Method and system for dynamic binding in a storage area network
AssigneeScalent Systems, Inc.
InventorsMichael T. Howard, Jared M. Oberhaus, Evan Bigall, Lawrence Stein
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system, method and computer program product for dynamically binding a server to a remote disk in a data center is provided. In a data center, servers and storage devices that manage multiple remote disks communicate over a switched fabric by using a standard protocol suite. The servers, storage devices and the switched fabric constitute a Storage Area Network (SAN). The devices present on the SAN are assigned a virtual identity, independent of their physical identity. The virtual identity of the servers facilitates the dynamic instantiation of the server images located on multiple remote disks on the servers.
Claims66
A method for dynamically binding at least one server to at least one of a plurality of remote disks in a data center, the at least one server being connected to a switched fabric through at least one host bus adapter (HBA), the at least one of the plurality of remote disks being managed by at least one storage device, the data center comprising at least one boot controller, the at least one boot controller being connected to the at least one server through a control network, the method comprising the steps of:
- a. assigning at least one virtual World Wide Name (WWN) to the at least one of the plurality of remote disks;
- b. dynamically mapping one of the at least one virtual WWN to the at least one server, the one of the at least one virtual WWN uniquely identifying the at least one server independent of a physical identity of the at least one server;
- and
- c. booting the at least one server, the at least one server being booted from the at least one of the plurality of remote disks.
A method for dynamically binding at least one server to at least one of a plurality of remote disks in a data center, the at least one server being connected to a switched fabric through at least one host bus adapter (HBA), the at least one of the plurality of remote disks being managed by at least one storage device, the data center comprising at least one boot controller, the at least one boot controller being connected to the at least one server through a control network, the data center further comprising at least one boot gateway, the at least one boot gateway being connected to the switched fabric through at least one boot gateway host bus adapter (HBA-GW), the at least one boot gateway further being connected to the control network, the method comprising the steps of:
- a. assigning at least one virtual World Wide Name (WWN) to the at least one of the plurality of remote disks;
- b. dynamically mapping the at least one virtual WWN to the at least one server, the at least one virtual WWN uniquely identifying the at least one server independent of a physical identity of the at least one server;
- c. booting the at least one server until a first stage, the at least one server being booted until the first stage over the control network through the at least one boot gateway, the at least one boot gateway accessing the at least one of the plurality of remote disks over the switched fabric;
- and
- d. booting the at least one server until a second stage, the at least one server being booted until the second stage over the switched fabric, the at least one server accessing the at least one of the plurality of remote disks over the switched fabric.
A system for dynamically binding at least one server to at least one of a plurality of remote disks, the at least one server being connected to a switched fabric through at least one host bus adapter (HBA), the at least one of the plurality of remote disks being managed by at least one storage device, the system comprising:
- a. a boot configuration database, the boot configuration database storing a remote disk-to-virtual World Wide Name (WWN) mapping, the remote disk-to-virtual WWN mapping comprising information related to the assignment of at least one virtual WWN to the at least one of the plurality of remote disks, the remote disk-to-virtual WWN mapping being updatable;
- b. at least one boot controller, the at least one boot controller dynamically mapping the at least one virtual WWN to the at least one server, the at least one virtual WWN uniquely identifying the at least one server independent of a physical identity of the at least one server;
- and
- c. a control network, the control network providing communication between the at least one boot controller and the at least one server.
A system for dynamically binding at least one server to at least one of a plurality of remote disks, the at least one server being connected to a switched fabric through at least one host bus adapter (HBA), the at least one of the plurality of remote disks being managed by at least one storage device, the system comprising:
- a. a boot configuration database, the boot configuration database storing a remote disk-to-virtual World Wide Name (WWN) mapping, the remote disk-to-virtual WWN mapping comprising information related to the assignment of at least one virtual WWN to the at least one of the plurality of remote disks, the remote disk-to-virtual WWN mapping being updated;
- b. at least one boot controller, the at least one boot controller dynamically mapping the at least one virtual WWN to the at least one server, the at least one virtual WWN uniquely identifying the at least one server independent of a physical identity of the at least one server;
- c. at least one boot gateway, the at least one boot gateway facilitating a first stage of booting of the at least one server;
- and
- d. a control network, the control network providing communication between the at least one server and the at least one boot controller.
A computer program product disposed on a computer readable medium, for dynamically binding at least one server to at least one of a plurality of remote disks in a data center, the at least one server being connected to a switched fabric through at least one host bus adapter (HBA), the at least one of the plurality of remote disks being managed by at least one storage device, the data center comprising at least one boot controller, the at least one boot controller being connected to the at least one server through a control network, the computer program product comprising:
- a. program instruction means for assigning at least one virtual World Wide Name (WWN) to the at least one of the plurality of remote disks;
- b. a program instruction means for dynamically mapping one of the at least one virtual WWN to the at least one server, the one of the at least one virtual WWN uniquely identifying the at least one server independent of a physical identity of the at least one server;
- and
- c. a program instruction means for booting the at least one server, the at least one server being booted from the at least one of the plurality of remote disks.
A computer program product, disposed on a computer readable medium, for dynamically binding at least one server to at least one of a plurality of remote disks in a data center, the at least one server being connected to a switched fabric through at least one host bus adapter (HBA), the at least one of the plurality of remote disks being managed by at least one storage device, the data center comprising at least one boot controller, the at least one boot controller being connected to the at least one server through a control network, the data center further comprising at least one boot gateway, the at least one boot gateway being connected to the switched fabric through at least one boot gateway host bus adapter (HBA-GW), the at least one boot gateway further being connected to the control network, the computer program product comprising:
- a. a program instruction means for assigning at least one virtual World Wide Names (WWN) to the at least one of the plurality of remote disks;
- b. a program instruction means for dynamically mapping the at least one virtual WWN to the at least one server, the at least one virtual WWN uniquely identifying the at least one server independent of a physical identity of the at least one server;
- c. a program instruction means for booting the at least one server until a first stage, the at least one server being booted until the first stage over the control network through the at least one boot gateway, the at least one boot gateway accessing the at least one of the plurality of remote disks over the switched fabric;
- and
- d. a program instruction means for booting the at least one server until a second stage, the at least one server being booted until the second stage over the switched fabric, the at least one server accessing the at least one of the plurality of remote disks over the switched fabric.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.