Methods and apparatus for committing configuration changes to managed devices prior to completion of the configuration change

• US 6,480,955 B1
• Filed: 07/09/1999
• Issued: 11/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
• Original Assignee: LSI Logic Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: DeKoning, Rodney A., Jantz, Ray M., Courtright, William V. II
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaffin, Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mai, RiJue
• Application Number:
  US09/350,735
• Time in Patent Office: 1,222 Days
• Field of Search: 713/1, 713/2, 713/100, 709/220, 709/222, 709/223, 709/221, 710/8, 710/10, 710/9, 710/12, 710/14, 710/104, 711/1, 712/15
• US Class Current: 713/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0846 based on copy from other elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

A system and method for managing device configuration changes. The system and method preferably comprises a management station which issues a configuration change request to a management device and waits for a reply from the managed device. The managed device receives the configuration change request from the management station and processes the change request until the configuration change request is durable on the managed device. The managed device then returns a status to the management station indicating that the configuration request is durable. The management station receives the status from the managed device and stops waiting for reply. In the meantime, the managed device continues processing the configuration change request. In addition, the system and method preferably further comprises that after the management station receives the status from the managed device and stops waiting for a reply, the management station preferably starts and event completion status object which shows the completion status of the configuration change request being processed on the managed device.

Claims

1. A method for managing device configuration changes, comprising the steps of:

(a) a management station issuing a configuration change request to a managed device and waiting for a reply from said managed device;

(b) said managed device receiving said configuration change request and processing said configuration change request until said configuration change request is durable on said managed device;

(c) said managed device returning a status to said management station indicating that said configuration change request is durable;

(d) said management station receiving said status from said managed device and ending the step of waiting for a reply; and

(e) said managed device continuing to process said configuration change request.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

(f) after step (d), starting an event completion status object on said management station, which shows the completion status of the configuration change request being processed on said managed device.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

(g) while said managed device is performing the step (e), said managed device sending a completion progress message to said management station; and

(h) said management station receiving said completion progress message from said managed device and updating said event completion status object.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein said completion progress message comprises an message generated by a hanging asynchronous event notification process running on said managed device.

5. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein steps (g) and (h) are performed until said configuration change request is completely processed.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said management station invokes a management application program associated with said managed device to issue said configuration change request to said managed device.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein said management station comprises a Java run-time environment, and wherein said management application comprises a Java applet.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said managed device comprises a storage system having a storage system controller.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein said storage system controller processes said configuration change request on said storage system.

10. A method for managing device configuration changes, comprising the steps of:

(a) a management station issuing a configuration change request to a managed device and waiting for a reply from said managed device;

(b) said managed device receiving said configuration change request and processing said configuration change request until said configuration change request is durable on said managed device;

(c) said managed device returning a status to said management station indicating that said configuration change request is durable;

(d) said management station receiving said status from said managed device and ending the step of waiting for a reply;

(e) said managed device continuing to process said configuration change request;

(f) after step (d), starting an event completion status object on said management station, which shows the completion status of the configuration change request being processed on said managed device;

(g) while said managed device is performing the step (e), said managed device sending a completion progress message to said management station;

(h) said management station receiving said completion progress message from said managed device and updating said event completion status object;

wherein said completion progress message comprises an message generated by a hanging asynchronous event notification process running on said managed device; and

wherein steps (g) and (h) are performed until said configuration change request is completely processed;

(i) after said managed device completes processing said configuration change request, said managed device sending a configuration change request completed message to said management station; and

(j) said management station receiving said change request completed message and notifying a user that said configuration change request was processed.

