User interface architecture for storage area network

• US 7,171,624 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2001
• Issued: 01/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Li, Raymond M., Yonker, William Roy, Baldwin, Duane Mark, Merbach, David Lynn, Heitman, Allen Robert, Knight, Gregory John
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid; Kristine
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pesin; Boris
• Application Number:
  US09/972,092
• Publication Number:
  US 20030146929A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,943 Days
• Field of Search: 345/764, 345/746, 345/769, 345/751, 709/203, 709/229, 715/733, 715/734
• US Class Current: 715/734
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10015 Access to distributed or replicated servers, e.g. using brokers
• 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]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A digital data processor of the type used, e.g., in management of a storage area network (SAN), executes a process (a “manager” process) to maintain a representation of the SAN topology or at least an attribute thereof. A graphical output device displays the SAN representation. A further process (a “user interface” process) controls the output device for purposes of displaying that representation. An interface element effects retrieval of the SAN representation, for example, in response to a request from the user interface process. It transmits that representation to the user interface process for display on the graphical output device.

Claims

1. In a storage area network (SAN) comprising one or more host digital data processors in communication with a plurality of storage devices, the improvement comprising:

a manager process, in communication with at least the one or more host digital data processors, that maintains a SAN representation, wherein the SAN representation includes components of the SAN, attributes of the components, segments, attributes of the segments, interconnections, and attributes of the interconnections, wherein the SAN is divided into several types of segments, wherein a segment is a portion of the SAN containing multiple interconnected components represented as at least one of individual components and one or more additional segments, wherein the manager process communicates with one or more agents, each of which is associated with one of the host digital data processors, to gather information regarding the attributes of the components, the attributes of the segments, and the attributes of the interconnections, and wherein the manager process validates the information gathered by the one or more agents,

a graphical output device,

a user interface process, coupled to the graphical output device, the user interface process controlling the output device for purposes of displaying a plurality of graphical objects that represent the components, segments, and interconnections of the SAN representation and, in response to selection of a graphical object, displaying an attribute of the selected graphical object, wherein the attribute is one of the attributes of a component, of a segment or of an interconnection, and

an interface element, coupled to the manager process and to the user interface process, that effects retrieval of the SAN representation maintained by the manager process and transmission of the retrieved SAN representation to the output device for display.

2. The SAN of claim 1, wherein the interface element comprises a requester that receives a request from the user interface process for retrieval of the SAN representation from the manager process.

3. The SAN of claim 2, wherein the interface element further comprises a request handler in communication with the requester, the requester forwards the request received from the user interface element to the request handler for further processing.

4. The SAN of claim 3, wherein the interface element further comprises a manager daemon in communication with the request handler and the manager process, the request handler transmits the request to the manager daemon and the manager daemon effects retrieval of the SAN representation from the manager process in response to the request.

5. The SAN of claim 4, wherein the user interface process further comprises a daemon (hereinafter, “

user interface daemon”

) in communication with the manager daemon, the manager daemon transmits the retrieved SAN representation to the user interface daemon and the user interface daemon effects display of the SAN representation on the graphical output device.

6. In the SAN of claim 5, wherein the SAN representation provides a model of topology of the SAN.

7. In the SAN of claim 6, the further improvement wherein the manager daemon comprises a controller in communication with the request handler and the manager process, the daemon controller receives the request from the request handler and retrieves the SAN representation from the manager process in response to the request.

8. In the SAN of claim 7, the further improvement wherein the manager daemon segregates the retrieved topology representation into a plurality of sub-representations, and transmits the sub-representations to the user interface daemon.

9. In the SAN of claim 1, the further improvement wherein the user interface process communicates with the requester via a socket connection.

10. In the SAN of claim 1, the further improvement wherein the requester transmits the request to the request handler in a mark-up language format.

11. In the SAN of claim 3, the further improvement wherein the request handler maps the request received from the requester onto a generic format prior to effecting its transmission to a manager daemon.

12. In the SAN of claim 11, wherein the manager daemon utilizes an object request broker to communicate with the manager process and the request handler.

13. In the SAN of claim 1, the further improvement wherein the manager process comprises an element (hereinafter, “

discover engine”

) that obtains data regarding the SAN representation.

14. In the SAN of claim 13, the further improvement wherein the discover engine collates the data to generate the SAN representation.

15. In the SAN of claim 1, the further improvement wherein the manager process and the user interface process execute on one of the digital data processors.

16. In the SAN of claim 13, the further improvement comprising an agent process and a scanner process residing on at least one of the digital data processors, the scanner process obtaining SAN topology data and the agent process communicating the SAN topology data to the discover engine.

17. In a storage area network (SAN) comprising a plurality of digital data processors in communication with a plurality of storage devices, the improvement comprising:

a console having a display for presenting a model of topology of the SAN, wherein the SAN topology includes components of the SAN, segments, relationships between the components and segments, attributes of the components, attributes of the segments, interconnections, and attributes of the interconnections

a user interface process coupled to the console that effects the display of the SAN topology on the console display, which includes displaying a plurality of graphical objects that represent the components, segments, and interconnections of the SAN topology and, in response to selection of a graphical object, displaying an attribute of the selected graphical object, wherein the attribute is one of the attributes of a component, of a segment or of an interconnection,

a manager process that maintains a topology representation of the SAN, wherein the topology representation is an internal representation of the SAN, wherein the manager process communicates with one or more agents, each of which is associated with one of the host digital data processors, to gather information regarding the attributes of the components, the attributes of the segments, and the attributes of the interconnections, and wherein the manager process validates the information gathered by the one or more agents, and

an element coupled to the user interface process and the manager process,

the element receives a request for SAN topology data from the user interface process, and effects retrieval, in response to the request, of the topology representation maintained by the manager, the element segregates the retrieved topology representation into a plurality of sub-representations, and the element further transmits the sub-representations to the user interface element for presentation by the display.

