IP Library Granted Patent US 11,258,632
Granted Patent B2
US 11,258,632 · App. 16/810,946 · Granted Feb 22, 2022

Unavailable inter-chassis link storage area network access system

Inventors: Avinash Jayakumar (Chennai, IN); Vibin Varghese (Chennai, IN); Ramesh Kumar Subbiah (Chennai, IN)
Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
H04L12/40176H04L45/245H04L45/28H04L47/13H04L47/746H04L67/1097
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,258,632
App. No.
16/810,946
Granted
Feb 22, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A Storage Area Network (SAN) access includes a first aggregated switch device that is coupled to a host device, a Local Area Network (LAN), and a SAN, and a second aggregated switch device that is coupled to the host device, the LAN, and the SAN. The second aggregated switch device is connected to the first aggregated switch device via an Inter-Chassis Link (ICL). The second aggregated switch device detect that the ICL has become unavailable and, in response, prevents Internet Protocol traffic between the host device and the LAN while transmitting storage traffic between the host device and the SAN.

Claims (51)

1. A Storage Area Network (SAN) access system, comprising:

a Local Area Network (LAN);

a Storage Area Network (SAN);

a host device;

a first aggregated switch device that is coupled to the host device, the LAN, and the SAN;

a second aggregated switch device that is coupled to the host device, the LAN, and the SAN, wherein the second aggregated switch device is connected to the first aggregated switch device via an Inter-Chassis Link (ICL) and configured to:

detect that the ICL has become unavailable such that the first aggregated switch device and the second aggregated switch device cannot directly communicate;

prevent, in response to detecting the ICL has become unavailable, Internet Protocol traffic between the host device and the LAN; and

transmit, in response to detecting the ICL has become unavailable, storage traffic between the host device and the SAN.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second aggregated switch device is configured to:

receive, from the host device, a SAN-only traffic support communication; and

store a SAN-only traffic support identifier for the host device in a database, wherein the second aggregated switch device transmits the storage traffic between the host device and the SAN in response to detecting the unavailability of the ICL and based on the SAN-only traffic support identifier for the host device being stored in the database.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the SAN-only traffic support communication is included in a Type-Length-Value (TLV) data structure.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second aggregated switch device is configured to:

transmit, to the host device and in response to detecting the unavailability of the ICL, a SAN-only traffic operation communication that is configured to cause the host device to transmit the storage traffic to the second aggregated switch device for transmission to the SAN.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the SAN-only traffic operation communication is included in a Type-Length-Value (TLV) data structure.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second aggregated switch device is configured to:

detect that the ICL has become available; and

transmit, in response to detecting the ICL has become available, Internet Protocol traffic between the host device and the LAN.

7. An Information Handling System (IHS), comprising:

a processing system; and

a memory system that is coupled to the processing system and that includes instructions that, when executed by the processing system, cause the processing system to provide a Storage Area Network (SAN) access engine that is configured to:

detect that an Inter-Chassis Link (ICL) to an aggregated switch device has become unavailable such that processing system and the aggregated switch device cannot directly communicate;

prevent, in response to detecting the ICL to the aggregated switch device has become unavailable, Internet Protocol traffic between a host device and a Local Area Network (LAN); and

transmit, in response to detecting the ICL to the aggregated switch device has become unavailable, storage traffic between the host device and a Storage Area Network (SAN).

8. The IHS of claim 7 , wherein the SAN access engine is configured to:

receive, from the host device, a SAN-only traffic support communication; and

store a SAN-only traffic support identifier for the host device in a database, wherein the SAN access engine transmits the storage traffic between the host device and the SAN in response to detecting the unavailability of the ICL and based on the SAN-only traffic support identifier for the host device being stored in the database.

9. The IHS of claim 8 , wherein the SAN-only traffic support communication is included in a Type-Length-Value (TLV) data structure.

10. The IHS of claim 7 , wherein the SAN access engine is configured to:

transmit, to the host device and in response to detecting the unavailability of the ICL, a SAN-only traffic operation communication that is configured to cause the host device to transmit the storage traffic to the SAN access engine for transmission to the SAN.

11. The IHS of claim 10 , wherein the SAN-only traffic operation communication is included in a Type-Length-Value (TLV) data structure.

12. The IHS of claim 7 , wherein the SAN access engine is configured to:

detect that the ICL has become available; and

transmit, in response to detecting the ICL has become available, Internet Protocol traffic between the host device and the LAN.

13. The IHS of claim 7 , wherein the SAN access engine transmits the storage traffic between the host device and the SAN on a first path that is different than a second path that is provided between the host device and the SAN by the aggregated networking device.

14. A method for accessing a Storage Area Network (SAN), comprising:

detecting, by a first aggregated switch device, that an Inter-Chassis Link (ICL) to a second aggregated switch device has become unavailable such that the first aggregated switch device and the second aggregated switch device cannot directly communicate;

preventing, by the first aggregated switch device in response to detecting the ICL to the second aggregated switch device has become unavailable, Internet Protocol traffic between a host device and a Local Area Network (LAN); and

transmitting, by the first aggregated switch device in response to detecting the ICL to the second aggregated switch device has become unavailable, storage traffic between the host device and a Storage Area Network (SAN).

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

receiving, by the first aggregated switch device from the host device, a SAN-only traffic support communication; and

storing, by the first aggregated switch device, a SAN-only traffic support identifier for the host device in a database, wherein the first aggregated switch device transmits the storage traffic between the host device and the SAN in response to detecting the unavailability of the ICL and based on the SAN-only traffic support identifier for the host device being stored in the database.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the SAN-only traffic support communication is included in a Type-Length-Value (TLV) data structure.

17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

transmitting, by the first aggregated switch device to the host device and in response to detecting the unavailability of the ICL, a SAN-only traffic operation communication that is configured to cause the host device to transmit the storage traffic to the SAN access engine for transmission to the SAN.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the SAN-only traffic operation communication is included in a Type-Length-Value (TLV) data structure.

19. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

detecting, by first aggregated switch device, that the ICL has become available; and

transmitting, by the first aggregated switch device in response to detecting the ICL has become available, Internet Protocol traffic between the host device and the LAN.

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first aggregated switch device transmits the storage traffic between the host device and the SAN on a first path that is different than a second path that is provided between the host device and the SAN by the second aggregated networking device.

Assignments (13)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (052851/0917) Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 060436/0509 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (052852/0022) Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 060436/0582 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (052851/0081) Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 060436/0441 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (053311/0169) Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 060438/0742 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (053546/0001) Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL MARKETING L.P. (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.); DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC. AND WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.); EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 071642/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST AT REEL 052771 FRAME 0906 Recorded Nov 2, 2021
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 058001/0298 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 5, 2020
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 052852/0022 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 5, 2020
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 052851/0081 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 5, 2020
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 052851/0917 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 5, 2020
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 053311/0169 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 28, 2020
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
Reel/Frame 052771/0906 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 22, 2020
From: CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES INC.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
Reel/Frame 053546/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 6, 2020
From: JAYAKUMAR, AVINASH; VARGHESE, VIBIN; SUBBIAH, RAMESH KUMAR
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 052035/0169 →
Continuity (1)
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