SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONSTRUCTION, FAULT ISOLATION, AND RECOVERY OF CABLING TOPOLOGY IN A STORAGE AREA NETWORK

• US 20120159252A1
• Filed: 12/21/2010
• Published: 06/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
• Original Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
• Inventors: Rossario, Britto, Jibbe, Mahmoud K.
• Granted Patent: US 8,549,361 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/32
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0751 Error or fault detection not based on redundancy power supply failures G06F1/30; network fault management H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0787 Storage of error reports, e.g. persistent data storage, storage using memory protection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route

Abstract

System and method for construction, fault isolation, and recovery of cabling topology in a storage area network (SAN) is disclosed. In one embodiment, in a method for construction, fault isolation, and recovery of cabling topology in a SAN, subsystem information associated with each subsystem in the SAN is obtained. Then, an IP port and zoning information associated with connections of each subsystem is obtained. Component information associated with each component is also obtained. Any other relevant information associated with each subsystem and each component is obtained from users. The obtained subsystem information, IP port and zoning information, component information, and any other relevant information are compiled. Test packets are then sent from end-to-end in SAN using compiled information. The sent test packets are tracked via each component in each subsystem in the SAN. The cabling topology of the SAN is then outputted based on the outcome of the tracking.

Claims

1. A method for construction, fault isolation, and recovery of cabling topology in a storage area network (SAN), comprising:

obtaining subsystem information associated with each subsystem in the SAN using its respective internet protocol (IP) address by a cabling topology construction, fault isolation and recovery (CTCFIR) module residing in a management server connected to the SAN;

obtaining an IP port and zoning information associated with connections of each subsystem in the SAN by the CTCFIR module;

obtaining component information associated with each component in each subsystem in the SAN by sending commands by the CTCFIR module;

obtaining any other relevant information associated with each subsystem and each component from users;

compiling the obtained subsystem information, IP port and zoning information, the component information, and any other relevant information obtained from the users;

sending test packets from end-to-end in the SAN using the compiled information;

tracking the sent test packets via each component in each subsystem in the SAN; and

outputting the cabling topology of the SAN based on the outcome of the tracking.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the subsystem information associated with each subsystem in the SAN comprises:

obtaining hardware, firmware, driver, and application software information associated with each subsystem in the SAN;

comparing the obtained hardware, firmware, driver and applications software information with a list of recommended firmware, driver and application software information; and

outputting results of the comparison including any discrepancies found in the firmware, driver and application software information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the subsystem includes devices selected from the group consisting of one or more hosts, one or more switches, one or more storage array controllers, and one or more databases.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the component comprises devices selected from the group consisting of one or more drive trays, one or more drive slots, and one or more disk drives.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the component information includes information selected from the group consisting of subsystem name, type of operating system, fail over information, storage tray connected with each storage array, storage array model information, switch model information, cabling harness details, and logon credentials.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the test packets from end-to-end in the SAN using the compiled information comprises:

sending the test packets via each IO path from end-to end in the SAN using the compiled information.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein tracking the sent test packets via each component in each subsystem comprises:

tracking the test packets sent via each IP path from end-to-end in the SAN to obtain component association information to obtain the cabling topology of the SAN.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

declaring a point of failure for one or more the IO paths if associated test packets are not returned within a predetermined time to the CTCFIR module.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein declaring the point of failure for one or more the paths if associated test packets are not returned within a predetermined time comprises:

declaring a last point to which the test packet reached as the point of failure for which each declared point of failure.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein outputting the cabling topology of the SAN based on the outcome of the tracking comprises:

forming an existing SAN cabling topology XML file based on the outcome of the tracking;

forming a desired SAN cabling topology XML file based on obtained subsystem information, IP port and zoning information, and component information for each component; and

obtaining any existing cabling fault conditions in the cabling topology in the SAN using the formed existing SAN cabling topology XML file and the desired SAN cabling topology XML file.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for construction, fault isolation, and recovery of cabling topology in a storage area network (SAN), having instructions that, when executed by a computing device causes the computing device to:

obtaining subsystem information associated with each subsystem in the SAN using its respective internet protocol (IP) address by a cabling topology construction, fault isolation and recovery (CTCFIR) module residing in a management server connected to the SAN;

