MANAGING A STORAGE ARRAY USING CLIENT-SIDE SERVICES

• US 20160352720A1
• Filed: 05/29/2015
• Published: 12/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pure Storage, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Pure Storage, Inc.
• Inventors: HU, JIMMY T., NOONAN, TERENCE W., VACHHARAJANI, NEIL A., ZUO, DAQUAN
• Granted Patent: US 10,021,170 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0807 using tickets, e.g. Kerberos cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using tickets or tokens H04L9/3213
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• 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

Managing a storage array includes: receiving, by a client-side array services module from a cloud-based security module through data communications on a wide area network, a token representing authentication of user credentials; and managing, by the client-side array services module, a storage array only through data communications on a local area network, including sending, to the storage array, the token with a management instruction.

Claims

1. A method of managing a storage array, the method comprising:

receiving, by a client-side array services module from a cloud-based security module through data communications on a wide area network, a token representing authentication of user credentials, the client-side array services module is coupled for data communications to a cloud-based storage array services provider;

managing, by the client-side array services module, a storage array only through data communications on a local area network, including sending, to the storage array, a management instruction with the token received over the wide area network, wherein the storage array is not coupled for data communications to the cloud-based security module;

disconnecting, by the client-side array services module, from the local area network, wherein after disconnecting from the local area network, the client-side array services module no longer manages the storage array; and

subsequent to disconnecting from the local area network, receiving, by the client-side array services module, only reporting services from the cloud-based storage array services provider through data communications on the wide area network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the client-side array services module further comprises a web browser that supports cross-domain communications;

the cloud-based security module comprises a first domain and the storage array comprises a second domain.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the storage array is configured to report changes resulting from management instructions to a cloud-based storage array services provider through a one-way data communications connection on the wide area network.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

informing, by the client-side array services module through data communications on the wide area network, a cloud-based storage array services provider of the management of the storage array.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the cloud-based security module comprises a component of a cloud-based storage array services provider.

2. (canceled)

7. An apparatus for managing a storage array, the apparatus comprising a computer processor, a computer memory operatively coupled to the computer processor, the computer memory having disposed within it computer program instructions that, when executed by the computer processor, cause the apparatus to carry out the steps of:

receiving, by a client-side array services module from a cloud-based security module through data communications on a wide area network, a token representing authentication of user credentials, the client-side array services module is coupled for data communications to a cloud-based storage array services provider;

managing, by the client-side array services module, a storage array only through data communications on a local area network, including sending, to the storage array, a management instruction with the token received over the wide area network, wherein the storage array is not coupled for data communications to the cloud-based security module;

disconnecting, by the client-side array services module, from the local area network, wherein after disconnecting from the local area network, the client-side array services module no longer manages the storage array; and

subsequent to disconnecting from the local area network, receiving, by the client-side array services module, only reporting services from the cloud-based storage array services provider through data communications on the wide area network.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein:

the client-side array services module further comprises a web browser that supports cross-domain communications;

the cloud-based security module comprises a first domain and the storage array comprises a second domain.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the storage array is configured to report changes resulting from management instructions to a cloud-based storage array services provider through a one-way data communications connection on the wide area network.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising computer program instructions that, when executed by the computer processor, cause the apparatus to carry out the steps of:

informing, by the client-side array services module through data communications on the wide area network, a cloud-based storage array services provider of the management of the storage array.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the cloud-based security module comprises a component of a cloud-based storage array services provider.

8. (canceled)

13. A computer program product for managing a storage array, the computer program product disposed upon a non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer program product comprising computer program instructions that, when executed, cause a computer to carry out the steps of:

receiving, by a client-side array services module from a cloud-based security module through data communications on a wide area network, a token representing authentication of user credentials, the client-side array services module is coupled for data communications to a cloud-based storage array services provider;

managing, by the client-side array services module, a storage array only through data communications on a local area network, including sending, to the storage array, a management instruction with the token received over the wide area network, wherein the storage array is not coupled for data communications to the cloud-based security module;

disconnecting, by the client-side array services module, from the local area network, wherein after disconnecting from the local area network, the client-side array services module no longer manages the storage array; and

subsequent to disconnecting from the local area network, receiving, by the client-side array services module, only reporting services from the cloud-based storage array services provider through data communications on the wide area network.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein:

the client-side array services module further comprises a web browser that supports cross-domain communications;

the cloud-based security module comprises a first domain and the storage array comprises a second domain.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the storage array is configured to report changes resulting from management instructions to a cloud-based storage array services provider through a one-way data communications connection on the wide area network.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising computer program instructions that, when executed, cause the computer to carry out the steps of:

informing, by the client-side array services module through data communications on the wide area network, a cloud-based storage array services provider of the management of the storage array.

18. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the cloud-based security module comprises a component of a cloud-based storage array services provider.

14. (canceled)