Fibre Channel Failover Based on Fabric Connectivity

• US 20160217049A1
• Filed: 01/15/2016
• Published: 07/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2015
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Nimble Storage (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Inventors: Jooss, Richard J., Fox, Jason M., Bali, Naveen
• Application Number:
  US14/997,435
• Publication Number:
  US 20160217049A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/00 Error detection; Error correction; Monitoring error detection, correction or monitoring in information storage based on relative movement between record carrier and transducer G11B20/18; monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing G11B27/36; in static stores G11C29/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/201 between storage system components
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2092 Techniques of failing over between control units
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/85 Active fault masking without idle spares active fault masking without idle spare hardware where processing functionality is redundant G06F11/2035

Abstract

Methods, storage arrays and computer readable media for triggering a failover between an active controller and a standby controller of a storage array are provided. One method includes determining by the active controller a number of connected fabrics available between ports of the active controller and a host and determining by the standby controller a number of connected fabrics available between the ports of the standby controller and the host. The method further includes executing a policy configuration to determine if the number of connected fabrics for each of the active controller and the standby controller meet a threshold for triggering the failover. The failover being a forced failover where the active controller takes a role of the standby controller and the standby controller takes a role of the active controller.

Claims

1. A method for triggering a failover between an active controller and a standby controller of a storage array, comprising:

determining by the active controller a number of connected fabrics available between ports of the active controller and a host;

determining by the standby controller a number of connected fabrics available between the ports of the standby controller and the host; and

executing a policy configuration to determine if the number of connected fabrics for each of the active controller and the standby controller meet a threshold for triggering the failover.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising,

comparing the number of connected fabrics between the ports of the active controller and the standby controller and the host, wherein the comparing is used by the policy configuration to determine if the threshold for triggering the failover is present.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the policy configuration is selectable to change the threshold for triggering the failover.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the failover is a process that switches a designation and functionality of the active controller and the standby controller, such that the active controller takes a role of the standby controller and the standby controller takes a role of the active controller.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the policy configuration requires that the standby controller have more connected fabrics than does the active controller to meet the threshold for triggering the failover, the failover being a process that switches a designation and functionality of the active controller and the standby controller, such that the active controller takes a role of the standby controller and the standby controller takes a role of the active controller.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the policy configuration requires that the standby controller have more than zero connected fabrics and the active controller has zero connected fabrics to meet the threshold for triggering the failover, the failover being a process that switches a designation and functionality of the active controller and the standby controller, such that the active controller takes a role of the standby controller and the standby controller takes a role of the active controller.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the policy configuration requires that the standby controller have all connected fabrics of the active controller, plus some other connected fabric to meet the threshold for triggering the failover, the failover being a process that switches a designation and functionality of the active controller and the standby controller, such that the active controller takes a role of the standby controller and the standby controller takes a role of the active controller.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the threshold for triggering the failover further requires detecting a drop in performance of the storage array.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the policy configuration is dynamically adjusted based on a type of data being processed or during specific periods of time.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the failover is a forceful trigger based on analysis of the connected fabrics to the active controller and the standby controller operating a Fibre Channel process.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein an override setting is triggered to prevent the failover during operation of certain administration tasks of the storage array.

12. A storage array, comprising,

an active controller for operating storage operations in accordance with a Fibre Channel protocol;

and

a standby controller for operating storage operations in accordance with the Fibre Channel protocol;

the active controller and the standby controller being programmed to determine a number of connected fabrics available between ports of the active controller and the standby controller to a host, the active controller is configured to execute a policy configuration to determine if the number of connected fabrics for each of the active controller and the standby controller meet a threshold for triggering a failover.

13. The storage array of claim 12, wherein the policy configuration is configured to comparing the number of connected fabrics between the ports of the active controller and the standby controller and the host to determine if the threshold for triggering the failover is present.

14. The storage array of claim 12, wherein the policy configuration is selectable to change the threshold for triggering the failover.

15. The storage array of claim 12, wherein the failover is a process that switches a designation and functionality of the active controller and the standby controller, such that the active controller takes a role of the standby controller and the standby controller takes a role of the active controller.

16. The storage array of claim 12, wherein the policy configuration requires that the standby controller have more connected fabrics than does the active controller to meet the threshold for triggering the failover, the failover being a process that switches a designation and functionality of the active controller and the standby controller, such that the active controller takes a role of the standby controller and the standby controller takes a role of the active controller.

17. The storage array of claim 12, wherein the policy configuration requires that the standby controller have more than zero connected fabrics and the active controller has zero connected fabrics to meet the threshold for triggering the failover, the failover being a process that switches a designation and functionality of the active controller and the standby controller, such that the active controller takes a role of the standby controller and the standby controller takes a role of the active controller.

18. The storage array of claim 12, wherein the policy configuration requires that the standby controller have all connected fabrics of the active controller, plus some other connected fabric to meet the threshold for triggering the failover, the failover being a process that switches a designation and functionality of the active controller and the standby controller, such that the active controller takes a role of the standby controller and the standby controller takes a role of the active controller.

19. The storage array of claim 12, wherein the threshold for triggering the failover further requires detecting a drop in performance of the storage array.

20. Computer readable media having non-transitory program instructions for triggering a failover between an active controller and a standby controller of a storage array, comprising:

program instructions for determining by the active controller a number of connected fabrics available between ports of the active controller and a host;

program instructions for determining by the standby controller a number of connected fabrics available between the ports of the standby controller and the host; and

program instructions for executing a policy configuration to determine if the number of connected fabrics for each of the active controller and the standby controller meet a threshold for triggering the failover.

21. The computer readable media of claim 20, further comprising,

program instructions for comparing the number of connected fabrics between the ports of the active controller and the standby controller and the host, wherein the comparing is used by the policy configuration to determine if the threshold for triggering the failover is present, the failover is a process that switches a designation and functionality of the active controller and the standby controller, such that the active controller takes a role of the standby controller and the standby controller takes a role of the active controller.

22. The computer readable media of claim 20, wherein the policy configuration requires that the standby controller have more connected fabrics than does the active controller to meet the threshold for triggering the failover, the failover being a process that switches a designation and functionality of the active controller and the standby controller, such that the active controller takes a role of the standby controller and the standby controller takes a role of the active controller.

23. The computer readable media of claim 20, wherein the policy configuration requires that the standby controller have more than zero connected fabrics and the active controller has zero connected fabrics to meet the threshold for triggering the failover, the failover being a process that switches a designation and functionality of the active controller and the standby controller, such that the active controller takes a role of the standby controller and the standby controller takes a role of the active controller.

24. The computer readable media of claim 20, wherein the policy configuration requires that the standby controller have all connected fabrics of the active controller, plus some other connected fabric to meet the threshold for triggering the failover, the failover being a process that switches a designation and functionality of the active controller and the standby controller, such that the active controller takes a role of the standby controller and the standby controller takes a role of the active controller.