Method of evaluating network connectivity between network resources

• US 7,609,654 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2005
• Issued: 10/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Mcdata Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kasaraneni, Jagadeesh, Kondapalli, Naveen, Lubeck, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Pezzlo; John
• Application Number:
  US11/171,578
• Publication Number:
  US 20060004918A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,581 Days
• Field of Search: 370/237, 370/238, 370/252, 370/386, 370/254, 370/419, 709/221, 709/223
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• 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 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70

Abstract

A method for managing a computer or communication network by obtaining connectivity configuration information from a plurality of networked devices; and, determining a network connectivity condition between any two of the plurality of networked devices.

Claims

1. A computerized method of evaluating connectivity between two network resources, the method comprising:

identifying possible paths of connectivity between resources of devices in the network;

obtaining device connectivity configuration information from the devices in the network;

aggregating and attributing the device configuration information of each device in the network to at least one of the identified possible paths of connectivity, wherein the device is in the at least one possible path in the network; and

computing, based on the device connectivity configuration information attributed to each possible path, whether a network connectivity condition is fulfilled for each possible path between the two network resources,

wherein the two network resources include one or more of LUNs, ports or applications.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the ports include one or more of storage array ports, switch ports, and host ports.

3. A computerized method of evaluating connectivity between two network resources, the method comprising:

identifying possible paths of connectivity between resources of devices in the network;

obtaining device connectivity configuration information from the devices in the network;

aggregating and attributing the device configuration information of each device in the network to at least one of the identified possible paths of connectivity, wherein the device is in the at least one possible path in the network; and

computing, based on the device connectivity configuration information attributed to each possible path, whether a network connectivity condition is fulfilled for each possible path between the two network resources,

wherein the network connectivity condition is in the form of one of an affirmative, a negative, a conditional affirmative and a conditional negative.

4. A computerized method of evaluating connectivity between two network resources, the method comprising:

identifying possible paths of connectivity between resources of devices in the network;

obtaining device connectivity configuration information from the devices in the network;

aggregating and attributing the device configuration information of each device in the network to at least one of the identified possible paths of connectivity, wherein the device is in the at least one possible path in the network; and

computing, based on the device connectivity configuration information attributed to each possible path, whether a network connectivity condition is fulfilled for each possible path between the two network resources,

wherein the one or more networked devices include a storage array and a host, and

wherein the connectivity condition is between the storage array and the host, and includes masked state information indicating a property of the storage array relative to the host.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the property of the storage array is a definition of whether a logical unit number is associated with a port of the host.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the property is a definition of whether a port of one of the storage array and the host is associated with a respective port of the other of the storage array and the host.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein the property of the storage array is a definition of whether one or more host ports are associated with a port of the storage array.

8. The method of claim 4 wherein the property of the storage array is a definition of whether one or more logical unit numbers and one or more host ports are associated with a port of the storage array.

9. A computerized method of evaluating connectivity between two network resources, the method comprising:

identifying possible paths of connectivity between resources of devices in the network;

obtaining device connectivity configuration information from the devices in the network;

aggregating and attributing the device configuration information of each device in the network to at least one of the identified possible paths of connectivity, wherein the device is in the at least one possible path in the network; and

computing, based on the device connectivity configuration information attributed to each possible path, whether a network connectivity condition is fulfilled for each possible path between the two network resources,

wherein the one or more networked devices include a storage array and a host, and

wherein the connectivity condition is between the storage array and the host and

includes binding state information indicating a property of the storage array relative to one or more ports of the storage array.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the property of the storage array is a definition of whether a logical unit number is associated with a port of the storage array.

11. A computerized method of evaluating connectivity between two network resources, the method comprising:

identifying possible paths of connectivity between resources of devices in the network;

obtaining device connectivity configuration information from the devices in the network;

aggregating and attributing the device configuration information of each device in the network to at least one of the identified possible paths of connectivity, wherein the device is in the at least one possible path in the network; and

computing, based on the device connectivity configuration information attributed to each possible path, whether a network connectivity condition is fulfilled for each possible path between the two network resources,

wherein the one or more networked devices include a storage array and a host, and

wherein the connectivity condition is between the storage array and the host and includes zoning state information indicating a property of the relationship of the storage array and the host.

12. A computerized method of evaluating connectivity between two network resources, the method comprising:

identifying possible paths of connectivity between resources of devices in the network;

obtaining device connectivity configuration information from the devices in the network;

aggregating and attributing the device configuration information of each device in the network to at least one of the identified possible paths of connectivity, wherein the device is in the at least one possible path in the network; and

computing, based on the device connectivity configuration information attributed to each possible path, whether a network connectivity condition is fulfilled for each possible path between the two network resources,

wherein the connectivity condition includes cabling state information indicating physical connection between any two network resources.

