Session-based target/LUN mapping for a storage area network and associated method

• US 7,506,073 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2006
• Issued: 03/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Johnson, Craig A., Haapala, Clayton Stuart, Thompson, David Patrick, Bakke, Mark A., De Groote, Stephen P., Kuik, Timothy J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Meky; Moustafa M
• Application Number:
  US11/382,692
• Publication Number:
  US 20060265529A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,042 Days
• Field of Search: 709200-202, 709223-227, 709238-241, 709249-250, 370/254, 370/400, 370465-466
• US Class Current: 709/249
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/52 Multiprotocol routers
• 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 router having an internet protocol (IP) port for coupling to a network supporting IP packets, a fibre channel port for coupling to a fibre channel network to a plurality of storage devices, and a SCSI router having an iSCSI interface that extracts SCSI command and data information from packets received through the IP port, wherein the SCSI router passes the extracted SCSI command and data information to the fiber channel port. Some embodiments further include a session to an information-handling system. The session supports a target-only mapping (wherein a source-specified target value is replaced by a mapped target value that is then passed by the SCSI router toward a first storage device and its LUNs), or target-and-LUN mapping (wherein source-specified target and LUN information is replaced by mapped target-and LUN information such as a loop-ID and LUN combination, a WWPN and LUN combination, or a WWNN).

Claims

1. A method comprising:

reading an access list defining an allowed subset of a plurality of information systems on a network supporting IP packets;

receiving a request to create a first session to a first information-handling system of the plurality of information handling system; and

if the first information-handling system is in the allowed subset then performing the tasks of;

creating the first session, the first session defining a route for SCSI commands and data between the first information-handling system and a fibre-channel attached device, and

processing IP packets containing one or more SCSI commands and data for routing between the first information-handling system and a fibre-channel attached device, wherein processing the IP packets includes;

receiving IP packets through an internet protocol (IP) port coupled to the network,

extracting the SCSI command and data from one or more of the received packets,

routing the extracted SCSI command and data to a fibre-channel interface,

inserting the extracted SCSI command and data into a fibre-channel data structure, and

passing the fibre-channel data structure to a first one of a plurality of storage devices on a fibre channel network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein processing IP packets includes:

receiving the SCSI command and data from a fibre-channel interface;

inserting the SCSI command and data into one or more of the IP packets; and

transmitting IP packets through an internet protocol (IP) port coupled to the network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein reading the access list includes reading a mapping of one or more LUNs (Logical Units) associated with the fibre-channel attached device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising reading a second access list defining a second allowed subset of the plurality of information systems.

5. A method comprising:

creating a plurality of sessions, wherein each session includes creating a mapping of a set of one or more targets for a plurality of storage devices on a fibre channel network;

initiating a first session of the plurality of sessions to a first information-handling system of the plurality of information-handling systems on a network supporting IP packets, the network having a plurality of information-handling systems;

receiving IP packets through an internet protocol (IP) port coupled to the network;

extracting a SCSI command and data from one or more of the received packets;

routing the extracted SCSI command and data to a fibre-channel interface;

inserting the extracted SCSI command and data into a fibre-channel data structure; and

passing the fibre-channel data structure to a first one of the plurality of storage devices on the fibre channel network.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein creating a mapping includes creating a target-only mapping, the target-only mapping comprising a mapping from an iSCSI target name to a storage address for the physical storage device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the storage address comprises a loop identifier.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the storage address comprises a world wide port name.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein creating a mapping includes creating a mapping from an iSCSI target name and LUN to a storage address for the physical storage device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the storage address includes a loop identifier and a physical storage device LUN.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the storage address includes a world wide port name and a physical storage device LUN.

12. A system comprising:

means for creating a plurality of sessions, wherein each session includes creating a mapping of a set of one or more targets for a plurality of storage devices on a fibre channel network;

means for initiating a first session of the plurality of sessions to a first information- handling system of the plurality of information-handling systems on a network supporting IP packets, the network having a plurality of information-handling systems;

means for receiving IP packets through an internet protocol (IP) port coupled to the network;

means for extracting a SCSI command and data from one or more of the received packets;

means for routing the extracted SCSI command and data to a fibre-channel interface;

means for inserting the extracted SCSI command and data into a fibre-channel data structure; and

means for passing the fibre-channel data structure to a first one of the plurality of storage devices on the fibre channel network.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the means for creating a mapping creates a target-only mapping, the target-only mapping comprising a mapping from an iSCSI target name to a storage address for the physical storage device.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the storage address comprises a loop identifier.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the storage address comprises a world wide port name.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the means for creating a mapping creates a mapping from an iSCSI target name and LIJN to a storage address for the physical storage device.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the storage address includes a loop identifier and a physical storage device LIJN.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the storage address includes a world wide port name and a physical storage device LUN.