Configuring and Relaying Events from a Storage Controller to a Host Server

• US 20130055290A1
• Filed: 08/23/2011
• Published: 02/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Gaikwad, Umesh P., Shukla, Divyank
• Granted Patent: US 8,973,018 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/326
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0727 in a storage system, e.g. in a DASD or network based storage system drivers for digital recording or reproducing units G06F3/06; circuits for error detection or correction within digital recording or reproducing units G11B20/18; 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], H04L67/1097
• 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 11/1443 Transmit or communication errors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3034 where the computing system component is a storage system, e.g. DASD based or network based digital input from or digital output to record carriers G06F3/06; digital recording or reproducing G11B20/18; 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], H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3051 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the configuration of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring the presence of processing resources, peripherals, I/O links, software programs verification or detection of system hardware configuration G06F11/2247
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/86 Event-based monitoring

Abstract

A mechanism is provided for relaying events from a storage controller to a host server. Responsive to identifying an event occurring within a storage device, a notification is sent to a device server in the host server with which the event is associated. A server virtual disk is identified using a unique identification of the server virtual disk. Responsive to identifying the server virtual disk, at least one device executing an application on the host server is notified of an impending degradation in a mode of operation.

Claims

1. A method, in a data processing system, for relaying events from a storage controller to a host server, the method comprising:

responsive to identifying an event occurring within a storage device, sending, by a host view manager within the storage controller, a notification to a device server in the host server with which the event is associated;

identifying, by the device server, a server virtual disk using a unique identification of the virtual disk; and

responsive to identifying the server virtual disk, notifying, by the device server, at least one device executing an application on the host server of an impending degradation in a mode of operation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification comprises Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) operation codes (opcodes) associated with the event as well as a unique identification of virtual disks visible to the host server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the server virtual disk using the unique identification of the server virtual disk comprises:

using, by the device server, the unique identification of the server virtual disk to identify a logical unit number (LUN); and

identifying, by the device server, the server virtual disk using the LUN.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the host view manager identifies the device server in the host server based on a configuration and wherein the configuration of the host view manager comprises:

issuing, by a processor within the storage controller, a login event to the device server;

exporting, by the device server, information identifying a set of server virtual disks to the storage controller;

issuing, by the processor, inquiry commands to the device server for each server virtual disk in the set of server virtual disks;

returning, by the device server, vital product data associated with each of the set of server virtual disks to the storage controller;

issuing, by the processor, a read capacity command to the device server for each server virtual disk in the set of server virtual disks; and

for each server virtual disk in the set of server virtual disks, responsive to an indication of zero size capacity, configuring, by the processor, the server virtual disk in the host view manager.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

mapping, by the processor, transport identifiers for the host server to each server virtual disk configured within the host view manager.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the login event is issued as the host server comes into a same zone as the storage controller.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the storage device is at least one of a storage controller or a disk within a disk array.

8. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having a computer readable program stored therein, wherein the computer readable program, when executed on a computing device, causes the computing device to:

responsive to identifying an event occurring within a storage device, send a notification to a device server in a host server with which the event is associated;

identify a server virtual disk using a unique identification of the server virtual disk; and

responsive to identifying the server virtual disk, notify at least one device executing an application on the host server of an impending degradation in a mode of operation.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the notification comprises Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) operation codes (opcodes) associated with the event as well as a unique identification of server virtual disks visible to the host server.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the computer readable program to identify the server virtual disk using the unique identification of the server virtual disk causes the computing device to:

use the unique identification of the server virtual disk to identify a logical unit number (LUN); and

identify the server virtual disk using the LUN.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the computer readable program identifies the device server in the host server based on a configuration and wherein the computer readable program configures the host view manager by causing the computing device to:

issue a login event to the device server;

export information identifying a set of server virtual disks to the storage controller;

issue inquiry commands to the device server for each server virtual disk in the set of server virtual disks;

return vital product data associated with each of the set of server virtual disks to the storage controller;

issue a read capacity command to the device server for each server virtual disk in the set of server virtual disks; and

for each server virtual disk in the set of server virtual disks, responsive to an indication of zero size capacity, configure the server virtual disk in the host view manager.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the computer readable program further causes the computing device to:

map transport identifiers for the host server to each server virtual disk configured within the host view manager.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the login event is issued as the host server comes into a same zone as the storage controller.

14. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the storage device is at least one of a storage controller or a disk within a disk array.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory comprises instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

responsive to identifying an event occurring within a storage device, send a notification to a device server in a host server with which the event is associated;

identify a server virtual disk using a unique identification of the server virtual disk; and

responsive to identifying the server virtual disk, notify at least one device executing an application on the host server of an impending degradation in a mode of operation.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the notification comprises Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) operation codes (opcodes) associated with the event as well as a unique identification of server virtual disks visible to the host server.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the instructions to identify the server virtual disk using the unique identification of the server virtual disk cause the processor to:

use the unique identification of the server virtual disk to identify a logical unit number (LUN); and

identify the server virtual disk using the LUN.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the instructions identify the device server in the host server based on a configuration and wherein the instructions configure the host view manager by causing the processor to:

issue a login event to the device server;

export information identifying a set of server virtual disks virtualized by the host server to the storage controller;

issue inquiry commands to the device server for each server virtual disk in the set of server virtual disks;

return vital product data associated with each of the set of server virtual disks to the storage controller;

issue a read capacity command to the device server for each server virtual disk in the set of server virtual disks; and

for each server virtual disk in the set of server virtual disks, responsive to an indication of zero size capacity, configure the server virtual disk in the host view manager.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the instructions further causes the processor to:

map transport identifiers for the host server to each server virtual disk configured within the host view manager.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the login event is issued as the host server comes into a same zone as the storage controller.