Resource virtualization mechanism including virtual host bus adapters

• US 9,264,384 B1
• Filed: 03/16/2005
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Sundaresan, Ganesh, Lim, Raymond, Shah, Shreyas
• Primary Examiner(s): Murray, Daniel C
• Application Number:
  US11/083,258
• Time in Patent Office: 3,989 Days
• Field of Search: 710/36, 710/316, 709/238, 709/201, 709/223, 709/250, 370/398
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2005 using redundant communication controllers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/12 using hardware independent of the central processor, e.g. channel or peripheral processor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/128 for dedicated transfers to a network for protocol converters G06F13/387
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4022 using switching circuits, e.g. switching matrix, connection or expansion network G06F13/4009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/42 Bus transfer protocol, e.g. handshake; Synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4221 being an input/output bus, e.g. ISA bus, EISA bus, PCI bus, SCSI bus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0601 Interfaces specially adapted for storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0635 by changing the path, e.g. traffic rerouting, path reconfiguration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0662 Virtualisation aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0664 at device level, e.g. emulation of a storage device or system
• 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 12/4641 Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/04 Network management architectures or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/00 Packet switching elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/357 Fibre channel switches
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/70 Virtual switches
• 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

Methods and apparatus are provided for virtualizing resources such as host bus adapters connected to a storage area network. Resources are offloaded from individual servers onto a resource virtualization switch. Servers are connected to the resource virtualization switch using an I/O bus connection. Servers are assigned resources such as virtual host bus adapters and share access to physical host bus adapters included in the resource virtualization switch. Redundancy can be provided using multipathing mechanisms.

Claims

1. A resource virtualization switch coupled to a storage area network, the resource virtualization switch comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled with and readable by the processor and having stored therein a set of instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to implement;

a plurality of port adapters including at least a first port adapter and a second port adapter, the plurality of port adapters connected to a storage area network, the storage area network including a plurality of storage area network ports associated with storage area network switches;

an I/O bus switch providing an interconnection between a plurality of servers and between the plurality of servers and the storage area network, the I/O bus switch directly connected to a PCI Express bus of each of the plurality of servers without use of an Host Bus Adapter (HBA) between the I/O bus switch and the PCI Express bus of each of the plurality of servers, the plurality of servers including at least a first server and a second server; and

a resource virtualization switch platform operable to map communications from the first server and the second server onto the first port adapter,

wherein the resource virtualization switch platform comprises a virtual host bus adapter device including a plurality of virtual host bus adapters, wherein the virtual host bus adapter device assigns a virtual host bus adapter to each of the plurality of servers coupled to the I/O bus switch and aggregates traffic from the plurality of virtual host bus adapters onto the first port adapter.

2. The resource virtualization switch of claim 1, wherein the port adapters are Host Bus Adapters (HBAs).

3. The resource virtualization switch of claim 2, wherein the first server includes a first virtual HBA driver.

4. The resource virtualization switch of claim 3, wherein the first server further includes a second virtual HBA driver.

5. The resource virtualization switch of claim 4, wherein the first and second virtual HBA drivers are used for redundancy and load sharing.

6. The resource virtualization switch of claim 4, wherein the first and second virtual HBA drivers are used for multipathing.

7. The resource virtualization switch of claim 6, wherein the first and second virtual HBA drivers are coupled to different resource virtualization switches.

8. The resource virtualization switch of claim 3, wherein the first virtual HBA driver comprises a Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI) and a resource virtualization switch interface.

9. The resource virtualization switch of claim 1, wherein the first port adapter is coupled to a first storage area network port and the second port adapter is coupled to a second storage area network port.

10. The resource virtualization switch of claim 1, wherein the I/O bus switch is a PCI Express switch.

11. The resource virtualization switch of claim 10, wherein the communications from the first server and second server are mapped onto the first port adapter dynamically.

12. The resource virtualization switch of claim 11, wherein communications from the first port adapter received from the storage area network are transmitted to the first server or the second server based on fibre channel frame information.

13. The resource virtualization switch of claim 12, wherein communications from the first port adapter received from the storage area network are transmitted to the first server or the second server based on fibre channel exchange identifiers.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the resource virtualization switch is capable of implementing quality of service on a bus level.

15. A method for transmitting data, comprising:

receiving data from a plurality of servers including at least a first server and a second server, the data received by an I/O bus switch of a resource virtualization switch over a PCI Express bus of each of the plurality of servers, the I/O bus switch providing an interconnection between the plurality of servers and between the plurality of servers and a storage area network, the I/O bus switch directly connected to the PCI Express bus of each of the plurality of servers without use of an Host Bus Adapter (HBA) between the I/O bus switch and the PCI Express bus of each of the plurality of servers;

associating data received from the first server and the second server with a first port adapter at the resource virtualization switch, the first port adapter connected to the storage area network switch,

wherein the resource virtualization switch comprises a virtual host bus adapter device including a plurality of virtual host bus adapters, wherein the virtual host bus adapter device assigns a virtual host bus adapter to each of the plurality of servers coupled to the I/O bus connection and aggregates data from the plurality of virtual host bus adapters onto the first port adapter; and

transmitting the data to the storage area network switch using the first port adapter.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the resource virtualization switch includes a plurality of port adapters including the first port adapter and a second port adapter.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the plurality of port adapters are Host Bus Adapters (HBAs).

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first server includes a first virtual HBA driver.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the first server further includes a second virtual HBA driver.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the first and second virtual HBA drivers are used for redundancy and load sharing.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the first and second virtual HBA drivers are used for multipathing.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the first and second virtual HBA drivers are coupled to different resource virtualization switches.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the first virtual HBA driver comprises a Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI) and a resource virtualization switch interface.

24. The method of claim 15, wherein the first port adapter is coupled to a first fibre channel port and a second port adapter is coupled to a second fibre channel port.

25. The method of claim 15, wherein the I/O bus switch is a PCI Express switch.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the communications from the first server and second server are mapped onto the first port adapter dynamically.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein communications from the first port adapter received from the storage area network are transmitted to the first server or the second server based on fibre channel frame information.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein communications from the first port adapter received from the storage area network are transmitted to the first server or the second server based on fibre channel exchange identifiers.