Dynamic host configuration protocol in a storage environment

• US 7,783,727 B1
• Filed: 08/30/2001
• Issued: 08/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Foley, Michael, Vu, Quang, Chedadeh, Mohamad
• Primary Examiner(s): Follansbee; John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tiv; Backhean
• Application Number:
  US09/944,288
• Time in Patent Office: 3,281 Days
• Field of Search: 709220-222, 709/227, 709/228
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/645 Fibre channel identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4523 using lightweight directory access protocol [LDAP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/50 Address allocation
• 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 diskless host computer is automatically configured upon adding it to storage-area network (SAN). Upon physically connecting the diskless host computer to the network, the host computer alerts the network and a control station of its presence. A suitable identifier provided by the host, such as a Fibre Channel World Wide Name, is used to look up a configuration corresponding to a host of its type. Configurations corresponding to all types of hosts expected to be connected to the network are pre-stored in the SAN data storage system. Each configuration includes an operating system and can include any other software related to configuring or installing a new host. The control station then provides access to a storage device on which the operating system is stored so that the host can boot from it or access it for any other purposes.

Claims

1. A system for automatically configuring a diskless host computer upon being physically connected to a network, comprising:

at least one diskless host computer that automatically boots an operating system as a result of being connected to the network, wherein the diskless host computer was not previously connected to the network;

a storage system on which are stored a plurality of host configurations, each configuration including an operating system;

a switch coupled to each diskless host computer and having a plurality of ports, each port coupled to the storage system; and

a control station computer configured for;

monitoring for receipt a World Wide Name (WWN) transmitted by the diskless host computer to the switch in accordance with a Fibre Channel log-in protocol, accessing, in response to receiving the WWN, a database comprising a correspondence between a WWN of each of a plurality of diskless host computers and a configuration associated with the corresponding diskless host computer in order to look up a configuration corresponding to the received WWN transmitted by the diskless host computer, said configuration identifying the operating system associated with the diskless host computer, and

directing the switch to provide the diskless host computer access to a storage device on which the operating system identified in the configuration is stored;

wherein the storage system is configured to copy the operating system to the storage device, to which the switch provides the diskless host computer with access, from another device of the storage system, said another device configured to maintain an unaltered copy of the operating system; and

wherein the database comprises a correspondence between a WWN of at least one diskless host computer not previously connected to the network and a configuration associated with the corresponding diskless host computer.

2. The system claimed in claim 1, wherein the control station computer queries the Fibre Channel switch for the WWN and looks up the configuration in the database in response to the WWN.

3. The system claimed in claim 1, wherein the database operates under the lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP).

4. A method for automatically booting a diskless host computer upon being connected to a Fibre Channel network, comprising:

physically connecting the diskless host computer to the network, wherein the diskless host computer was not previously connected to the network;

receiving, at a Fibre Channel switch, a World Wide Name (WWN) from the diskless host computer in accordance with a Fibre Channel log-in protocol;

looking up a configuration corresponding to the WWN received from the diskless host computer, wherein looking up a configuration corresponding to the WWN received from the diskless host computer further comprises;

querying, by a control station computer, the Fibre Channel switch for the WWN received from the diskless host computer; and

accessing, by the control station computer in response to receiving the WWN, a database comprising a correspondence between a WWN of each of a plurality of diskless host computers and a configuration associated with the corresponding diskless host computer in order to look up the configuration corresponding to the obtained WWN, said configuration identifying an operating system associated with the diskless host computer, wherein the database comprises a correspondence between a WWN of at least one diskless host computer not previously connected to the network and a configuration associated with the corresponding diskless host computer;

copying the operating system identified in the configuration to a storage device from another storage device, said another storage device configured to maintain an unaltered copy of the operating system;

providing the diskless host computer access to the storage device, to which the operating system identified in the configuration was copied; and

the diskless host computer booting from the operating system copied to and stored on the storage device in response to being connected to network.

5. The method claimed in claim 4, wherein the control station queries the Fibre Channel switch in response to a notification received from the host via an Internet Protocol (IP) network.

6. The method claimed in claim 5, wherein the host connects to the IP network using a DHCP protocol.

7. The method claimed in claim 4, wherein the database uses the lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP).

8. A method for automatically booting a diskless computer upon being physically connected to a network, comprising:

physically connecting the diskless computer to the network, wherein the diskless computer was not previously connected to the network;

transmitting, in response to being physically connected to the network, a World Wide Name (WWN) from the diskless computer;

receiving the WWN by a control station computer;

querying, by the control station computer, in response to receiving the WWN, a database with the identifier received to determine an operating system associated with the diskless computer, wherein the database comprises a correspondence between WWNs of each of a plurality of diskless computers and a configuration associated with the corresponding diskless computer, said configuration identifying an operating system, wherein the database comprises a correspondence between the WWN of at least one diskless computer not previously connected to the network and the configuration associated with the corresponding diskless computer;

copying the operating system identified in the configuration to a storage device from another storage device, said another storage device configured to maintain an unaltered copy of the operating system;

copying the identified operating system from the storage device, to which the operating system identified in the configuration was copied, to the diskless computer over the network; and

booting, as a result of being physically connected to the network, the diskless computer from the identified operating system.

9. The method claimed in claim 8, wherein the network comprises an IP network.

10. The method claimed in claim 9, wherein the diskless computer connects to the IP network using a DHCP protocol.

11. The method claimed in claim 8, wherein the network comprises a Fibre Channel network.

12. The method claimed in claim 11, wherein the WWN is unique to an adapter used to connect the diskless computer to the network.