System and method for policy based storage provisioning and management

• US 7,065,616 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2004
• Issued: 06/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Network Appliance Incorporated (NetApp, Inc.)
• Inventors: Meyer, Richard, Patel, Dipam, Collins, Jim, Gajjar, Kumar, Prasad, Chandra
• Primary Examiner(s): Peugh, Brian R.
• Application Number:
  US10/928,081
• Publication Number:
  US 20050027754A1
• Time in Patent Office: 663 Days
• Field of Search: 711/112, 711/173, 711/147, 711/153, 711/154, 709/215, 709/211, 709/214
• US Class Current: 711/154
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0724 in a multiprocessor or a multi-core unit multiprocessors per se G06F15/80
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0727 in a storage system, e.g. in a DASD or network based storage system drivers for digital recording or reproducing units G06F3/06; circuits for error detection or correction within digital recording or reproducing units G11B20/18; 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], H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0766 Error or fault reporting or storing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0793 Remedial or corrective actions recovery from an exception in an instruction pipeline G06F9/3861; by retry G06F11/1402; for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity H04L69/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1482 by means of middleware or OS functionality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/201 between storage system components
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2025 using centralised failover control functionality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2089 Redundant storage control functionality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2092 Techniques of failing over between control units
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2094 Redundant storage or storage space G06F11/2056 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2097 maintaining the standby controller/processing unit updated initialisation or re-synchronisation thereof G06F11/1658 and subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/1458 by checking the subject access rights
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/815 Virtual middleware or OS functionality using virtual machines to implement generic software techniques for error detection or fault masking G06F11/1484
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0607 by facilitating the process of upgrading existing storage systems, e.g. for improving compatibility between host and storage device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0614 Improving the reliability of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0629 Configuration or reconfiguration of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0632 by initialisation or re-initialisation of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0635 by changing the path, e.g. traffic rerouting, path reconfiguration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0665 at area level, e.g. provisioning of virtual or logical volumes
• 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 49/357 : Fibre channel switches
• 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 storage provisioning policy is created by specifying storage heuristics for storage attributes using storage heuristic metadata. Storage attributes characterize a storage device and storage heuristic metadata describe how to specify a storage heuristic. Using the storage heuristic metadata, storage heuristics are defined to express a rule or constraint as a function of a storage attribute. In addition, the storage provisioning policy may also specify mapping rules for exporting the storage to a consumer of the storage, such as the server or server cluster.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

switching logic to provide switching of communications between a plurality of host computers and a plurality of data storage devices on a network, to enable the host computers to access the data storage devices via the network; and

provisioning logic to provision storage in the plurality of data storage devices, by

comparing discovered storage attribute data associated with one or more of the plurality of storage devices to a storage heuristic for a storage attribute in one or more storage provisioning policies, and

if the discovered storage attribute data satisfy the storage heuristic, provisioning a storage device of the plurality of storage devices.

2. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said apparatus is a storage server configured to service requests from the plurality of host computers for access to data stored in the data storage devices.

3. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a first interface through which to communicate with the plurality of host computers; and

a second interface through which to communicate with the plurality of data storage devices.

4. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the apparatus communicates with the plurality of host computers and the plurality of data storage devices over a storage area network (SAN).

5. An apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein the SAN comprises a Fibre Channel network.

6. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the provisioning logic is implemented in a plurality of storage processors coupled to the switching logic.

7. An apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein the plurality of storage processors are configured to communicate with each other through the switching logic.

8. A storage server to service requests from the plurality of host computers for access to data stored in the data storage devices, the storage server comprising:

a first set of ports through which to communicate with the plurality of host computers;

a second set of ports through which to communicate with the plurality of data storage devices;

switching logic to provide switching of communications between a plurality of host computers and a plurality of data storage devices on a storage area network (SAN), to enable the host computers to access the data storage devices via the SAN; and

provisioning logic to provision storage in the plurality of data storage devices, by

comparing discovered storage attribute data associated with one or more of the plurality of storage devices to a storage heuristic for a storage attribute in one or more storage provisioning policies, and

if the discovered storage attribute data satisfy the storage heuristic, provisioning a storage device of the plurality of storage devices.

9. A storage server as recited in claim 8, wherein the provisioning logic is implemented in a plurality of storage processors coupled to the switching logic.

10. A storage server as recited in claim 9, wherein the plurality of storage processors are configured to communicate with each other through the switching logic.

11. A storage server as recited in claim 8, wherein the SAN comprises a Fibre Channel network.

12. A system comprising:

means for providing switching of communications between a plurality of host computers and a plurality of data storage devices on a network, to enable the host computers to access the data storage devices via the network; and

means for provisioning storage in the plurality of data storage devices, by

comparing discovered storage attribute data associated with one or more of the plurality of storage devices to a storage heuristic for a storage attribute in one or more storage provisioning policies, and

if the discovered storage attribute data satisfy the storage heuristic, provisioning a storage device of the plurality of storage devices.

13. A system as recited in claim 12, wherein said system is a storage server configured to service requests from the plurality of host computers for access to data stored in the data storage devices.

14. A system as recited in claim 12, further comprising:

a first interface through which to communicate with the plurality of host computers; and

a second interface through which to communicate with the plurality of data storage devices.

15. A system as recited in claim 12, wherein the means for provisioning is implemented in a plurality of storage processors coupled to the switching circuitry.

16. A system as recited in claim 15, wherein the plurality of storage processors are configured to communicate with each other through the switching circuitry.

17. A system as recited in claim 12, wherein the system communicates with the plurality of host computers and the plurality of data storage devices over a storage area network (SAN).

18. A system as recited in claim 17, wherein the SAN comprises a Fibre Channel network.