System and Method for Storage Discovery in a Storage Area Network Using Device Domains Under Control of a Storage Device

• US 20120047246A1
• Filed: 11/01/2011
• Published: 02/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Cherian, Jacob, Chawla, Gaurav, Vekiarides, Lazarus J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,352,586 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• 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]

Abstract

A storage area network (SAN) includes a management server, a storage device, and a management station coupled to a fabric. The management server implements device domains on the SAN. The storage device instructs the management server to add new device domains on the SAN. The management station defines the new device domains to include the storage device and an initiator coupled to the fabric, and directs the storage device to instruct the management server to add the new device domains. A method includes coupling a management server to a SAN fabric, implementing device domains in the management server, defining a new device domain that includes a storage device and an initiator coupled to the SAN, and coupling a storage device to the SAN fabric, the storage device being operable to instruct the management server to add the new device domain.

Claims

1. A storage area network (SAN) comprising:

a management server coupled to a fabric, the management server implementing a plurality of first device domains on the SAN; and

a storage device coupled to the fabric, the storage device instructing the management server to add a second device domain to the first device domains, receiving from the management server a list of second initiators and sending the list to a management station;

the management station;

defining the second device domain, the second device domain including the storage device and a first initiator that is chosen from among the second initiators coupled to the fabric; and

directing the storage device to instruct the management server to add the second device domain to the first device domains.

2. The SAN of claim 1, wherein the management station is connected to the storage device.

3. The SAN of claim 1, wherein in response to directing the storage device to instruct the management server to add the second device domain:

the storage device instructs the management server to add the second device domain; and

the management server implements the second device domain.

4. The SAN of claim 2, wherein:

the storage device further instructs the management server to;

add a third device domain to the first device domains; and

delete the second device domain from among the first device domains; and

the management station further;

defines the third device domain, the third device domain including the storage device and a third initiator that is chosen from among the second initiators; and

directs the storage device to instruct the management server to add the third device domain to the first device domains, and delete the second device domain from among the first device domains.

5. The SAN of claim 1, wherein the fabric comprises an Internet Small Computer System Interface fabric.

6. The SAN of claim 5, wherein the management server comprises an Internet Storage Name Service management server.

7. The SAN of claim 1 wherein the storage device comprises the management station.

8. A method comprising:

coupling a management server to a storage area network (SAN) fabric;

implementing in the management server a plurality of first device domains on the SAN fabric;

defining a second device domain, the second device domain including a storage device and a first initiator that is chosen from among a plurality of second initiators coupled to the SAN fabric;

coupling a storage device to the SAN fabric, the storage device being operable to instruct the management server to add the second device domain to the first device domains;

after defining the second device domain, defining a third device domain, the third device domain including the storage device and a third initiator that is chosen from among a plurality of second initiators coupled to the SAN fabric; and

directing the storage device to instruct the management server to add the third device domain to the first device domains.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising directing the storage device to instruct the management server to delete the second device domain from the first device domains.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising directing the storage device to instruct the management server to add the second device domain to the first device domains.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising, prior to defining the second device domain, receiving at the storage device a list of the second initiators.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the steps of defining a second device domain and directing the storage device are performed by a management station.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

directing the storage device to instruct the management server to add the second device domain to the first device domains; and

adding the second device domain to the first device domains.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the management station is connected to the storage device.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the storage device comprises the management station.

16. Machine-executable code embodied in a non-transitory medium and including instructions for carrying out a method comprising:

coupling a management server to a storage area network (SAN) fabric;

implementing in the management server a plurality of first device domains on the SAN fabric;

defining a second device domain, the second device domain including a storage device and a first initiator that is chosen from among a plurality of second initiators coupled to the SAN fabric;

coupling a storage device to the SAN fabric, the storage device being operable to instruct the management server to add the second device domain to the first device domains;

after defining the second device domain, defining a third device domain, the third device domain including the storage device and a third initiator that is chosen from among a plurality of second initiators coupled to the SAN fabric;

directing the storage device to instruct the management server to add the third device domain to the first device domains; and

directing the storage device to instruct the management server to delete the second device domain from the first device domains.

17. The machine-executable code of claim 16, the method further comprising:

directing the storage device to instruct the management server to add the second device domain to the first device domains; and

prior to defining the second device domain, receiving at the storage device a list of the second initiators.

18. The machine-executable code of claim 17, the method further comprising:

directing the storage device to instruct the management server to add the second device domain to the first device domains; and

adding the second device domain to the first device domains.