Virtualized fabric login server for storage area network

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

operating a storage area network, the storage area network comprising a hybrid control plane, the hybrid control plane comprising a virtual control plane and a switch control plane, and the storage area network comprising a physical storage node; and

managing, using a virtualized fabric login server and the hybrid control plane, the storage area network, wherein the virtualized fabric login server is disposed in a container that is hosted on an element of the storage area network, wherein the container is configured to be hosted on the physical storage node or a physical switch of the storage area network, and the element hosting the container is one of the physical storage node or the physical switch.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein managing the storage area network comprises:

receiving, by the virtualized fabric login server via the hybrid control plane, an extended link service (ELS) request from a node port (N_Port) located on a switch in the storage area network; and

processing, by the virtualized fabric login server, the ELS request; and

sending, by the virtualized fabric login server, an acknowledgment of the ELS request to the N_Port via the hybrid control plane.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein receiving the ELS request by the virtualized fabric login server via the hybrid control plane comprises:

receiving the ELS request from the hybrid control plane by a hypervisor that is hosted on the element of the storage area network, wherein the hypervisor manages a plurality of containers on the element;

determining, by the hypervisor, the container of the plurality of containers in which the virtualized fabric login server resides; and

forwarding, by the hypervisor, the ELS request to the determined container.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the ELS request comprises a fabric login (FLOGI) request, and wherein processing the FLOGI request comprises:

assigning, by the virtualized fabric login server, a source identifier (S_ID) to the N_Port; and

adding, by the virtualized fabric login server, the assigned S_ID of the N_Port to a fabric routing table.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , further comprising:

sharing, by the virtualized fabric login server, the assigned S_ID of the N_Port with at least one additional virtualized storage area network component.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the ELS request comprises one of a discover fabric service parameters (FDISC) request, a read link error status block (LESB) request, and a read timeout values (RTV) request.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the element that hosts the container comprises a processor pool of an input/output (I/O) adapter card of the physical storage node of the storage area network.

8. A system comprising:

a memory having computer readable instructions; and

one or more processors for executing the computer readable instructions, the computer readable instructions controlling the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

operating a storage area network, the storage area network comprising a hybrid control plane, the hybrid control plane comprising a virtual control plane and a switch control plane, and the storage area network comprising a physical storage node; and

managing, using a virtualized fabric login server and the hybrid control plane, the storage area network, wherein the virtualized fabric login server is disposed in a container that is hosted on an element of the storage area network, wherein the container is configured to be hosted on the physical storage node or a physical switch of the storage area network, and the element hosting the container is one of the physical storage node or the physical switch.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein managing the storage area network comprises:

receiving, by the virtualized fabric login server via the hybrid control plane, an extended link service (ELS) request from a node port (N_Port) located on a switch in the storage area network; and

processing, by the virtualized fabric login server, the ELS request; and

sending, by the virtualized fabric login server, an acknowledgment of the ELS request to the N_Port via the hybrid control plane.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein receiving the ELS request by the virtualized fabric login server via the hybrid control plane comprises:

receiving the ELS request from the hybrid control plane by a hypervisor that is hosted on the element of the storage area network, wherein the hypervisor manages a plurality of containers on the element;

determining, by the hypervisor, the container of the plurality of containers in which the virtualized fabric login server resides; and

forwarding, by the hypervisor, the ELS request to the determined container.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the ELS request comprises a fabric login (FLOGI) request, and wherein processing the FLOGI request comprises:

assigning, by the virtualized fabric login server, a source identifier (S_ID) to the N_Port; and

adding, by the virtualized fabric login server, the assigned S_ID of the N_Port to a fabric routing table.

12. The system of claim 11 , further comprising:

sharing, by the virtualized fabric login server, the assigned S_ID of the N_Port with at least one additional virtualized storage area network component.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the ELS request comprises one of a discover fabric service parameters (FDISC) request, a read link error status block (LESB) request, and a read timeout values (RTV) request.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the element that hosts the container comprises a processor pool of an input/output (I/O) adapter card of the physical storage node of the storage area network.

15. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by one or more processors to cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

operating a storage area network, the storage area network comprising a hybrid control plane, the hybrid control plane comprising a virtual control plane and a switch control plane, and the storage area network comprising a physical storage node; and

managing, using a virtualized fabric login server and the hybrid control plane, the storage area network, wherein the virtualized fabric login server is disposed in a container that is hosted on an element of the storage area network, wherein the container is configured to be hosted on the physical storage node or a physical switch of the storage area network, and the element hosting the container is one of the physical storage node or the physical switch.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein managing the storage area network comprises:

receiving, by the virtualized fabric login server via the hybrid control plane, an extended link service (ELS) request from a node port (N_Port) located on a switch in the storage area network; and

processing, by the virtualized fabric login server, the ELS request; and

sending, by the virtualized fabric login server, an acknowledgment of the ELS request to the N_Port via the hybrid control plane.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 , wherein receiving the ELS request by the virtualized fabric login server via the hybrid control plane comprises:

receiving the ELS request from the hybrid control plane by a hypervisor that is hosted on the element of the storage area network, wherein the hypervisor manages a plurality of containers on the element;

determining, by the hypervisor, the container of the plurality of containers in which the virtualized fabric login server resides; and

forwarding, by the hypervisor, the ELS request to the determined container.

18. The computer program product of claim 16 , wherein the ELS request comprises a fabric login (FLOGI) request, and wherein processing the FLOGI request comprises:

assigning, by the virtualized fabric login server, a source identifier (S_ID) to the N_Port; and

adding, by the virtualized fabric login server, the assigned S_ID of the N_Port to a fabric routing table.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 , further comprising:

sharing, by the virtualized fabric login server, the assigned S_ID of the N_Port with at least one additional virtualized storage area network component.

20. The computer program product of claim 16 , wherein the ELS request comprises one of a discover fabric service parameters (FDISC) request, a read link error status block (LESB) request, and a read timeout values (RTV) request.