Fabric device configuration interface for onlining fabric devices for use from a host system

• US 6,920,491 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2001
• Issued: 07/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Hyon T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaffin, Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, NIKETA I
• Application Number:
  US09/843,494
• Publication Number:
  US 20030023705A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,546 Days
• Field of Search: 709220-226
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0856 by backing up or archiving configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0866 Checking the configuration
• 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 fabric configuration interface may provide for storing multiple configuration repositories identifying different configurations of fabric devices for a host system coupled to a fabric. Each configuration repository identifies one or more fabric devices. The fabric configuration interface may receive a request to online fabric devices according to a specified one of the configuration repositories. In response to such a request, the configuration repository may access the specified configuration repository and request a configuration operation to configure, for the host system, the fabric devices identified in the specified configuration repository according. The fabric configuration interface may provide for requesting that fabric devices listed in a specified configuration repository be onlined or offlined. The fabric configuration interface may also provide for deleting entries from a specified configuration repository.

Claims

1. A method for managing accessibility of fabric devices from a host system, comprising:

storing a plurality of configuration repositories, wherein each one of said plurality of configuration repositories identifies one or more fabric devices;

receiving a request to online fabric devices according to a specified one of said plurality of configuration repositories;

accessing the specified configuration repository; and

requesting a configuration operation to online, for the host system, one or more of the fabric devices identified in the specified configuration repository;

wherein to online one or more of the fabric devices comprises;

creating, for each fabric device to be onlined, a reference within the host system'"'"'s operating system for processes in the host system to communicate with the fabric device.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said requesting a configuration operation comprises requesting a fabric driver to create an operating system node for each identified fabric device not already online and requested to be brought online.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said requesting a configuration operation comprises:

indicating a desired configuration status for each fabric device identified in the specified configuration repository;

requesting a fabric driver to create an operating system node for each identified fabric device not already online whose desired configuration status is configure; and

requesting a fabric driver to deactivate or delete an operating system node for each identified fabric device whose desired configuration status is unconfigure.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, further comprising, in response to said requesting a fabric driver to deactivate or delete an operating system node:

receiving a warning that one of the identified fabric devices whose desired configuration status is unconfigure is in-use for the host system; and

in response to said receiving a warning, canceling deactivation or deletion of the operating system node for the in-use fabric device.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said requesting a configuration operation comprises requesting a fabric driver to verify the availability of each identified fabric device on the fabric.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising creating one of said configuration repositories by:

receiving a request for a list of fabric devices available to a host system;

providing said list in response to the request;

receiving an indication of selected fabric devices from said list; and

creating one of said plurality of configuration repositories for identifying the selected fabric devices.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein said creating one of said configuration repositories further comprises requesting a configuration operation to configure for the host system the selected fabric devices from said list according to their indicated desired configuration status.

8. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein said providing said list comprises obtaining said list from a fabric driver.

9. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein said providing said list comprises displaying said list to a user.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising modifying one of said configuration repositories by:

providing entries from a specified one of said configuration repositories;

receiving a request to delete an entry for one of the fabric devices identified in the specified configuration repository; and

in response to said request to delete, updating the specified one of said configuration repositories to delete said entry.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising modifying one of said configuration repositories by:

providing entries from a specified one of said configuration repositories;

receiving a request to change the desired configuration status for one of the fabric devices identified in the specified configuration repository; and

in response to said request to change the desired configuration status, updating the specified one of said configuration repositories to indicate the requested change to the desired configuration status.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein said modifying one of said configuration repositories further comprises requesting a fabric driver to verify the availability on the fabric of each fabric device identified in the modified configuration repository.

13. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein said modifying one of said configuration repositories further comprises requesting a fabric driver to create an operating system node for each fabric device not already online whose desired configuration status is configure.

14. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising modifying one of said configuration repositories by:

providing a list of fabric devices available to the host system;

receiving an indication of one or more selected fabric devices from said list with desired configuration status for each selected fabric device to be added to a specified one of said configuration repositories; and

updating the specified one of said configuration repositories to add entries for each selected fabric device.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein said modifying one of said configuration repositories further comprises requesting a fabric driver to verify the availability on the fabric of each fabric device identified in the modified configuration repository prior to said updating.

16. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein said modifying one of said configuration repositories further comprises requesting a fabric driver to create an operating system node for each fabric device not already online whose desired configuration status is to be configured for the modified configuration repository.

17. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein one of said plurality of configuration repositories is a persistent repository indicating a default fabric device configuration for the host system.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, further comprising, in response to a reboot of the host system, reading said persistent repository and requesting a configuration operation to configure for the host system the fabric devices identified in the persistent repository according to said default fabric device configuration.

19. A host system, comprising:

one or more ports for coupling to a fabric;

a fabric driver configured to interface the host system to the fabric;

a fabric configuration interface configured to manage a plurality of different

configuration repositories, wherein each one of said configuration repositories indicates a specific fabric device configuration for the host system;

wherein said fabric configuration interface is configured to provide a standard interface for creating said configuration repositories; and

wherein said fabric configuration interface is configured to provide a standard interface for requesting a configuration operation to online one or more the fabric devices according to a specified one of said configuration repositories;

wherein to online one or more of the fabric devices comprises;

creating, for each fabric device to be onlined, a reference within the host system'"'"'s operating system for processes in the host system to communicate with the fabric device.

20. The host system as recited in claim 19, wherein said fabric configuration interface is further configured to initiate said configuration operation according to said specified configuration repository by requesting said fabric driver to create an operating system node for each fabric device identified in the specified configuration repository that is desired to be configured.

21. The host system as recited in claim 19, wherein said fabric configuration interface is further configured to initiate said configuration operation according to said specified configuration repository by requesting said fabric driver to delete or deactivate an existing operating system node for each fabric device identified in the specified configuration repository that is desired to be unconfigured.

22. The host system as recited in claim 21, wherein:

said fabric driver is configured to, in response to a request to deactivate or delete an existing operating system node, generate a warning that a fabric device whose node was requested to be deleted or deactivated is in-use for the host system; and

said fabric configuration interface is configured to, in response to receiving said warning, cancel the deactivation or deletion of the operating system node for the in-use fabric device.

23. The host system as recited in claim 19, wherein said fabric configuration interface is configured to provide a standard interface for verifying the availability of each fabric device identified in a specified one of said configuration repositories.

24. The host system as recited in claim 23, wherein said standard interface for verifying is configured to, in response to a verification request specifying one of said configuration repositories, request said fabric driver to verify the availability on the fabric of the fabric devices identified in the specified configuration repository.

25. The host system as recited in claim 24, wherein said fabric driver is configured to, in response to said request to verify, access a fabric name server to determine availability of the fabric devices identified in the specified configuration repository.

26. The host system as recited in claim 24, wherein if one of the fabric devices is determined not to be available in response to said verification request, said fabric configuration interface is configured to obtain a list of available fabric devices from the fabric driver for selecting a replacement for the unavailable fabric device.

27. The host system as recited in claim 19, wherein said standard interface for creating said configuration repositories is configured to:

receive a request for a list of fabric devices available to the host system;

obtain said list from said fabric driver;

receive an indication of selected fabric devices from said list with desired configuration status for each selected fabric device; and

create one of said configuration repositories identifying the selected fabric devices.

28. The host system as recited in claim 27, wherein said standard interface for creating said configuration repositories is configured to display said list to a user.

29. The host system as recited in claim 19, wherein said fabric configuration interface is configured to provide a standard interface for modifying said configuration repositories, wherein said standard interface for modifying is configured to:

receive a request to delete an entry for one of the fabric devices identified in a specified configuration repository; and

in response to said request to delete, update the specified one of said configuration repositories to delete said entry.

30. The host system as recited in claim 19, wherein said fabric configuration interface is configured to provide a standard interface for modifying said configuration repositories, wherein said standard interface for modifying is configured to:

obtain a list of fabric devices available to the host system;

receive an indication of one or more selected fabric devices from said list with desired configuration status for each selected fabric device to be added to a specified one of said configuration repositories; and

update the specified one of said configuration repositories to add entries for each selected fabric device.

31. The host system as recited in claim 19, wherein one of said plurality of configuration repositories is a persistent repository indicating a default fabric device configuration for the host system.

32. The host system as recited in claim 31, wherein said fabric configuration interface is further configured to, in response to a reboot of the host system, access said persistent repository and request said fabric driver to configure for the host system the fabric devices identified in the persistent repository according to said default fabric device configuration.

