Automatic redundant logical connections

• US 9,774,675 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2009
• Issued: 09/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Micro Focus LLC (Open Text Corporation)
• Original Assignee: entIT Software LLC (Open Text Corporation)
• Inventors: Ananda Ganesan, Senthil-Kumar, Sagi, Vasavi, Padmanabha, Anuradha Anantha
• Primary Examiner(s): Anwar, Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROCKMAN, ANGEL T
• Application Number:
  US13/384,739
• Publication Number:
  US 20120120791A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,892 Days
• Field of Search: 370225, 370242, 370244
• 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]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/04 Error control

Abstract

A method (600) includes: providing (602) a physical connection topology and a logical connection topology between a host (302) and a logical unit hosted on a storage array (308), the topologies including all network fabrics to which both the host (302) and the storage array (308) belong; determining (604) at least one single point of failure is located between the host (302) and the logical unit within a particular network fabric; attempting (606) to create a fully redundant logical connection between the host (302) and the logical unit within the particular fabric; if a fully redundant logical connection is not possible in the particular fabric, attempting (608) to create a fully redundant logical connection between the host (302) and the logical unit using an alternate fabric; and if a fully redundant logical connection is not possible in the topologies, attempting (610) to create a partially redundant logical connection between the host (302) and the logical unit within the particular network fabric.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions for causing a processor to execute a method for automatically creating redundant logical connections in a network, said method comprising:

determining where a single point of failure is located between a host and a logical unit hosted on a storage array in a particular network fabric having a given physical and logical connection topology comprising all network fabrics to which both said host and said storage array belong;

attempting to create a fully redundant logical connection between said host and said logical unit within said particular network fabric;

if a fully redundant logical connection is not possible within said particular network fabric, attempting to create a fully redundant logical connection between said host and said logical unit using an alternate of said network fabrics; and

if a fully redundant logical connection is not possible in any alternate network fabric in said topologies, attempting to create a partially redundant logical connection between said host and said logical unit within said particular network fabric.

2. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, in which said fully redundant logical connection comprises:

redundant logical links between a host bus adapter port of said host and a switch port;

redundant logical links between said switch port and any other switch ports physically connected using inter switch links; and

redundant logical links between said switch port and a controller port on said storage array, said logical unit being mapped on said controller port.

3. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, in which said fully redundant logical connection comprises:

redundant logical links between a host bus adapter port of said host and a switch port; and

redundant logical links between said switch port and a controller port on said storage array, said logical unit being mapped on said controller port,

in which redundant logical links between said switch port and any other switch ports using inter switch links are automatically taken care of as part of a functionality of said network fabric.

4. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, in which said method is applied to every host and each of its logical units.

5. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, in which said method is applied to every host and logical unit having a logical connection that is impacted by a failure.