METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR MANAGEMENT OF MIXED PROTOCOL STORAGE AREA NETWORKS

• US 20080183856A1
• Filed: 04/09/2008
• Published: 07/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: David Lynn Merbach, Duane Mark Baldwin, Gregory John Tevis
• Original Assignee: David Lynn Merbach, Duane Mark Baldwin, Gregory John Tevis
• Inventors: Tevis, Gregory John, Baldwin, Duane Mark, Merbach, David Lynn
• Granted Patent: US 7,827,317 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• 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

The invention provides improvements on a digital data processing system of the type having a first set of hosts, storage devices or other components coupled for communication with a first network manager. A second set of components is likewise coupled to a second network manager. Communications between the network managers and their respective sets of components utilize different protocols, the first network manager referring to components of the first set with identifiers that are unique to those respective components under the first protocol, and the second network manager referring to components of the second set with identifiers that are unique to those respective components under the second protocol.

Claims

1. A digital data processing system for managing mixed protocol storage area:

networks, the digital data processing system comprising;

a first component set, comprising one or more components coupled for communication with a first network manager via a first protocol, the first network manager managing the one or more components and identifying each of the one or more components in the first component set with an identifier of a first identifier type, the identifier being unique to that component under that protocol with respect to the other components in the first component set,

a second component set, comprising one or more components coupled for communication with a second network manager via a second protocol, the second network manager managing the one or more components and identifying each of the one or more components in the second component set with an identifier of a second identifier type, the identifier being unique to that component under the second protocol with respect to the other components in the second set, wherein the first and second protocols differ, and

the second network manager is coupled with the first network manager and transmits to the first network manager information regarding at least one component in the second component set, wherein the second network manager provides with the information an identifier of the first identifier type for each of the components of the second component set for which information is transmitted by the second network manager, and

for a common component that is common to the first component set and the second component set, the second network manager transmits an identifier of the first identifier type that matches an identifier of the first identifier type used by the first network manager to identify the common component.

2. The digital data processing system of claim 1, wherein the first network manager facilitates management of components of the second component set.

3. The digital data processing system of claim 1, wherein the first network manager compares the identifier provided with the information regarding the at least one component of the second component set with identifiers of the components in the first components set to determine if the component of the second component set is also in the first component set.

4. The digital data processing system of claim 2, comprising a console that is coupled with the first network manager, the first network manager generating a display for application to the console that represents one or more components of the second component set.

5. The digital data processing system of claim 3, wherein the first network manager generates the display to identify one or more components of the second component set that are also components of the first component set.

6. The digital data processing system of claim 1, wherein the first protocol is an internet protocol (IP) and the second protocol is a fiber channel protocol (FCP).

7. The digital data processing system of claim 6, wherein the identifiers of the first identifiers type are IP addresses and the identifiers of the second identifier type are FCP identifiers.

8. The digital data processing system of claim 1, wherein the components of the first component set and the second component set comprise any of host devices and storage devices.

9. The digital data processing system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first component set and the second component set comprises a storage area network.

10. The digital data processing system of claim 9, wherein the first component set comprises an IP storage area network and the second component set comprises an FCP storage area network.

11. A heterogeneous networked digital data processing system comprising:

a first network comprising one or more components coupled for communication under a first protocol,

a second network comprising one or more components coupled for communication under a second protocol that differs from the first protocol,

a first network manager coupled to the first network, the first network manager managing the one or more components of the first network and identifying one or more components of the first network with identifiers compatible with the first network,

a second network manager coupled to the first network manager and to the second network, the second network manager

managing the one or more components of the second network,

identifying one or more components of the second network with identifiers compatible with the first network,

identifying a common component that is common to the first network and to the second network and assigning the common component an identifier that is the same as an identifier used by the first network manager to identify the common component within the first network,

transmitting information to the first network manager regarding at least one component of the second network, and

transmitting to the first network manager, along with the information, the associated component identifiers which are compatible with the first network, and

the first network manager identifying from the transmitted information and identifiers from the second network manager one or more common components on the second network that are also on the first network.

12. A heterogeneous networked digital data processing system according to claim 11, wherein the first protocol is an internet protocol (IP) and the second protocol is a fiber channel protocol (FCP).

13. A heterogeneous networked digital data processing system according to claim 12, wherein the first network manager identifies each component in the first network with an IP address and the second network manager identifies each component in the second network with an FCP identifier and a corresponding IP address.

14. A heterogeneous networked digital data processing system according to claim 13, wherein the first network manager facilitates management of components of the second network.

15. A heterogeneous networked digital data processing system according to claim 13, wherein the first network manager compares the IP address provided with the information from the second network manager regarding a component of the second network to determine if the component is also in the first network.

16. A heterogeneous networked digital data processing system according to claim 15, comprising

a console that is coupled to the first network manager,

the first network manager generating a display for application to the console that includes one or more components of the second network.

17. A heterogeneous networked digital data processing system according to claim 16, the further improvement wherein the first network manager generates the display to identify one or more components of the second set that are also components of the first set.

18. A heterogeneous networked digital data processing system comprising:

a first network comprising one or more components coupled for communication under a first protocol,

a second network comprising one or more components coupled for communication under a second protocol that differs from the first protocol,

a first network manager coupled to the first network, the first network manager managing the one or more components of the first network and identifying the one or more components of the first network using identifiers of a first identifier type, each identifier being compatible with the first protocol and being unique to each of the one or more components of the first network,

the first network manager communicating with the one or more components on the first network using the identifiers of the first identifier type and the first protocol,

a second network manager coupled to the second network and identifying the one or more components of the second network using identifiers of a second identifier type, the second network manager managing the one or more components of the second network, each identifier of the second identifier type being compatible with the second protocol and being unique to each of the one or more components of the second network and communicating with the one or more components on the second network using the identifiers of the second type and the second protocol,

the second network manager coupled to the first network manager transmitting to the first network manager information regarding at least one component of the second network to the first network manager, the second network manager providing with the information an identifier of the first identifier type for the least one component of the second network, and wherein the second network manager provides an identifier for a common component, that is common to the first component set and to the second component set, that matches an identifier of the common component in the first network, and

the first network manager identifying, from the transmitted information and associated identifiers, one or more common components that are on the second network and also on the first network.

19. A heterogeneous networked digital data processing system according to claim 18, wherein the first protocol is an internet protocol (IP) and the second protocol is a fiber channel protocol (FCP).

20. A heterogeneous networked digital data processing system according to claim 19, wherein the identifiers of the first identifier type are IP addresses and the identifiers of the second identifier type are FCP identifiers.

21. A heterogeneous networked digital data processing system according to claim 20, wherein the first network manager manages components of the second network.

22. A heterogeneous networked digital data processing system according to claim 20, wherein the first network manager compares the identifier of the first type provided with information regarding a component of the second network to determine if a component of the second set is also in the first network.

23. A heterogeneous networked digital data processing system according to claim 22, comprising

a console that is coupled with the first network manager,

the first network manager generating a display for application to the console that represents one or more components on the second network.

24. A heterogeneous networked digital data processing system according to claim 23, the further improvement wherein the first network manager generates the display to identify one or more components of the second network that are also components of the first network.

25. A heterogeneous networked digital data processing system according to claim 23, wherein the first network manager generates the display to include one or more components of the first network.

26. A heterogeneous networked digital data processing system according to claim 23, wherein the first network manager generates the display to identify components on the first network that are iSCSI components.