Programmatic masking of storage units

• US 6,643,748 B1
• Filed: 04/20/2000
• Issued: 11/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Wieland, Peter W.
• Primary Examiner(s): PEIKARI, BEHZAD
• Application Number:
  US09/553,114
• Time in Patent Office: 1,293 Days
• Field of Search: 710/104, 710/49, 710/314, 711/152, 711/163, 711/170, 707/8, 707/9
• US Class Current: 711/152
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/387 for adaptation of different data processing systems to different peripheral devices, e.g. protocol converters for incompatible systems, open system
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99938 Concurrency, e.g. lock management in shared database
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access

Abstract

A system and method are described to programmatically manage access between one or more nodes and a plurality of associated devices, such as shared storage units. Each node is programmed to include a data structure, which identifies whether an associated device is to be within the scope of the respective node. The data structure and may include persistent and/or temporary lists. Each device may be programmatically masked relative to the node by dynamically modifying the data structure of the node, such as by employing a predetermined interface.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a shared storage system including a plurality of storage units;

a node operatively connected to the shared storage system, the node being programmed to identify each storage unit operatively connected to the node and to mask access by the node to at least one of the storage units based on scope data that defines whether each identified storage unit is either exposed or hidden from the node.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the scope data further includes a programmable data structure which identifies which of the storage units of the shared storage system are to be within the scope of the node, the node masking access to storage units based on the programmable data structure.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the programmable data structure includes at least a portion corresponding to programmable persistent data.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the programmable data structure further includes another portion corresponding to programmable temporary data.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the node is further programmed to at least one of create and remove a programmatic link within the node that provides a communications channel between the node and a storage unit based on the programmable data structure.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the programmatic link includes a device object associated with the node and a corresponding storage unit, the device object being instantiated based on the programmable data structure.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the programmatic link includes a programmable connection that provides a communications path between a device object operatively associated with the node and a higher level device object operatively associated with one of the storage units, the communications path being masked according to the programmable data structure.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the node further includes at least one of a programmable temporary data structure and a programmable persistent data structure which identify masking criteria of the node.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the shared storage system further includes a storage area network operatively connecting the node to the plurality of storage units.

10. A system, comprising:

a plurality of devices; and

at least one bus connecting each of the plurality of devices to each of a plurality of nodes;

wherein each of the plurality of nodes is programmed to identify each of the plurality of devices, each of the plurality of nodes having a programmable data structure and being programmable to mask access by the node to at least one of the plurality of devices according to the programmable data structure.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the programmable data structure of a corresponding node identifies whether each of the plurality of devices is to be within the scope of the corresponding node, the corresponding node masking access to devices based on the programmable data structure associated therewith.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the programmable data structure of the corresponding node includes programmable persistent data identifying at least one device to be masked relative to the corresponding node.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the programmable data structure of the corresponding node includes programmable temporary data identifying at least one device to be masked relative to the corresponding node.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the programmable data structure of the corresponding node includes programmable persistent data and programmable temporary data identifying devices to be masked relative to the corresponding node.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of nodes is further programmed to at least one of add and remove a programmable link within the corresponding node based on the programmable data structure, the programmable link providing a communications channel between the corresponding node and one of the plurality of devices.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the programmable link includes a device object associated with the corresponding node and a corresponding one of the plurality of devices, the device object being instantiated based on the programmable data structure.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the programmable link includes a programmable communications path between a device object operatively associated with the corresponding node and a higher level device object operatively associated with one of the plurality of devices, the communications path being masked according to the programmable data structure of the corresponding node.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the node further includes at least one of a programmable temporary data structure and a programmable persistent data structure which identify masking criteria for the node.

19. The system of claim 10, wherein at least some of the plurality of devices are storage units of a shared storage system operatively connected with the node through a storage area network.

20. A system for managing access to a plurality of storage units in a shared storage system, comprising:

a node operatively connectable to the plurality of storage units, the node having a programmable data structure indicating whether each of the plurality of storage units is to be masked relative to the node; and

an interface for selectively modifying the programmable data structure in response to a program instruction for masking access by the node relative to at least one of the plurality of storage units.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the programmable data structure of the node includes programmable persistent data identifying at least one of the plurality of storage units to be masked relative to the node.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the programmable data structure of the node includes programmable temporary data identifying at least one of the plurality of storage units to be masked relative to the node.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the programmable data structure of the node includes programmable persistent data and programmable temporary data identifying storage units to be masked relative to the node.

