Systems and methods for remote raid configuration in an embedded environment

• US 8,832,369 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2010
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products BV (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Zhang, Weijia, Boyd, Patrick O., Corn, Vance E., Edwards, William C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ruiz, Aracelis
• Application Number:
  US12/925,673
• Publication Number:
  US 20120110262A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,413 Days
• Field of Search: 711/114, 711/170
• US Class Current: 711/114
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0607 by facilitating the process of upgrading existing storage systems, e.g. for improving compatibility between host and storage device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0629 Configuration or reconfiguration of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0632 by initialisation or re-initialisation of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD

Abstract

Remote RAID system configuration may be implemented in an embedded and out-of-band manner using an information handling system configured, for example, as a RAID server. The remote RAID configuration may be implement, for example, on a RAID server system in the condition as it is supplied directly out-of-the-box to a user without requiring downloading of any additional software or firmware, without requiring presence of a management framework and plug in, and/or in a manner that is operating system (OS)-independent or that requires no OS to be present on the server. The RAID server may then be remotely reconfigured one or more times thereafter.

Claims

1. An information handling system configured as a RAID server, the RAID server comprising:

a RAID controller circuit for controlling the transfer of data to and from RAID storage memory that includes an array of individual storage disk drives;

one or more processing devices;

persistent storage embedded within the RAID server and coupled to the one or more processing devices, and to the RAID controller circuit; and

an embedded remote RAID configuration framework present on the persistent storage, the remote RAID configuration framework being configured to;

receive a request for RAID configuration from a remote user, and

provide the received RAID configuration request to the one or more processing devices for processing;

where the one or more processing devices are configured to;

process the received RAID configuration request in an out-of-band manner to create a RAID configuration job corresponding to the received request for RAID configuration, and

then execute the created RAID configuration job in an in-band manner.

2. The information handling system of claim 1, further comprising at least one external input/output (I/O) interface coupled to the one or more processing devices, the external I/O interface being configured for wired or wireless coupling to one or more devices that are external to the information handling system;

and a remote access controller coupled to the external I/O interface and to each of the one or more processing devices, the remote access controller being configured to receive the request for RAID configuration from a remote user and provide the request for RAID configuration to the embedded remote RAID configuration framework.

3. The information handling system of claim 2, further comprising a system motherboard;

and wherein the remote access controller and the persistent storage are embedded components on the motherboard of the information handling system.

4. The information handling system of claim 2, further comprising system BIOS firmware residing on the persistent storage;

and wherein the embedded remote RAID configuration framework is configured to run on the remote access controller under a unified extension firmware interface (“

UEFI”

) environment.

5. The information handling system of claim 1, where the one or more processing devices are further configured to provide the results of the executed RAID configuration job to the embedded remote RAID configuration framework;

and where the embedded remote RAID configuration framework is configured to communicate with the RAID controller circuit to implement one or more RAID configuration or reconfiguration tasks resulting from the executed RAID configuration job.

6. The information handling system of claim 5, where the embedded remote RAID configuration framework is configured to provide the results of the executed RAID configuration job to the remote user.

7. The information handling system of claim 1, where the remote RAID configuration framework is further configured to receive a request for RAID reconfiguration from a remote user after the one or more processing devices have previously executed the RAID configuration job, the request for RAID reconfiguration specifying a different RAID configuration then the previous RAID configuration request;

where the remote RAID configuration framework is further configured to provide the received RAID reconfiguration request to the one or more processing devices for out-of-band processing;

where the one or more processing devices are further configured to process the received RAID reconfiguration request in an out-of-band manner to create a RAID reconfiguration job corresponding to the received request for RAID reconfiguration, and then execute the created RAID reconfiguration job in an in-band manner.

8. The system of claim 1, where the RAID server includes a chassis;

and where each of the RAID controller circuit, one or more processing devices, and persistent storage are integrated within the RAID server chassis.

