METHOD AND APPARATUS OF REDUNDANT PATH VALIDATION BEFORE PROVISIONING

• US 20140032727A1
• Filed: 07/27/2012
• Published: 01/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: KANO, Yoshiki, RITCHIE, Dan, MASOOD, Abid, CHONG, Randy
• Granted Patent: US 9,354,915 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2007 using redundant communication media
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45579 I/O management, e.g. providing access to device drivers or storage
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0617 in relation to availability
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0619 in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0632 by initialisation or re-initialisation of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0635 by changing the path, e.g. traffic rerouting, path reconfiguration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0665 at area level, e.g. provisioning of virtual or logical volumes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45558 Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/467 Arrangements for supporting untagged frames, e.g. port-based VLANs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0873 Checking configuration conflicts between network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/356 for storage area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/552 by ensuring the integrity of packets received through redundant connections
• 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

Exemplary embodiments of the invention provide a technique to validate physical cabling and logical path before provisioning volume. In accordance with an aspect, a computer comprises a memory storing a software and a processor executing the software. The software is operable to: identify first server port and second server port forming redundant ports of a server and first storage port and second storage port forming redundant ports of a storage system; and check whether a redundant relationship is formed by at least one of (i) a physical connection between the first server port and the first storage port and a physical connection between the second server port and the second storage port, or (ii) a logical connection between the first server port and the first storage port and a logical connection between the second server port and the second storage port.

Claims

1. A computer comprising a memory storing a software and a processor executing the software, wherein the software is operable to:

identify first server port and second server port forming redundant ports of a server and first storage port and second storage port forming redundant ports of a storage system; and

check whether a redundant relationship is formed by at least one of (i) a physical connection between the first server port and the first storage port and a physical connection between the second server port and the second storage port, or (ii) a logical connection between the first server port and the first storage port and a logical connection between the second server port and the second storage port.

2. The computer according to claim 1,

wherein the software is operable to provide the first storage port and the second storage port to be used to access a same logical volume of the storage system.

3. The computer according to claim 1,

wherein the software is operable to check whether a redundant relationship is formed by both of (i) a physical connection between the first server port and the first storage port and a physical connection between the second server port and the second storage port, and (ii) a logical connection between the first server port and the first storage port and a logical connection between the second server port and the second storage port.

4. The computer according to claim 3,

wherein the software is operable to provision volume from the storage system after validating the redundant relationship.

5. The computer according to claim 1,

wherein the software is operable to validate physical connection between the first server port and the first storage port and to validate physical connection between the second server port and the second storage port in order to establish a redundant relationship of physical connection;

and

wherein if the software does not validate one or both of the physical connection between the first server port and the first storage port and the physical connection between the second server port and the second storage port in order to establish a redundant relationship of physical connection, the software is operable to repair the one or both of the physical connections using reserved ports provided in reserved information stored in the memory so as to establish the redundant relationship of physical connection.

6. The computer according to claim 1,

wherein the software is operable to validate logical connection between the first server port and the first storage port and to validate logical connection between the second server port and the second storage port in order to establish a redundant relationship of logical connection;

and

wherein if the software does not validate one or both of the logical connection between the first server port and the first storage port and the logical connection between the second server port and the second storage port in order to establish a redundant relationship of logical connection, the software is operable to create a new zone with server port WWN (World Wide Name) and storage port WWN to repair each of the one or both of the logical connections, so as to establish the redundant relationship of logical connection.

7. The computer according to claim 1,

wherein the first server port and the second server port are used by a same virtual machine of the server.

8. The computer according to claim 7,

wherein the software is operable to validate logical connection between the first server port and the first storage port and to validate logical connection between the second server port and the second storage port in order to establish a redundant relationship of logical connection for the virtual machine;

and

wherein if the software does not validate one or both of the logical connection between the first server port and the first storage port and the logical connection between the second server port and the second storage port in order to establish a redundant relationship of logical connection for the virtual machine, the software is operable to create a new zone for NPIV (Node Port Interface Virtualization) with virtual machine port WWN (World Wide Name) and storage port WWN to repair each of the one or both of the logical connections, so as to establish the redundant relationship of logical connection for the virtual machine.

9. A system comprising

a storage system;

and

a computer including a memory storing a software and a processor executing the software, wherein the software is operable to;

identify first server port and second server port forming redundant ports of a server and first storage port and second storage port forming redundant ports of a storage system; and

check whether a redundant relationship is formed by at least one of (i) a physical connection between the first server port and the first storage port and a physical connection between the second server port and the second storage port, or (ii) a logical connection between the first server port and the first storage port and a logical connection between the second server port and the second storage port.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising the server having the first server port and the second server port.

11. The system according to claim 10,

wherein the server having the first server port and the second server port is a first server having a first NIC (Network Interface Card) and a second NIC;

wherein the system further comprises a second server having a third NIC and a fourth NIC;

wherein each server of the first and second servers includes virtual machines connected to virtual switches which are connected to NICs;

wherein the system further comprises access switches which are coupled between the first and second servers and aggregation switches, the aggregation switches being coupled with the storage system;

wherein checking whether a redundant relationship of physical connection is formed by a physical connection between the first server port and the first storage port and a physical connection between the second server port and the second storage port comprises validating connectivity between the virtual switches and the NICs for each of the first and second servers; and

wherein checking whether a redundant relationship of logical connection is formed by a logical connection between the first server port and the first storage port and a logical connection between the second server port and the second storage port comprises validating redundancy between the first and second servers and the access switches, which includes;

enumerating all paths between the first and second NICs of the first server and the third and fourth NICs of the second server and storing the enumerated paths in a path table;

choosing a shortest path from the enumerated paths in the path table, storing the chosen shortest path in a shortest path table, and removing the chosen shortest path from the path table;

removing all paths from the shortest path table which contain one or more aggregation switches;

if there are one or more paths remaining in the path table, then repeating the choosing and the removing until there are no more paths remaining in the path table; and

validating that a redundant relationship of logical connection is formed if there are at least two chosen shortest paths remaining after the removing.

