SAN configuration utility

• US 7,886,031 B1
• Filed: 08/28/2002
• Issued: 02/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Veritas Technologies, LLC (Whitehouse Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Symantec Operating Corporation (Gen Digital Inc.)
• Inventors: Thrasher, Russ, Taylor, Jason L., Muthiyan, Abhijit
• Primary Examiner(s): Coulter; Kenneth R
• Application Number:
  US10/229,539
• Time in Patent Office: 3,086 Days
• Field of Search: 709220-224, 717171-173
• US Class Current: 709/221
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0873 Checking configuration conflicts between network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• 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 SAN (storage area network) configuration utility may be used to automatically configure a SAN management system for SAN discovery and management. The SAN configuration utility may be used to identify and verify SAN devices, device firmware, device drivers, etc. for the SAN management system, and to configure the SAN management system to support one or more previously incompatible SAN devices. In one embodiment, the SAN configuration utility may automatically configure the SAN management system to use only the SAN devices that are known to be compatible with the SAN management system. In one embodiment, the SAN configuration utility may automatically modify one or more SAN management system configuration files to support the discovered SAN devices and/or automatically modify one or more SAN devices for support by the SAN management system (e.g. by updating firmware). In one embodiment, the SAN configuration utility may generate one or more SAN configuration reports.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

obtaining device information from a plurality of SAN devices coupled to a SAN fabric;

comparing the gathered device information to SAN device compatibility information for a SAN management system to determine if each of the plurality of devices is currently compatible with the SAN management system; and

modifying one or more SAN management system configuration files to support one or more of the plurality of SAN devices that were determined not to be currently compatible with the SAN management system according to the SAN device compatibility information;

wherein said obtaining, said comparing, and said modifying are performed during runtime of the SAN management system to configure the SAN management system to support additional SAN devices.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising generating one or more SAN configuration reports indicating the one or more of the plurality of SAN devices that were determined not to be currently compatible with the SAN management system.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining a portion of the device information from the plurality of SAN devices over a network separate from the SAN fabric; and

obtaining another portion of the device information from the plurality of SAN devices over the SAN fabric.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said obtaining, said comparing, and said modifying are performed during installation of the SAN management system to configure the SAN management system to support at least a portion of the plurality of SAN devices.

5. A non-transitory computer-accessible storage medium comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions are configured to implement:

obtaining device information from a plurality of SAN devices coupled to a SAN fabric, wherein said obtaining device information comprises;

obtaining a portion of the device information from the plurality of SAN devices over a network separate from the SAN fabric; and

obtaining another portion of the device information from the plurality of SAN devices over the SAN fabric;

comparing the gathered device information to SAN device compatibility information for a SAN management system to determine if each of the plurality of devices is currently compatible with the SAN management system; and

modifying one or more SAN management system configuration files to support one or more of the plurality of SAN devices that were determined not to be currently compatible with the SAN management system according to the SAN device compatibility information.

6. The non-transitory computer-accessible storage medium as recited in claim 5, wherein the program instructions are further configured to implement generating one or more SAN configuration reports indicating the one or more of the plurality of SAN devices that were determined not to be currently compatible with the SAN management system.

7. The non-transitory computer-accessible storage medium as recited in claim 5, wherein the program instructions are further configured to implement performing said obtaining, said comparing, and said modifying during installation of the SAN management system to configure the SAN management system to support at least a portion of the plurality of SAN devices.

8. The non-transitory computer-accessible storage medium as recited in claim 5, wherein the program instructions are further configured to implement performing said obtaining, said comparing, and said modifying during runtime of the SAN management system to configure the SAN management system to support additional SAN devices.

9. A storage area network (SAN), comprising:

a plurality of SAN devices coupled to a SAN fabric;

a computer system coupled to the SAN fabric, wherein the computer system comprises a SAN configuration utility configured to;

obtain device information from the SAN devices;

compare the gathered device information to SAN device compatibility information for a SAN management system to determine if each of the plurality of SAN devices is currently compatible with the SAN management system;

modify one or more SAN management system configuration files to support one or more of the plurality of SAN devices that were determined not to be currently compatible with the SAN management system according to the SAN device compatibility information; and

modify at least one of the SAN devices that was determined not to be currently compatible with the SAN management system to make the at least one of the SAN devices compatible with the SAN management system.

