Method and system of allocating storage resources in a storage area network

• US 6,977,927 B1
• Filed: 09/18/2000
• Issued: 12/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Valtrus Innovations Limited (f/k/a Dolya Holdco 9 Limited) (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Bates, John W., Vekiarides, Nicos A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHAND, ROBERTA A
• Application Number:
  US09/664,500
• Time in Patent Office: 1,919 Days
• Field of Search: 370381-383, 370/428, 709/208, 709/211, 709/223, 709/224, 709/226, 711/100, 711/111, 711/112, 711/154, 711/163, 711/170, 711/152, 711/202, 707/10
• US Class Current: 370/381
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0622 in relation to access
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0631 by allocating resources to storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

A system for allocating storage resources in a storage area network is described. A logical unit number (LUN) mapper receives at least one storage request parameter and maps the storage request parameters to at least one physical LUN. The LUN mapper includes at least one LUN map. The storage request parameters include a host id parameter, a target LUN parameter, and a target host bus adaptor (HBA) parameter. The LUN mapper uses the host id parameter to select the one of the LUN maps that corresponds to the host id parameter. The LUN mapper applies the target LUN parameter and the target HBA parameter to the selected LUN map to locate the physical LUN(s) stored in the selected LUN map. The LUN mapper issues the received read/write storage request to at least one storage device that houses the physical LUN(s). The one or more storage devices are located in the storage area network.

Claims

1. A storage area network, comprising:

at least one server;

a plurality of storage devices; and

a storage allocator, connected between said at least one server and said plurality of storage devices, said storage allocator including

a read/write storage request parser that receives from said at least one server a read/write storage request and extracts therefrom a host id parameter, a target LUN parameter and a target host bus adapter (HBA) parameter, and

a logical unit (LUN) mapper that includes a plurality of LUN maps each of which is specific to one of a plurality of hosts, respectively, the LUN mapper being operable to receive[s] from said read/write storage request parser the host id parameter, target LUN parameter and target HBA parameter and to use said host id parameter to select one from among the plurality of LUN maps corresponding to said host id parameter and then to map[s] based thereon to at least one physical LUN, wherein said at least one physical LUN represents at least one storage location within said plurality of storage devices.

2. The network of claim 1 wherein said LUN mapper applies said target LUN parameter and said target HBA parameter to said selected LUN map to locate said at least one physical LUN stored in said selected LUN map.

3. The network of claim 2, wherein said LUN mapper issues said received read/write storage request to at least one storage device corresponding to said at least one physical LUN, wherein said at least one storage device is located in said plurality of storage devices.

4. The network of claim 2, wherein said selected LUN map comprises a two-dimensional array of physical LUN data, wherein a first axis of said LUN map is indexed by target LUN information and a second axis of said LUN map is indexed by target HBA information.

5. A method for allocating storage in a storage area network, comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of LUN maps each of which is specific to one of a plurality of hosts, respectively;

receiving a read/write storage request from a host computer;

extracting a host id parameter, a target LUN parameter and a target host bus adapter (HBA) parameter from the read/write storage request;

selecting one from among the plurality of LUN maps based upon the host id parameter;

determining a physical LUN based upon the selected LUN map, the target LUN parameter and the target HBA adapter; and

issuing a read/write storage request to a storage device in a storage area network, wherein the storage device corresponds to the determined physical LUN.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said determining step comprises the step[s] of:

applying said extracted parameters of target LUN and target HBA to said selected LUN map to determine the physical LUN.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said selected LUN map comprises a two-dimensional array of physical LUN data, where said applying step comprises the steps of:

applying said extracted target LUN parameter to a first axis of said selected LUN map;

applying said extracted target HBA parameter to a second axis of said selected LUN map; and

locating the physical LUN in said selected LUN map at the intersection of said applied extracted target LUN and said applied extracted target HBA parameters.

8. A system for allocating storage resources in a storage area network, comprising:

a memory to store a plurality of LUN maps each of which is specific to one of a plurality of hosts, respectively;

means for receiving a read/write storage request from a host computer;

means for extracting a host id parameter, a target LUN parameter and a target host bus adapter (HBA) parameter from the read/write storage request;

means for selecting one from among the plurality of LUN maps based upon the host id parameter;

means for determining a physical LUN from the selected LUN maps, the target LUN parameter and the target HBA parameter; and

means for issuing a read/write storage request to a storage device in a storage area network, wherein the storage device corresponds to the determined physical LUN.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said determining means comprises:

means for applying said extracted parameters of target LUN and target HBA to said selected LUN map to determine the physical LUN.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said selected LUN map comprises a two-dimensional array of physical LUN data, where said applying means comprises:

means for applying said extracted target LUN parameter to a first axis of said selected LUN map;

means for applying said extracted target HBA parameter to a second axis of said selected LUN map; and

means for locating the physical LUN in said selected LUN map at the intersection of said applied extracted target LUN and said applied extracted target HBA parameters.