Method and system for administering storage devices on a network

• US 6,496,914 B1
• Filed: 03/22/2001
• Issued: 12/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Burriss, Michael, Bezera, Mike, Sonner, Helga, Hunt, Gregory T., Vook, Eric R., Scott, Derek
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hiep T.
• Application Number:
  US09/814,662
• Time in Patent Office: 635 Days
• Field of Search: 711/170, 710/8, 709/220
• US Class Current: 711/170
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0604 Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. storage management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0632 by initialisation or re-initialisation of storage systems
• 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 2101/365 Application layer names, e.g. buddy names, unstructured names chosen by a user or home appliance name
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• 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 host system, such as a server, controls a plurality of different class storage devices on a network. The operating system on the host assigns a unique identification to each storage device using a standard protocol and maintains the identification in the operating system. This allows control of the storage devices without complications even though different classes of devices, using differing identification protocols, are assembled on the same network.

Claims

1. A method of configuring an operating system on a host administering a plurality of storage devices, with controllers on a network, comprising:

for storage devices, which are storage arrays, on the network, and which support world wide name signatures, building a first class of unique Lun signature for each such storage device, based on the world wide name signature of each storage device, in the operating system and in the controllers on the network;

for storage devices, which are storage arrays, on the network, and which do not support world wide name signatures, but have storage processor based signatures, building a second class of unique Lun signatures for each such storage device, based on the storage processor based signature of each such storage device, in the operating system and in controllers on the network; and

for storage devices, which are not storage arrays, on the network, building a third class of unique Lun signature for each such storage device, in the operating system and in controllers on the network.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein each Lun signature has a predetermined structure which identifies the type of storage device associated therewith.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising, if a Lun signature created for a specific device does not include a Lun 0, creating a unique fake Lun 0 for said device, in the operating system and in controllers on the network.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising using each Lun 0 in the operating system to support communications with storage devices on the network to allow the operating system to size the network.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising allocating a Lun signature for every path on the network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the Lun signatures comprise:

(a) a world wide name based signature for use with storage area network or network attached storage class devices;

(b) legacy based signatures for use with devices using signature styles used prior to world wide name signatures being used; and

(c) constructed Lun signatures for use with virtual devices in array and management functionality.

7. A host system capable of administering a plurality of storage devices when connected thereto on a network, and with controllers on the network, comprising:

at least one processor, a storage system, at least one adapter, and programs configured for administering a network;

the operating system including a file system with a virtual device manager capable of assigning Lun signatures to storage devices on the network, based on the storage device class; and

the file system being capable of assigning Lun signatures,

(1) for storage devices, which are storage arrays, which support world wide name signatures, by building a first class of unique Lun signatures for each such storage array connected on the network, based on the world wide name signature of each storage device, in the operating system and in the controllers on the network;

(2) for storage devices, which are storage arrays, on the network which do not support world wide name signatures, but have storage processor based signatures, by building a second class of unique Lun signatures for such storage device, based on the storage processor based signature of each such storage device, in the operating system and on controllers on the network, and

(3) for storage devices, which are not storage arrays, on the network, by building a third class of unique Lun signatures for each such storage device, in the operating system and in controllers on the network.

8. The host system of claim 7, wherein each Lun signature has a predetermined structure which identifies the type of storage device associated therewith.

9. The host system of claim 8, further comprising, if a Lun signature created for a specific device does not include a Lun 0, the file system being capable of creating a unique fake Lun 0 for said device, in the operating system and in controllers on the network.

10. The host system of claim 9, wherein each Lun 0 in the operating system is for use in supporting communications with storage devices on the network to allow the operating system to size the network.

11. The host system of claim 7, wherein the file system is capable of allocating a Lun signature for every path on the network.

12. The host system of claim 7, wherein the file system is capable of assigning Lun signatures which comprise:

(a) world wide name based signatures for use with storage area network or network attached storage class devices;

(b) legacy based signatures for use with devices using signature styles used prior to world wide name signatures being used; and

(c) constructed Lun signatures for use with virtual devices in array and management functionality.

13. An operating system for use on a host system capable of administering a plurality of storage devices when connected thereto on a network, with controllers on the network, the operating system comprising:

a file system with a virtual device manager capable of assigning Lun signatures to storage devices on the network based on the storage device class; and

the file system being capable of assigning, the Lun signatures

(1) for storage devices, which are storage arrays, which support world wide name signatures, by building a first class of unique Lun signatures for each such storage array connected on the network, based on the world wide name signature of each storage device, in the operating system and in the controllers on the network;

(2) for storage devices, which are storage arrays, on the network which do not support world wide name signatures, but have storage processor based signatures, by building a second class of unique Lun signatures for such storage device, based on the storage processor based signature of each such storage device, in the operating system and on controllers on the network, and

(3) for storage devices, which are not storage arrays, on the network, by building a third class of unique Lun signatures for each such storage device, in the operating system and in controllers on the network.

14. The operating system of claim 13, wherein each Lun signature has a predetermined structure which identifies the type of storage device associated therewith.

15. The operating system of claim 14, further comprising, if a Lun signature created for a specific device does not include a Lun 0, the file system being capable of creating a unique fake Lun 0 for said device in the operating system and in controllers on the network.

16. The operating system of claim 13, wherein each Lun 0 in the operating system is for use in supporting communications with storage devices on the network to allow the operating system to size the network.

17. The operating system of claim 13, wherein the file system is capable of allocating a Lun signature for every path on the network.

18. The operating system of claim 13, wherein the file system is capable of assigning Lun signatures which comprise:

(a) world wide name based signatures for use with storage area network or network attached storage class devices;

(b) legacy based signatures for use with devices using signature styles used prior to world wide name signatures being used; and

(c) constructed Lun signatures for use with virtual devices in array and management functionality.