Method and apparatus for determining an identity of a network device

• US 6,665,714 B1
• Filed: 06/30/1999
• Issued: 12/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Ofer, Erez, Cohen, Steve, Blumenau, Steve
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Application Number:
  US09/345,254
• Time in Patent Office: 1,630 Days
• Field of Search: 709/222, 709/237, 709/220, 709/4, 709/43, 714/4, 714/43
• US Class Current: 709/222
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/201 between storage system components
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method and apparatus for managing the availability and assignment of data in a storage system that is coupled to a network. A user interface is provided that executes on a host processor that is coupled to the storage system over the network. The user interface communicates with a configuration database in the storage system to identify host processors that are logged into the storage system over the network, to identify storage volumes on the storage system, to identify whether access to a particular storage volume on the storage system is permitted from a particular host processor, and to identify a network path by which host processors are logged into the storage system over the network. In one embodiment, a graphical user interface is provided that can be used to graphically represent host processors, host bus adapters, storage systems, and storage system adapters and storage volumes on the storage system. The graphical representation provided by the graphical user interface permits a user to graphically view a topology of the network at varying levels of detail, selectable by the user. The graphical user interface also permits a user to allow or deny access to storage systems or a particular storage volume on storage system from one or more of the host processors, host bus adapters, etc., by selecting and manipulating graphical representations thereof. In another embodiment, a command line user interface is provided with similar functionality.

Claims

1. A method of enabling an application program, executing on a host computer that comprises a first network device, to determine a pre-assigned network identity of the first network device, the first network device being coupled to at least a second network device by a network, the method comprising steps of:

sending a first communication from the first network device to the second network device over the network, the first communication identifying to the second network device the pre-assigned network identity of the first network device;

requesting the second network device to identify, to the host computer, the pre-assigned network identity of the first network device identified in the first communication;

receiving, at the host computer, a second communication from the second network device identifying the pre-assigned network identity of the first network device identified in the first communication; and

communicating to the application program executing on the host computer the pre-assigned network identity of the first network device identified in the second communication.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second network devices communicate over the network using a Fibre Channel protocol, and wherein the step of requesting includes a step of requesting the second network device to identify, to the first network device, a world wide name of the source from which the communication was received.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of sending includes a step of sending the communication from the first network device to a storage system over the network.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising a step of:

requesting the second network device to provide the first network device with an alias for the first network device that can be used in subsequent communications with the second network device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of:

requesting the second network device to provide the first network device with an alias for the first network device that can be used in subsequent communications with the second network device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of logging into the second network device over the network.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising a step of requesting the second network device to identify, to the first network device, other network devices that are logged into the second network device.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the second network device is a storage system having a plurality of storage volumes, wherein the step of sending includes a step of sending the communication from the first network device to the storage system over the network, and wherein the method further comprises a step of:

using the network identity of the first network device to allocate at least one storage volume to the host computer.

8. A computer readable medium encoded with a program that, when executed on a host computer comprising a first network device, performs a method enabling an application program executing on the host computer to determine a pre-assigned network identity of the first network device, the first network device being coupled to at least a second network device over a network, the method comprising steps of:

sending a first communication from the first network device to the second network device over the network, the first communication identifying to the second network device the pre-assigned network identity of the first network device;

requesting the second network device to identify, to the host computer, the pre-assigned network identity of the first network device identified in the first communication;

receiving, at the host computer, a second communication from the second network device identifying the pre-assigned network identity of the first network device identified in the first communication; and

communicating to the application program executing on the host computer the pre-assigned network identity of the first network device identified in the second communication.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the first and second network devices communicate over the network using a Fibre Channel protocol, and wherein the step of requesting includes a step of requesting the second network device to identify, to the first network device, a world wide name of the source from which the communication was received.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the step of sending includes a step of sending the communication from the first network device to a storage system over the network.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises a step of:

requesting the second network device to provide the first network device with an alias for the first network device that can be used in subsequent communications with the second network device.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises a step of:

requesting the second network device to provide the first network device with an alias for the first network device that can be used in subsequent communications with the second network device.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises a step of logging into the second network device over the network.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises a step of requesting the second network device to identify, to the first network device, other network devices that are logged into the second network device.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the second network device is a storage system having a plurality of storage volumes, wherein the step of sending includes a step of sending the communication from the first network device to the storage system over the network, and wherein the method further comprises a step of:

using the network identity of the first network device to allocate at least one storage volume to the host computer.

17. A method of enabling an application program, executing on a host computer that comprises a first network device, to determine a pre-assigned hardware address of the first network device, the first network device being coupled to at least a second network device by a network, the method comprising steps of:

sending a first communication from the first network device to the second network device over the network, the first communication identifying to the second network device the pre-assigned hardware address of the first network device;

requesting the second network device to identify, to the host computer, the pre-assigned hardware address of the first network device identified in the first communication.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising steps of:

receiving, at the host computer, a second communication from the second network device identifying the pre-assigned hardware address of the first network device identified in the first communication; and

communicating to the application program executing on the host computer the pre-assigned hardware address of the first network device identified in the second communication.

19. A computer readable medium encoded with a program that, when executed on a host computer comprising a first network device, performs a method enabling an application program executing on the host computer to determine a pre-assigned hardware address of the first network device, the first network device being coupled to at least a second network device over a network, the method comprising steps of:

sending a first communication from the first network device to the second network device over the network, the first communication identifying to the second network device the pre-assigned hardware address of the first network device;

requesting the second network device to identify, to the host computer, the pre-assigned hardware address of the first network device identified in the first communication.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the method further comprises steps of:

receiving, at the host computer, a second communication from the second network device identifying the pre-assigned hardware address of the first network device identified in the first communication; and

communicating to the application program executing on the host computer the pre-assigned hardware address of the first network device identified in the second communication.