9. The system of claim 8, where the one or more processing devices are configured to perform the following steps on the RAID server as it is supplied directly out-of-the-box to a user in the same server configuration as shipped by the manufacturer or enterprise provider, and with no separate server providing RAID configuration information to the RAID server:

process the received RAID configuration request in an out-of-band manner to create a RAID configuration job corresponding to the received request for RAID configuration; and

then execute the created RAID configuration job in an in-band manner.

10. The system of claim 9, where the one or more processing devices are configured to perform the steps of processing the received RAID configuration request and then executing the created RAID configuration job without any separate management framework, external tools or plug-in.

11. A RAID system, comprising:

a RAID storage memory that includes an array of individual storage disk drives;

an information handling system configured as a RAID server coupled to the RAID storage memory, the server comprising;

a RAID controller circuit for controlling the transfer of data to and from the RAID storage memory,

an in-band processing device,

an out-of-band processing device,

persistent storage coupled to each of the in-band processing device, out-of-band processing device, and RAID controller circuit, and

an embedded remote RAID configuration framework present on the persistent storage, the remote RAID configuration framework being configured to;

receive a request for RAID configuration from a remote user, and

provide the received RAID configuration request to the out-of band processing device;

where the out-of-band processing device is configured to;

create a RAID configuration job corresponding to the received request for RAID configuration, and

provide the created RAID configuration job to the in-band processing device for execution;

where the in-band processing device is configured to receive the created RAID configuration job from the out-of-band processing device and then execute the created RAID configuration job; and

where the RAID server has a chassis; and

where the RAID controller circuit, in-band processing device, out-of-band processing device, and persistent storage are integrated within the chassis.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising at least one external input/output (I/O) interface coupled to each of the in-band and out-of-band processing devices, the external I/O interface being configured for wired or wireless coupling to one or more devices that are external to the information handling system;

and a remote access controller coupled to the external I/O interface and to each of the in-band and out-of-band processing devices, the remote access controller being configured to receive the request for RAID configuration from a remote user and provide the request for RAID configuration to the embedded remote RAID configuration framework.

13. The system of claim 11, where the in-band processing device is further configured to provide results of the executed RAID configuration job to the out-of-band processing device;

where the out-of-band processing device is further configured to provide the results of the executed RAID configuration job to the embedded remote RAID configuration framework; and

where the embedded remote RAID configuration framework is configured to communicate with the RAID controller circuit to implement one or more RAID configuration or reconfiguration tasks resulting from the executed RAID configuration job.

14. The system of claim 13, where the embedded remote RAID configuration framework is configured to provide the results of the executed RAID configuration job to the remote user.

15. The system of claim 11, where the remote RAID configuration framework is further configured to receive a request for RAID reconfiguration from a remote user after the in- band processing device has previously executed the RAID configuration job, the request for RAID reconfiguration specifying a different RAID configuration then the previous RAID configuration request;

where the remote RAID configuration framework is further configured to provide the received RAID reconfiguration request to the out-of band processing device;

where the out-of-band processing device is further configured to create a RAID reconfiguration job corresponding to the received request for RAID reconfiguration, and provide the created RAID reconfiguration job to the in-band processing device for execution; and

where the in-band processing device is further configured to receive the created RAID reconfiguration job from the out-of-band processing device and then execute the created RAID reconfiguration job.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the remote RAID configuration framework is configured to receive the request for RAID configuration from a remote user via a wired or wireless network.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the received request for RAID configuration includes at least one of “

Create RAID Configuration”

, “

Delete RAID Configuration”

, “

Get RAID Configuration”

, “

Set RAID Configuration”

, “

Reset RAID Configuration”

or a combination thereof.

