# US 10,372,673 B2 · Storage network element discovery method and apparatus

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- Number: US 10,372,673 B2
- Document ID: US10372673B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/599,005
- Filed: 2017-05-18
- Published: 2017-11-02
- Granted: 2019-08-06
- Earliest claimed: 2016-04-29
- Assignees: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Haitao Guo; Yu Zhang; Yajun Chen
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10372673B2

## CPC

- H04L 67/1097: for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
- G06F 16/13: File access structures, e.g. distributed indices (arrangements of input from, or output to, record carriers G06F3/06)
- H04L 41/12: Discovery or management of network topologies
- H04L 43/0805: by checking availability
- H04L 43/0811: by checking connectivity
- H04L 43/10: Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
- H04L 65/611: for multicast or broadcast (systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06)
- H04L 67/51: Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
- H04L 63/10: {for controlling access to devices or network resources}
- H04L 65/00: Network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communication (real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM] H04L51/04; selective video distribution H04N21/00)
- H04L 67/06: specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

A storage network element discovery method and an apparatus, where the method includes broadcasting or multicasting, by a control network element, a heartbeat message to at least one storage network element, where the heartbeat message includes address information of the control network element, receiving, by the control network element, a response message returned by at least one storage network element according to the heartbeat message, and determining an accessible storage network element according to the response message, where the response message includes network parameter information of the corresponding storage network element. Therefore, in a storage array, by broadcasting or multicasting a heartbeat message and according to a reply from a storage network element, a control network element may determine a storage network element that can be accessed by the control network element.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A storage network element discovery method, applied to a control network element, wherein the control network element is in communication with at least one storage network element, wherein each storage network element comprises at least one storage medium, wherein the at least one storage network element is coupled to the at least one storage medium using a Nonvolatile Memory express (NVMe) interface, and wherein the storage network element discovery method comprises:
broadcasting or multicasting, by the control network element, a heartbeat message to the at least one storage network element, wherein the heartbeat message comprises address information of the control network element;
receiving, by the control network element, a response message returned by the at least one storage network element according to the heartbeat message;
determining, according to the response message, that the at least one storage network element is an accessible storage network element, wherein the response message comprises network parameter information of the corresponding storage network element, wherein the network parameter information comprises network address information of the corresponding storage network element and address information of the at least one storage medium, wherein the address information of the at least one storage medium is obtained by the corresponding storage network element using the NVMe interface between the corresponding storage network element and the at least one storage medium, and wherein the network parameter information returned by the accessible storage network element comprises link status information;
determining, by the control network element, a link status of the accessible storage network element according to the link status information after receiving the response message returned by the at least one storage network element, wherein the link status of the accessible storage network element is determined by determining, by the control network element according to the link status information, that a link to the accessible storage network element is decoupled; and
sending, by the control network element, a link repair processing request to the accessible storage network element after determining that the link to the storage medium in the storage network element is decoupled.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The storage network element discovery method of claim 1, wherein after receiving the response message returned by the at least one storage network element according to the heartbeat message, the method further comprises determining, by the control network element, that a link to a first accessible storage network element is decoupled when the control network element does not receive, within a preset period of time, a response message returned by the first accessible storage network element, wherein the first accessible storage network element is any storage network element in the at least one storage network element.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The storage network element discovery method of claim 1, wherein after determining that the at least one storage network element is the accessible storage network element, the storage network element discovery method further comprises:
sending, by the control network element, a data read request to the accessible storage network element using a switching device, wherein the data read request comprises storage-network-element address information and to-be-read-data location information; and
receiving, by the control network element, to-be-read data returned by the accessible storage network element according to the data read request.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The storage network element discovery method of claim 1, wherein after determining that the at least one storage network element is the accessible storage network element, the storage network element discovery method further comprises:
sending, by the control network element, a data write request to the accessible storage network element using a switching device, wherein the data write request comprises to-be-written data, storage-network-element address information, and to-be-written-data location information; and
receiving, by the control network element, a write success response returned by the accessible storage network element according to the data write request.

