Methods and system for viewing SAN resources

• US 7,680,905 B1
• Filed: 09/30/2005
• Issued: 03/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Galvin, Michaell A., Roberts, Ethan D., Phillips, Jeffrey S., Li, Norris V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Avellino; Joseph E
• Assistant Examiner(s): TANG, KIET G
• Application Number:
  US11/240,003
• Time in Patent Office: 1,628 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220, 709/223, 709/225, 715/764, 715/853, 715/736, 707/3, 707/103.R
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0846 based on copy from other elements
• 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 user selects one or more storage area network resources for purposes of viewing respective configuration information. Based on a respective selection by the user, a management control system determines whether it maintains corresponding configuration information associated with the selected one or more resources. If so, the management control system generates a respective configuration view for the user to view respective configuration information associated with the selected one or more resources. If not, the management control system identifies a remote server that manages the selected one or more resources and communicates with the remote server to convey a configuration view generated by the remote server through the management control system to the user for viewing on a display screen. Thus, the management control system can either serve the requested configuration information to a client or act as a proxy for retrieving and serving the requested configuration information to the user.

Claims

1. In a first server, a computer-implemented method in which the first server executes instructions retrieved from computer storage for distributing configuration information associated with a storage area network, the computer-implemented method comprising:

maintaining a hierarchical tree associated with the storage area network, the hierarchical tree including a first portion for keeping track of references to storage area network resources managed by the first server, the hierarchical tree including a second portion for keeping track of references to storage area network resources managed by a second server;

wherein maintaining the hierarchical tree associated with the storage area network includes;

communicating with the second server to learn of the second portion;

receiving the second portion from the second server; and

integrating the second portion with the first portion to produce the hierarchical tree, the method further comprising;

receiving a request from a client for a configuration view associated with at least one resource in the storage area network;

identifying that respective configuration information associated with the at least one resource is managed by the second server, which is located at a remote location over a communication network with respect to the first server;

communicating with the second server to retrieve the configuration view associated with the at least one resource;

forwarding the configuration view to the client;

maintaining, via the first server, configuration information associated with resources as specified by the first portion of the hierarchical tree, the second server maintaining configuration information associated with resources as specified by the second portion the hierarchical tree;

generating a configuration management view including a rendition of the hierarchical tree;

forwarding the configuration management view to the client for display of the hierarchical tree on a respective display screen at the client, the hierarchical tree enabling the client to select different configuration views associated with the storage area network;

wherein forwarding the configuration to the client view occurs in response to selection of the at least one resource in the hierarchical tree;

after forwarding the configuration view associated with the at least one resource to the client, receiving a command to modify the respective configuration information associated with the at least one resource;

in response to receiving the command, forwarding the command from the first server over the communication network to the second server;

after forwarding the command to the second server, receiving an updated configuration view associated with the at least one resource from the second server;

forwarding the updated configuration view from the first server to the client;

wherein the client is a first client of multiple clients, and wherein a second client of the multiple clients has direct access to the second server, the second client being restricted to viewing the second portion of the hierarchical tree and for viewing configuration information associated with resources in the second portion;

wherein the client is a first client of multiple clients, and wherein a second client of the multiple clients has direct access to the second server, the second client restricted to viewing the second portion of the hierarchical tree and for viewing configuration information associated with resources in the second portion of the hierarchical tree;

wherein the first server enables retrieval of configuration view information associated with storage area network resources managed by both the first server and the second server; and

wherein the second server enables retrieval of configuration view information associated with storage area network resources managed only by the second server.

2. A computer-implemented method as in claim 1 further comprising:

forwarding a configuration management view to the client for display of the configuration management view on a respective display screen, the configuration management view enabling the client to select different configuration views associated with the storage area network; and

wherein forwarding the configuration view to the client results in display of the configuration view in a region of the configuration management view at the client.

3. A computer-implemented method as in claim 1 further comprising:

after forwarding the configuration view to the client, receiving a command to modify the respective configuration information associated with the at least one resource; and

in response to receiving the command, forwarding the command over the communication network to the second server;

after forwarding the command to the second server, receiving an updated configuration view associated with the at least one resource from the second server;

forwarding the updated configuration view to the client.

4. A computer-implemented method as in claim 1, wherein the hierarchical tree is a global hierarchical tree and maintaining the global hierarchical tree includes communicating with the second server to learn of a corresponding hierarchical tree of resources managed by the second server, the method further comprising:

integrating the corresponding hierarchical tree of resources managed by the second server with a hierarchical tree of resources managed by the first server to produce the global hierarchical tree.

5. A computer-implemented method as in claim 4 further comprising:

forwarding a configuration management view to the client for display of the configuration management view on a respective display screen at the client, the configuration management view including a rendition of the global hierarchical tree and, via use of the global hierarchical tree, the configuration management view enabling the client to select different configuration views associated with resources in the storage area network; and

wherein forwarding the configuration view to the client results in display of the configuration view in a region of the configuration management view at the client.

