Emc Corporation

James Edward Lavallee

Alexander Dubrovsky

Francois Gauvin

Yifeng Chen

Hanna Yehuda

Sheldon Lowenthal

Daniel J Strom

Sean P Frazer

Freda Weinbrecht

Rajesh Nandyalam

Kenneth Fickie

Alex Dubrovsky

Steven Tanaka

Denis Kennelly

Anita M Stout

Kevin M Ligozio

Anthony Michael Fiorentino

Xiaojun Wu

Yong Cai

Kassem Al-Sayed Ali

Configurations herein present a multi-segment perspective of the SAN that models the SAN as an interconnection of protocol independent segments, each operable according to a particular transport mechanism and connected to other segments by an intersegment device such as a network bridge. Each segment is operable to include a fabric of manageable entities, such as storage arrays, switches, and hosts, that operate according to particular protocols and transport mechanisms employed by the fabric. Groups of manageable entities operable according to a particular protocol or transport mechanism are enumerated as a separate segment, and managed as a separate entity from the management application. The intersegment connections occur via an inter segment device operable to perform the mapping or translation from the respective address space of the segments. Therefore, a path from an initiator to a receiver manageable entity may be enumerated and managed by the management application as a multi-segment connection.

Methods and apparatus for modeling a storage area network

An agent in a storage area network stores a first identifier (e.g., a checksum value) for first zone configuration data previously used to configure a zone in the storage area network. The agent derives the first identifier from contents of the first zone configuration data. Further, the agent retrieves second zone configuration data presently used to configure the zone in the storage area network. The second zone configuration data is potentially different than the first zone configuration data. Based on contents of the second zone configuration data, the agent then produces a second identifier for the second zone configuration data. The agent then compares the first identifier and the second identifier to identify whether the first zone configuration data is different than the second zone configuration data. A user can control behavior of zoning importation and activation depending whether current zone configuration data has been changed.

Methods and apparatus for synchronizing configuration data

A software process receives a command initiating creation of a zone naming policy for automatically generating zone names in a storage area network. During creation of a zone naming policy, the software process receives selection of one or more format elements to be used in the zone naming policy. The one or more format elements each identify which corresponding at least one type of characteristic associated with a given zone in the storage area network shall be used to automatically generate a respective zone name for the given zone. For example, the format elements in a zone policy may identify how to generate a respective zone name using identifiers associated with resources associated with the zone. Accordingly, a network manager can create a zone naming policy for automatically generating zone names in a storage area network rather than having to manually create zone names for each created zone.

Methods and apparatus for naming resources

In a storage area network (SAN), first and second zone sets are compared to identify differences, including zones appearing in one zone set but not the other, and zones in both zone sets but having different contents in each. A zone comparison user interface (UI) window is displayed on a SAN management computer system via user selection from a pop-up menu appearing when a SAN object is selected from a hierarchical object display. The UI window includes a differences display area to display zone set differences and includes fields for identifying a type of zone difference, a zone identifier, and identifiers of host computers and storage devices of a zone. Based on differences identified between the first and second zone sets, identifiers of those zones of the first and second zone sets having a predetermined difference type are displayed. Also displayed, for each such zone, are (i) identifiers of the host computers and storage devices of the zone, and (ii) a difference type indicator indicating which of the difference types applies to the zone.

System and method for managing zoning in a storage area network by comparing zone sets and identifying differences between zone sets

A management control center communicates with multiple agents in a storage area network. On behalf of the management control center, the agents communicate with a switch resource management entity that maintains configuration information about resources such as a group or groups of switches in the storage area network. Based on a chain of communications from the management control center through the agents to the remote management entity, the management control center can indirectly learn about a configuration of switch resources in the storage area network. The agent utilizes a calculated current load value (e.g., a value indicating a relative burden placed on the remote management entity to service the forwarded set of requests) to selectively forwards requests to the switch resource management entity. This technique ensures that the switch resource management entity is not overwhelmed by a task of servicing too many requests at the same time.

Methods and apparatus for managing requests

A method for displaying graphically interconnected network fabrics on a graphical user interface. The method disclosed herein is a view manager that identifies fabrics (e.g., storage area networks) in a network system and then displays graphical representations of the fabrics within a graphical user interface. In this manner, the fabric representations are displayed in respective regions of the graphical user interface such that the pixels of each fabric representation do not overlap. Graphical interconnections are displayed between network fabrics to represent the relationship and connectivity between the fabrics. Additionally, the view manager displays the physical and virtual components or resources (e.g., host computers, switch devices, storage devices) that make up the network fabrics as graphical objects within the fabric representations. In order to show the relationship and connectivity between the resource objects, the view manager also displays graphical interconnections that flow between the resources.

