage systems.

18. A system for failover of one or more network portals, the system comprising:

a management module operatively interconnected with one or more elements of a cluster, the management module adapted to verify that a configuration of one or more network portals ensures that all network portals associated with a target portal group failover to a same destination.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the management module is further adapted to detect a failure of one of the elements and to alert one or more surviving elements of the failure of one of the elements.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein in response to being alerted of the failure of one of the elements, each element is adapted to obtain one or more network portal data structures and determine if one or more network portals are to be assumed by the element.