33. A computer readable medium having stored thereon data representing sequences of instructions, wherein the sequences of instructions are executable by one or more processors to implement:

storing a plurality of configuration repositories, wherein each one of said plurality of configuration repositories identifies one or more fabric devices;

receiving a request to online fabric devices according to a specified one of said plurality of configuration repositories;

accessing the specified configuration repository; and

requesting a configuration operation to online, for the host system, one or more of the fabric devices identified in the specified configuration repository;

wherein to online one or more of the fabric devices comprises;

creating, for each fabric device to be onlined, a reference within the host system'"'"'s operating system for processes in the host system to communicate with the fabric device.

34. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 33, wherein said requesting a configuration operation comprises requesting a fabric driver to create an operating system node for each identified fabric device not already online and requested to be brought online.

35. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 33, wherein said requesting a configuration operation comprises:

indicating a desired configuration status for each fabric device identified in the specified configuration repository;

requesting a fabric driver to create an operating system node for each identified fabric device not already online whose desired configuration status is configure; and

requesting a fabric driver to deactivate or delete an operating system node for each identified fabric device whose desired configuration status is unconfigure.

36. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 35, wherein the sequences of instructions are further executable to implement, in response to said requesting a fabric driver to deactivate or delete an operating system node:

receiving a warning that one of the identified fabric devices whose desired configuration status is unconfigure is in-use for the host system; and

in response to said receiving a warning, canceling deactivation or deletion of the operating system node for the in-use fabric device.

37. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 33, wherein said requesting a configuration operation comprises requesting a fabric driver to verify the availability of each identified fabric device on the fabric.

38. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 33, wherein the sequences of instructions are further executable to implement creating one of said configuration repositories by:

receiving a request for a list of fabric devices available to a host system;

providing said list in response to the request;

receiving an indication of selected fabric devices from said list; and

creating one of said plurality of configuration repositories for identifying the selected fabric devices.

39. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 38, wherein said creating one of said configuration repositories further comprises requesting a configuration operation to configure for the host system the selected fabric devices from said list according to their indicated desired configuration status.

40. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 38, wherein said providing said list comprises obtaining said list from a fabric driver.

41. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 38, wherein said providing said list comprises displaying said list to a user.

42. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 33, wherein the sequences of instructions are further executable to implement modifying one of said configuration repositories by:

providing entries from a specified one of said configuration repositories;

receiving a request to delete an entry for one of the fabric devices identified in the specified configuration repository; and

in response to said request to delete, updating the specified one of said configuration repositories to delete said entry.

43. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 33, wherein the sequences of instructions are further executable to implement modifying one of said configuration repositories by:

providing entries from a specified one of said configuration repositories;

receiving a request to change the desired configuration status for one of the fabric devices identified in the specified configuration repository; and

in response to said request to change the desired configuration status, updating the specified one of said configuration repositories to indicate the requested change to the desired configuration status.

44. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 43, wherein said modifying one of said configuration repositories further comprises requesting a fabric driver to verify the availability on the fabric of each fabric device identified in the modified configuration repository.

45. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 43, wherein said modifying one of said configuration repositories further comprises requesting a fabric driver to create an operating system node for each fabric device not already online whose desired configuration status is configure.

46. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 33, wherein the sequences of instructions are further executable to implement modifying one of said configuration repositories by:

providing a list of fabric devices available to the host system;

receiving an indication of one or more selected fabric devices from said list with desired configuration status for each selected fabric device to be added to a specified one of said configuration repositories; and

updating the specified one of said configuration repositories to add entries for each selected fabric device.

47. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 46, wherein said modifying one of said configuration repositories further comprises requesting a fabric driver to verify the availability on the fabric of each fabric device identified in the modified configuration repository prior to said updating.

48. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 46, wherein said modifying one of said configuration repositories further comprises requesting a fabric driver to create an operating system node for each fabric device not already online whose desired configuration status is to be configured for the modified configuration repository.

49. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 33, wherein one of said plurality of configuration repositories is a persistent repository indicating a default fabric device configuration for the host system.

50. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 49, wherein the sequences of instructions are further executable to implement, in response to a reboot of the host system, reading said persistent repository and requesting a configuration operation to configure for the host system the fabric devices identified in the persistent repository according to said default fabric device configuration.