Methods and apparatus for a storage system having storage automation with integrated drivers
Method and apparatus for receiving an access request for an array from a controller of a platform that abstracts, pools and automates physical storage for a data center, processing the access request with an API service, and analyzing the access request by a controller service after processing by the API service. The controller then requests a third party driver from a driver module for the array. The third party driver processes the request to access the array and receive data from the array.
1. A method comprising:
receiving an access request for a storage array from a controller of a platform that abstracts, pools and automates physical storage for a data center;
processing the access request with an API service;
analyzing the access request by the controller after processing by the API service;
requesting, by the controller, a third party driver from a driver module for the storage array;
loading, by the controller, the third party driver via a security manager that is specified by a policy file, the security manager providing a sandboxed environment for executing the third party driver in accordance with vendor-specific read and write permissions that are included in the policy file; and
processing the request by the third party driver to access the storage array, and receiving data from the storage array,
wherein the policy file is configured to include vendor-specific read and write permissions corresponding to a vendor of the third party driver that limit access to read/write operations to only the storage array, thereby causing features of the storage array to be exposed through the controller, and
wherein the controller limits functionality of the third party driver to REST calls from the third party driver to the storage array.
2. The method according to claim 1 , further including binding, by a RMI server, a remote object for the third party driver in a RMI registry.
3. The method according to claim 2 , further including locating the remote object in the RMI registry by the controller.
4. The method according to claim 3 , further comprising, after locating the remote object, using remote method invocation by a client to contact the remote object.
5. The method according to claim 1 , further including configuring the policy file to allow/block particular directories/files with read/write permission.
6. The method according to claim 1 , further including configuring the policy file to allow/block particular ports to listen/connect.
7. The method according to claim 1 , further including receiving an updated version of the third party driver.
8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the platform comprises a compute system having compute virtual pools created in the controller, wherein the compute system comprises SAN switches for providing at least one path to storage in which storage virtual pools are created.
9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the compute virtual pools provide an abstraction to create pools of hosts.
10. An article, comprising:
a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored instructions that cause a computing system to perform the operations of:
receiving an access request for a storage array from a controller of a platform that abstracts, pools and automates physical storage for a data center;
processing the access request with an API service;
analyzing the access request by the controller after processing by the API service;
requesting, by the controller, a third party driver from a driver module for the storage array;
loading the third party driver via a security manager that is specified by a policy file, the security manager is configured to provide a sandboxed environment for executing the third party driver in accordance with vendor-specific read and write permissions that are included in the policy file; and
processing the request by the third party driver to access the storage array and receive data from the storage array;
wherein the policy file is configured to include vendor-specific read and write permissions corresponding to a vendor of the third party driver that limit access to read/write operations to only the storage array, thereby causing features of the storage array to be exposed through the controller, and
wherein the controller limits functionality of the third party driver to REST calls from the third party driver to the storage array.
11. The article according to claim 10 , wherein the instructions further cause the computing system to perform the operation of binding, by a RMI server, a remote object for the third party driver in a RMI registry.
12. The article according to claim 11 , wherein the instructions further cause the computing system to perform the operation of locating the remote object in the RMI registry by the controller.
13. The article according to claim 12 , wherein the instructions further cause the computing system to perform the operation of, after locating the remote object, using remote method invocation by a client to contact the remote object.
14. The article according to claim 10 , wherein the instructions further cause the computing system to perform the operation of configuring the policy file to allow/block particular directories/files with read/write permission.
15. The article according to claim 10 , wherein the instructions further cause the computing system to perform the operation of configuring the policy file to allow/block particular ports to listen/connect.
16. A system comprising:
a computer having a memory and one or more processors;
computer-executable logic enabled to be executed on the one or more processors;
a platform to abstract, pool and automate physical storage for a data center, the platform including:
a controller to receive an access request for a storage array; and
an API service to process the access request;
wherein the controller is configured to:
analyze the access request after processing by the API service;
request a third party driver from a driver module for the storage array, wherein the third party driver is configured to process the access request;
load the third party driver via a security manager that is specified by a policy file, the security manager is configured to provide a sandboxed environment for executing the third party driver in accordance with vendor-specific read and write permissions that are included in the policy file; and
receive data from the storage array,
wherein the policy file is configured to include vendor-specific read and write permissions corresponding to a vendor of the third party driver that limit access to read/write operations to only the storage array, thereby causing features of the storage array to be exposed through the controller, and
wherein the controller limits functionality of the third party driver to REST calls from the third party driver to the storage array.