ADDRESS REDUCTION FOR DATA STORAGE ENCLOSURES

• US 20080201725A1
• Filed: 02/20/2007
• Published: 08/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kubo, Robert Akira, Lucas, Gregg Steven, ELLIOTT, JOHN CHARLES
• Granted Patent: US 7,958,263 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/326
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0607 by facilitating the process of upgrading existing storage systems, e.g. for improving compatibility between host and storage device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0635 by changing the path, e.g. traffic rerouting, path reconfiguration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/433 with asynchronous transmission, e.g. token ring, register insertion

Abstract

A data storage enclosure management system of a plurality of service processors is configured to communicate externally via a pair of FC-AL loops. Lead and subsidiary service processors are defined and lead service processors connect to ones of the FC-AL loops with an FC-AL address, and the lead and subsidiary service processors are connected by a secondary communication link. The lead service processor(s) employ an identifier unassociated with the FC-AL address to differentiate communications of the lead service processor from communications of an associated subsidiary service processor, the lead service processor serving as a proxy for the associated subsidiary service processor with respect to the FC-AL address and communicating with the associated subsidiary service processor via the secondary communication link.

Claims

1. A data storage enclosure management system configured to communicate externally via a pair of FC-AL loops, comprising:

at least one secondary communication link; and

a plurality of service processors, comprising;

a first lead service processor configured to connect to one of said pair of FC-AL loops with an FC-AL address, and to connect to said at least one secondary communication link;

a second lead service processor configured to connect to the other of said pair of FC-AL loops with an FC-AL address, and to connect to said at least one secondary communication link; and

at least one subsidiary service processor configured to connect to said at least one secondary communication link;

at least one of said lead service processors additionally configured to employ an identifier unassociated with said FC-AL address to differentiate communications of said lead service processor from communications of an associated subsidiary service processor, said lead service processor serving as a proxy for said associated subsidiary service processor with respect to said FC-AL address and communicating with said associated subsidiary service processor via said secondary communication link.

2. The data storage enclosure management system of claim 1 configured for a data storage system having a plurality of SBOD virtual enclosures, wherein said at least one of said lead service processors and said associated subsidiary service processor are each in different said virtual enclosures.

3. The data storage enclosure management system of claim 2, wherein said identifier comprises LUN addresses.

4. The data storage enclosure management system of claim 2, wherein said identifier comprises assignments in control fields relating to the respective said lead service processor and subsidiary service processor.

5. The data storage enclosure management system of claim 2, wherein each said service processor is configurable as a lead service processor, with FC-AL address capability and capability to serve as a proxy.

6. A data storage subsystem, comprising:

an enclosure;

a plurality of data storage drives within said enclosure and configured to connect to at least one of a pair of FC-AL loops;

environmental resources within said enclosure;

at least one secondary communication link; and

a plurality of service processors configured to manage said environmental resources, comprising;

a first lead service processor configured to connect to one of said pair of FC-AL loops with an FC-AL address, and to connect to said at least one secondary communication link;

a second lead service processor configured to connect to the other of said pair of FC-AL loops with an FC-AL address, and to connect to said at least one secondary communication link; and

at least one subsidiary service processor configured to connect to said at least one secondary communication link;

at least one of said lead service processors additionally configured to employ an identifier unassociated with said FC-AL address to differentiate communications of said lead service processor from communications of an associated subsidiary service processor, said lead service processor serving as a proxy for said associated subsidiary service processor with respect to said FC-AL address and communicating with said associated subsidiary service processor via said secondary communication link.

7. The data storage subsystem of claim 6 wherein said enclosure comprises a plurality of SBOD virtual enclosures, and wherein said at least one of said lead service processors and said associated subsidiary service processor are each in different said virtual enclosures.

8. The data storage subsystem of claim 7, wherein said identifier comprises LUN addresses.

9. The data storage subsystem of claim 7, wherein said identifier comprises assignments in control fields relating to the respective said lead service processor and subsidiary service processor.

10. The data storage subsystem of claim 7, wherein each said service processor is configurable as a lead service processor, with FC-AL address capability and capability to serve as a proxy.

11. A method for providing communications with respect to a pair of FC-AL loops and a data storage enclosure comprising a plurality of service processors and at least one secondary communication link, comprising the steps of:

defining one of said plurality of service processors as a first lead service processor configured to connect to one of said pair of FC-AL loops with an FC-AL address, and to connect to said at least one secondary communication link;

defining another of said plurality of service processors as a second lead service processor configured to connect to the other of said pair of FC-AL loops with an FC-AL address, and to connect to said at least one secondary communication link; and

defining at least one of said lead service processors to employ an identifier unassociated with said FC-AL address to differentiate communications of said lead service processor from communications of an associated subsidiary of said plurality of service processors, said lead service processor serving as a proxy for said associated subsidiary service processor with respect to said FC-AL address and communicating with said associated subsidiary service processor via said secondary communication link.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said data storage enclosure comprises a plurality of SBOD virtual enclosures, wherein said at least one lead service processor and said associated subsidiary service processor are each in different said virtual enclosures.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said identifier comprises LUN addresses.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein said identifier comprises assignments in control fields relating to the respective said lead service processor and subsidiary service processor.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein each said service processor is configurable as a lead service processor, with FC-AL address capability and capability to serve as a proxy, additionally comprising the step of selecting one of said service processors as said at least one lead service processor.

16. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer useable program code tangibly embodied therein for operating a service processor for providing communications with respect to one of a pair of FC-AL loops and a data storage enclosure comprising a plurality of service processors and at least one secondary communication link, said computer useable program code configured to, when executed on said service processor, cause said service processor to:

define said service processor as a one of a plurality of lead service processors configured to connect to said one of a pair of FC-AL loops with an FC-AL address, and to connect to said at least one secondary communication link; and

define said lead service processor to employ an identifier unassociated with said FC-AL address to differentiate communications of said lead service processor from communications of an associated subsidiary of said plurality of service processors, said lead service processor serving as a proxy for said associated subsidiary service processor with respect to said FC-AL address and communicating with said associated subsidiary service processor via said secondary communication link.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein said data storage enclosure comprises a plurality of SBOD virtual enclosures, wherein said lead service processor and said associated subsidiary service processor are each in different said virtual enclosures.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein said identifier comprises LUN addresses.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein said identifier comprises assignments in control fields relating to the respective said lead service processor and subsidiary service processor.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein each said service processor is configurable as a lead service processor, with FC-AL address capability and capability to serve as a proxy, wherein said computer useable program code is additionally configured to, when executed on said service processor, cause said service processor to select one of said service processors as said at least one lead service processor.