10. The SAN as recited in claim 9, wherein the SAN configuration utility is further configured to:

obtain a portion of the device information from the plurality of SAN devices over a network separate from the SAN fabric; and

obtain another portion of the device information from the plurality of SAN devices over the SAN fabric.

11. The SAN as recited in claim 9, wherein the SAN configuration utility is configured to execute during installation of the SAN management system to configure the SAN management system to support at least a portion of the plurality of SAN devices.

12. The SAN as recited in claim 9, wherein the SAN configuration utility is configured to execute during runtime of the SAN management system to configure the SAN management system to support additional SAN devices.

13. The SAN as recited in claim 9, wherein the SAN configuration utility is further configured to access the SAN device compatibility information from a website.

14. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions are executable by the processor to;

obtain device information from a plurality of SAN devices coupled to a SAN fabric;

compare the gathered device information to SAN device compatibility information for a SAN management system to determine if each of the plurality of devices is currently compatible with the SAN management system; and

modify one or more SAN management system configuration files to support one or more of the plurality of SAN devices that were determined not to be currently compatible with the SAN management system according to the SAN device compatibility information;

wherein the program instructions are executable by the processor during installation of the SAN management system to configure the SAN management system to support at least a portion of the plurality of SAN devices.

15. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein the program instructions are further executable by the processor to:

obtain a portion of the device information from the plurality of SAN devices over a network separate from the SAN fabric; and

obtain another portion of the device information from the plurality of SAN devices over the SAN fabric.

16. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein the program instructions are executable by the processor during runtime of the SAN management system to configure the SAN management system to support additional SAN devices.

17. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein the program instructions are further executable by the processor to access the SAN device compatibility information from a website.

18. A storage area network (SAN), comprising:

a plurality of SAN devices coupled to a SAN fabric;

a computer system coupled to the SAN fabric, wherein the computer system comprises a SAN configuration utility configured to;

obtain device information from the SAN devices;

compare the gathered device information to SAN device compatibility information for a SAN management system to determine if each of the plurality of SAN devices is currently compatible with the SAN management system;

generate one or more SAN configuration reports indicating one or more of the plurality of SAN devices that were determined not to be currently compatible with the SAN management system according to the SAN device compatibility information; and

modify one or more SAN management system configuration files to indicate that the one or more of the plurality of SAN devices that were determined not to be currently compatible are to be excluded from some or all operations of the SAN management system.

19. The SAN as recited in claim 18, wherein the SAN configuration utility is further configured to modify one or more SAN management system configuration files to support the one or more of the plurality of SAN devices that were determined not to be currently compatible with the SAN management system.

20. The SAN as recited in claim 18, wherein the SAN configuration utility is further configured to:

obtain a portion of the device information from the plurality of SAN devices over a network separate from the SAN fabric; and

obtain another portion of the device information from the plurality of SAN devices over the SAN fabric.

21. The SAN as recited in claim 18, wherein the SAN configuration utility is further configured to access the SAN device compatibility information from a website.

22. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions are executable by the processor to;

obtain device information from a plurality of SAN devices coupled to a SAN fabric;

access SAN device compatibility information for a SAN management system, wherein the SAN device compatibility information is accessed from a website;

compare the gathered device information to the SAN device compatibility information for the SAN management system to determine if each of the plurality of devices is currently compatible with the SAN management system; and

generate one or more SAN configuration reports indicating one or more of the plurality of SAN devices that were determined not to be currently compatible with the SAN management system according to the SAN device compatibility information.

23. The system as recited in claim 22, wherein the program instructions are further executable by the processor to modify one or more SAN management system configuration files to support the one or more of the plurality of SAN devices that were determined not to be currently compatible with the SAN management system.

24. The system as recited in claim 22, wherein the program instructions are further executable by the processor to:

obtain a portion of the device information from the plurality of SAN devices over a network separate from the SAN fabric; and

obtain another portion of the device information from the plurality of SAN devices over the SAN fabric.