Systems and methods for network change discovery and host name resolution in storage network environments

• US 8,826,032 B1
• Filed: 12/27/2007
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
• Original Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
• Inventors: Yahalom, Raphael, Levy, Assaf, Oren, Gadi
• Primary Examiner(s): Rashid, Harunur
• Application Number:
  US11/965,392
• Time in Patent Office: 2,441 Days
• Field of Search: 713/187, 726/2
• US Class Current: 713/187
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/618 Details of network addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0686 Additional information in the notification, e.g. enhancement of specific meta-data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/069 using logs of notifications; Post-processing of notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• 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

The systems and methods described herein include processes for efficiently detecting relevant state changes in storage network environments and for resolving the name of hosts in storage networks. A subset of states for each component in the storage network is tracked, state information consisting of the values of the selected states with an associated timestamp and a component identifier (ID) for the storage network components is periodically received, a hash function value of the received state using a pre-selected hash function is computed, the most-recent locally-stored hash function value associated with that component ID is retrieved, and in case the hash function value is different from the most-recently locally-stored value, the new hash function value and the timestamp associated with that new value and component ID are stored and this state information is forwarded to a global analyzer service.

Claims

1. A process for detecting state changes in storage network environments comprising:

receiving a value for one or more state variables, an associated timestamp, and a component identifier from each of a plurality of components in a storage network environment, each of the state variables associated with a topology of the storage area environment and having a rate of change below a fluctuation threshold, wherein the one or more state variables are selected from which other of the components is connected via each port, which zones are defined, one or more set transfer rates, or which of the components are members of a particular zone;

computing a hash function value of the received value for the one or more state variables for one of the components using a pre-selected hash function;

comparing the computed hash function value to a previously stored hash function value associated with the component identifier to determine whether the computed and previously stored hash function values are different; and

storing the computed hash function value in place of the previously stored hash function value and as associated with the timestamp and the component identifier and performing end-to-end access path analysis of the components in the storage network environment, based at least on the value for the one or more state variables, to identify any access path changes, when the computed and previously stored hash function values are different.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein the pre-selected hash function maps an input value to a shorter output value and any two distinct input values map to two distinct output values.

3. The process of claim 1, wherein receiving the value for one or more state variables is the result of a response to a polling request or an unsolicited update.

4. The process of claim 1, further comprising comparing a previously stored timestamp with the received associated timestamp and only performing the end-to-end access path analysis when the previously stored timestamp is less than the received associated timestamp.

5. A storage management platform system comprising:

a global analyzer service module in communication with a plurality of component interaction modules, wherein the component interaction modules and global analyzer service module interact with a host and the component interaction modules are in communication with a plurality of components in a storage network environment and are each configured to execute instructions stored in a memory to;

receive a value for one or more state variables, an associated timestamp, and a component identifier from one or more of the components in the storage network environment, each of the state variables associated with a topology of the storage area environment and having a rate of change below a fluctuation threshold, wherein the one or more state variables are selected from which other of the components is connected via each port, which zones are defined, one or more set transfer rates, or which of the components are members of a particular zone;

compute a hash function value of the received value for the one or more state variables for one of the components using a pre-selected hash function;

compare the computed hash function value to a previously stored hash function value associated with the component identifier to determine whether the computed and previously stored hash function values are different; and

store the computed hash function value in place of the previously stored hash function value and as associated with the timestamp and the component identifier and send to the global analyzer service at least the one or more states, when the computed and previously stored hash function values are different; and

wherein the global analyzer service is configured perform end-to-end access path analysis of the components in the storage network environment, based at least on the value for the one or more state variables, to identify any access path changes.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the pre-selected hash function maps an input value to a shorter output value and any two distinct input values map to two distinct output values.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein periodically receiving the one or more states is the result of a response to a polling request or an unsolicited update.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the components in the storage network environment are each configured to compare a previously stored timestamp with the received associated timestamp and the global analyzer service module is only configured to perform the end-to-end access path analysis when the previously stored timestamp is less than the received associated timestamp.