Methods and apparatus for displaying network data

An agent of a storage area network generates a first checksum value for a first set of zone configuration data used to at least initially configure the storage area network. At a later time, after a potential change to the first zone configuration data of the storage area network, the agent generates a checksum value based on current zone configuration data presently used to configure the zone in the storage area network. The agent then compares the first checksum value and the second checksum value to identify whether there has been a change to the first zone configuration data. That is, if the first checksum value does not equal the second checksum value, the agent flags that there has been a change to zone configuration data of the storage area network. Users can control behavior of zoning importation and activation depending on whether current zone configuration data has been changed.

Methods and apparatus for processing configuration data

A processing device displays a physical network topology associated with a storage area network on a display screen. The physical network topology generated by the processing device includes identification of at least one switch resource that supports connectivity among resources in a corresponding storage area network. The processing device typically receives input from a user to display at least one virtual network associated with the storage area network. In response to receiving the input, the processing device displays a virtual network topology associated with the selected at least one virtual network in relation to the physical network topology on the display screen. Displaying the virtual network topology in relation to the physically network topology provides a unique view for the network manager to identify network resources in physical fabric associated with a selected virtual storage area network.

Methods and apparatus for managing network resources

Configurations of the invention simulate an exchange of calls emanating from a SAN management application to a plurality of manageable entities. The simulated call load provides simultaneous simulated calls for observing and analyzing responses to various loading scenarios characterized by multiple pending calls to the SAN. Configurations discussed herein identify a processing work burden and corresponding completion time associated with each of the simulated calls. A simulation agent aggregates the work burden of concurrent requests and computes a latency factor associated with each call based on the load presented by all pending calls. By adjusting the latency time of each pending call, and adjusting the latency to represent the additional processing imposed by successive pending calls, the simulated responses provide an accurate set of responses, rather than merely returning an unencumbered rapid response of expected content which may elusively represent the actual timeliness of responses in a loaded system.

System and methods for network call load simulation

A management control center identifies multiple remotely located agents and their corresponding abilities to manage devices in a storage area network on behalf of the management control center. In response to learning capabilities of the multiple agents, the management control center assigns a first agent of multiple agents in the storage area network to handle execution of a first set of management functions associated with a given device in the storage area network. Additionally, the management control center assigns a second agent of multiple agents in the storage area network to handle execution of a second set of management functions associated with the given device. This technique of assigning multiple agents (rather than a single agent) different management functions alleviates a management control center from having to coordinate direct communications with and control many different types of vendor devices in the storage area network.

Methods and apparatus for assigning management responsibilities to multiple agents

An agent in a storage area network communicates with a management entity in the storage area network to discover a group of resources in the storage area network controlled by the management entity. In response to discovering the group of resources, the agent associates member resources (e.g., and their respective names) of the group of resources to a corresponding group identifier to which the member resources belong. The agent reports i) the corresponding group identifier and ii) the member resources of the group of resources controlled by the management entity to a management control center that assigns one of multiple agents in the storage area network to manage the group of resources based on communications with the management entity. After a step of assigning, the management control center can initiate an assigned agent to control the group of resources.

Methods and apparatus for managing groups of resources

A storage area network simulator, operable to simulate an exchange of calls emanating from a SAN management application to a plurality of manageable entities, allows analyzing SAN management application response to a particular configuration. A capture tool discovers manageable entities interconnected in a particular SAN experiencing undesirable operation. The capture tool provides exemplary calls to an agent, and gathers responses. The exemplary calls enumerate expected responses from the various manageable entities responsive to the agent. The gathered responses take the form of an XML markup script. A simulation plug-in is operative as an interface module (e.g. plug-in) for a test agent in a test environment, such as the management application test facility. The test agent employs the simulation plug-in as the API plug-in for calls emanating from the test agent. The plug-in receives the normalized responses, and selectively transmits the corresponding response from the gathered normalized responses in response to agent calls received via the API.

System and methods for storage area network simulation

Mechanisms and techniques provide a management application providing an enterprise storage area network application programming interface for managing elements in a storage area network. The management application initializes a plurality of access wrappers that each defines operations for management of a respective class of elements operating within the storage area network. The management application provides, to a management client, connection data associated with a specific element associated with one of the plurality of access wrappers. The connection data identifies connection data parameters for performing management of the specific element in the storage area network. The management application receives at least one generic management command for the specific element. The generic management command includes at least a portion of the associated connection data for the specific element. The management application operates at least one access wrapper to translate the at least one generic management command into an operation of at least one vendor-specific command to manage the vendor specific element in the storage area network.

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Boylston, MA, United States of America

James Edward Lavallee