18. A method for remotely configuring or reconfiguring a RAID system, comprising:

providing a RAID storage memory that includes an array of individual storage disk drives;

providing an information handling system configured as a RAID server coupled to the RAID storage memory, the server comprising;

one or more processing devices,

persistent storage coupled to the one or more processing devices, and

an embedded remote RAID configuration framework present on the persistent storage;

receiving a request in the embedded remote RAID configuration framework for RAID configuration from a remote user;

providing the received RAID configuration request from the embedded remote RAID configuration framework to the one or more processing devices for out-of-band processing;

using the one or more processing devices to process the received RAID configuration request in an out-of-band manner to create a RAID configuration job; and

using the one or more processing devices to execute the created RAID configuration job in an in-band manner; and

where the RAID server has a chassis;

where the RAID controller circuit, one or more processing devices, and persistent storage are integrated within the chassis.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising providing the results of the executed RAID configuration job from the one or more processing devices to the embedded remote RAID configuration framework;

and communicating with the RAID controller circuit to implement one or more RAID configuration or reconfiguration tasks resulting from the executed RAID configuration job.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising providing the results of the executed RAID configuration job from the embedded remote RAID configuration framework to the remote user.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving a request for RAID reconfiguration from a remote user after the one or more processing devices have previously executed the RAID configuration job, the request for RAID reconfiguration specifying a different RAID configuration then the previous RAID configuration request;

providing the received RAID reconfiguration request from the embedded remote RAID configuration framework to the one or more processing devices for out-of-band processing;

using the one or more processing devices to process the received RAID reconfiguration request in an out-of-band manner to create a RAID configuration job; and

using the one or more processing devices to execute the created RAID reconfiguration job in an in-band manner.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising remotely configuring or reconfiguring the RAID system without loading or downloading any additional RAID configuration firmware or software.

23. The method of claim 18, where the one or more processing devices comprise an in-band processing device and a separate out-of-band processing device;

and where the method further comprises using the out-of-band processing device to create and store the created RAID configuration job in storage space within the embedded persistent storage in one or more files that are accessible by the out-of band processing device by direct mount, and that are accessible by the in-band processing device through virtual media attachment.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising using the out-of-band processing device to expose the RAID configuration data job to the in-band processing device after creating and storing the RAID configuration job;

then using the out-of-band processor to command the in-band processing device to reboot;

then rebooting the in-band processing device in response to the command from the out-of-band processing device;

then using the in-band processing device to execute the created RAID configuration job; and

then providing results of the executed RAID configuration job from the in-band processing device to the out-of-band processing device.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising running an execution module on the in-band processing device;

and using the execution module to display the status of the executing RAID configuration job to a user via graphical interface.

26. A method of providing an information handling system configured as a RAID server, the method comprising providing the information handling system before first coupling the RAID server to a RAID storage memory, the provided information handling system comprising:

a RAID controller circuit for controlling the transfer of data to and from RAID storage memory that includes an array of individual storage disk drives;

one or more processing devices;

persistent storage embedded within the server and coupled to the one or more processing devices, and to the RAID controller circuit; and

an embedded remote RAID configuration framework present on the persistent storage, the remote RAID configuration framework being configured to;

receive a request for RAID configuration from a remote user, and

provide the received RAID configuration request to the one or more processing devices for processing; and

where the one or more processing devices are configured to;

process the received RAID configuration request in an out-of-band manner to create a RAID configuration job corresponding to the received request for RAID configuration, and

then execute the created RAID configuration job in an in-band manner.

27. The method of claim 26, where the RAID server includes a chassis;

where each of the RAID controller circuit, one or more processing devices, and persistent storage are integrated within the RAID server chassis; and

where the method further comprises using the one or more processing devices to perform the following steps on the RAID server as it is supplied directly out-of-the-box to a user in the same server configuration as shipped by the manufacturer or enterprise provider, and with no separate server providing RAID configuration information to the RAID server;

processing the received RAID configuration request in an out-of-band manner to create a RAID configuration job corresponding to the received request for RAID configuration; and

then executing the created RAID configuration job in an in-band manner.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising using the one or more processing devices to perform the steps of processing the received RAID configuration request and executing the created RAID configuration job without any separate management framework, external tools or plug-in.