Address reduction for data storage enclosures

• US 7,958,263 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2007
• Issued: 06/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kubo, Robert Akira, Elliott, John Charles, Lucas, Gregg Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn; Nathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chang; Kai J
• Application Number:
  US11/676,695
• Publication Number:
  US 20080201725A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,568 Days
• Field of Search: 709/239, 709/200, 709/245, 709250-252, 709201-202, 709220-222, 709230-232, 710/15, 726/12, 398/2, 398/13, 398/113, 398/166, 711 1- 6, 714 6- 8, 714/5, 714/42, 370252-258, 370/431, 370/463, 719/326
• US Class Current: 709/245
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0607 by facilitating the process of upgrading existing storage systems, e.g. for improving compatibility between host and storage device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0635 by changing the path, e.g. traffic rerouting, path reconfiguration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/433 with asynchronous transmission, e.g. token ring, register insertion

Abstract

A data storage enclosure management system of a plurality of service processors is configured to communicate externally via a pair of FC-AL loops. Lead and subsidiary service processors are defined and lead service processors connect to ones of the FC-AL loops with an FC-AL address, and the lead and subsidiary service processors are connected by a secondary communication link. The lead service processor(s) employ an identifier unassociated with the FC-AL address to differentiate communications of the lead service processor from communications of an associated subsidiary service processor, the lead service processor serving as a proxy for the associated subsidiary service processor with respect to the FC-AL address and communicating with the associated subsidiary service processor via the secondary communication link.

Claims

1. A data storage enclosure management system configured to communicate externally via a pair of Fiber Channel-Arbitrated Loop (FC-AL) loops, comprising:

a plurality of secondary communication links; and

a plurality of service processors, comprising;

a first lead service processor to connect to one of said pair of FC-AL loops with an FC-AL address, and to connect to at least a first said secondary communication links;

a second lead service processor to connect to the other of said pair of FC-AL loops with an FC-AL address, and to connect to at least a second said secondary communication link;

a plurality of subsidiary service processors, a first subsidiary service processor to connect to at least said first secondary communication link, a second subsidiary service processor to connect to at least said second secondary communication link; and

each of said lead service processors additionally to employ an identifier unassociated with said FC-AL address to differentiate communications of said lead service processor from communications of an associated subsidiary service processor, said lead service processor serving as a proxy for said associated subsidiary service processor with respect to said FC-AL address and communicating with said associated subsidiary service processor via a respective said secondary communication link, such that each said lead service processor has the active FC-AL address with respect to said connected FC-AL loop for said lead service processor and said associated subsidiary service processor.

2. The data storage enclosure management system of claim 1 for a data storage system having a plurality of virtual enclosures, wherein said lead service processors and said associated subsidiary service processor are each in different said virtual enclosures.

3. The data storage enclosure management system of claim 2, wherein said identifier comprises Logical Unit Number (LUN) addresses.

4. The data storage enclosure management system of claim 2, wherein said identifier comprises assignments in control fields relating to the respective said lead service processor and subsidiary service processor.

5. The data storage enclosure management system of claim 2, wherein each said service processor is configurable as a lead service processor, with FC-AL address capability and capability to serve as a proxy.

6. A data storage subsystem, comprising:

an enclosure;

a plurality of data storage drives within said enclosure and configured to connect to at least one of a pair of Fiber Channel-Arbitrated Loop (FC-AL) loops;

environmental resources within said enclosure;

a plurality of secondary communication links; and

a plurality of service processors to manage said environmental resources, comprising;

a first lead service processor to connect to one of said pair of FC-AL loops with an FC-AL address, and to connect to at least a first said secondary communication link;

a second lead service processor to connect to the other of said pair of FC-AL loops with an FC-AL address, and to connect to at least a second said secondary communication link;

a plurality of subsidiary service processors, a first subsidiary service processor to connect to at least said first secondary communication link, a second subsidiary service processor to connect to at least said second secondary communication link; and

each of said lead service processors additionally to employ an identifier unassociated with said FC-AL address to differentiate communications of said lead service processor from communications of an associated subsidiary service processor, said lead service processor serving as a proxy for said associated subsidiary service processor with respect to said FC-AL address and communicating with said associated subsidiary service processor via a respective said secondary communication link, such that each said lead service processor has the active FC-AL address with respect to said connected FC-AL loop for said lead service processor and said associated subsidiary service processor.

7. The data storage subsystem of claim 6 wherein said enclosure comprises a plurality of virtual enclosures, and wherein said lead service processors and said associated subsidiary service processor are each in different said virtual enclosures.

8. The data storage subsystem of claim 7, wherein said identifier comprises Logical Unit Number (LUN) addresses.

9. The data storage subsystem of claim 7, wherein said identifier comprises assignments in control fields relating to the respective said lead service processor and subsidiary service processor.

10. The data storage subsystem of claim 7, wherein each said service processor is configurable as a lead service processor, with FC-AL address capability and capability to serve as a proxy.

11. A method for providing communications with respect to a pair of Fiber Channel-Arbitrated Loop (FC-AL) loops and a data storage enclosure comprising a plurality of service processors and a plurality of secondary communication links, comprising the steps of:

defining one of said plurality of service processors as a first lead service processor to connect to one of said pair of FC-AL loops with an FC-AL address, and to connect to at least a first secondary communication link connected to an associated first of said service processors defined as a subsidiary service processor;

defining another of said plurality of service processors as a second lead service processor to connect to the other of said pair of FC-AL loops with an FC-AL address, and to connect to at least a second said secondary communication link connected to an associated second of said service processors defined as a subsidiary service processor; and

defining each of said lead service processors to employ an identifier unassociated with said FC-AL address to differentiate communications of said lead service processor from communications of said associated subsidiary service processor, said lead service processor serving as a proxy for said associated subsidiary service processor with respect to said FC-AL address and communicating with said associated subsidiary service processor via a respective said secondary communication link, such that each said lead service processor has the active FC-AL address with respect to said connected FC-AL loop for said lead service processor and said associated subsidiary service processor.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said data storage enclosure comprises a plurality of virtual enclosures, wherein said lead service processor and said associated subsidiary service processor are each in different said virtual enclosures.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said identifier comprises Logical Unit Number (LUN) addresses.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein said identifier comprises assignments in control fields relating to the respective said lead service processor and subsidiary service processor.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein each said service processor is configurable as a lead service processor, with FC-AL address capability and capability to serve as a proxy, additionally comprising the step of selecting one of said service processors as a lead service processor.