15. The computer-implemented method as in claim 1, wherein the storage area network resources managed by the first server are remotely located with respect to the first server, the first server generating configuration views associated with resources referenced by the first portion of the hierarchical tree;

and

wherein the storage area network resources managed by the second server are remotely located with respect to the second server, the second server generating configuration views associated with resources referenced by the second portion of the hierarchical tree.

6. A system for managing a storage area network, the system comprising:

an integrated server;

a remote server with respect to the integrated server;

the integrated server maintaining a global hierarchical tree of resources associated with the storage area network, a first portion of the hierarchical tree being used to keep track of storage area network resources managed by the integrated server, a second portion of the global hierarchical tree being used to keep track of storage area network resources managed by the remote server;

the integrated server configured to maintain configuration information associated with resources as specified by the first portion of the global hierarchical tree, the remote server configured to maintain configuration information associated with resources as specified by the second portion the global hierarchical tree;

the integrated server configured to;

communicate with the second server to learn of the second portion;

receive the second portion from the second server;

integrate the second portion with the first portion to produce the hierarchical tree;

generate a configuration management view including a rendition of the hierarchical tree;

forward, in response to selection of the at least one resource in the global hierarchical tree, the configuration management view to the client for display of the global hierarchical tree on a respective display screen at the client, the global hierarchical tree enabling the client to select different configuration views associated with the storage area network;

after forwarding the configuration view associated with the at least one resource to the client, receive a command to modify the respective configuration information associated with the at least one resource;

in response to receiving the command, forward the command from the integrated server over the communication network to the remote server;

after forwarding the command to the remote server, receive an updated configuration view associated with the at least one resource from the remote server;

forward the updated configuration view from the integrated server to the client;

wherein the client is a first client of multiple clients, and wherein a second client of the multiple clients has direct access to the remote server, the second client being restricted to viewing the second portion of the global hierarchical tree and for viewing configuration information associated with resources in the second portion;

wherein the client is a first client of multiple clients, and wherein a second client of the multiple clients has direct access to the remote server, the second client restricted to viewing the second portion of the global hierarchical tree and for viewing configuration information associated with resources in the second portion of the global hierarchical tree;

wherein the integrated server enables retrieval of configuration view information associated with storage area network resources managed by both the integrated server and the remote server; and

wherein the remote server enables retrieval of configuration view information associated with storage area network resources managed only by the remote server.

7. A system as in claim 6, wherein the first portion of the global hierarchical tree is generated and maintained by the integrated server and the second portion of the global hierarchical tree is a plug-in hierarchical tree that is generated by the remote server, the integrated server integrating the plug-in hierarchical tree retrieved from the remote server with the first portion to create the global hierarchical tree.

8. A system as in claim 7, wherein the integrated server generates a management view including the global hierarchical tree for viewing by a respective client, the management view being used by the respective client to view and manage a configuration of the resources associated with the storage area network;

and

wherein the respective client initiates selection of a given resource from the global hierarchical tree in the management view, the selection by the respective client prompting the integrated server to identify that a respective configuration view associated with the given resource to be served to the respective client must be served from the remote server instead of the integrated server, the integrated server communicating with the remote server to retrieve the configuration view and forward the configuration view to the respective client.

9. A system as in claim 6, wherein the remote server is a host computer of a storage area network and an agent process on the host computer manages respective resources associated with the second portion of the global hierarchical tree, the agent process also generating the second portion as a plug-in hierarchical tree used by the integrated server to create the global hierarchical tree.

10. A system as in claim 6, wherein a respective client viewing the global hierarchical tree generates a request to the integrated server for a configuration view associated with a given resource in the global hierarchical tree, the given resource being managed by the remote server;

wherein the integrated server acts as a proxy for retrieving the configuration view from the remote server and forwarding the configuration view to the respective client; and

wherein the respective client initiates a command to modify configuration information managed by the remote server via communications from the respective client through the integrated server to the remote server, the command prompting the remote server to update a corresponding hierarchical tree maintained by the remote server; and

wherein the remote server notifies the integrated server of the changes to the corresponding hierarchical tree for purposes of updating the global hierarchical tree maintained by the integrated server.

