SAN IP validation tool

• US 9,436,411 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2014
• Issued: 09/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Arnold, Howard Ernest, Harris, Matthew Clayton
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Titus
• Application Number:
  US14/228,608
• Publication Number:
  US 20150277804A1
• Time in Patent Office: 893 Days
• Field of Search: 710/74
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0617 in relation to availability
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0653 Monitoring storage devices or systems
• 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 43/06 Generation of reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• 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 present invention is directed to a method and corresponding apparatus for verifying connectivity in a storage area network. An embodiment begins by communicating with one or more storage devices, through at least one of one or more host machines connected to one or more network switches. Based on the communication, the method may activate a test procedure at the one or more storage devices. The method may determine, through the test procedure, each state of connectivity from the one or more storage devices to each member computing device of a connectivity set. The connectivity set may include at least one of the following: at least one other storage device, at least one of the one or more network switches, and at least one of the one or more host machines. The method may provide a report to one or more users, the report including each state of connectivity.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for verifying connectivity in a storage area network, the computer-implemented method comprising:

communicating, through one or more network switches, with at least one of two or more storage devices of a storage area network (SAN) connected to the one or more network switches, from at least one of one or more host machines connected to the one or more network switches, the one or more host machines being external to the SAN;

based on the communication, automatically initiating and executing a connectivity test procedure at one or more active modules of the two or more storage devices of the SAN and automatically switching from the one or more active modules to at least one passive module of the two or more storage devices, the automatically switching including automatically initiating and executing the connectivity test procedure at the at least one passive module;

determining, through the connectivity test procedure, each state of connectivity from the at least one of the two or more storage devices of the SAN to each member computing device of a connectivity set that includes at least one of the following;

at least one other storage device of the SAN, at least one of the one or more network switches, and at least one of the one or more host machines; and

providing a report to one or more users, the report including each state of connectivity.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the connectivity includes at least one of:

interconnect, cabling, wiring, interfaces, and ports.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising automatically initiating and executing the connectivity test procedure at the at least one of the two or more storage devices, further comprising automatically determining each state of connectivity from the one or more storage devices to each member computing device, and further comprising automatically providing the report.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the report is provided to the at least one of the one or more host machines, and the report includes one or more log files.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein each state of connectivity is determined, through the connectivity test procedure, by the at least one of the two or more storage devices sending one or more commands to each member computing device of the connectivity set and receiving one or more status messages from each member computing device of the connectivity set.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the connectivity test procedure includes one or more ping tests from the at least one of the two or more storage devices to each member computing device of the connectivity set.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the at least one of the two or more storage devices is indirectly connected to at least one member computing device of the connectivity set.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the connectivity set includes one or more redundant or replicated member computing devices.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the storage area network includes an Internet Small Computer System Interface (iSCSI) storage area network.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising, within the storage area network, communicating with the at least one of the two or more storage devices, from the at least one of the one or more host machines, and based on the communication, further initiating and executing the connectivity test procedure.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the connectivity test procedure includes:

one or more interface tests of at least one interface associated with the at least one of the two or more storage devices;

one or more ping tests from the at least one of the two or more storage devices to each member computing device of the connectivity set;

one or more switching tests associated with the switching from the one or more active modules to the at least one passive module; and

one or more connectivity tests, wherein the connectivity set includes one or more redundant or replicated member computing devices.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the connectivity test procedure includes the ordered steps of:

one or more interface tests of at least one interface associated with the at least one of the two or more storage devices;

followed by one or more ping tests from the at least one of the two or more storage devices to each member computing device of the connectivity set;

followed by one or more switching tests associated with the switching from the one or more active modules to the at least one passive module; and

followed by one or more connectivity tests, wherein the connectivity set includes one or more redundant or replicated member computing devices.

10. An information handling system (IHS) comprising:

a data module configured to communicate, through one or more network switches, with at least one of two or more storage devices of a storage area network (SAN) connected to the one or more network switches, from at least one of one or more host machines connected to the one or more network switches, the one or more host machines being external to the SAN;

a computing module, configured to automatically initiate and execute, based on the communication, a connectivity test procedure at one or more active modules of the two or more storage devices of the SAN, and perform an automatic switch from the one or more one active modules to at least one passive module of the two or more storage devices, the automatic switch including automatically initiating and executing the connectivity test procedure at the at least one passive module;

the computing module further configured to determine, through the connectivity test procedure, each state of connectivity from the at least one of the two or more storage devices of the SAN to each member computing device of a connectivity set that includes at least one of the following;

at least one other storage device of the SAN, at least one of the one or more network switches, and at least one of the one or more host machines; and

a reporting module configured to provide a report to one or more users, the report including each state of connectivity.

11. The IHS of claim 10 wherein the connectivity includes at least one of:

interconnect, cabling, wiring, interfaces, and ports.

12. The IHS of claim 10 wherein the computing module is further configured to automatically initiate and execute the connectivity test procedure at the at least one of the two or more storage devices, and the computing module is further configured to automatically determine each state of connectivity from the one or more storage devices to each member computing device, and the reporting module is further configured to automatically provide the report.

13. The IHS of claim 10 wherein the reporting module is further configured to provide the report to the at least one of the one or more host machines, and the report includes one or more log files.

14. The IHS of claim 10 wherein the computing module is further configured to determine, through the connectivity test procedure, each state of connectivity, by the at least one of the two or more storage devices sending one or more commands to each member computing device of the connectivity set and receiving one or more status messages from each member computing device of the connectivity set.

15. The IHS of claim 10 wherein the connectivity test procedure includes one or more ping tests from the at least one of the two or more storage devices to each member computing device of the connectivity set.

16. The IHS of claim 10 wherein the at least one of the two or more storage devices is indirectly connected to at least one member computing device of the connectivity set, and the connectivity set includes one or more redundant or replicated member computing devices.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon a sequence of instructions which, when loaded and executed by a processor coupled to an apparatus, causes the apparatus to:

communicate, through one or more network switches, with at least one of two or more storage devices of a storage area network (SAN) connected to the one or more network switches, from at least one of one or more host machines connected to the one or more network switches, the one or more host machines being external to the SAN;

based on the communication, automatically initiate and execute, at one or more active modules of the two or more storage devices of the SAN, a connectivity test procedure and perform an automatic switch from the one or more one active modules to at least one passive module of the two or more storage devices, the automatic switch including automatically initiating and executing the connectivity test procedure at the at least one passive module;

determine, through the connectivity test procedure, each state of connectivity from the at least one of the two or more storage devices of the SAN to each member computing device of a connectivity set that includes at least one of the following;

at least one other storage device of the SAN, at least one of the one or more network switches, and at least one of the one or more host machines; and

provide a report to one or more users, the report including each state of connectivity.