Technique for implementing virtual fabric membership assignments for devices in a storage area network

• US 20070130295A1
• Filed: 01/12/2006
• Published: 06/07/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ghosh, Kalyan, Ramaswamy, Badri, Rastogi, Gaurav, Chatterjee, Joy, Janakiraman, Ramsundar
• Granted Patent: US 7,484,021 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0895 Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/354 for supporting virtual local area networks [VLAN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/357 Fibre channel 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

A technique is provided for facilitating fabric membership login for an N₁₃ Port of a storage area network. A communication from a network node is received. The communication may include a portion of criteria associated with the N₁₃ Port. Using at least a portion of the portion of criteria, a virtual fabric identifier corresponding to a virtual fabric which is associated with the N₁₃ Port may be automatically identified. Fabric configuration information, which includes the virtual fabric identifier, may be automatically provided to the network node. A fabric login request from the N₁₃ Port to login to the virtual fabric may then be received. According to a specific embodiment, the communication may be transmitted from a network node to an F₁₃ Port on a Fibre Channel switch. When the N₁₃ Port received the fabric configuration information from the F₁₃ Port, the generating, using at least a portion of the received fabric configuration information, a fabric login request message may be generated by the N₁₃ Port which includes a fabric login request for the N₁₃ Port to login to the virtual fabric corresponding to the virtual fabric identifier. In at least one implementation, the N₁₃ Port and/or F₁₃ Port may be configured or designed to support trunking functionality.

Claims

1. A method of implementing dynamic virtual SAN (VSAN) configuration of at least one N₁₃ Port in a storage area network, the method comprising:

identifying a first N₁₃ Port;

identifying a first portion of criteria associated with the first N₁₃ Port; and

automatically and dynamically configuring a first VSAN association for the first N₁₃ Port based upon said first portion of criteria.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the method is implemented at a first Fibre Channel switch.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first portion of criteria includes a PWWN identifier associated with the first N₁₃ Port.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first N₁₃ Port corresponds to a virtual N₁₃ Port, and wherein the first portion of criteria includes a virtual PWWN identifier associated with the first N₁₃ Port.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first N₁₃ Port corresponds to a physical N₁₃ Port, and wherein the first portion of criteria includes a physical PWWN identifier associated with the first N₁₃ Port.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the first portion of criteria includes information selected from at least one of:

PWWN information, NWWN information, FCID information, QoS criteria, node ID information, OUI information, and vendor specific information.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a first login request from the first N₁₃ Port; and

identifying the first portion of criteria from login information included in the first login request.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the first N₁₃ Port is connected to the first F₁₃ Port via a first physical link, and wherein the automatic and dynamic configuration of the first VSAN association is not based upon criteria relating to the first physical link.

9. A method of facilitating fabric membership login for a first N₁₃ Port of a storage area network, the method comprising:

receiving a first communication from a first network node which includes a first portion of criteria associated with the first N₁₃ Port;

automatically identifying, using at least a portion of the first portion of criteria, a first virtual fabric identifier corresponding to a first virtual fabric which is associated with the first N₁₃ Port;

automatically providing fabric configuration information to the first network node which includes the first virtual fabric identifier; and

receiving a fabric login request from the first N₁₃ Port to login to the first virtual fabric.

10. The method of claim 9 further wherein the method is implemented at a first Fibre Channel switch.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the first portion of criteria includes a PWWN identifier associated with the first N₁₃ Port.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the first portion of criteria includes information selected from at least one of:

PWWN information, NWWN information, FCID information, QoS criteria, node ID information, OUI information, and vendor specific information.

13. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

transmitting the first communication from a first network node to a first F₁₃ Port on a Fibre Channel switch;

receiving, from the first F₁₃ Port, fabric configuration information which includes the first virtual fabric identifier; and

generating, using at least a portion of the received fabric configuration information, a fabric login request message which includes a fabric login request for the first N₁₃ Port to login to the first virtual fabric.

14. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

transmitting the first communication from a first network node to a first F₁₃ Port on a Fibre Channel switch;

determining whether virtual SAN functionality exists on the F₁₃ Port; and

defining one or more virtual SAN interfaces on the N₁₃ Port, with each virtual SAN interface providing the functionality of an N₁₃ Port for a single virtual SAN.

