Method and system for responding to client requests for information maintained by storage systems

• US 8,868,868 B1
• Filed: 05/31/2012
• Issued: 10/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
• Original Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
• Inventors: Potakamuri, Sreenivasa, Armitano, Robert M., Maheshwari, Nilesh P., Hwang, Yinzen
• Primary Examiner(s): PORTKA, GARY J
• Application Number:
  US13/485,740
• Time in Patent Office: 873 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 711/164
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/1475 in a virtual system, e.g. with translation means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1827 Management specifically adapted to NAS management of storage area networks [SAN] G06F3/067
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/263 Network storage, e.g. SAN or NAS

Abstract

Method and system for providing information regarding a plurality of storage devices managed by a plurality of storage servers are provided. The storage space at the storage devices is presented to a plurality of computing systems as logical storage space. A plurality of searchable data structures having a plurality of data object types are stored at a temporary memory storage device of a management console that interfaces with the plurality of computing systems and the storage servers. Each data object type stores information regarding the storage device. The searchable data structure includes information regarding the storage devices and the logical storage space presented to the computing systems. A lock data structure for tracking locks that are assigned for accessing information pertaining to a storage server and a data object type is maintained to prevent unauthorized access to at least one of the searchable data structures.

Claims

1. A machine implemented method for providing information regarding a storage device to a computing system, comprising:

generating a plurality of searchable data structures for storing a plurality of data object types at a temporary memory storage device of a management console, where each data object type stores information regarding the storage device;

maintaining a lock data structure to prevent access to at least one of the searchable data structures, where the lock data structure stores a plurality of locks, each lock associated with a storage server interfacing with the management console;

receiving a request from the computing system to access information regarding the storage device managed by a storage server, where the request is received by a processor executable management application executed by the management console and the request includes identification information of the storage server;

deriving a key using the identification information the storage server;

using the derived key to obtain requested information from the searchable data structure; and

placing a lock for the searchable data structure storing the requested information to prevent access while the information is being provided to the computing system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of data object types includes a unique identifier for each of a plurality of logical unit numbers (LUNs) that are presented to the computing system for storing information at the storage device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the unique identifier is derived using the identification information for the storage server and an identifier for each LUN.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of data object types include a unique identifier for each of a plurality of storage volumes presented to the computing system by the storage server.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the unique identifier is derived using the identification information for the storage server and an identifier for each storage volume.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of data object types includes a unique identifier identifying the storage device and derived by using the identification information for the storage server.

7. A machine implemented method for providing information regarding a storage device from among a plurality of storage devices to a computing system, comprising:

receiving a request at a management console from the computing system to access information regarding the storage device managed by a storage server from among a plurality of storage servers interfacing with the management console, where the request includes identification information of the storage server;

generating a search key based on the identification information of the storage server and a data object identifier for one of data object types from among a plurality of data object types, where each data object type stores information regarding the plurality of storage devices;

using the search key to obtain requested information from a searchable data structure maintained by the management console at a temporary memory cache and used for storing the plurality of data object types; and

placing a lock for a portion of the searchable data structure storing the requested information to prevent access to the portion of the searchable data structure while the information is being provided to the computing system.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the plurality of data object types include a unique identifier for each of a plurality of logical unit numbers (LUNs) that are presented to the computing system for storing information at the storage device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the unique identifier is derived using the identification information for the storage server and an identifier for each LUN.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the plurality of data object types includes a unique identifier for each of a plurality of storage volumes presented to the computing system by the storage server.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the unique identifier is derived using the identification information for the storage server and an identifier for each storage volume.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the plurality of data object types include a unique identifier identifying the storage device and derived by using the identification information for the storage server.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the plurality of storage servers are in a clustered storage environment.

14. The method of claim 7, wherein the plurality of storage servers are in a non-clustered storage environment.

15. The method of claim 7, wherein a processor executable management application at the management console maintains a lock data structure for storing the lock assigned to the data structure that stores the requested information.

16. The method of claim 7, wherein a processor executable management application at the management console maintains the searchable data structure.

17. A system, comprising;

a plurality of client computing systems interfacing with a management console for receiving information related to a plurality of storage devices managed by a plurality of storage servers interfacing with the management console;

wherein the management console is configured to generate a plurality of searchable data structures for storing a plurality of data object types, where each data object type stores information regarding the plurality of storage devices; and

maintains a lock data structure to prevent access to at least one of the searchable data structures, where the lock data structure stores a plurality of locks, each lock associated with one of the storage servers interfacing with the management console; and

a processor executable key generator for generating a search key based on identification information of one of the plurality of storage servers and a unique identifier identifying a data object type;

wherein the management console uses the key to obtain any requested information from one of the searchable data structures and uses a lock to prevent access to the one of the searchable data structures while a request providing the requested information is being processed.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the plurality of data object types include a unique identifier for each of a plurality of logical unit numbers (LUNs) that are presented to the computing system for storing information at the storage device.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the plurality of data object types includes a unique identifier for each of a plurality of storage volumes presented to the computing system.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the plurality of storage servers are in a clustered storage environment and in a non-clustered storage environment.