Establishing communication path group identification for multiple storage devices

• US 8,806,022 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2011
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hardy, Clint A., Kalos, Matthew J., Peterson, Beth Ann, Riedy, Dale F.
• Primary Examiner(s): RECEK, JASON D
• Application Number:
  US13/104,002
• Publication Number:
  US 20120290729A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,191 Days
• Field of Search: 709213-216, 709227-228
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0727 in a storage system, e.g. in a DASD or network based storage system drivers for digital recording or reproducing units G06F3/06; circuits for error detection or correction within digital recording or reproducing units G11B20/18; 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], H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0766 Error or fault reporting or storing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2007 using redundant communication media
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0611 in relation to response time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0617 in relation to availability
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0635 by changing the path, e.g. traffic rerouting, path reconfiguration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

Embodiments of the disclosure relate to setting up a logical path group identification for multiple data storage devices. An aspect of the disclosure concerns a computer implemented method that comprises receiving a host command to establish a group of connection paths between the host and a plurality of storage devices, identifying the group of connection paths, adding each one of the storage devices to the group of connection paths, and reporting to the host those storage devices that could not be successfully added to the group of connection paths. The method maintains host access security to the storage devices by not grouping a device when it is a reset event state.

Claims

1. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage device having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising:

program code configured to receive a command indicating an operation comprising at least one of establish, disband, and resign with respect to a connection path group of logical connection paths between a host and a plurality of storage devices, wherein the command indicates the plurality of storage devices and the connection path group to which the operation is to be applied;

program code configured to perform the operation indicated in the command with respect to the logical connection paths of the connection path group and each one of the storage devices indicated in the command; and

program code configured to report to the host information on a success or failure of the operation performed with respect to the storage devices.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the plurality of storage devices are identified by a bit map associated with the command, further comprising:

program code configured to process the command to inform at least one of the storage devices indicated in the command of the identity of the host.

3. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the plurality of storage devices are identified by a device list associated with the command.

4. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the computer readable program code comprises program code configured to present an ending status to the host upon successfully accepting the command and verifying command parameters of the command.

5. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the operations comprises the establish to add the storage devices to the connection path group, wherein the computer readable program code comprises program code configured to, in response to at least one of the plurality of storage devices being unsuccessfully added to the connection path group, report a device status and present an attention interrupt to the host.

6. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the operation comprises the establish to add the storage devices to the connection path group, wherein the computer readable program code comprises program code configured to process a command to read data resulting from the adding of the storage devices to the connection path group indicated in the command.

7. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the operation comprises the establish to add the storage devices to the connection path group, wherein the computer readable program code comprises program code configured to, in response to all of the storage devices being successfully added to the connection path group:

receive a chain of commands for a storage device successfully added to the identified connection path group;

determine whether there is an outstanding attention interrupt; and

if there is an outstanding attention interrupt, then present the outstanding attention interrupt to the host.

8. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the operation comprises the establish to add the storage devices to the connection path group, wherein the computer readable program code comprises program code configured to, in response to a particular storage device being in a reset event state, skip the adding of the particular storage device to the connection path group.

9. A computer implemented method, comprising:

receiving a command indicating an operation comprising at least one of establish, disband and resign with respect to a connection path group of logical connection paths between a host and a plurality of storage devices, wherein the command indicates the plurality of storage devices and the connection path group to which the operation is to be applied;

performing the operation indicated in the command with respect to the logical connection paths of the connection path group and each one of the storage devices indicated in the command; and

reporting to the host information on a success or failure of the operation performed with respect to the storage devices.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the plurality of storage devices are identified by a bit map associated with the command, further comprising:

processing the command to inform at least one of the storage devices indicated in the command of the identity of the host.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising presenting an ending status to the host upon successfully accepting the command and verifying command parameters of the command.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the operation comprises the establish to add the storage devices to the connection path group, further comprising, in response to at least one of the plurality of storage devices being unsuccessfully added to the identified connection path group, reporting a device status and presenting an attention interrupt to the host.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the operation comprises the establish to add the storage devices to the connection path group, further comprising processing a command to read data resulting from the adding of the storage devices to the connection path group indicated in the command.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein the operation comprises the establish to add the storage devices to the connection path group, further comprising, in response to all of the storage devices being successfully added to the connection path group:

receiving a chain of commands for a storage device successfully added to the identified connection path group;

determining whether there is an outstanding attention interrupt; and

if there is an outstanding attention interrupt, then presenting the outstanding attention interrupt to the host.

15. The method of claim 9 further comprising, in response to a particular storage device being in a reset event state, skipping the adding of the particular storage device to the connection path group.

16. A system comprising:

a logic component for receiving a command indicating an operation comprising at least one of establish, disband, and resign with respect to a connection path group of logical connection paths between a host and a plurality of storage devices, wherein the command indicates the plurality of storage devices and the connection path group to which the operation is to be applied;

a logic component for performing the operation indicated in the command with respect to the logical connection paths of the connection path group and each one of the storage devices indicated in the command; and

a logic component for reporting to the host information on a success or failure of the operation performed with respect to the storage devices.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the plurality of storage devices are identified by a device list associated with the command, further comprising

a logic component to process the command to inform at least one of the storage devices indicated in the command of the identity of the host.

18. The system of claim 16, further comprising a logic component for presenting an ending status to the host upon successfully accepting the command and verifying command parameters of the command.

19. The system of claim 16 further comprising, wherein the operation comprises the establish to add the storage devices to the connection path group, in response to at least one of the plurality of storage devices being unsuccessfully added to the connection path group, a logic component for reporting a device status and presenting an attention interrupt to the host.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the operation comprises the establish to add the storage devices to the connection path group, further comprising, in response to all of the storage devices being successfully added to the identified connection path group:

a logic component for receiving a chain of commands for a storage device successfully added to the connection path group;

a logic component for determining whether there is an outstanding attention interrupt; and

if there is an outstanding attention interrupt, a logic component for presenting the outstanding attention interrupt to the host.