11. A computer system comprising:

a processor;

a memory unit that stores instructions associated with an application executed by the processor; and

an interconnect coupling the processor and the memory unit, enabling the computer system to execute the application and perform operations of;

receiving a request from a client for a configuration view associated with at least one resource in a storage area network;

identifying that respective configuration information associated with the at least one resource is managed by a remote server over a communication network;

communicating with the remote server to retrieve the configuration view associated with the at least one resource; and

forwarding the configuration view to the client

maintaining, via the first server, configuration information associated with resources as specified by the first portion of the hierarchical tree, the second server maintaining configuration information associated with resources as specified by the second portion the hierarchical tree;

maintaining the hierarchical tree associated with the storage area network including;

communicating with the second server to learn of the second portion;

receiving the second portion from the second server; and

integrating the second portion with the first portion to produce the hierarchical tree;

generating a configuration management view including a rendition of the hierarchical tree;

forwarding the configuration management view to the client for display of the hierarchical tree on a respective display screen at the client, the hierarchical tree enabling the client to select different configuration views associated with the storage area network; and

wherein forwarding the configuration to the client view occurs in response to selection of the at least one resource in the hierarchical tree;

after forwarding the configuration view associated with the at least one resource to the client, receiving a command to modify the respective configuration information associated with the at least one resource;

in response to receiving the command, forwarding the command from the first server over the communication network to the second server;

after forwarding the command to the second server, receiving an updated configuration view associated with the at least one resource from the second server;

forwarding the updated configuration view from the first server to the client;

wherein the client is a first client of multiple clients, and wherein a second client of the multiple clients has direct access to the second server, the second server being restricted to viewing the second portion of the hierarchical tree and for viewing configuration information associated with resources in the second portion;

wherein the client is a first client of multiple clients, and wherein a second client of the multiple clients has direct access to the second server, the second client restricted to viewing the second portion of the hierarchical tree and for viewing configuration information associated with resources in the second portion of the hierarchical tree;

wherein the first server enables retrieval of configuration view information associated with storage area network resources managed by both the first server and the second server; and

wherein the second server enables retrieval of configuration view information associated with storage area network resources managed only by the second server.

12. A computer system as in claim 11 that additionally performs operations of:

maintaining a hierarchical tree associated with the storage area network, the hierarchical tree including a first portion for keeping track of storage area network resources managed by the first server, the hierarchical tree including a second portion for keeping track of storage area network resources managed by the second server.

13. A computer system as in claim 12, wherein the hierarchical tree is a global hierarchical tree and maintaining the global hierarchical tree includes communicating with the second server to learn of a corresponding hierarchical tree maintained by the second server, the computer system further supporting operations of:

integrating the corresponding hierarchical tree associated with the second server with a hierarchical tree of resources managed by the first server to produce the global hierarchical tree associated with the storage area network;

forwarding a configuration management view to the client for display on a respective display screen, the configuration management view including a rendition of the global hierarchical tree and, via use of the global hierarchical tree, the configuration management view enabling the client to select different configuration views associated with the storage area network; and

wherein forwarding the configuration view to the client results in display of the configuration view in a region of the configuration management view at the client depending on a selection with respect to the global hierarchical tree.

14. A computer program product including a non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon for processing data information, such that the instructions, when carried out by a processing device, enable the processing device to perform operations of:

receiving a request from a client for a configuration view associated with at least one resource in a storage area network;

identifying that respective configuration information associated with the at least one resource is managed by a remote server over a communication network;

communicating with the remote server to retrieve the configuration view associated with the at least one resource; and

forwarding the configuration view to the client;

maintaining, via the first server, configuration information associated with resources as specified by the first portion of the hierarchical tree, the second server maintaining configuration information associated with resources as specified by the second portion the hierarchical tree;

generating a configuration management view including a rendition of the hierarchical tree;

forwarding the configuration management view to the client for display of the hierarchical tree on a respective display screen at the client, the hierarchical tree enabling the client to select different configuration views associated with the storage area network; and

wherein forwarding the configuration to the client view occurs in response to selection of the at least one resource in the hierarchical tree;

after forwarding the configuration view associated with the at least one resource to the client, receiving a command to modify the respective configuration information associated with the at least one resource;

in response to receiving the command, forwarding the command from the first server over the communication network to the second server;

after forwarding the command to the second server, receiving an updated configuration view associated with the at least one resource from the second server;

forwarding the updated configuration view from the first server to the client;

wherein the client is a first client of multiple clients, and wherein a second client of the multiple clients has direct access to the second server, the second client being restricted to viewing the second portion of the hierarchical tree and for viewing configuration information associated with resources in the second portion;

wherein the client is a first client of multiple clients, and wherein a second client of the multiple clients has direct access to the second server, the second client restricted to viewing the second portion of the hierarchical tree and for viewing configuration information associated with resources in the second portion of the hierarchical tree;

wherein the first server enables retrieval of configuration view information associated with storage area network resources managed by both the first server and the second server;

wherein the second server enables retrieval of configuration view information associated with storage area network resources managed only by the second server; and

wherein maintaining the hierarchical tree associated with the storage area network includes;

communicating with the second server to learn of the second portion;

receiving the second portion from the second server; and

integrating the second portion with the first portion to produce the hierarchical tree.