Method, apparatus and program storage device for verifying existence of a redundant fibre channel path

• US 20040081087A1
• Filed: 09/09/2003
• Published: 04/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Innovations In Memory LLC
• Original Assignee: Xiotech Corporation
• Inventors: Shea, Michael John
• Granted Patent: US 7,672,226 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/228
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/22 using redundant apparatus to increase reliability

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program storage device for verifying existence of a redundant Fibre Channel path is disclosed. The present invention verifies that a redundant path exists prior to moving the WWNN and WWPN. Thus, if the path being used for Fibre Channel communication is lost, connectivity can be restored when the source of the original connection can access the physical interface where the WWNN and WWPN have been moved.

Claims

1. A method for providing a redundant Fibre Channel path, comprising:

detecting a connection change in a Fibre Channel network; and

verifying a backup device has a path to a connection associated with the connection change.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting a connection change further comprises issuing a state change notification indicating a device has been added to the Fibre Channel network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting a connection change further comprises issuing a state change notification indicating a device has been removed from the Fibre Channel network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting a connection change further comprises issuing a state change notification indicating a device has failed and severed a connection to the Fibre Channel network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the verifying further comprises querying a name table by the backup device to determine whether the backup device has a redundant path to the connection associated with the connection change.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising moving a World Wide Name and World Wide Port Name associated with the connection change to the backup device to provide a redundant path to the connection associated with the connection change.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting a connection change further comprises receiving an indication from a Loop Initialization Primitive indicating a device has been added to the Arbitrated Loop.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting a connection change further comprises receiving an indication from a Loop Initialization Primitive indicating a device has been removed from the Arbitrated Loop.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting a connection change further comprises receiving an indication from a Loop Initialization Primitive indicating a device has failed and severed a connection to the Arbitrated Loop.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the verifying further comprises querying a Topology Database to determine whether a backup device has a redundant path to the connection associated with the connection change.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising moving an Arbitrated Loop Physical Address associated with the connection change to a backup device to provide a redundant path to a connection associated with the connection change.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the verifying further comprises periodically verifying the backup device has a path to a connection associated with the connection change.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the verifying further comprises providing a warning of lack of redundancy when the backup device does not have a path to a connection associated with the connection change.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the verifying further comprises taking corrective action in response the warning of lack of redundancy.

15. A device for providing a redundant Fibre Channel path, comprising:

a port coupled to a Fibre Channel network, and

a processor, coupled to the port, the processor configured for detecting a connection change in a Fibre Channel network and verifying the port has a path to a connection associated with the connection change.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the processor detects a connection change in response to a state change notification indicating a device has been added to the Fibre Channel network.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein the processor detects a connection change in response to a state change notification indicating a device has been removed from the Fibre Channel network.

18. The device of claim 15, wherein the processor detects a connection change in response to a state change notification indicating a device has failed and severed a connection to the Fibre Channel network.

19. The device of claim 15, wherein the processor verifies the port has a path to a connection associated with the connection change by querying a name table to determine whether the port is coupled via a redundant path to the connection associated with the connection change.

20. The device of claim 15, wherein a World Wide Name and World Wide Port Name associated with the connection change is changed to be associated with the port to provide a redundant path to the connection associated with the connection change.

21. The device of claim 15, wherein the processor detects a connection change in response to a Loop Initialization Primitive indicating a device has been added to the Arbitrated Loop.

22. The device of claim 15, wherein the processor detects a connection change in response to a Loop Initialization Primitive indicating a device has been removed from the Arbitrated Loop.

23. The device of claim 15, wherein the processor detects a connection change in response to a Loop Initialization Primitive indicating a device has failed and severed a connection to the Arbitrated Loop.

24. The device of claim 15, wherein the processor verifies the port has a path to a connection associated with the connection change by querying a Topology Database to determine whether the port is coupled via a redundant path to the connection associated with the connection change.

25. The device of claim 15 further comprising an Arbitrated Loop Physical Address associated with the connection change, wherein the Arbitrated Loop Physical Address associated with the connection change is changed to be associated with the port to provide a redundant path to the connection associated with the connection change.

26. The device of claim 15, wherein the processor verifies the port has a path to a connection associated with the connection change by periodically verifying the port has a path to a connection associated with the connection change.

