Storage system with network-wide configurable device names

A method comprising:

• configuring a storage array comprising a plurality of storage devices to communicate over one or more networks with a plurality of host devices;
• receiving in the storage array one or more commands from a given one of the host devices directing that a particular user-defined name be assigned to a particular one of the storage devices;
• and
• responsive to receipt of the one or more commands, determining in the storage array if any other user-defined name is already assigned to the particular storage device, and if there is no other user-defined name already assigned to the particular storage device, assigning in the storage array the particular user-defined name to the particular storage device and storing in persistent memory of the storage array information characterizing the assignment of the particular user-defined name to the particular storage device;
• wherein the one or more commands comprise a first command comprising at least a subset of:
• another user-defined name already assigned to the particular storage device;
• the particular user-defined name proposed for assignment to the particular storage device;
• a unique identifier generated by the given host device for the particular user-defined name;
• a host name of the given host device;
• and
• at least one embedded command;
• and
• wherein if another user-defined name is already assigned to the particular storage device and the first command does not include a force command as an embedded command, the storage array is configured to reject the first command and to leave the user-defined name of the particular storage device unchanged.

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 storage array comprising a plurality of storage devices, the storage array being configured to communicate over one or more networks with a plurality of host devices, causes the storage array:

• to receive one or more commands from a given one of the host devices directing that a particular user-defined name be assigned to a particular one of the storage devices;
• and
• responsive to receipt of the one or more commands, to determine if any other user-defined name is already assigned to the particular storage device, and if there is no other user-defined name already assigned to the particular storage device, to assign the particular user-defined name to the particular storage device and to store information characterizing the assignment of the particular user-defined name to the particular storage device in persistent memory of the storage array;
• wherein the one or more commands comprise a first command comprising at least a subset of:
• another user-defined name already assigned to the particular storage device;
• the particular user-defined name proposed for assignment to the particular storage device;
• a unique identifier generated by the given host device for the particular user-defined name;
• a host name of the given host device;
• and
• at least one embedded command;
• and
• wherein if another user-defined name is already assigned to the particular storage device and the first command does not include a force command as an embedded command, the storage array is configured to reject the first command and to leave the user-defined name of the particular storage device unchanged.