24. The system of claim 20, wherein the node is further programmed to at least one of add and remove a programmable link that provides a communications channel between the node and a corresponding storage unit in response to changes in the programmable data structure.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the programmable link includes a device object associated with the node and the corresponding storage unit, the device object being instantiated based on the programmable data structure.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the programmable link includes a programmable communications path between a device object operatively associated with the node and a higher level object operatively associated with the corresponding storage unit, the communications path varying as a function of the programmable data structure.

27. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the steps of:

identifying storage units operatively connected to a node;

masking access by the node relative to at least one programmatically selected storage unit based on scope data that defines whether each of the identified storage units is either exposed or hidden from the node.

28. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the steps of:

identifying storage units operatively connected to a node;

creating a programmable data structure at the node indicative of selected storage units and that defines whether at least some of the identified storage units are either exposed or hidden from the node; and

masking access by the node, relative to at least one of the storage units based on the programmable data structure.

29. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 28 having further computer-executable instructions for performing the step of storing in persistent memory of the node data which identifies at least one of the plurality of storage units to be masked relative to the node.

30. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 29 having further computer-executable instructions for performing the step of storing in temporary memory of the node data which identifies at least one of the plurality of storage units to be masked relative to the node.

31. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 30 having further computer-executable instructions for performing the step of defining the programmable data structure based on the data stored in at least one of the persistent memory and the temporary memory.

32. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 28 having further computer-executable instructions for performing the steps of storing in persistent memory of the node data which identifies at least one of the plurality of storage units to be masked relative to the node and defining the programmable data structure based on the data stored in the persistent memory.

33. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 28 having further computer-executable instructions for, in response to changes in the programmable data structure, performing the step of adding or removing a programmable link between the node and a corresponding one of the storage units.

34. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 33, wherein the programmable link includes a device object associated with the node and the corresponding one of the plurality of storage units, the computer-readable storage medium having further computer-executable instructions for performing the step of instantiating the device object based on the programmable data structure.

35. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 28, wherein the programmable link includes a programmable communications path between a device object operatively associated with the node and a higher level device object operatively associated with one of the storage units, the computer-readable storage medium having further computer-executable instructions for, in response to changes in the programmable data structure, performing the step of adding or removing the communications path.

36. A method to manage access to a plurality of shared storage units by a plurality of computers, comprising the steps of:

programmatically identifying the plurality of storage units;

programmatically masking access by at least one of the plurality of computers to at least one of the plurality of storage units based on scope data that defines whether the at least one of the plurality of storage units is either exposed or hidden from the at least one computer.

37. The method of claim 36, further including the step of storing a programmable data structure at the at least one computer indicative of masking criteria of whether a storage unit is to be masked relative to the at least one computer, the step of programmatically masking being performed based on the programmable data structure.

38. The method of claim 37, further including the step of storing in persistent memory of the at least one computer data which identifies at least one of the plurality of storage units to be masked relative to the at least one computer.

39. The method of claim 38, further including the step of storing in temporary memory of the at least one computer data which identifies at least one of the plurality of storage units to be masked relative to the at least one computer.

40. The method claim 39, further including the step of defining the programmable data structure based on the data stored in at least one of the persistent memory and the temporary memory.

41. The method of claim 37, further including the steps of storing in the at least one computer at least one of persistent and temporary data which identifies at least one of the plurality of storage units to be masked relative to the at least one computer and defining the programmable data structure based on the at least one of persistent and temporary data.

42. The method of claim 37, further including the step of adding or removing a programmable link at the at least one computer that provides a communications channel between the at least one computer and a corresponding storage unit in response to changes in the programmable data structure.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the programmable link includes a device object associated with the at least one computer and a corresponding one of the plurality of storage units, the method further including the step of instantiating the device object at the at least one computer based on the programmable data structure.

44. The method of claim 42, wherein the programmable link includes a programmable communications path between a device object operatively associated with the at least one computer and a higher level device object operatively associated with one of the storage units, the method further including the step of adding or removing the communications path in response to changes in the programmable data structure.