System and method for supporting VLANs in an iSCSI

• US 7,831,736 B1
• Filed: 02/27/2003
• Issued: 11/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Thompson, David P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hamza; Faruk
• Application Number:
  US10/375,411
• Time in Patent Office: 2,812 Days
• Field of Search: 709220-221, 709226-228, 709/230, 709/223, 709/238, 709248-250
• US Class Current: 709/249
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4641 Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing VLAN support in an iSCSI environment are disclosed. The systems and methods support associating multiple SCSI routing components in a storage router with multiple VLANs. Target devices on a storage area network are thus only present on the VLAN associated with the SCSI routing component that maps the target devices.

Claims

1. A method for accessing iSCSI targets over a network, the method comprising:

providing a network interface in a storage router having one or more processors, said network interface supporting a plurality of VLANs on a physical network;

initializing a VLAN manager process executable by the one or more processors and to manage one or more VLAN sessions on the network interface in the storage router;

initializing a first iSCSI routing component executable by the one or more processors in the storage router, the iSCSI routing component having a first network address for communicating through the network interface and further communicably coupled to a SAN (Storage Area Network) interface;

initializing a second iSCSI routing component executable by the one or more processors in the storage router, the second iSCSI routing component having a second network address for communicating through the network interface and further communicably coupled to the SAN interface;

associating the first network address of the first iSCSI routing component with a first VLAN of the plurality of VLANs, said first iSCSI routing component configured to providing a target and LUN (Logical Unit) mapping between a first host on the first VLAN to at least one device on the SAN;

wherein the first iSCSI routing component is configured as a node of the first VLAN and to communicate directly to the first VLAN through the network interface using a first logical interface managed by the VLAN manager;

associating network data between the first host and the at least one device through the first iSCSI routing component with a first VLAN tag associated with the first VLAN;

associating the second network address of the second iSCSI routing component with a second VLAN of the plurality of VLANs, the second iSCSI routing component configured to providing a second target and LUN mapping between a second host on the second VLAN to the at least one device, wherein the second iSCSI routing component is configured as a node on the second VLAN and to communicate directly to the second VLAN through the network interface using a second logical interface managed by the VLAN manager; and

associating network data between the second host and the at least one device through the second iSCSI routing component with a second VLAN tag associated with the second VLAN.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein associating network data comprises:

tagging an iSCSI network packet with the first VLAN tag; and

sending the iSCSI network packet to a host on the first VLAN.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein associating network data comprises:

receiving an iSCSI network packet with the first VLAN tag;

determining if first VLAN tag is valid; and

routing the iSCSI network packet to the at least one device in accordance with the VLAN tag.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein providing a network interface includes providing a network interface substantially conforming to the IEEE 802.1Q network protocol.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the SAN interface is a fibre-channel interface.

6. A computerized system for accessing iSCSI targets over a network, the system comprising:

means for providing a network interface in a storage router having one or more processors, said network interface supporting a plurality of VLANs on a physical network;

means for initializing a VLAN manager process to manage one or more VLAN sessions on the network interface in the storage router;

means for initializing a first iSCSI routing component executable by the one or more processors in the storage router, the iSCSI routing component having a first network address for communicating through the network interface and further communicably coupled to a SAN (Storage Area Network) interface;

means for initializing a second iSCSI routing component executable by the one or more processors in the storage router, the second iSCSI routing component having a second network address for communicating through the network interface and further communicably coupled to the SAN interface;

means for associating the first network address of the first iSCSI routing component with a first VLAN of the plurality of VLANs, said first iSCSI routing component configured to providing a target and LUN mapping between a first host on the first VLAN to at least one device on the SAN, wherein the first iSCSI routing component is configured as a node on the first VLAN and to communicate directly to the first VLAN through the means for providing a network interface using a first logical interface managed by the VLAN manager;

means for associating network data between the first host and the at least one device through the first iSCSI routing component with a first VLAN tag associated with the first VLAN;

means for associating the second network address of the second iSCSI routing component with a second VLAN of the plurality of VLANs, the second iSCSI routing component configured to providing a second target and LUN mapping between a second host on the second VLAN to the at least one device, wherein the second iSCSI routing component is configured as a node on the second VLAN and to communicate directly to the second VLAN through the network interface using a second logical interface managed by the VLAN manager; and

means for associating network data between the second host and the at least one device through the second iSCSI routing component with a second VLAN tag associated with the second VLAN.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer executable instructions stored thereon when executed performing a method for accessing iSCSI targets over a network, the method comprising:

providing a network interface in a storage router having one or more processors, said network interface supporting a plurality of VLANs on a physical network;

initializing a first iSCSI routing component executable by the one or more processors in the storage router, the iSCSI routing component having a first network address for communicating through the network interface and further communicably coupled to a SAN interface;

initializing a second iSCSI routing component executable by the one or more processors in the storage router, the second iSCSI routing component having a second network address for communicating through the network interface and further communicably coupled to the SAN interface;

associating the first network address of the first iSCSI routing component with a first VLAN of the plurality of VLANs, said first iSCSI routing component configured to providing a target and LUN mapping between a first host on the first VLAN to at least one device on the SAN, wherein the first iSCSI routing component is configured as a node on the first VLAN and to communicate directly to the first VLAN through the network interface using a first logical interface managed by the VLAN manager;

associating network data between the first host and the at least one device through the first iSCSI routing component with a first VLAN tag associated with the first VLAN;

associating the second network address of the second iSCSI routing component with a second VLAN of the plurality of VLANs, the second iSCSI routing component configured to providing a second target and LUN mapping between a second host on the second VLAN to the at least one device, wherein the second iSCSI routing component is configured as a node on the second VLAN and to communicate directly to the second VLAN through the network interface using a second logical interface managed by the VLAN manager; and

associating network data between the second host and the at least one device through the second iSCSI routing component with a second VLAN tag associated with the second VLAN.

8. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein associating network data comprises:

tagging an iSCSI network packet with the first VLAN tag;

sending the iSCSI network packet to a host on the first VLAN.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein associating network data comprises:

receiving an iSCSI network packet with the first VLAN tag;

determining if first VLAN tag is valid; and

routing the iSCSI network packet to the at least one device in accordance with the VLAN tag.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein providing a network interface includes providing a network interface substantially conforming to the IEEE 802.1Q network protocol.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein the SAN interface is a fibre-channel interface.