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

• US 8,862,799 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2008
• Issued: 10/14/2014
• 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: Rastogi, Gaurav, Janakiraman, Ramsundar, Ghosh, Kalyan, Ramaswamy, Badri, Chatterjee, Joy J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alrobaye, Idriss N
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEWIS-TAYLOR, DAYTON A.
• Application Number:
  US12/336,434
• Publication Number:
  US 20090094354A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,128 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 710/74
• 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 N_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 N_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 N_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 N_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 F_Port on a Fiber Channel switch. When the N_Port received the fabric configuration information from the F_Port, the generating, using at least a portion of the received fabric configuration information, a fabric login request message may be generated by the N_Port which includes a fabric login request for the N_Port to login to the virtual fabric corresponding to the virtual fabric identifier. In at least one implementation, the N_Port and/or F_Port may be configured or designed to support trunking functionality.

Claims

1. A method for automatically responding to changing conditions in a storage area network, the method comprising:

detecting by a network device a first network change event, wherein the first network change event relates to a modification of a configuration of a first VSAN-N_Port association;

determining a type of the first network change event;

identifying a first N_Port of the first VSAN-N_Port association, wherein the first VSAN-N_Port association includes at least one N_Port configured for use in a respective virtual storage area network;

identifying a first VSAN of the first VSAN-N_Port association;

determining that the first N_Port is logged in at the first VSAN based on, at least in part, the type of the first network change event;

identifying a first F_Port associated with the first VSAN;

identifying a first member that is logged in to the first VSAN via the first F_Port; and

transmitting instructions to a host of the first N_Port or a first member logged into the first VSAN via the first N_Port to perform a logoff operation.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a second N_Port of a second VSAN-N_Port association;

identifying a second VSAN of the second VSAN-N_Port association; and

in response to determining that the second VSAN-N_Port association has been deleted, performing a second action.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining whether the second N_Port is currently logged into the second VSAN;

wherein performing the second action includes notifying a host of the second N_Port to perform a logoff operation of the second N_Port from the second VSAN in response to a determination that the second N_Port is currently logged into the second VSAN.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the first N_Port is currently logged into a second VSAN which is different from the first V SAN.

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

at least one processor;

at least one first F_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 operable to;

detect by a network device a first network change event, wherein the first network change event relates to a modification of a configuration of a first VSAN-N_Port association;

determine a type of the first network change event;

identify a first N_Port of the first VSAN-N_Port association, wherein the first VSAN-N_Port association includes at least one N_Port configured for use in a respective virtual storage area network;

identify a first VSAN of the first VSAN-N_Port association; and

ascertain that the first N_Port is logged in to the first VSAN based on, at least in part, the type of the first network change event; and

transmit instructions to a host of the first N_Port or a first member logged in to the first VSAN via the first N_Port to perform a logoff operation in response to the detection of the first network change event.

5. The Fibre Channel switch of claim 4 wherein the type of the first network change event indicates that the first VSAN-N_Port association has been deleted.

6. The Fibre Channel switch of claim 4 being further operable to:

determine whether the first N_Port is currently logged into a second VSAN which is different from the first VSAN.

12. The Fibre Channel switch of claim 4, the switch being operable to perform further steps, comprising:

identify a first F_Port associated with the first VSAN;

identify a first member that is logged in to the first VSAN via the first F_Port;

wherein performing an action includes transmitting instructions to the identified first member to perform a first action in response to the detection of the first network change event.

8. A method for automatically responding to changing conditions in a storage area network, the method comprising:

detecting by a network device a first network change event, wherein the first network change event relates to a modification of a configuration of a first VSAN-N_Port association;

determining a type of the first network change event;

identifying a first N_Port of a first VSAN-N_Port association, wherein the first VSAN-N_Port association includes at least one N_Port configured for use in a respective virtual storage area network;

identifying a first VSAN of the first VSAN-N_Port association;

determining that the type of the first network change event indicates that the first VSAN-N_Port association is new;

determining that the first N_Port is logged in at the first VSAN based on, at least in part, the type of the first network change event;

transmitting instructions to a host logged into the first VSAN via the first N_Port or first member logged into the first VSAN via the first N_Port that instruct the host or first member to perform a first action.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining whether the first N_Port is currently logged into a second VSAN which is different from the first VSAN.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

identifying a first F_Port associated with the first VSAN;

identifying the first member that is logged in to the first VSAN via the first F_Port; and

transmitting instructions to the identified first member to perform the first action in response to the detection of the first network change event.

11. A method, comprising:

detecting by a network device a first network change event, wherein the first network change event relates to a modification of a configuration of a first VSAN-N_Port association;

determining a type of the first network change event;

identifying a first N_Port of a first VSAN-N_Port association, wherein the first VSAN-N_Port association includes at least one N_Port configured for use in a respective virtual storage area network;

identifying a first VSAN of the first VSAN-N_Port association;

determining by a network device that the type of the first network change event indicates that the first VSAN-N_Port association has been deleted;

determining by the network device whether the first N_Port is currently logged into the first VSAN based on, at least in part, the type of the first network change event; and

notifying by the network device a host of the first N_Port, wherein notifying includes sending instructions to the host to instruct the host to perform a logoff operation of the first N_Port from the first VSAN in response to a determination that the first N_Port is currently logged into the first VSAN.