27. The device of claim 15, wherein the processor provides a warning of lack of redundancy when the port does not have a path to a connection associated with the connection change.

28. The device of claim 27, wherein the processor takes corrective action in response the warning of lack of redundancy.

29. A network providing a redundant Fibre Channel path, comprising:

a local node;

a remote node; and

a Fibre Channel network coupling the local node and the remote node,

wherein at least one of the local node, remote node and Fibre Channel network includes a first physical interface and a backup physical interface, wherein the backup physical interface further comprises;

a port coupled to a Fibre Channel network, and

a processor, coupled to the port, the processor configured for detecting a connection change in a Fibre Channel network and verifying the backup physical interface has a path to a connection associated with the connection change.

30. The network of claim 29, wherein the processor detects a connection change in response to a state change notification indicating a device has been added to the Fibre Channel network.

31. The network of claim 29, wherein the processor detects a connection change in response to a state change notification indicating the first physical interface has been removed from the Fibre Channel network.

32. The network of claim 29, wherein the processor detects a connection change in response to a state change notification indicating the first physical interface has failed and severed a connection to the Fibre Channel network.

33. The network of claim 29, wherein the processor verifies the backup physical interface has a path to a connection associated with the connection change by querying a name table to determine whether the backup physical interface is coupled via a redundant path to the connection associated with the connection change.

34. The network of claim 29, wherein a World Wide Name and World Wide Port Name associated with the connection change is changed to be associated with the backup physical interface to provide a redundant path to the connection associated with the connection change.

35. The network of claim 29, wherein the processor verifies the backup physical interface has a path to a connection associated with the connection change by periodically verifying the backup physical interface has a path to a connection associated with the connection change.

36. The network of claim 29, wherein the processor detects a connection change in response to a Loop Initialization Primitive indicating a device has been added to the Arbitrated Loop.

37. The network of claim 29, wherein the processor detects a connection change in response to a Loop Initialization Primitive indicating a device has been removed from the Arbitrated Loop.

38. The network of claim 29, wherein the processor detects a connection change in response to a Loop Initialization Primitive indicating a device has failed and severed a connection to the Arbitrated Loop.

39. The network of claim 29, wherein the processor verifies the port has a path to a connection associated with the connection change by querying a Topology Database to determine whether the port is coupled via a redundant path to the connection associated with the connection change.

40. The network of claim 29 further comprising an Arbitrated Loop Physical Address associated with the connection change, wherein the Arbitrated Loop Physical Address associated with the connection change is changed to be associated with the port to provide a redundant path to the connection associated with the connection change.

41. The network of claim 29, wherein the processor provides a warning of lack of redundancy when the backup physical interface does not have a path to a connection associated with the connection change.

42. The network of claim 41, wherein the processor takes corrective action in response to the warning of lack of redundancy.

43. A program storage device readable by a computer, the program storage device tangibly embodying one or more programs of instructions executable by the computer to perform a method for providing a redundant Fibre Channel path, the method comprising:

detecting a connection change in a Fibre Channel network; and

verifying a backup device has a path to a connection associated with the connection change.

44. The program storage device of claim 43, wherein the verifying further comprises querying a name table by the backup device to determine whether the backup device has a redundant path to the connection associated with the connection change.

45. The program storage device of claim 43 further comprising moving a World Wide Name and World Wide Port Name associated with the connection change to the backup device to provide a redundant path to the connection associated with the connection change.

46. A device for providing a redundant Fibre Channel path, comprising:

means for providing a port to a Fibre Channel network, and

means for processing coupled to the means for providing a port, the means for processing detecting a connection change in a Fibre Channel network and verifying the means for providing a port has a path to a connection associated with the connection change.

47. A network providing a redundant Fibre Channel path, comprising:

a local node;

a remote node; and

a Fibre Channel network coupling the local node and the remote node,

wherein at least one of the local node, remote node and Fibre Channel network includes a first means for providing a physical interface and a second means for providing a backup physical interface, wherein the second means further comprises;

means for providing a port to a Fibre Channel network, and

means for processing coupled to the means for providing a port, the means for processing detecting a connection change in a Fibre Channel network and verifying the backup physical interface has a path to a connection associated with the connection change.