Method and system for assigning a resource

• US 7,272,690 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2003
• Issued: 09/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Webster, Kevin J., Noddings, Douglas S., Lamb, Michael L., Swank, Raymond M., Groves, David W.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, THAN VINH
• Application Number:
  US10/739,209
• Publication Number:
  US 20050138316A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,371 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 711/147
• 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 3/0631 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

An example of a method for assigning storage includes receiving a request for storage, wherein the request includes a requested amount of storage space and connectivity information. This example of the method also includes identifying storage that is accessible by a requesting device based on the connectivity information, and identifying all LUNs that are masked from all hosts, in the identified storage. This example of the method further includes selecting at least one identified LUN, and assigning the at least one selected LUN to the requesting device.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium tangibly embodying a program of computer-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to perform a method for assigning storage, the method comprising the following operations:

receiving at an ITSRM, a request from a requesting device, for additional storage, wherein the request includes a requested amount of storage space;

determining if connectivity information has been received at the ITSRM from the requesting device,

and if not;

using a CIM Client Application, to provide the number of a LUN that is mapped to the requesting device, and requesting the connectivity information from a CIM server, wherein the connectivity information is a path from the requesting device to the LUN that is mapped to the requesting device;

sending the request for the requested amount of storage space, and the connectivity information, in a request to a service;

inputting the requested amount of storage space and the connectivity information;

identifying storage that is accessible by the requesting device based on the connectivity information;

identifying all LUNs that are masked from all hosts, in the identified storage;

selecting at least one identified LUN; and

assigning the at least one selected LUN to the requesting device.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the operation of transmitting assignment information to the requesting device.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the operation of selecting at least one identified LUN comprises using a best fit algorithm.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the operation of identifying all previously allocated LUNs in the storage that is identified as being accessible by the requesting device.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the request from the requesting device further comprises a requested number of LUNs.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise determining if the operation of assigning the at least one selected LUN to the requesting device is completed successfully, and if not, performing the operation of assigning at least one identified LUN that was not previously assigned.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the operation of assigning at least one LUN that was not previously assigned comprises using a best fit algorithm.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the operation of identifying storage that is accessible by the requesting device based on the connectivity information comprises identifying all storage devices in a SAN that are accessible by the requesting device.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the operation of identifying storage that is accessible by the requesting device based on the connectivity information comprises identifying storage pools that are accessible by the requesting device.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the requested amount of storage is in a storage pool specified in the request, and wherein the operation of identifying storage that is accessible by the requesting device based on the connectivity information comprises identifying storage in the storage pool specified in the request that is accessible by the requesting device.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the operation of determining if the connectivity information is good, and if it is determined that the connectivity information is not good, then the method further comprises the operation of failing the request.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the requesting device is a host, and wherein the request is a request for a file system extension.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the request originates as a manual request entered by a user.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the request originates with an automated process associated with an external tool.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise retrieving, the path from the requesting device to the LUN that is mapped to the requesting device, prior to performing the operation of, receiving at an ITSRM, the request from the requesting device.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the path from the requesting device to the LUN that is mapped to the requesting device, includes a target Fibre Channel Port of the path on a disk storage system.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the path from the requesting device to the LUN that is mapped to the requesting device, includes the World Wide Name of a host port adapter.

18. A computer-readable medium tangibly embodying a program of computer-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to perform a method for assigning storage to a requesting host, the method comprising the following operations:

receiving at an ITSRM, a request from the requesting host, for additional storage, wherein the request includes a requested amount of storage space;

determining if connectivity information has been received at the ITSRM from the requesting host,

and if not;

using a CIM Client Application, to provide the number of a LUN that is mapped to the requesting host, and requesting the connectivity information from a CIM server, wherein the connectivity information is a path from the requesting host to the LUN that is mapped to the requesting device;

sending the request for the requested amount of storage space, and the connectivity information, in a request to a service;

inputting the requested amount of storage space and the connectivity information;

identifying storage that is accessible by the requesting host based on the connectivity information;

identifying all LUNs that are masked from all hosts, in the identified storage;

selecting at least one identified LUN using a best fit algorithm;

assigning the at least one selected LUN to the requesting host; and

transmitting assignment information to the requesting host.

19. A computer-readable medium tangibly embodying a program of computer-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to perform a method for assigning a resource to a requesting device, the method comprising the following operations:

receiving at an ITSRM, a request from the requesting device, for a resource, wherein the request includes a requested quantity of the resource;

determining if connectivity information has been received at the ITSRM from the requesting device,

and if not;

using a CIM Client Application, to provide the number of a LUN that is mapped to the requesting device, and requesting the connectivity information from a CIM server, wherein the connectivity information is a path from the requesting device to the LUN that is mapped to the requesting device;

sending the request for the requested amount of storage space, and the connectivity information, in a request to a service;

inputting the requested quantity of the resource, and the connectivity information;

determining if the connectivity information is good;

identifying resources, that are accessible by the requesting device based on the connectivity information, and that are masked from all hosts;

selecting at least one identified resource, using a best fit algorithm; and

assigning the at least one selected resource to the requesting device.

20. A computing system, comprising:

a memory; and

a processing device coupled to the memory, wherein the processing device is programmed to perform operations for assigning storage to a requesting device, the operations comprising;

receiving at an ITSRM, a request from the requesting device, for additional storage, wherein the request includes a requested amount of storage space;

determining if connectivity information has been received at the ITSRM from the requesting device,

and if not;

using a CIM Client Application, to provide the number of a LUN that is mapped to the requesting device, and requesting the connectivity information from a CIM server, wherein the connectivity information is a path from the requesting device to the LUN that is mapped to the requesting device;

sending the request for the requested amount of storage space, and the connectivity information, in a request to a service;

inputting the requested amount of storage space and the connectivity information;

identifying storage that is accessible by the requesting device based on the connectivity information;

identifying all LUNs that are masked from all hosts, in the identified storage;

selecting at least one identified LUN; and

assigning the at least one selected LUN to the requesting device.

21. A computing system, comprising:

means for receiving at an ITSRM, a request from a requesting device, for additional storage, wherein the request includes a requested amount of storage space;

means for determining if connectivity information has been received at the ITSRM from the requesting device,

and if not;

using a CIM Client Application, to provide the number of a LUN that is mapped to the requesting device, and requesting the connectivity information from a CIM server, wherein the connectivity information is a path from the requesting device to the LUN that is mapped to the requesting device;

means for sending the request for the requested amount of storage space, and the connectivity information, in a request to a service;

means for inputting the requested amount of storage space and the connectivity information;

means for identifying storage that is accessible by the requesting device based on the connectivity information;

means for identifying all LUNs that are masked from all hosts, in the identified storage;

means for selecting at least one identified LUN; and

means for assigning the at least one selected LUN to the requesting device.

22. A method for assigning storage to a requesting device, comprising the following operations:

receiving at an ITSRM, a request from the requesting device, for additional storage, wherein the request includes a requested amount of storage space;

determining if connectivity information has been received at the ITSRM from the requesting device,

and if not;

using a CIM Client Application, to provide the number of a LUN that is mapped to the requesting device, and requesting the connectivity information from a CIM server, wherein the connectivity information is a path from the requesting device to the LUN that is mapped to the requesting device;

sending the request for the requested amount of storage space, and the connectivity information, in a request to a service;

inputting the requested amount of storage space and the connectivity information;

identifying storage that is accessible by the requesting device based on the connectivity information;

identifying all LUNs that are masked from all hosts, in the identified storage;

selecting at least one identified LUN; and

assigning the at least one selected LUN to the requesting device.