18. In the SAN of claim 17, the further improvement wherein the element comprises a requester, a request handler, and a manager daemon.

19. In the SAN of claim 18, the further improvement wherein the requester receives a command from the user interface process and transmits the command to the request handler, the request handler interprets the command to generate a request for the SAN topology data and transmits the request to the manager daemon, and the manager daemon retrieves the SAN topology data from the manager process in response to the request.

20. In the SAN of claim 19, the further improvement wherein the manager process comprises an element that obtains data regarding SAN topology.

21. A method for displaying data comprising:

maintaining a Storage Area Network (SAN) representation with a manager process, wherein the manager process is in communication with at least one or more host digital data processors, and wherein the SAN representation includes components of the SAN, attributes of the components, segments, attributes of the segments, interconnections, and attributes of the interconnections, wherein the SAN is divided into several types of segments, wherein a segment is a portion of the SAN containing multiple interconnected components represented as at least one of individual components and one or more additional segments, wherein the manager process communicates with one or more agents, each of which is associated with one of the host digital data processors, to gather information regarding the attributes of the components, the attributes of the segments, and the attributes of the interconnections, and wherein the manager process validates the information gathered by the one or more agents;

controlling, with a user interface process, a graphical output device for purposes of displaying a plurality of graphical objects that represent components, segments, and interconnections of the SAN representation and, in response to selection of a graphical object, displaying an attribute of the selected graphical object, wherein the attribute is one of the attributes of a component, of a segment or of an interconnection;

retrieving, with an interface element, coupled to the manager process and to the user interface process, the SAN representation maintained by the manager process; and

transmitting, with the interface element, the retrieved SAN representation to the output device for display.

22. A method for displaying data, comprising:

presenting, with a console having a display, a model of topology of a Storage Area Network (SAN), wherein the SAN topology includes components of the SAN, segments, and relationships between the components and segments, attributes of the components, attributes of the segments, and attributes of interconnections

effecting, with a user interface process, the display of the SAN topology on the console display, which includes displaying a plurality of graphical objects that represent the components, segments, and interconnections of the SAN topology and, in response to selection of a graphical object, displaying an attribute of the selected graphical object, wherein the attribute is one of the attributes of a component, of a segment or of an interconnection;

maintaining, with a manager process, a topology representation of the SAN, wherein the topology representation is an internal representation of the SAN, wherein the manager process communicates with one or more agents, each of which is associated with one of the host digital data processors, to gather information regarding the attributes of the components, the attributes of the segments, and the attributes of the interconnections, and wherein the manager process validates the information gathered by the one or more agents;

receiving, with an element coupled to the user interface process and the manager process, a request for SAN topology data from the user interface process;

effecting, with the element, retrieval, in response to the request, of the topology representation maintained by the manager;

segregating, with the element, the retrieved topology representation into a plurality of sub-representations, and

transmitting, with the element, the sub-representations to the user interface element for presentation by the display.

23. One or more programs for displaying data, wherein the one or more programs are capable of:

maintaining a Storage Area Network (SAN) representation with a manager process, and wherein the SAN representation includes components of the SAN, attributes of the components, segments, attributes of the segments, interconnections, and attributes of the interconnections, wherein the SAN is divided into several types of segments, and wherein a segment is a portion of the SAN containing multiple interconnected components represented as at least one of individual components and one or more additional segments, wherein the manager process communicates with one or more agents, each of which is associated with one of the host digital data processors, to gather information regarding the attributes of the components, the attributes of the segments, and the attributes of the interconnections, and wherein the manager process validates the information gathered by the one or more agents;

controlling, with a user interface process, a graphical output device for purposes of displaying a plurality of graphical objects that represent components, segments, and interconnections of the SAN representation and, in response to selection of a graphical object, displaying an attribute of the selected graphical object, wherein the attribute is one of the attributes of a component, of a segment or of an interconnection;

retrieving, with an interface element, coupled to the manager process and to the user interface process, the SAN representation maintained by the manager process; and

transmitting, with the interface element, the retrieved SAN representation to the output device for display.

24. One or more programs for displaying data, wherein the one or more programs are capable of:

presenting, with a console having a display, a model of topology of a Storage Area Network (SAN), wherein the SAN topology includes components of the SAN, segments, and relationships between the components and segments, attributes of the components, attributes of the segments, and attributes of interconnections;

effecting, with a user interface process, the display of the SAN topology on the console display, which includes displaying a plurality of graphical objects that represent the components, segments, and interconnections of the SAN topology and, in response to selection of a graphical object, displaying an attribute of the selected graphical object, wherein the attribute is one of the attributes of a component, of a segment or of an interconnection;

maintaining, with a manager process, a topology representation of the SAN, wherein the topology representation is an internal representation of the SAN, wherein the manager process communicates with one or more agents, each of which is associated with one of the host digital data processors, to gather information regarding the attributes of the components, the attributes of the segments, and the attributes of the interconnections, and wherein the manager process validates the information gathered by the one or more agents;

receiving, with an element coupled to the user interface process and the manager process, a request for SAN topology data from the user interface process;

effecting, with the element, retrieval, in response to the request, of the topology representation maintained by the manager;

segregating, with the element, the retrieved topology representation into a plurality of sub-representations, and

transmitting the sub-representations to the user interface element for presentation by the display.