Automatic population of boot volumes via provided URLs
A storage system ( 400 ) includes a storage processor ( 420 - 1 ) such as a storage card resident in a host server ( 410 - 1 ) and coupled to the storage device ( 450 - 1 ). The storage processor ( 420 - 1 ) may be configured to create a virtual volume ( 428 - 1 ), store content derived from an image ( 492 ) downloaded from a URL storage corresponding to the virtual volume ( 428 - 1 ), and present the virtual volume ( 428 - 1 ) to the host server as a boot LUN. A management infrastructure ( 480 ) can be used to create a library ( 490 ) of images ( 492, 494 ) corresponding to different storage system characteristics and used to selected which URL is provided to the storage processor ( 420 - 1 ).
1. A storage system comprising:
a storage device; and
a storage processor unit (SPU) resident in a host server and distinct from a central processing unit (CPU) of the host server, the SPU connected to the storage device, the SPU comprising a network interface and being configured to access a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), wherein the SPU is further configured to:
create a virtual volume which is accessible to the host server only through the SPU;
download an image from the URL;
store in the storage device content derived from the image, the content being written onto the virtual volume; and
present the virtual volume to the host server as a boot logical unit number (LUN) for the host server.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the network interface access the URL through the Internet.
3. The storage system of claim 1 , wherein a management infrastructure creates the image at the URL.
4. The storage system of claim 3 , wherein the management infrastructure communicates configuration instructions to the SPU through the network interface of the SPU, the configuration instructions including the URL.
5. The storage system of claim 4 , wherein the management infrastructure selects from among a plurality of URLs, the URL as corresponding to an operating system that the host runs, the plurality of URLs correspond to a plurality of different operating systems.
6. The storage system of claim 4 , wherein the management infrastructure selects the URL based on a template selected for a storage platform including the storage system.
7. A method comprising:
operating a storage processor unit (SPU) that is resident in a host server which also comprises a central processing unit (CPU), the SPU connected to a storage device and to perform a first process including:
receiving a Uniform Resource Locator (URL);
creating a virtual volume, which is accessible to the host server only through the SPU;
downloading an image from the URL;
storing in a storage device connected content derived from the image, the content being written onto the virtual volume; and
presenting the virtual volume to the host server as a boot logical unit number (LUN) for the host server.
8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising a management infrastructure that is remote from the host server performing a second process including:
selecting the URL for the SPU;
communicating the URL to the SPU; and
maintaining the image at the URL.
9. The process of claim 8 , wherein the selecting the URL comprises from selecting from among a plurality of URLs that are respectively associated with a plurality of images that the management infrastructure maintains.
10. The process of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of images includes images respectively for different operating system.
11. The process of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of images includes images associated with different storage templates.
12. The process of claim 11 , further comprising selecting a storage template based on characteristics of a storage platform including the SPU, wherein the URL selected is associated with the storage template selected.