Creating and configuring virtual fabrics in storage area networks
First Claim
1. A storage area network (SAN), comprising:
- a plurality of SAN components comprising;
a plurality of storage devices;
a plurality of storage device ports;
one or more host systems;
one or more Host Bus Adapters (HBAs); and
a plurality of HBA ports;
a SAN fabric comprising a plurality of switches each comprising a plurality of switch ports configured for coupling the host systems to the storage devices;
a system configured to implement a virtual fabric utility, wherein the virtual fabric utility is configured to;
select one or more of the SAN components for assignment to a virtual fabric on the SAN fabric;
automatically determine one or more of the switch ports of one or more of the switches which are coupled to the selected one or more SAN components; and
add the determined one or more switch ports of the one or more switches to the virtual fabric.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Embodiments of a mechanism for creating and configuring virtual fabrics in Storage Area Networks (SANs). Embodiments may provide a vendor-neutral mechanism for creating and configuring virtual fabrics in physical SAN fabrics that may include heterogeneous switches. Each virtual fabric may include its own name service, management service, fabric configuration service, zoning service, and/or other fabric services. A vendor-neutral virtual fabric utility may be provided for creating and managing virtual fabrics. In one embodiment, switch ports, switch slots and/or switches may be selected and added to new or existing virtual fabrics using the virtual fabric utility. In one embodiment, SAN components coupled to fabric switches (e.g. hosts, HBAs, HBA ports, storage devices and storage device ports) may be displayed for selection and assignment to the virtual fabric. Switch ports coupled to a selected SAN components may be automatically determined by the virtual fabric utility and added to the virtual fabric.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. A storage area network (SAN), comprising:
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a plurality of SAN components comprising; a plurality of storage devices; a plurality of storage device ports; one or more host systems; one or more Host Bus Adapters (HBAs); and a plurality of HBA ports; a SAN fabric comprising a plurality of switches each comprising a plurality of switch ports configured for coupling the host systems to the storage devices; a system configured to implement a virtual fabric utility, wherein the virtual fabric utility is configured to; select one or more of the SAN components for assignment to a virtual fabric on the SAN fabric; automatically determine one or more of the switch ports of one or more of the switches which are coupled to the selected one or more SAN components; and add the determined one or more switch ports of the one or more switches to the virtual fabric. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A storage area network (SAN), comprising:
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a plurality of SAN components comprising; a plurality of storage devices; and one or more host systems; a SAN fabric comprising a plurality of heterogeneous switches each comprising a plurality of switch ports configured for coupling the host systems to the storage devices, wherein two or more of said plurality of heterogeneous switches have different management interfaces; a system configured to implement a virtual fabric utility, wherein the virtual fabric utility is configured to; select one or more switch ports of two or more of the heterogeneous switches for assignment to a virtual fabric on the SAN fabric; and add the selected switch ports to the virtual fabric. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A system, comprising:
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a processor; and a memory comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions are executable by the processor to; select one or more of a plurality of Storage Area Network (SAN) components of a SAN for assignment to a virtual fabric on a fabric of the SAN; wherein the SAN components comprise a plurality of storage devices, a plurality of storage device ports, one or more host systems, one or more Host Bus Adapters (HBAs), and a plurality of HBA ports; wherein the SAN fabric comprises a plurality of switches each comprising a plurality of switch ports for coupling the host systems to the storage devices; automatically determine one or more of the switch ports of one or more of the switches which are coupled to the selected one or more SAN components; and add the determined one or more switch ports of the one or more switches to the virtual fabric. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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14. A system, comprising:
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a processor; a memory comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions are executable by the processor to; select one or more switch ports of two or more heterogeneous switches of a fabric of a Storage Area Network (SAN) for assignment to a virtual fabric on the SAN fabric, wherein two or more of the heterogeneous switches have different management interfaces; wherein the SAN fabric comprises a plurality of switches including the two or more heterogeneous switches each comprising a plurality of switch ports configured for coupling one or more host systems of the SAN to storage devices of the SAN; and add the selected switch ports to the virtual fabric. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A system for creating and managing virtual fabrics comprising switch ports from heterogeneous fabric switches in a fabric of a storage area network (SAN), comprising:
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means for determining one or more switch ports of two or more heterogeneous fabric switches of the fabric to be assigned to a virtual fabric on the fabric of the SAN; and means for adding the determined one or more switch ports of the two or more heterogeneous fabric switches to the virtual fabric, wherein two or more of the heterogeneous switches have different management interfaces.
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20. A system for creating and managing virtual fabrics comprising switch ports from fabric switches in a fabric of a storage area network (SAN), comprising:
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means for determining one or more of a plurality of components of the SAN to be assigned to a virtual fabric on a fabric of the SAN; means for determining one or more switch ports of one or more of the fabric switches which are coupled to the selected one or more components of the SAN; and means for adding the determined one or more switch ports of the one or more fabric switches to the virtual fabric.
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21. A method, comprising:
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displaying a plurality of switch ports of a plurality of switches of a fabric of a Storage Area Network (SAN), wherein two or more of the switches are heterogeneous switches, wherein two or more of the heterogeneous switches have different management interfaces; selecting one or more switch ports of two or more of the heterogeneous switches for assignment to a virtual fabric on the fabric; and adding the selected switch ports to the virtual fabric. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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25. A computer-accessible storage medium comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions are computer-executable to implement:
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displaying a plurality of switch ports of a plurality of switches of a fabric of a Storage Area Network (SAN), wherein two or more of the switches are heterogeneous switches, wherein two or more of the heterogeneous switches have different management interfaces; selecting one or more switch ports of two or more of the heterogeneous switches for assignment to a virtual fabric on the fabric; and adding the selected switch ports to the virtual fabric. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28)
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Specification