Storage area network methods with event notification conflict resolution
First Claim
1. A method of managing a network of components, including storage devices and digital data processors, comprising:
- maintaining, by a first manager, a first representation of a topology of the storage devices and digital data processors in the network and generating a first event notification indicating addition of an element in the topology and a second event notification indicating a state change for the added element;
maintaining, by a second manager, a second representation of the topology and responding to the received first and second event notifications by;
accessing the first representation in response to receiving the first event notification and before the second event notification;
determining whether there is a discrepancy between the received first event notification and an attribute of any of the first and second representations with respect to the added element; and
selectively disregarding the first event notification in response to determining the discrepancy with respect to the first event notification and the added element, wherein disregarding the first event notification comprises taking no action to synchronize the first and second representations in response to the first event notification;
determining whether there is a discrepancy between the second representation information on the added element and the state change indicated in the second event notification in response to receiving the second event notification intended to follow the first event notification;
recovering the second representation from one or more attributes of the first representation in response to determining the discrepancy with respect to the state change indicated in the second event notification and the second representation information.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An improved storage area network has a manager digital data processor that includes a first element that maintains a first representation of the SAN, and a second element that maintains a second representation of the SAN. The first element generates notifications of events in the SAN, e.g., addition or removal of components or relationships between components. The second element responds to such notifications by accessing the first representation (e.g., via the first element) and updating the second representation. In the event of a discrepancy between the event notification and either representation, the second element selectively disregards the event notification or rebuilds (recovers) the second representation by copying one or more attributes of the first representation.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method of managing a network of components, including storage devices and digital data processors, comprising:
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maintaining, by a first manager, a first representation of a topology of the storage devices and digital data processors in the network and generating a first event notification indicating addition of an element in the topology and a second event notification indicating a state change for the added element; maintaining, by a second manager, a second representation of the topology and responding to the received first and second event notifications by; accessing the first representation in response to receiving the first event notification and before the second event notification; determining whether there is a discrepancy between the received first event notification and an attribute of any of the first and second representations with respect to the added element; and selectively disregarding the first event notification in response to determining the discrepancy with respect to the first event notification and the added element, wherein disregarding the first event notification comprises taking no action to synchronize the first and second representations in response to the first event notification; determining whether there is a discrepancy between the second representation information on the added element and the state change indicated in the second event notification in response to receiving the second event notification intended to follow the first event notification; recovering the second representation from one or more attributes of the first representation in response to determining the discrepancy with respect to the state change indicated in the second event notification and the second representation information. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of managing a network of components, including storage devices and digital data processors, comprising:
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maintaining, by a first manager, a first representation of a topology of the storage devices and digital data processors in the network and generating a first event notification indicating addition of an element in the topology and a second event notification indicating a state change for the added element; maintaining, by a second manager, a second representation of the topology and responding to the received first and second event notifications by; accessing the first representation in response to receiving the first event notification and before the second event notification; determining whether there is a discrepancy between the received first event notification and an attribute of any of the first and second representations with respect to the added element; and selectively disregarding the first event notification in response to determining the discrepancy with respect to the first event notification and the added element, wherein disregarding the first event notification comprises taking no action to synchronize the first and second representations in response to the first event notification, wherein the determined discrepancy resulting in disregarding the first event notification comprises at least one of; the first event notification is indicative of addition of a new component to the network and an attribute of the first representation is indicative of absence of that component from the topology; the first event notification is indicative of addition of a relationship between components of the topology and an attribute of the first representation is indicative of absence of that relationship from the topology; the first event notification is indicative of addition of a relationship between components of the topology and an attribute of the second representation is indicative of the absence from the topology of one of the components to that relationship; the first event notification is indicative of a missing component of the topology and an attribute of the second representation indicative of the absence of that component from the topology; the first event notification is indicative of a missing component of the topology and an attribute of the second representation indicates representation of that component in the second representation, but missing from the topology; the first event notification is indicative of a missing relationship between components of the topology and an attribute of the second representation is indicative of an absence of that relationship in the second representation; and the first event notification is indicative of a missing relationship in the topology and an attribute of the second representation indicates inclusion of that relationship in the second representation, but missing from the topology; and determining whether there is a discrepancy between the second representation information on the added element and the state change indicated in the second event notification in response to receiving the second event notification intended to follow the first event notification; recovering the second representation from one or more attributes of the first representation in response to determining the discrepancy with respect to the state change indicated in the second event notification and the second representation information.
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19. A method of managing a network of components, including storage devices and digital data processors, comprising:
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maintaining, by a first manager, a first representation of a topology of the storage devices and digital data processors in the network and generating a first event notification indicating addition of an element in the topology and a second event notification indicating a state change for the added element; maintaining, by a second manager, a second representation of the topology and responding to the received first and second event notifications by; accessing the first representation in response to receiving the first event notification and before the second event notification; determining whether there is a discrepancy between the received first event notification and an attribute of any of the first and second representations with respect to the added element; selectively disregarding the first event notification in response to determining the discrepancy with respect to the first event notification and the added element, wherein disregarding the first event notification comprises taking no action to synchronize the first and second representations in response to the first event notification; determining whether there is a discrepancy between the second representation information on the added element and the state change indicated in the second event notification in response to receiving the second event notification intended to follow the first event notification; recovering the second representation from one or more attributes of the first representation in response to determining the discrepancy with respect to the state change indicated in the second event notification, wherein the determined discrepancy resulting in the recovering comprises at least one of; the second event notification is indicative of addition of a new component to the topology and an attribute of the first representation is indicative of the presence of that component; the second event notification is indicative of addition of a relationship between components of the topology and an attribute of the second representation is indicative of the presence of that relationship; the second event notification is indicative of modification of an attribute of a component of the topology and an attribute of the second representation is indicative of the absence from the topology of that component; and the second event notification is indicative of modification of an attribute of a component of the topology and an attribute of the second representation is indicative of inclusion of that component in the second representation but its absence from the topology.
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Specification