International Business Machines Corporation

Kevin Joseph Webster

David Lynn Merbach

Michael L Lamb

Raymond M Swank

Li Zhou

Sunil Bharadwaj

David W Groves

Stephen A Byrd

Timothy Clarence Willging

Sumant Padbidri

Douglas Stephen Noddings

Craig Anthony Laverone

Lisa Anne Huston

Justin Russell Bendich

Edward Martin McCrickard

William Tuminaro

Daryl Edward Mowrer

Stephen Byrd

For automatic updates to fabric alert definitions, a method monitors fabric alert definitions defined for a storage area network having a plurality of switches and a plurality of fabrics. The fabric alert definitions define alert conditions within the storage area network relevant to events occurring within one or more of the plurality of fabrics. The method further detects one or more changes to the plurality of fabrics by discovering relationships between each fabric and each switch within the storage area network and comparing current relationships against previous relationships. In addition, the method automatically modifies fabric alert definitions having a reference to changed fabrics responsive to detection of the one or more changes to the plurality of fabrics.

Automatic updates to fabric alert definitions

A mechanism is provided in a data processing system for selective zone control session termination. A zone control service executing in the data processing system creates logical zoning definitions in memory for each client session. Each client session attempts to make changes to a fabric. Responsive to the zone control service receiving a request to commit a session from a given client and changes made by the given client during the session not conflicting with changes made by another client in a concurrent session based on the logical zoning definitions, the zone control service applies the changes made by the given client during the session to the fabric.

Selective zone control session termination

A mechanism is provided in a storage management application that automatically reconfigures agents and scheduled probes of agents in cases where the agents do not automatically reconfigure themselves to manage a newly formed fabric after fragment segmentation. The solution does not burden the storage administrator to reconfigure agents or to reconfigure regularly scheduled inventory probes through storage management applications.

Automatically adjusting scheduled inventory of switched fabrics

Provided are a method, system, and program for creating at least one volume in a disk storage system. A request is received to create at least one volume on the disk storage system indicating a volume size and number of volumes to create. Selection is made of a storage pool object representing one of a plurality of storage pools having available storage space to create the requested number of volumes. retrieving a storage configuration service of the disk storage system using an association of a disk storage system object representing the disk storage system and the selected storage pool object. The disk storage system object representing the disk storage system is associated with the retrieved storage configuration service. A volume size of the volume to create is set to a calculated size. The storage pool is set as the selected storage pool object. A method is invoked through the retrieved storage configuration service for each volume in the requested number of volumes to create.

Assigning or creating a resource in a storage system

Techniques for identifying and selecting equivalent sets of agents with defined capabilities to perform certain actions are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, determining agents to gather information for a storage area network fabric may be performed through the use of fabric discovery operations which identify agents capable of performing various actions within the fabric. From the determined capabilities of the agents, a dynamic capability grid may be populated to assist with the generation of a list of equivalent subsets to perform the various actions. The most efficient set of agents from each equivalent subset may then be selected to perform actions, with other sets of agents in the equivalent subset available as secondary choices in case of an unexpected failure. For example, a fabric probe may be executed in a storage area network using discovered agents from a list of equivalent subsets to most efficiently accomplish network operations such as zoning and topology.

Method of determining equivalent subsets of agents to gather information for a fabric

The present disclosure provides techniques for updating fabric alert definitions defined for a fiber channel or other fabric-based network within a storage management system. One embodiment provides techniques for detecting fabric merges, fabric segmentations, and principal switch changes of the fabric and modifying fabric alert definitions as a result of these changes. Thus, any alert definitions scoped by fabric will remain relevant even after fabric structural changes, and duplicate and/or redundant alerts may be reduced within the storage management system. In a further embodiment, detection of fabric changes is performed by first storing relationships between fabrics and switches, and comparing the current relationships between the fabrics and the switches against the stored relationships. Upon recognition of changes within the fabrics, the fabric alert definitions may be automatically analyzed and updated.

Automatic updates to fabric alert definitions for fabric segmentation, fabric merge, and fabric principal switch changes

Methods, systems and computer program products for dynamic categorized event cool off for CIM indications. Exemplary embodiments include a method for dynamic categorized event cool-off for CIM indications for a SMIS client having a handler for CIM indications, the method including categorizing incoming CIM Indications into the SMIS client, the categorization being based on the handler for the CIM indications, identifying a default delay of CIM indications handling during SMIS client operation in an absence of an indications storm, detecting the presence of an indications storm in the SMIS client, generating an alert when the indications storm is detected, increasing the default delay of CIM indications handling during the indications storm, and returning the default delay of CIM indications handling to EventCoolOffPeriod.

Methods, systems and computer program products for dynamic categorized event cool off for CIM indications

An example of a method for assigning a resource (for example, storage) includes receiving a request for a resource, wherein the request includes a list of paths. This example also includes retrieving a HardwareAccount, Controller, and an AccessAuthorization object for a first path in the list of paths. This example further includes making an attach device request to a CIMOM for a first available resource, using the Controller and the AccessAuthorization object. This example also includes determining if the first available resource was successfully attached, and if so, recording the assignment as successful, and if not, rolling back all assignments for the first available resource that were previously recorded as successful. Another aspect of the invention is a method for creating at least one LUN.

Method and system for assigning or creating a resource

An apparatus, system, and method are provided for configuring a network feature for a network fabric. The apparatus includes an input module, a discovery module, a selection module and an assignment module. The input module receives a network feature configuration for a network fabric. The discovery module determines the network feature capabilities of each of a plurality of agents coupled to the network fabric. The selection module selects a preferred agent from the plurality of agents. The assignment module assigns the preferred agent to apply the network feature configuration to the network fabric through a management interface coupling the preferred agent to the network fabric.

Apparatus, system, and method for configuring zone control of a network feature in a heterogeneous network

One aspect of the invention is a method for responding to an inquiry. An example of the method includes receiving the inquiry, obtaining information from a CIMOM, and creating at least one Storage Object. This example of the method also includes populating the at least one Storage Object with information received from the CIMOM, and sending the at least one Storage Object to a calling function.

Common information model

Provided are a method, system, and program for providing information on a network storage system. Information is received from host systems identifying storage units the host systems access through at least one identified storage system. The at least one storage system is probed to determine storage units available through the storage system and an identifier of the storage system. The information received from the host systems on storage units the host systems access and the information probed from the at least one storage system on the storage units available through the storage system are processed to determine an association of host systems to storage units for the at least one storage system.

Method, system, and program for determining information on a storage system in a network

An example of a method for assigning storage includes receiving a request for storage, wherein the request includes a requested amount of storage space and connectivity information. This example of the method also includes identifying storage that is accessible by a requesting device based on the connectivity information, and identifying all LUNs that are masked from all hosts, in the identified storage. This example of the method further includes selecting at least one identified LUN, and assigning the at least one selected LUN to the requesting device.

Growing community of inventors

Lake Worth, FL, United States of America

Kevin Joseph Webster