Techniques for searching data associated with devices in a heterogeneous data center

• US 9,338,057 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2013
• Issued: 05/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
• Original Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
• Inventors: Jangra, Sandeep, Gilboa, Ran, Horn, Ophir
• Primary Examiner(s): Ly, Anh
• Application Number:
  US14/066,932
• Publication Number:
  US 20150120747A1
• Time in Patent Office: 923 Days
• Field of Search: 707/741, 707/748, 707/749, 707/750, 707/751, 707/768, 707/769, 707/770, 707/821, 707/688, 707/E17.01, 707/E17.002, 707/E17.005, 707/E17.014, 707/E17.11, 711/147, 711/114, 711/E12.016, 711/E12.006, 711/E12.001, 711/E12.002, 709/238, 709/225, 709/224, 455/556.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3006 where the computing system is distributed, e.g. networked systems, clusters, multiprocessor systems multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46; allocation of resources G06F9/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3051 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the configuration of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring the presence of processing resources, peripherals, I/O links, software programs verification or detection of system hardware configuration G06F11/2247
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3438 monitoring of user actions tracking the activity of the user H04L67/535
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/085 Retrieval of network configuration; Tracking network configuration history

Abstract

Examples are disclosed for searching data associated with devices in a heterogeneous data center. In some examples, data may be gathered for a database. The data may be associated with a heterogeneous data center having devices from multiple vendors. The database may be indexed to link data for a given device to an attribute, association or usage context for the given device. Responsive to a search request, data for a given device from among the devices in the heterogeneous data center may be provided based on a comparison of the search request to the indexed database. Other examples are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A method for searching data associated with devices in a heterogeneous data center, comprising:

gathering, by a processor circuit of a management server, data for a database, the data associated with a heterogeneous data center having devices from multiple vendors, each device operating in at least one usage context, wherein the usage context includes a storage context when any device operates for storing or retrieving data from a storage unit or a host context when any device operates for providing computing resources;

gathering data for the database based on one or more of a geographical location of the heterogeneous data center, a network domain associated with the heterogeneous data center, usage-specific gathering criteria or a usage pattern associated with previous search requests;

generating an index data structure, by the management server, wherein an entry in the index data structure comprises a first pointer into the database to data for a first device from among the devices, an attribute of the first device, an association of the first device with another device from among the devices, and a usage context for the first device;

indexing the database to link data for the first device to another association of the first device with one or more virtual machines hosted by the first device, the search request to indicate at least one of the one or more virtual machines hosted by the first device;

receiving a search request, at the management server;

searching the index based on the search request; and

providing, by the management server, responsive to the search request, data for the first device from the database using the first pointer into the database.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising the search request indicating the attribute of the first device, the attribute to include a name assigned to the first device, a network address assigned to the first device or a unique identifier assigned to the first device.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising the search request indicating the other device from among the devices.

4. The method of claim 3, comprising the first device and the other device arranged in the heterogeneous data center as same types of devices to include one of a storage device or a host device.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising receiving the search request during the usage context for the first device that includes a storage usage context or a host usage context.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising:

indexing the database to link data for a second device from among the devices to the same usage context as linked to the first device, the second device from a different vendor;

receiving the search request during the same usage context; and

providing the data for the first device and data for the second device from the database based on the comparison of the search request to the indexed database.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising:

gathering updated data for the database, the updated data associated with the heterogeneous data center; and

updating the indexed database to include the updated data.

