DISCOVERY OF STORAGE AREA NETWORK DEVICES FOR A VIRTUAL MACHINE

• US 20140052845A1
• Filed: 08/17/2012
• Published: 02/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vmware LLC (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: VMware, Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: NAYAK, Samdeep, Liu, Wenhua, Shih, Chiao-Chuan, Merritt, Anne Marie, Huang, Xiangdong G.
• Granted Patent: US 9,003,027 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0629 Configuration or reconfiguration of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0653 Monitoring storage devices or systems
• 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: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• 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 computer-implemented method for discovering a plurality of storage area network (SAN) devices for a virtual machine. At a SAN device of the plurality of SAN devices, physically adjacent SAN devices connected to the SAN device are discovered. The physically adjacent SAN devices connected to the SAN device are registered at a name server.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for discovering a plurality of storage area network (SAN) devices for a virtual machine, the method comprising:

at a SAN device of the plurality of SAN devices;

discovering physically adjacent SAN devices connected to the SAN device; and

registering the physically adjacent SAN devices connected to the SAN device at a name server.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

establishing communications between a host device and a target device of the plurality of SAN devices, wherein the virtual machine is resident on the host device.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the establishing communications between a host device and a target device of the plurality of SAN devices comprises:

accessing, at a host device of the plurality of SAN devices, the name server to discover a target device of the plurality of SAN device.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the establishing communications between a host device and a target device of the plurality of SAN devices further comprises:

negotiating, at the host device and the target device, parameters used for further communication between the host device and the target device over the SAN.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 further comprising:

identifying, at the host device and the target device, a plurality of paths over the plurality of SAN devices to communicate between the host device and the target device.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 further comprising:

populating a mapping table for the virtual machine with the plurality of paths over the plurality of SAN devices to communicate between the host device and the target device.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the mapping table comprises a World Wide Identifier (WWID) for each SAN device supporting communication between the host device and the target device of the virtual machine.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of SAN devices comprises:

at least one host server for hosting a plurality of virtual machines;

a plurality of host bus adaptors communicatively coupled to the at least one server;

a plurality of switches communicatively coupled to the plurality of host bus adaptors; and

a target memory array communicatively coupled to the plurality of switches.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

monitoring performance statistics for the plurality of SAN devices at a management server; and

determining health of the virtual machine based at least in part on the performance statistics for the plurality of SAN devices at the management server.

10. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer-readable program code stored thereon for causing a computer system to perform a method for discovering a plurality of storage area network (SAN) devices for a virtual machine, the method comprising:

at a SAN device of the plurality of SAN devices;

discovering physically adjacent SAN devices connected to the SAN device; and

registering the physically adjacent SAN devices connected to the SAN device at a name server.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10 wherein the method further comprises:

establishing communications between a host device and a target device of the plurality of SAN devices, wherein the virtual machine is resident on the host device.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 wherein the establishing communications between a host device and a target device of the plurality of SAN devices comprises:

accessing, at a host device of the plurality of SAN devices, the name server to discover a target device of the plurality of SAN device.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 12 wherein the establishing communications between a host device and a target device of the plurality of SAN devices further comprises:

negotiating, at the host device and the target device, parameters used for further communication between the host device and the target device over the SAN.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 wherein the method further comprises:

identifying, at the host device and the target device, a plurality of paths over the plurality of SAN devices to communicate between the host device and the target device.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises:

populating a mapping table for the virtual machine with the plurality of paths over the plurality of SAN devices to communicate between the host device and the target device.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 wherein the mapping table comprises a World Wide Identifier (WWID) for each SAN device supporting communication between the host device and the target device of the virtual machine.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10 wherein the plurality of SAN devices comprises:

at least one host server for hosting a plurality of virtual machines;

a plurality of host bus adaptors communicatively coupled to the at least one server;

a plurality of switches communicatively coupled to the plurality of host bus adaptors; and

a target memory array communicatively coupled to the plurality of switches.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10 wherein the method further comprises

monitoring performance statistics for the plurality of SAN devices at a management server;

and

determining health of the virtual machine based at least in part on the performance statistics for the plurality of SAN devices at the management server.

19. A computer-implemented method for discovering a plurality of storage area network (SAN) devices for a virtual machine, the method comprising:

at a SAN device of the plurality of SAN devices;

discovering physically adjacent SAN devices connected to the SAN device; and

registering the physically adjacent SAN devices connected to the SAN device at a name server;

establishing communications between a host device and a target device of the plurality of SAN devices, wherein the virtual machine is resident on the host device, the establishing communications between a host device and a target device of the plurality of SAN devices comprising;

accessing, at a host device of the plurality of SAN devices, the name server to discover a target device of the plurality of SAN device; and

negotiating, at the host device and the target device, parameters used for further communication between the host device and the target device over the SAN;

identifying, at the host device and the target device, a plurality of paths over the plurality of SAN devices to communicate between the host device and the target device; and

populating a mapping table for the virtual machine with the plurality of paths over the plurality of SAN devices to communicate between the host device and the target device.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 19, wherein the mapping table comprises a World Wide Identifier (WWID) for each SAN device supporting communication between the host device and the target device of the virtual machine.