Host device configured for automatic creation of multi-path logical devices with user-defined names

1. An apparatus comprising:

a host device comprising a processor coupled to a memory;

the host device being configured to communicate over a network with a storage system;

the host device further comprising:

a multi-path input-output driver configured to control delivery of input-output operations from the host device to the storage system over the network;

wherein the multi-path input-output driver is further configured:

responsive to creation of a first multi-path logical device for a logical volume of the storage system, to query the storage system to determine a user-defined name for the logical volume;

responsive to receipt of the user-defined name for the logical volume from the storage system, to create a second multi-path logical device having the user-defined name; and

to process input-output operations directed to the second multi-path logical device having the user-defined name as if those input-output operations were actually directed to the first multi-path logical device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising one or more additional host devices each configured to communicate over the network with the storage system and wherein each additional host device comprises a multi-path input-output driver configured to control delivery of input-output operations from the host device to the storage system over the network.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the multi-path input-output driver in controlling delivery of input-output operations from the host device to the storage system over the network is further configured to select particular ones of the input-output operations for delivery over particular ones of a plurality of paths from the host device to the storage system.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the plurality of paths comprise paths associated with respective initiator-target pairs wherein each of the initiators comprises a corresponding host bus adaptor of the host device and each of the targets comprises a corresponding port of at least one storage array of the storage system.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the logical volume comprises at least one logical unit of the storage system.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the multi-path input-output driver is further configured:

to interact with a device manager that operates in accordance with a plurality of specified rules;

a given one of the rules comprising a rule that triggers execution of a script responsive to creation of the first multi-path logical device for the logical volume of the storage system;

the script being configured to query the storage system to determine the user-defined name for the logical volume, and responsive to receipt of the user-defined name for the logical volume from the storage system, to create the second multi-path logical device having the user-defined name.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein querying the storage system to determine a user-defined name for the logical volume comprises sending a predetermined command to the storage system.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the predetermined command comprises a vendor unique command in an otherwise standardized command format.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein querying the storage system to determine a user-defined name for the logical volume comprises executing a display utility command that obtains the user-defined name from the storage system.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein execution of the display utility command returns an identifier of the first multi-path logical device, an identifier of the logical volume, and the user-defined name for the logical volume.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the display utility command is triggered by a rule configured to detect a specified naming pattern for multi-path logical device names that encompasses an automatically-assigned name of the first multi-path logical device.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein creating a second multi-path logical device having the user-defined name further comprises:

determining a major number and a minor number for the first multi-path logical device; and

configuring the second multi-path logical device to have the same major number and the same minor number as the first multi-path logical device.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein one or more applications direct the input-output operations to the second multi-path logical device having the user-defined name.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the multi-path input-output driver is further configured:

responsive to removal of the first multi-path logical device, to remove the second multi-path logical device having the user-defined name.

15. A method comprising:

configuring a multi-path input-output driver of a host device to communicate with a storage system over a network;

creating a first multi-path logical device for a logical volume of the storage system;

the multi-path input-output driver:

responsive to the creation of the first multi-path logical device for the logical volume of the storage system, querying the storage system to determine a user-defined name for the logical volume;

receiving the user-defined name for the logical volume from the storage system;

responsive to receipt of the user-defined name for the logical volume from the storage system, creating a second multi-path logical device having the user-defined name; and

processing input-output operations directed to the second multi-path logical device having the user-defined name as if those input-output operations were actually directed to the first multi-path logical device.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein querying the storage system to determine a user-defined name for the logical volume comprises executing a display utility command that obtains the user-defined name from the storage system.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein creating a second multi-path logical device having the user-defined name further comprises:

determining a major number and a minor number for the first multi-path logical device; and

configuring the second multi-path logical device to have the same major number and the same minor number as the first multi-path logical device.

18. 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 a host device comprising a multi-path input-output driver, the host device being configured to communicate over a network with a storage system, causes the multi-path input-output driver:

responsive to creation of a first multi-path logical device for a logical volume of the storage system, to query the storage system to determine a user-defined name for the logical volume;

responsive to receipt of the user-defined name for the logical volume from the storage system, to create a second multi-path logical device having the user-defined name; and

to process input-output operations directed to the second multi-path logical device having the user-defined name as if those input-output operations were actually directed to the first multi-path logical device.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 wherein querying the storage system to determine a user-defined name for the logical volume comprises executing a display utility command that obtains the user-defined name from the storage system.

20. The computer program product of claim 18 wherein creating a second multi-path logical device having the user-defined name further comprises:

determining a major number and a minor number for the first multi-path logical device; and

configuring the second multi-path logical device to have the same major number and the same minor number as the first multi-path logical device.