Apparatus and method to perform a version pre-check of a storage controller command

• US 8,200,860 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2009
• Issued: 06/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Anderson, Dale Howard, Peipelman, Jason Lee, Rhoades, Joshua Marshall
• Primary Examiner(s): Peyton, Tammara
• Application Number:
  US12/371,435
• Publication Number:
  US 20100211606A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,215 Days
• Field of Search: 710 8- 1, 710/48, 711/135, 711/161
• US Class Current: 710/48
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/061 Improving I/O performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0659 Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD

Abstract

A method to perform a version pre-check of a storage controller command, wherein the method extracts a plurality of objects from a storage controller command, and determines, without querying the storage controller, if each object comprising a method or a method parameter is enabled on that storage controller. If each object comprising a method or a method parameter is enabled on the storage controller, the method indicates success for a version pre-check of the storage controller command.

Claims

1. A method to perform a version pre-check of a storage controller command, comprising:

generating a storage controller command comprising a plurality of objects;

extracting said plurality of objects from said command;

determining, without querying the storage controller, if each object comprising a command or a command parameter is enabled on said storage controller;

operative if each object comprising a command or a command parameter is enabled on said storage controller, indicating success for a version pre-check of the storage controller command;

forming an object list comprising said plurality of objects;

selecting an object from said object list;

determining if said selected object exists on said storage controller;

operative if said selected object does not exist on said storage controller, indicating failure for a version pre-check of the storage controller command;

operative if said selected object does exist on said storage controller, determining if said selected object comprises a command or a command parameter;

operative if said selected object does not comprise a command or a command parameter, removing said selected object from said object list;

operative if a selected object comprises a command or a command parameter, determining if said command or said command parameter is enabled on said storage controller;

operative if said command or said command parameter is enabled on said storage controller, removing said selected object from said object list

wherein said storage controller is in communication with a host computing device; and

wherein said host computing device performs said generating step, said extracting step, said determining step, and said indicating step;

creating a version pack comprising a list of all commands and command parameters that are enabled on said storage controller;

providing said version pack to said host computer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said command or command parameter is not enabled on said storage controller, further comprising indicating failure for a version pre-check of the storage controller command.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining if said object list is empty;

operative if said object list is empty, indicating success for a version pre-check of the storage controller command.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said storage controller is in communication with a host computing device;

said host computer comprises an application;

said application performs said generating step, said extracting step, said determining step, and said indicating step.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

creating a version pack comprising a list of all commands and command parameters that are enabled on said storage controller;

providing said version pack to said application.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said storage controller provides said version pack to said application when said application first communicates with said storage controller.

7. An article of manufacture comprising an application and a computer readable storage medium comprising computer readable program code disposed therein to perform a version pre-check of a storage controller command, wherein the article of manufacture is in communication with a storage controller, the computer readable program code comprising a series of computer readable program steps to effect:

generating a storage controller command comprising a plurality of objects;

extracting said plurality of objects from said command;

determining, without querying the storage controller, if each object comprising a command or a command parameter is enabled on said storage controller;

operative if each object comprising a command or a command parameter is enabled on said storage controller, indicating success for a version pre-check of the storage controller command;

forming an object list comprising said plurality of objects;

selecting an object from said object list;

determining if said selected object exists on said storage controller;

operative if said selected object does not exist on said storage controller, indicating failure for a version pre-check of the storage controller command;

operative if said selected object does exist on said storage controller, determining if said selected object comprises a command or a command parameter;

operative if said selected object does not comprise a command or a command parameter, removing said selected object from said object list;

wherein said selected object comprises a command or a command parameter recited in a command, said computer readable program code further comprising a series of computer readable program steps to effect;

determining if said command or said command parameter is enabled on said storage controller;

operative if said command or said command parameter is enabled on said storage controller, removing said selected object from said object list;

wherein said article of manufacture comprises a host computing device;

receiving from said storage controller a version pack comprising a list of all commands and command parameters that are enabled on said storage controller.

8. The article of manufacture of claim 7, wherein said command or said command parameter is not enabled on said storage controller, said computer readable program code further comprising a series of computer readable program steps to effect indicating failure for a version pre-check of the storage controller command.

9. The article of manufacture of claim 7, said computer readable program code further comprising a series of computer readable program steps to effect:

determining if said object list is empty;

operative if said object list is empty, indicating success for a version pre-check of the storage controller command.

10. The article of manufacture of claim 7, wherein said application comprises a storage management program, said computer readable program code further comprising a series of computer readable program steps to effect receiving said version pack by said storage management program when said application first communicates with said storage controller.