obtaining an IP port and zoning information associated with connections of each subsystem in the SAN by the CTCFIR module;

obtaining component information associated with each component in each subsystem in the SAN by sending commands by the CTCFIR module;

obtaining any other relevant information associated with each subsystem and each component from users;

compiling the obtained subsystem information, IP port and zoning information, the component information, and any other relevant information obtained from the users;

sending test packets from end-to-end in the SAN using the compiled information;

tracking the sent test packets via each component in each subsystem in the SAN; and

outputting the cabling topology of the SAN based on the outcome of the tracking.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein obtaining the subsystem information associated with each subsystem in the SAN comprises:

obtaining hardware, firmware, driver, and application software information associated with each subsystem in the SAN;

comparing the obtained hardware, firmware, driver and applications software information with a list of recommended firmware, driver and application software information; and

outputting results of the comparison including any discrepancies found in the firmware, driver and application software information.

13. A storage area network (SAN) system, comprising:

a SAN, wherein the SAN includes a plurality of subsystems and wherein in each subsystem includes a plurality of components and wherein the SAN further includes a plurality of databases, and wherein the plurality of subsystems, the plurality of components, and the plurality of databases are communicatively coupled via cables;

a management server coupled to the SAN via a network; and

a management module residing in the management server, wherein the management module includes a cabling topology construction, fault isolation and recovery (CTCFIR) module, wherein the CTCFIR module obtains subsystem information associated with each subsystem in the SAN using its respective IP address, wherein the CTCFIR module further obtains an IP port and zoning information associated with cabling connections of each subsystem in the SAN, wherein the CTCFIR module furthermore obtains component information associated with each component in each subsystem in the SAN by sending commands, wherein the CTCFIR module obtains any other relevant information associated with each subsystem and component from users, wherein the CTCFIR module compiles the obtained subsystem information, IP port and zoning information, the component information, and any other relevant information obtained from the users, wherein the CTCFIR module sends test packets from end-to-end in the SAN using the compiled information, wherein the CTCFIR module tracks the sent test packets via each component in each subsystem in the SAN, and wherein the CTCFIR module outputs the cabling topology of the SAN based on the outcome of the tracking.

14. The SAN of claim 13, wherein the subsystem information comprises information selected from the group consisting of hardware, firmware, driver, and application software information associated with each subsystem in the SAN.

15. The SAN of claim 14, wherein the CTCFIR module compares the obtained hardware, firmware, driver and applications software information with a list of recommended firmware, driver and application software information, and wherein the CTCFIR module outputs results of the comparison including any discrepancies found in the firmware, driver and application software information.

16. The SAN of claim 13, wherein the subsystem comprises devices selected from the group consisting of one or more hosts, one or more switches, one or more storage array controllers, and one or more databases.

17. The SAN of claim 13, wherein the component comprises devices selected from the group consisting of one or more drive trays, one or more drive slots, and one or more disk drives.

18. The SAN of claim 17, wherein the component information includes information selected from the group consisting of subsystem name, type of operating system, fail over information, storage tray connected with each storage array, storage array model information, switch model information, cabling harness details, and logon credentials.

19. The SAN of claim 13, wherein the CTCFIR module sends the test packets via each IO path from end-to end in the SAN using the compiled information, and wherein the CTCFIR module tracks the test packets sent via each IP path from end-to-end in the SAN to obtain component association information to obtain the cabling topology of the SAN, wherein the CTCFIR module declares a point of failure for one or more the IO paths if associated test packets are not returned within a predetermined time to the CTCFIR module, and wherein the CTCFIR module declares a last point to which the test packet reached as the point of failure for which each declared point of failure.

20. The SAN of claim 13, wherein the CTCFIR module forms an existing SAN cabling topology XML file based on the outcome of the tracking, wherein the CTCFIR module forms a desired SAN cabling topology XML file based on obtained subsystem information, IP port and zoning information, and component information for each component, and wherein the CTCFIR module obtains any existing cabling fault conditions in the cabling topology in the SAN using the formed existing SAN cabling topology XML file and the desired SAN cabling topology XML file.