Emc IP Holding Company LLC

Dell Products Inc.

Manikandan Sethuraman

Peniel Charles

Owen Crowley

Joseph G Kanjirathinkal

Shashidhar R Kulkarni

Sanjib Mallick

Gopinath Marappan

Surendra Singh Chauhan

Vighneshwar Hegde

Karthik Mani

Nagaveni Bhavi

Venkata Adireddy Padala

Amudha Krishnasamy

An apparatus comprises a processing device configured to identify, for a given path interconnecting a given host device and a storage system, a set of two or more checkpoints characterizing health of the given path. The processing device is also configured to generate health predictions for each checkpoint in the identified set of two or more checkpoints, and to determine whether any of the generated health predictions indicates an expected date of failure within a designated period of time. The processing device is further configured, responsive to determining that at least one of the generated health predictions indicates an expected date of failure within the designated period of time, to proactively update the connection state of the given path in a given multi-path input-output driver of the given host device.

Multi-path layer configured for proactive path state changes

A method comprises receiving at one or more cloud storage nodes a data block to be validated in connection with adding the data block to a digital ledger. The data block is received from a party storage node corresponding to a party of a plurality of parties that are members of a blockchain computing environment. The party storage node executes a first portion of a validation operation for the data block. The one or more cloud storage nodes execute a second portion of the validation operation for the data block. In the method, the data block is added to the digital ledger responsive to validating the data block, and at least a portion of the digital ledger is stored in the one or more cloud storage nodes.

Storage systems to perform data validation in blockchains

The condition of SFP transceivers of RDF port pairs is monitored and used to project port pair data transmission rate degradation. Responsive to receipt of a command to migrate data from a source volume to a target volume, ability of port pairs to accommodate the additional load associated with data migration is calculated based on projected data transmission rate and normal load. Only port pairs that are capable of accommodating the additional load in view of the condition of the SFP transceivers are considered as candidates. Utilization of the source volume is monitored and the target volume is created with a size based on projected growth of utilization of the source volume.

Using predictive analytics on SFP metrics to influence the target port selection process

An apparatus comprises a processing device configured to receive multi-pathing settings from a plurality of nodes of one or more clusters, and to identify at least one group of the plurality of nodes belonging to a same cluster of the one or more clusters. The processing device is further configured to identify a master node of the at least one group of nodes, and to deliver at least a portion of the multi-pathing settings of the master node to one or more remaining nodes of the at least one group of nodes.

Synchronization of multi-pathing settings across clustered nodes

A management appliance communicates with host servers and a storage array to determine per-path loading. Based on the loading, the management appliance selects a host server with an uncredentialed path for reconfiguration. Unique endpoint authentication credentials are sent from the management appliance to the selected host server and the storage array. The uncredentialed path is placed in standby mode and the selected host server and the storage array are updated with the unique endpoint authentication credentials, which are then used to reactivate the path with endpoint authentication. Tight coupling between the MPIO software management appliance, storage array, and MPIO drivers on the host servers enables reconfiguration to be automated and based on host server loading, storage array loading, and loading of uncredentialed paths.

Automated non-disruptive migration of hosts to an authenticated storage array connection

Switch topology-aware path selection in an information processing system is provided. For example, an apparatus comprises a host device comprising a processor coupled to a memory. The host device is configured to communicate with a storage system over a network with a plurality of switches. The host device is further configured to obtain topology information associated with the plurality of switches in the network, and select a path from the host device to the storage system through one or more of the plurality of switches based at least in part on the obtained topology information.

Input-output path selection using switch topology information

Techniques are provided for storage area network (SAN) connectivity management using switch fabric conditions. One method comprises ranking switches in a SAN that provides connectivity between host devices and storage arrays, wherein the ranking is based on a port utilization metric for a subset of the switches and/or an evaluation of switch performance degradation events associated with one or more of the switches; evaluating an input/output load of a workload executing on a host device; and determining a path between a given host device and a given storage array through the SAN based on the ranking and the evaluated input/output load of the workload. For a workload being deployed on a new host device, the evaluating may comprise determining an application type of the workload. Alternate switches may be identified based on a comparison of a peak load of a given switch and a peak load of an alternate switch for at least one time period.

Storage area network connectivity management using switch fabric conditions

A host device comprises a processor coupled to a memory. Upon installation or update of a software program configured to execute on the host device and wherein a management operation is to be performed for the software program in conjunction with a management server, the host device is configured to send a query to a given system with which the host device interacts with respect to one or more operations different than the management operation. The host device is further configured to obtain from the given system, in response to the query, a reply with management server information previously stored on the given system, and then utilize the management server information obtained from the given system to communicate with the management server to perform the management operation.

Automated management server discovery

Path components associated with I/O paths between another network component and a target system may be determined, and the health of target ports on such I/O paths may be determined. Failed I/O communications may be redirected based on the determined path components and the determined health of target ports. In response to a failed I/O communication, it may be determined which of the remaining I/O paths between the host system and the storage system has the least amount of associated path components in common with the failed I/O path, and the I/O communication may be redirected on such I/O path. The redirect I/O path also may be selected based on the health ranking of target ports of the I/O paths.

Redirecting i/o communications based on network topology

An apparatus comprises a processing device comprising a processor coupled to memory. The processing device is configured to obtain failover information corresponding to a first node of a plurality of nodes where each node is configured to communicate with a storage system over a plurality of paths. The failover information comprises a failover node selection order according to which other nodes of the plurality of nodes are configured for selection in response to the first node becoming unavailable. The processing device is configured to determine that health information corresponding to a given node indicates that the given node is exhibiting performance issues on at least one of the paths and to modify the failover node selection order based at least in part on the determination.

Failover affinity rule modification based on node health information

Access path management is provided based on one or more path conditions in an information processing system. For example, an apparatus comprises a storage system comprising a processor coupled to a memory. The storage system is configured to communicate over a network with one or more host devices. The storage system is further configured to obtain notification from one of the one or more host devices that a first path through the network between the storage system and the given one of the one or more host devices is at least temporarily unreliable. The storage system is further configured to cause a path state change for the first path from a first state to a second state and a path state change for a second path to the first state.

Access path management based on path condition

Determining an optimal path through a storage area network from a specific initiator to a specific target includes determining a plurality of possible paths through the storage area network between the specific initiator and the specific target, examining a plurality of previously-determined latency values for each of the paths, the previously-determined latency values being set according to empirical observation of propagation through each of the paths, and choosing a specific one of the paths having a lowest latency value. The previously-determined latency values may be determined by sending a command from the specific initiator to the specific target. The command may avoid queuing any I/O operations at the specific target. The command may be a status request command or a vendor specific command. The source may be a host system and the target may be a storage system. The previously-determined latency may be measured using a PowerPath Management Appliance.

SAN advisory based on latency

A host device is configured to communicate over a network with a storage system comprising a plurality of storage devices. The host device comprises a multi-path input-output (MPIO) driver configured to control delivery of input-output (IO) operations from the host device to the storage system over selected ones of a plurality of paths through the network, where the paths are associated with respective initiator-target pairs, and each of a plurality of targets of the initiator-target pairs comprises a corresponding port of the storage system. The MPIO driver is further configured to obtain from the storage system information characterizing failure status of at least a subset of the targets, and to update availability status of the paths based at least in part on the obtained information.

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Bengaluru, India

Manikandan Sethuraman