### Claim 5

A storage network element discovery method, applied to a storage network element, wherein the storage network element is in communication with at least one control network element, wherein the storage network element comprises at least one storage medium, wherein the storage network element is coupled to the at least one storage medium using a Nonvolatile Memory Express (NVMe) interface, and wherein the storage network element discovery method comprises:
receiving, by the storage network element, a heartbeat message broadcast or multicast by the at least one control network element, wherein the heartbeat message comprises address information of the at least one control network element;
returning, by the storage network element, a response message to the at least one control network element according to the heartbeat message such that the at least one control network element determines that the storage network element is an accessible storage network element, wherein the response message comprises network parameter information of the storage network element, wherein the network parameter information comprises a network address of the storage network element and address information of the at least one storage medium in the storage network element obtained by the storage network element using the NVMe interface, wherein the response message is returned to the at least one control network element by returning, by the storage element to the at least one control network element according to the heartbeat message, a response message that carries link status information such that the at least one control network element determines a link status of the storage network element according to the link status information, and wherein the link status information indicates that a link to a storage medium in the storage network element is decoupled;
receiving, by the storage network element, a link repair processing request from the at least one control network element after returning the response message to the at least one control network element according to the heartbeat message; and
performing, by the storage network element, link repair according to the link repair processing request.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The storage network element discovery method of claim 5, wherein after returning the response message, the storage network element discovery method further comprises:
receiving, by the storage network element, a data read request from the at least one control network element using a switching device, wherein the data read request comprises storage-network-element address information and to-be-read-data location information;
obtaining, by the storage network element, to-be-read data according to the data read request; and
returning, by the storage network element, the to-be-read data to the at least one control network element using the switching device.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The storage network element discovery method of claim 5, wherein after returning the response message, the storage network element discovery method further comprises:
receiving, by the storage network element, a data write request from the at least one control network element using a switching device, wherein the data write request comprises to-be-written data, storage-network-element address information, and to-be-written-data location information;
writing, by the storage network element, the to-be-written data according to the data write request; and
returning a write success response to the at least one control network element.

### Claim 8

A control network element, wherein the control network element is in communication with at least one storage network element, wherein each storage network element comprises at least one storage medium, wherein the at least one storage network element is coupled to the at least one storage medium using a Nonvolatile Memory Express (NVMe) interface, and wherein the control network element comprises:
a memory comprising instructions; and
a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the instructions cause the processor to be configured to:
broadcast or multicast a heartbeat message to the at least one storage network element, wherein the heartbeat message comprises address information of the control network element;
receive a response message returned by the at least one storage network element according to the heartbeat message;
determine, according to the response message, that the at least one storage network element is an accessible storage network element, wherein the response message comprises network parameter information of the corresponding storage network element, wherein the network parameter information comprises network address information of the corresponding storage network element and address information of the at least one storage medium, wherein the address information of the at least one storage medium is obtained by the corresponding storage network element using the NVMe interface between the corresponding storage network element and the at least one storage medium, and wherein the network parameter information returned by the accessible storage network element comprises link status information;
determine a link status of the accessible storage network element according to the link status information, wherein the accessible storage network element is any storage network element in the at least one storage network element;
determine, according to the link status information, that a link to a storage medium in the accessible storage network element is decoupled; and
send a link repair processing request to the accessible storage network element.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The control network element of claim 8, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to be configured to determine that a link to a first accessible storage network element is decoupled when the control network element does not receive, within a preset period of time, a response message returned by the first accessible storage network element, and wherein the first accessible storage network element is any storage network element in the at least one storage network element.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The control network element of claim 8, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to be configured to:
send a data read request to the accessible storage network element using a switching device, wherein the data read request comprises storage-network-element address information and to-be-read-data location information; and
receive to-be-read data returned by the accessible storage network element according to the data read request.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The control network element of claim 8, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to be configured to:
send a data write request to the accessible storage network element using a switching device, wherein the data write request comprises to-be-written data, storage-network-element address information, and to-be-written-data location information; and
receive a write success response returned by the accessible storage network element according to the data write request.

### Claim 12

A storage network element, wherein the storage network element is in communication with at least one control network element, wherein the storage network element comprises at least one storage medium, wherein the storage network element is coupled to the at least one storage medium using a Nonvolatile Memory Express (NVMe) interface, and wherein the storage network element comprises:
a memory comprising instructions; and
a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the instructions cause the processor to be configured to:
receive a heartbeat message broadcast or multicast by the at least one control network element, wherein the heartbeat message comprises address information of the at least one control network element;
return a response message to the at least one control network element according to the heartbeat message such that the at least one control network element determines that the storage network element is an accessible storage network element, wherein the response message comprises network parameter information of the storage network element, and wherein the network parameter information comprises a network address of the storage network element, and address information of the at least one storage medium in the storage network element obtained by the storage network element using the NVMe interface;
return, to the at least one control network element according to the heartbeat message, a response message that carries link status information such that the at least one control network element determines a link status of the storage network element according to the link status information;
receive a link repair processing request from the at least one control network element; and
perform link repair according to the link repair processing request.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The storage network element of claim 12, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to be configured to:
receive a data read request from the at least one control network element using a switching device, wherein the data read request comprises storage-network-element address information and to-be-read-data location information;
obtain to-be-read data according to the data read request; and
return the to-be-read data to the at least one control network element using the switching device.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The storage network element of claim 12, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to be configured to:
receive a data write request from the at least one control network element using a switching device, wherein the data write request comprises to-be-written data, storage-network-element address information, and to-be-written-data location information;
write the to-be-written data according to the data write request; and
return a write success response to the at least one control network element.