11. A method for managing storage system configuration changes issued from a management station to a storage system, comprising the steps of:

(a) said management station issuing a configuration change request to said storage system and waiting for a reply from said storage system;

(b) said storage system receiving said configuration change request and a controller associated with said storage system processing said configuration change request until said configuration change request is durable on said storage system;

(c) said storage system returning a status to said management station indicating that said configuration change request is durable;

(d) said management station receiving said status from said storage system and ending the step of waiting for a reply; and

(e) said controller of said storage system continuing to process said configuration change request.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising the step of:

(f) after step (d), starting an event completion status object on said management station, which shows the completion status of the configuration change request being processed on said storage system.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

(g) while said controller of said storage system is performing the step (e), said controller of said storage system sending a completion progress message to said management station; and

(h) said management station receiving said completion progress message from said controller of said storage system and updating said event completion status object.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein steps (g) and (h) are performed until said configuration change request is completely processed.

15. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein said management station invokes a management application program associated with said storage system to issue said configuration change request to said storage system.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein said management station comprises a Java run-time environment, and wherein said management application comprises a Java applet.

17. A method for managing storage system configuration changes, issued from a management station to a storage system, comprising the steps of:

(a) said management station issuing a configuration change request to said storage system and waiting for a reply from said storage system;

(b) said storage system receiving said configuration change request and a controller associated with said storage system processing said configuration change request until said configuration change request is durable on said storage system;

(c) said storage system returning a status to said management station indicating that said configuration change request is durable;

(d) said management station receiving said status from said storage system and ending the step of waiting for a reply;

(e) said controller of said storage system continuing to process said configuration change request;

(f) after step (d), stating an event completion status object on said management station, which shows the completion status of the configuration change request being processed on said storage system;

(g) while said controller of said storage system is performing the step (a), said controller of said storage system sending a completion progress message to said management station;

(h) said management station receiving said completion progress message from said controller of said storage system and updating said event completion status object;

wherein steps (g) and (h) are performed until said configuration change request is completely processed;

(i) after said controller of said storage system completes processing said configuration change request, said controller of said storage system sending a configuration change request completed message to said management station; and

(j) said management station receiving said change request completed message and notifying a user that said configuration change request was processed.

18. A system for managing device configuration changes issued from a management station to a managed device, comprising:

a management station connected to a network; and

a managed device connected to said network;

wherein said management station issues a configuration change request to said managed device and waits for a reply from said managed device, said managed device receives said configuration change request, processes said configuration change request until said configuration change request is durable, returns a status to said management station indicating that said configuration change request is durable, and then continues to process said configuration change request, upon said management station receiving said status from said managed device, said management stations stops waiting for a reply.

19. The system as recited in claim 18, wherein when said management station stops waiting for a reply, said management station begins an event completion status object, which displays on a display associated with said management station the completion status of said configuration change request being processed on said managed device.

20. The system as recited in claim 19, wherein as said managed device processes said configuration change request, said managed device communicates a completion progress message to said management station, which receives the completion progress message and updates said event completion status object.

21. The system as recited in claim 18, wherein said management station invokes a management application program associated with said managed device to issue said configuration change request to said managed device.

22. The system as recited in claim 21, wherein said management station comprises a Java run-time environment, and wherein said management application comprises a Java applet.

23. The system as recited in claim 18, wherein said managed device comprises a storage system having a storage system controller, and wherein said storage system controller processes said configuration change request on said storage system.

24. A system for managing device configuration changes issued from a management station to a managed device, comprising:

a management station connected to a network;

a managed device connected to said network;

wherein said management station issues a configuration change request to said managed device and waits for a reply from said managed device, said managed device receives said configuration change request, processes said configuration change request until said configuration change request is durable, returns a status to said management station indicating that said configuration change request is durable, and then continues to process said configuration change request upon said management station receiving said status from said managed device, said management stations stops waiting for a reply;

wherein when said management station stops waiting for a reply, said management station begins an event completion status object, which displays on a display associated with said management station the completion status of said configuration change request being processed on said managed device;

wherein as said managed device processes said configuration change request, said managed device communicates a completion progress message to said management station, which receives the completion progress message and updates said event completion status object; and

wherein after said managed device completes processing said configuration change command, said managed device communicates a completed status message to said management station, and said management station receives said completed status message and informs a uses that the configuration change was processed.