8. An apparatus for searching data associated with devices in a heterogeneous data center comprising:

circuitry;

a gather module for execution by the circuitry to gather data for a database, the data associated with a heterogeneous data center having devices from multiple vendors, each device operating in at least one usage context, wherein the usage context includes a storage context when any device operates for storing or retrieving data from a storage unit or a host context when any device operates for providing computing resources and wherein the gather module gathers data for the database based on one or more of a geographical location of the heterogeneous data center, a network domain associated with the heterogeneous data center, usage-specific gathering criteria or a usage pattern associated with previous search requests;

an index module for execution by the circuitry to create an index data structure, wherein an entry in the index data structure comprises a first pointer into the database to data for a first device from among the devices, an attribute of the first device, an association of the first device with another device from among the devices, and a usage context for the first device;

a request module for execution by the circuitry to receive a search request; and

a search module for execution by the circuitry to search the index based on the search request and to provide data for the first device from the database using the first pointer into the database;

wherein the usage context for the first device is the host usage context;

the index module further indexes the database to link data for the first device to another association of the first device with one or more virtual machines hosted by the first device;

the search request received by the request module indicates at least one of the one or more virtual machines; and

the search module provides data for the first device from the database based on the indication of the at least one or more virtual machines.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, comprising:

the index module to index the database to link data for a second device from among the devices to the usage context linked to the first device, the second device from a different vendor;

the request module to receive the search request during the usage context; and

the search module to provide the data for the first device and data for the second device from the database based on the comparison of the search request to the indexed database.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, comprising the search request to indicate the attribute of the first device, the attribute to include a name assigned to the first device, a network address assigned to the first device or a unique identifier assigned to the first device.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, comprising the receive module to receive the search request during the usage context for the first device that includes a storage usage context or a host usage context.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the search request indicates another other device from among the devices.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first device and the other device arranged in the heterogeneous data center as same types of devices to include one of a storage device or a host device.

14. At least one non-transitory machine readable medium for searching data associated with devices in a heterogeneous data center, comprising a plurality of instructions that in response to being executed by a system cause the system to:

gather data for a database, the data associated with a heterogeneous data center having devices from multiple vendors, each device operating in at least one usage context, wherein the usage context includes a storage context when any device operates for storing or retrieving data from a storage unit or a host context when any device operates for providing computing resources and wherein data gathered for the database is based on one or more of a geographical location of the heterogeneous data center, a network domain associated with the heterogeneous data center, usage-specific gathering criteria or a usage pattern associated with previous search requests;

generate an_index data structure wherein an entry in the index data structure comprises a first pointer into the database to data for a first device from among the devices, an attribute of the first device, an association of the first device with another device from among the devices, and a usage context for the first device;

update the index data structure wherein a second entry comprises a second pointer to data for a second device from among the devices and the usage context linked to the first device, the second device from a different vendor;

receive a search request; and

provide data from the database for the first device or for the second device responsive to the search request based on a comparison of the search request to the index data structure;

wherein the usage context for the first device is the host usage context, and the database is indexed to link data for the first device to another association of the first device with one or more virtual machines hosted by the first device, the received search request to indicate at least one of the one or more virtual machines; and

data for the first device is provided from the database based on the indication of the at least one or more virtual machines.

15. The at least one machine readable medium of claim 14, comprising the search request to indicate the attribute of the first device, the attribute to include a name assigned to the first device, a network address assigned to the first device or a unique identifier assigned to the first device.

16. The at least one machine readable medium of claim 14, comprising to receive the search request during the usage context for the first device that includes a storage usage context or a host usage context.

17. The at least one machine readable medium of claim 14, wherein the instructions to further causes the system to:

index the database to link data for a second device from among the devices to the same usage context as linked to the first device, the second device from a different vendor;

receive the search request during the same usage context; and

provide the data for the first device and data for the second device from the database based on the comparison of the search request to the indexed database.

18. The at least one machine readable medium of claim 14, wherein the instructions to further causes the system to:

gather updated data for the database, the updated data associated with the heterogeneous data center; and

update the indexed database to include the updated data.

19. The at least one machine readable medium of claim 14, wherein the search request indicates another other device from among the devices.

20. The at least one machine readable medium of claim 14, wherein the first device and the other device arranged in the heterogeneous data center as same types of devices to include one of a storage device or a host device.