12. The system according to claim 11,

wherein the software is operable, after validating the redundant relationship of physical connection and the redundant relationship of logical connection, to set VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network) IDs to the first and second switch ports.

13. A computer-readable storage medium storing a plurality of instructions for controlling a data processor to validate redundant paths, the plurality of instructions comprising:

instructions that cause the data processor to identify first server port and second server port forming redundant ports of a server and first storage port and second storage port forming redundant ports of a storage system; and

instructions that cause the data processor to check whether a redundant relationship is formed by at least one of (i) a physical connection between the first server port and the first storage port and a physical connection between the second server port and the second storage port, or (ii) a logical connection between the first server port and the first storage port and a logical connection between the second server port and the second storage port.

14. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the plurality of instructions comprise:

instructions that cause the data processor to provide the first storage port and the second storage port to be used to access a same logical volume of the storage system.

15. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the plurality of instructions comprise:

instructions that cause the data processor to check whether a redundant relationship is formed by both of (i) a physical connection between the first server port and the first storage port and a physical connection between the second server port and the second storage port, and (ii) a logical connection between the first server port and the first storage port and a logical connection between the second server port and the second storage port.

16. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 15, wherein the plurality of instructions comprise:

instructions that cause the data processor to provision volume from the storage system after validating the redundant relationship.

17. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the plurality of instructions comprise:

instructions that cause the data processor to validate physical connection between the first server port and the first storage port and to validate physical connection between the second server port and the second storage port in order to establish a redundant relationship of physical connection; and

instructions that cause the data processor, if the software does not validate one or both of the physical connection between the first server port and the first storage port and the physical connection between the second server port and the second storage port in order to establish a redundant relationship of physical connection, to repair the one or both of the physical connections using reserved ports provided in reserved information stored in the memory so as to establish the redundant relationship of physical connection.

18. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the plurality of instructions comprise:

instructions that cause the data processor to validate logical connection between the first server port and the first storage port and to validate logical connection between the second server port and the second storage port in order to establish a redundant relationship of logical connection; and

instructions that cause the data processor, if the software does not validate one or both of the logical connection between the first server port and the first storage port and the logical connection between the second server port and the second storage port in order to establish a redundant relationship of logical connection, to create a new zone with server port WWN (World Wide Name) and storage port WWN to repair each of the one or both of the logical connections, so as to establish the redundant relationship of logical connection.

19. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 13,

wherein the first server port and the second server port are used by a same virtual machine of the server;

and

wherein the plurality of instructions comprise;

instructions that cause the data processor to validate logical connection between the first server port and the first storage port and to validate logical connection between the second server port and the second storage port in order to establish a redundant relationship of logical connection for the virtual machine; and

instructions that cause the data processor, if the software does not validate one or both of the logical connection between the first server port and the first storage port and the logical connection between the second server port and the second storage port in order to establish a redundant relationship of logical connection for the virtual machine, to create a new zone for NPIV (Node Port Interface Virtualization) with virtual machine port WWN (World Wide Name) and storage port WWN to repair each of the one or both of the logical connections, so as to establish the redundant relationship of logical connection for the virtual machine.

20. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 13,

wherein the server having the first server port and the second server port is a first server having a first NIC (Network Interface Card) and a second NIC;

wherein a second server has a third NIC and a fourth NIC;

wherein each server of the first and second servers includes virtual machines connected to virtual switches which are connected to NICs;

wherein access switches are coupled between the first and second servers and aggregation switches, the aggregation switches being coupled with the storage system;

wherein the instructions that cause the data processor to check whether a redundant relationship of physical connection is formed by a physical connection between the first server port and the first storage port and a physical connection between the second server port and the second storage port comprise instructions that cause the data processor to validate connectivity between the virtual switches and the NICs for each of the first and second servers; and

wherein the instructions that cause the data processor to check whether a redundant relationship of logical connection is formed by a logical connection between the first server port and the first storage port and a logical connection between the second server port and the second storage port comprise instructions that cause the data processor to validate redundancy between the first and second servers and access switches, which include;

instructions that cause the data processor to enumerate all paths between the first and second NICs of the first server and the third and fourth NICs of the second server and storing the enumerated paths in a path table;

instructions that cause the data processor to choose a shortest path from the enumerated paths in the path table, store the chosen shortest path in a shortest path table, and remove the chosen shortest path from the path table;

instructions that cause the data processor to remove all paths from the shortest path table which contain one or more aggregation switches;

instructions that cause the data processor, if there are one or more paths remaining in the path table, to repeat the choosing and the removing until there are no more paths remaining in the path table; and

instructions that cause the data processor to validate that a redundant relationship of logical connection is formed if there are at least two chosen shortest paths remaining after the removing.