IP Library Granted Patent US 11,320,994
Granted Patent B2
US 11,320,994 · App. 17/024,830 · Granted May 3, 2022

Dynamic configuration change control in a storage system using multi-path layer notifications

Inventors: Rimpesh Patel (Bangalore, IN); Amit Pundalik Anchi (Bangalore, IN); Peniel Charles (Bangalore, IN)
Assignee: EMC IP Holding Company LLC
G06F3/0629G06F3/061G06F3/067G06F3/0655
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,320,994
App. No.
17/024,830
Granted
May 3, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

An apparatus comprises at least one processing device that is configured to monitor, in a multi-path layer thereof, a storage area network (SAN) through which one or more host devices access storage devices of a storage system, and responsive to at least one particular detected condition of the SAN, to generate in the multi-path layer one or more notifications for delivery to the storage system. The storage system implements one or more dynamic configuration changes relating to the SAN based at least in part on the one or more notifications generated in the multi-path layer. The multi-path layer illustratively comprises at least one multi-path input-output driver implemented in a corresponding one of the host devices and configured to control delivery of input-output operations to the storage devices of the storage system over selected ones of a plurality of paths through the SAN.

Claims (46)

1. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processing device comprising a processor coupled to a memory;

where the at least one processing device is configured:

to monitor, in a multi-path layer of the at least one processing device, a storage area network through which one or more host devices access storage devices of a storage system; and

responsive to at least one particular detected condition of the storage area network, to generate in the multi-path layer one or more notifications for delivery to the storage system;

wherein the storage system implements one or more dynamic configuration changes relating to the storage area network based at least in part on the one or more notifications generated in the multi-path layer; and

wherein at least a portion of the one or more notifications are delivered indirectly from one or more multi-path input-output drivers of the multi-path layer to the storage system via one or more external servers.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a given one of the one or more multi-path input-output drivers implemented in a corresponding one of the host devices is configured to control delivery of input-output operations to the storage devices of the storage system over selected ones of a plurality of paths through the storage area network.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the paths correspond to respective initiator-target pairs, with the initiator of a particular one of the initiator-target pairs comprising a designated host bus adaptor (HBA) of a given one of the host devices and the target of the particular one of the initiator-target pairs comprising a designated storage array port of the storage system.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one particular detected condition relates to at least one of a plurality of initiator-target pairs.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the one or more external servers comprise a centralized management server coupled to each of the host devices and configured to communicate with the multi-path input-output drivers of the multi-path layer.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one particular detected condition comprises an absence of receipt by the multi-path layer of fabric performance impact notifications relating to at least one of a plurality of initiator-target pairs.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one particular detected condition comprises an increased level of storage area network traffic, relative to a normal level of storage area network traffic for at least one of a plurality of initiator-target pairs, that is determined by the multi-path layer to be attributable to a host-based migration of one or more storage volumes of the storage system.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the one or more notifications comprise information identifying the at least one initiator-target pair that is experiencing the increased level of storage area network traffic.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the one or more dynamic configuration changes implemented by the storage system comprise at least one of:

switching at least one target storage array port of at least one initiator-target pair to a different target storage array port; and

executing a zone configuration change.

10. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processing device comprising a processor coupled to a memory;

where the at least one processing device is configured:

to monitor, in a multi-path layer of the at least one processing device, a storage area network through which one or more host devices access storage devices of a storage system; and

responsive to at least one particular detected condition of the storage area network, to generate in the multi-path layer one or more notifications for delivery to the storage system;

wherein the storage system implements one or more dynamic configuration changes relating to the storage area network based at least in part on the one or more notifications generated in the multi-path layer; and

wherein different multi-path input-output drivers in different ones of the host devices detect respective different conditions relating to respective different ones of a plurality of initiator-target pairs and wherein the one or more notifications generated in the multi-path layer collectively identify a common target from among the targets of the different ones of the initiator-target pairs.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the one or more dynamic configuration changes implemented by the storage system comprise one or more dynamic configuration changes that at least temporarily modify one or more characteristics relating to a particular storage array port corresponding to the common target.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein at least a portion of the one or more notifications are delivered directly from one or more of the multi-path input-output drivers of the multi-path layer to the storage system over the storage area network.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein at least a portion of the one or more notifications are delivered from the one or more multi-path input-output drivers of the multi-path layer to the storage system in the form of vendor unique commands of a specified storage access protocol.

14. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory processor-readable storage medium having stored therein program code of one or more software programs, wherein the program code, when executed by at least one processing device comprising a processor coupled to a memory, causes the at least one processing device:

to monitor, in a multi-path layer of the at least one processing device, a storage area network through which one or more host devices access storage devices of a storage system; and

responsive to at least one particular detected condition of the storage area network, to generate in the multi-path layer one or more notifications for delivery to the storage system;

wherein the storage system implements one or more dynamic configuration changes relating to the storage area network based at least in part on the one or more notifications generated in the multi-path layer; and

wherein at least a portion of the one or more notifications are delivered indirectly from one or more multi-path input-output drivers of the multi-path layer to the storage system via one or more external servers.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein a given one of the one or more multi-path input-output drivers implemented in a corresponding one of the host devices is configured to control delivery of input-output operations to the storage devices of the storage system over selected ones of a plurality of paths through the storage area network.

16. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the one or more dynamic configuration changes implemented by the storage system comprise at least one of:

switching at least one target storage array port of at least one initiator-target pair to a different target storage array port; and

executing a zone configuration change.

17. A method comprising:

monitoring, in a multi-path layer of at least one processing device comprising a processor coupled to a memory, a storage area network through which one or more host devices access storage devices of a storage system; and

responsive to at least one particular detected condition of the storage area network, generating in the multi-path layer one or more notifications for delivery to the storage system;

wherein the storage system implements one or more dynamic configuration changes relating to the storage area network based at least in part on the one or more notifications generated in the multi-path layer; and

wherein at least a portion of the one or more notifications are delivered indirectly from one or more multi-path input-output drivers of the multi-path layer to the storage system via one or more external servers.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein a given one of the one or more multi-path input-output drivers implemented in a corresponding one of the host devices is configured to control delivery of input-output operations to the storage devices of the storage system over selected ones of a plurality of paths through the storage area network.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the one or more dynamic configuration changes implemented by the storage system comprise at least one of:

switching at least one target storage array port of at least one initiator-target pair to a different target storage array port; and

executing a zone configuration change.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein different multi-path input-output drivers in different ones of the host devices detect respective different conditions relating to respective different ones of a plurality of initiator-target pairs and wherein the one or more notifications generated in the multi-path layer collectively identify a common target from among the targets of the different ones of the initiator-target pairs.

Assignments (9)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (054475/0523) Recorded Jun 10, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 060332/0664 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (054475/0434) Recorded Jun 10, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 060332/0740 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (054475/0609) Recorded Jun 10, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 062021/0570 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST AT REEL 054591 FRAME 0471 Recorded Nov 2, 2021
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 058001/0463 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 18, 2020
From: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 054475/0609 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 18, 2020
From: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 054475/0434 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 18, 2020
From: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 054475/0523 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 13, 2020
From: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
Reel/Frame 054591/0471 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 18, 2020
From: PATEL, RIMPESH; ANCHI, AMIT PUNDALIK; CHARLES, PENIEL
To: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 053811/0723 →