System and method for interconnecting a storage area network

• US 7,433,952 B1
• Filed: 03/31/2003
• Issued: 10/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Woodruff, Roger
• Primary Examiner(s): Cardone; Jason
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, MINH CHAU
• Application Number:
  US10/404,377
• Time in Patent Office: 2,017 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 709/226, 709/245, 709/250
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/645 Fibre channel identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/3009 Header conversion, routing tables or routing tags
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/351 for local area network [LAN], e.g. Ethernet switches
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/354 for supporting virtual local area networks [VLAN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/357 Fibre channel switches
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/106 across networks, e.g. mapping telephone numbers to data network addresses
• 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

Systems and methods for interconnecting a SAN with hosts on a remote network are disclosed. The systems and methods receive a set of device identifiers for a set of physical storage devices on the SAN. The device identifiers are mapped to a set of virtual device identifiers. Virtual devices having the virtual device identifiers are created on the remote network. The virtual devices correspond with the physical devices. Commands and responses are mapped and communicated between the virtual devices and the corresponding physical devices.

Claims

1. A method for providing access to a storage area network, the method comprising:

interconnecting a first storage area network and a second storage area network through an iSCSI (internet Small Computer System Interface) SAN (Storage Area Network) interconnect router;

receiving a first set of device identifiers for a first set of physical storage devices on a first storage area network;

receiving a second set of device identifiers for a second set of physical storage devices on a second storage area network;

mapping the first set of identifiers and the second set of identifiers to a set of virtual device identifiers, the mapping including incorporating a MAC (Media Access and Control) address of the iSCSI SAN interconnect router as a portion of the virtual device identifiers; and

presenting a set of virtual storage devices identified by the set of virtual device identifiers to a host on a second network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a command from the host for at least one virtual device of the set of virtual storage devices;

mapping the at least one virtual device to a corresponding physical device of the first set of physical storage devices or the second set of physical storage devices; and

sending the command to the corresponding physical device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein sending the command includes sending the command over a third network.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the third network is an IP based network.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the command is sent using a version of the iSCSI protocol.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising discovering the first set of device identifiers for the first set of physical storage devices and the second set of device identifiers for the second set of physical storage devices.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising interconnecting the first storage area network and the second storage area network through a first iSCSI router and a second iSCSI router communicably coupled on a third network to an iSCSI SAN interconnect router.

8. A computer-readable medium having computer executable instructions for performing a method for providing access to a storage area network, the method comprising:

interconnecting a first storage area network and a second storage area network through an iSCSI (internet Small Computer System Interface) SAN (Storage Area Network) interconnect router;

receiving a first set of device identifiers for a first set of physical storage devices on a first storage area network;

receiving a second set of device identifiers for a second set of physical storage devices on a second storage area network;

mapping the first set of identifiers and the second set of identifiers to a set of virtual device identifiers, the mapping including incorporating a MAC (Media Access and Control) address of the iSCSI SAN interconnect router as a portion of the virtual device identifiers; and

presenting a set of virtual storage devices identified by the set of virtual device identifiers to a host on a second network.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a command from the host for at least one virtual device of the set of virtual storage devices;

mapping the at least one virtual device to a corresponding physical device of the first set of physical storage devices or the second set of physical storage devices; and

sending the command to the corresponding physical device.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein sending the command includes sending the command over a third network.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the third network is an IP based network.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the command is sent using a version of the iSCSI protocol.

13. A system for providing access to a storage area network, the system comprising:

an iSCSI interface; and

a fibre channel server communicably coupled to the iSCSI interface and operable to;

receive through the iSCSI interface a first set of device identifiers for a first set of physical storage devices on a first storage area network;

receive through the iSCSI interface a second set of device identifiers for a second set of physical storage devices on a second storage area network;

map the first set of identifiers and the second set of identifiers to a set of virtual device identifiers, wherein the virtual device identifiers include a MAC (Media Access and Control) address of the system as a portion of the virtual device identifiers; and

present a set of virtual storage devices identified by the set of virtual device identifiers to a host on a second network communicably coupled to the fibre channel server.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the fibre channel server is further operable to:

receive a command from the host for at least one virtual device of the set of virtual storage devices;

map the at least one virtual device to a corresponding physical device of the first set of physical storage devices or the second set of physical storage devices; and

send the command to the corresponding physical device.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the command is sent over a third network.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the third network is an IP based network.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the command is sent using a version of the iSCSI protocol.

18. A system for providing access to a storage area network, the system comprising:

means for interconnecting a first storage area network and a second storage area network through an iSCSI (internet Small Computer System Interface) SAN (Storage Area Network) interconnect router;

means for receiving a first set of device identifiers for a first set of physical storage devices on a first storage area network and for receiving a second set of device identifiers for a second set of physical storage devices on a second storage area network;

means for mapping the first set of identifiers and the second set of identifiers to a set of virtual device identifiers, wherein the means for mapping incorporate a MAC (Media Access and Control) address of the iSCSI SAN interconnect router as a portion of the virtual device identifiers; and

means for presenting a set of virtual storage devices identified by the set of virtual device identifiers to a host on a second network.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

means for receiving a command from the host for at least one virtual device of the set of virtual storage devices;

means for mapping the at least one virtual device to a corresponding physical device of the first set of physical storage devices or the second set of physical storage devices; and

means for sending the command to the corresponding physical device.