System and method for storage discovery in a storage area network using device domains under control of a storage device

• US 8,782,198 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2012
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Cherian, Jason, Chawla, Gaurav, Vekiarides, Lazarus J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Haresh N
• Application Number:
  US13/712,408
• Publication Number:
  US 20130103820A1
• Time in Patent Office: 580 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/213, 709/226
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• 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 storage device coupled to a fabric includes a memory and a processor operable to receive, default domain information for a storage area network (SAN) from a management server coupled to the fabric. The default domain information including a list of host systems and a list of initiators on the SAN. The processor also sends the default domain information to a management station to configure a discovery domain including a host system selected from the list of host systems and an initiator selected from the list of initiators, receives the discovery domain from the management station, directs the management server to add the first discovery domain to a list of device domains implemented by the management server on the SAN, and directs the management server to enable the first discovery domain.

Claims

1. A storage device coupled to a fabric, the storage device comprising:

a memory; and

a processor operable to;

receive, from a management server coupled to the fabric, default domain information for a storage area network (SAN), the default domain information including a list of host systems on the SAN, and a list of initiators on the SAN;

send the default domain information to a management station, the management station to configure a first discovery domain including a host system selected from the list of host systems and an initiator selected from the list of initiators;

receive the first discovery domain from the management station;

direct the management server to add the first discovery domain to a list of device domains implemented by the management server on the SAN; and

direct the management server to enable the first discovery domain.

2. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further operable to:

send a query to the management server for the default domain information for the SAN;

wherein receiving the default domain information from the management server is in response to sending the query.

3. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further operable to:

receive a log-in request from the host system, the log-in request being initiated by the initiator.

4. The storage device of claim 3, wherein the processor is further operable to:

determine that the log-in request is initiated by the initiator; and

log the host system onto the storage device in response to determining that the log-in request is initiated by the initiator.

5. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further operable to:

receive a second discovery domain from the management station;

direct the management server to add the second discovery domain to the list of device domains; and

direct the management server to enable the second discovery domain.

6. The storage device of claim 5, wherein the processor is further operable to:

direct the management server to delete the first device domain from the list of device domains in response to enabling the second discovery domain.

7. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the fabric comprises an Internet Small Computer System Interface fabric.

8. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the storage device comprises the management station.

9. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the storage device includes an Internet Storage Name Service (iSNS) client.

10. The storage device of claim 1, wherein:

the management server includes an iSNS server; and

the iSNS client is a control node for the iSNS server.

11. A management station comprising:

a memory; and

a processor operable to;

receive, from a storage device coupled to the management station, default domain information for a storage area network (SAN), the default domain information including a list of host systems on the SAN, and a list of initiators on the SAN;

select a first host system from the list of host systems;

select a first initiator from the list of initiators;

create a first discovery domain for the SAN;

configure the first discovery domain to include the first host system and the first initiator;

send the first discovery domain to the storage device;

direct the storage device to;

send the first discovery domain to a management server of the SAN;

direct the management server to add the first discovery domain to a list of device domains implemented by the management server on the SAN; and

direct the management server to enable the first discovery domain.

12. The management station of claim 11, wherein the processor is further operable to:

direct the storage device to send a query to the management server for the default domain information for the SAN;

wherein receiving the default domain information from the storage device is in response to directing the storage device to send the query.

13. The management station of claim 11, wherein the processor is further operable to:

select a second host system from the list of host systems;

select a second initiator from the list of initiators;

create a second discovery domain for the SAN; and

configure the second discovery domain to include the second host system and the second initiator.

14. The management station of claim 13, wherein the processor is further operable to:

send the second discovery the storage device;

direct the storage device to;

send the second discovery domain to the management server;

direct the management server to add the second discovery domain to the list of device domains; and

direct the management server to enable the second discovery domain.

15. The management station of claim 14, wherein the processor is further operable to:

direct the storage device to direct the management server to delete the first device domain from the list of device domains in response to enabling the second discovery domain.

16. The management station of claim 11, wherein the management station comprises the storage device.

17. A method comprising:

receiving, at a storage device coupled to a fabric, default domain information from a management server for a storage area network (SAN), the default domain information including a list of host systems on the SAN, and a list of initiators on the SAN;

sending the default domain information to a management station, the management station to configure a first discovery domain including a host system selected from the list of host systems and an initiator selected from the list of initiators;

receiving the first discovery domain from the management station;

directing the management server to add the first discovery domain to a list of device domains implemented by the management server on the SAN; and

directing the management server to enable the first discovery domain.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

sending, from the storage device, a query to the management server for the default domain information for the SAN;

wherein receiving the default domain information from the management server is in response to sending the query.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving a second discovery domain from the management station;

directing the management server to add the second discovery domain to the list of device domains; and

directing the management server to enable the second discovery domain.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

directing the management server to delete the first device domain from the list of device domains in response to enabling the second discovery domain.