13. A computerized method of evaluating connectivity between two network resources, the method comprising:

identifying possible paths of connectivity between resources of devices in the network;

obtaining device connectivity configuration information from the devices in the network;

aggregating and attributing the device configuration information of each device in the network to at least one of the identified possible paths of connectivity, wherein the device is in the at least one possible path in the network; and

computing, based on the device connectivity configuration information attributed to each possible path, whether a network connectivity condition is fulfilled for each possible path between the two network resources,

wherein the connectivity condition includes link state information indicating a wireless connection between any two network resources.

14. A computerized method of evaluating connectivity between two network resources, the method comprising:

identifying possible paths of connectivity between resources of devices in the network;

obtaining device connectivity configuration information from the devices in the network;

aggregating and attributing the device configuration information of each device in the network to at least one of the identified possible paths of connectivity, wherein the device is in the at least one possible path in the network;

computing, based on the device connectivity configuration information attributed to each possible path, whether a network connectivity condition is fulfilled for each possible path between the two network resources;

determining two or more connectivity conditions, and wherein the act of determining two or more connectivity conditions comprises determining whether a first of two or more connectivity conditions is consistent with a second of the two or more connectivity conditions; and

in response to determining that the first connectivity condition is inconsistent with the second connectivity condition, causing the first connectivity condition to be displayed as a conditional connectivity condition.

15. A computerized method of evaluating connectivity between two network resources, the method comprising:

identifying possible paths of connectivity between resources of devices in the network;

obtaining device connectivity configuration information from the devices in the network;

aggregating and attributing the device configuration information of each device in the network to at least one of the identified possible paths of connectivity, wherein the device is in the at least one possible path in the network;

computing, based on the device connectivity configuration information attributed to each possible path, whether a network connectivity condition is fulfilled for each possible path between the two network resources; and

providing a display of one or both of the device connectivity configuration information and the connectivity condition.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

enabling the user to select a details control;

in response to the user selection of the details control, displaying the connectivity condition information for every possible path between two of the resources.

17. A computerized method of evaluating connectivity between two network resources, the method comprising:

identifying possible paths of connectivity between resources of devices in the network;

obtaining device connectivity configuration information from the devices in the network;

aggregating and attributing the device configuration information of each device in the network to at least one of the identified possible paths of connectivity, wherein the device is in the at least one possible path in the network;

computing, based on the device connectivity configuration information attributed to each possible path, whether a network connectivity condition is fulfilled for each possible path between the two network resources;

presenting a list of objects on a first side of a network;

presenting a list of objects on a second side of the network;

enabling a user to select one or more objects from the first list and one or more objects from the second list;

in response to the user selection, determining one or more connectivity conditions that exist between the user-selected objects; and

displaying the connectivity conditions in a manner that associates the connectivity conditions with the user-selected objects.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the presenting of objects on the first and second sides of the network further comprises presenting both the first list and the second list on a unified user interface screen.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the act of presenting a list of objects on a first side of the network comprises:

enabling the user to select one or more physical devices from a plurality of network-connected physical devices, wherein the list of objects on the first side of the network that is presented to the user comprise only objects from the user-selected physical storage devices.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the act of presenting a list of objects on a second side of the network comprises:

enabling the user to select one or more host computers or other devices from a plurality of network-connected host computers or other devices, wherein the list of objects on the second side of the network that is presented to the user comprise only objects associated with the user-selected host computers, or other devices.

21. A user interface for a network management computer program, the user interface comprising:

a first display region presenting a list of objects on a first side of the network;

a second display region presenting a list of objects on a second side of the network;

an interactive control enabling a user to select one or more objects from the first list and one or more objects from the second list;

display update processes that are responsive to the user selection and operate to determine one or more connectivity states that exist between the user-selected objects and display the determined connectivity states in a manner that associates the connectivity states with the user-selected objects.

22. A user interface for a SAN management computer program, the user interface comprising:

a first display region presenting a list of objects on a first side of the SAN;

a second display region presenting a list of objects on a second side of the SAN;

an interactive control enabling a user to select one or more objects from the first list and one or more objects from the second list;

display update processes that are responsive to the user selection and operate to determine one or more connectivity states that exist between the user-selected objects and display the determined connectivity states in a manner that associates the connectivity states with the user-selected objects.