15. A Fibre Channel switch in a storage area network, the Fibre Channel switch comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one first F₁₃ Port configured or designed to provide an interface to at least one other network device in the storage area network; and

memory;

the switch being configured or designed to;

identify a first N₁₃ Port;

identify a first portion of criteria associated with the first N₁₃ Port; and

automatically and dynamically configure a first VSAN association for the first N₁₃ Port based upon said first portion of criteria.

16. The Fibre Channel switch of claim 15 wherein the first portion of criteria includes a PWWN identifier associated with the first N₁₃ Port.

17. The Fibre Channel switch of claim 15 wherein the first N₁₃ Port corresponds to a virtual N₁₃ Port, and wherein the first portion of criteria includes a virtual PWWN identifier associated with the first N₁₃ Port.

18. The Fibre Channel switch of claim 15 wherein the first N₁₃ Port corresponds to a physical N₁₃ Port, and wherein the first portion of criteria includes a physical PWWN identifier associated with the first N₁₃ Port.

19. The Fibre Channel switch of claim 15 wherein the first portion of criteria includes information selected from at least one of:

PWWN information, NWWN information, FCID information, QoS criteria, node ID information, OUI information, and vendor specific information.

20. The Fibre Channel switch of claim 15 being further configured or designed to:

receive a first login request from the first N₁₃ Port; and

identify the first portion of criteria from login information included in the first login request.

21. The Fibre Channel switch of claim 15 wherein the first N₁₃ Port is connected to the first F₁₃ Port via a first physical link, and wherein the automatic and dynamic configuration of the first VSAN association is not based upon criteria relating to the first physical link.

22. A system for facilitating fabric membership login for a first N₁₃ Port of a storage area network, the system comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one interface configured or designed to provide a communication link to at least one other network device in the data network; and

memory;

the system being configured or designed to;

receive a first communication from a first network node which includes a first portion of criteria associated with the first N₁₃ Port;

automatically identify, using at least a portion of the first portion of criteria, a first virtual fabric identifier corresponding to a first virtual fabric which is associated with the first N₁₃ Port;

automatically provide fabric configuration information to the first network node which includes the first virtual fabric identifier; and

receive a fabric login request from the first N₁₃ Port to login to the first virtual fabric.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the first portion of criteria includes a PWWN identifier associated with the first N₁₃ Port.

24. The system of claim 22 wherein the first portion of criteria includes information selected from at least one of:

PWWN information, NWWN information, FCID information, QoS criteria, node ID information, OUI information, and vendor specific information.

25. The system of claim 22 being further configured or designed to:

transmit the first communication from a first network node to a first F₁₃ Port on a Fibre Channel switch;

receive, from the first F₁₃ Port, fabric configuration information which includes the first virtual fabric identifier; and

generate, using at least a portion of the received fabric configuration information, a fabric login request message which includes a fabric login request for the first N₁₃ Port to login to the first virtual fabric.

26. The system of claim 22 being further configured or designed to:

transmit the first communication from a first network node to a first F₁₃ Port on a Fibre Channel switch;

determine whether virtual SAN functionality exists on the F₁₃ Port; and

defining one or more virtual SAN interfaces on the N₁₃ Port, with each virtual SAN interface providing the functionality of an N₁₃ Port for a single virtual SAN.

27. A system of implementing dynamic virtual SAN (VSAN) configuration of at least one N₁₃ Port in a storage area network, the system comprising:

means for identifying a first N₁₃ Port;

means for identifying a first portion of criteria associated with the first N₁₃ Port; and

means for automatically and dynamically configuring a first VSAN association for the first N₁₃ Port based upon said first portion of criteria.

28. A system of facilitating fabric membership login for a first N₁₃ Port of a storage area network, the system comprising:

means for receiving a first communication from a first network node which includes a first portion of criteria associated with the first N₁₃ Port;

means for automatically identifying, using at least a portion of the first portion of criteria, a first virtual fabric identifier corresponding to a first virtual fabric which is associated with the first N₁₃ Port;

means for automatically providing fabric configuration information to the first network node which includes the first virtual fabric identifier; and

means for receiving a fabric login request from the first N₁₃ Port to login to the first virtual fabric.