# US 2021/0278975 A1 · Storage system port maintenance information sharing with host device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0278975 A1 - Document ID: US20210278975A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/810,025 - Filed: 2020-03-05 - Published: 2021-09-09 - Earliest claimed: 2020-03-05 - Assignees: EMC IP Holding Company LLC - Applicants: EMC IP Holding Company LLC - Inventors: Gopinath Marappan; Madhu Tarikere; Vinay G. Rao - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210278975A1 ## CPC - G06F 3/0617: {in relation to availability} - G06F 3/0635: {by changing the path, e.g. traffic rerouting, path reconfiguration} - G06F 3/0655: {Vertical data movement, i.e. input-output transfer; data movement between one or more hosts and one or more storage devices} - G06F 3/067: {Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]} - G06F 13/16: for access to memory bus (G06F13/28 takes precedence) - G06F 2213/16: Memory access - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract An apparatus comprises a processing device comprising a processor coupled to memory. The processing device is configured to obtain maintenance information comprising an indication that a port of a storage system is scheduled for a maintenance activity and to determine that a host device utilizes the port for communication with the storage system. The processing device is further configured to issue an alert to the host device. The alert is configured to cause the host device to set a path associated with the port to a standby mode. The standby mode is configured to inhibit input-output operations from being submitted to the storage system along the path. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus comprising: a processing device comprising a processor coupled to memory, the processing device being configured: to obtain maintenance information from a storage system, the maintenance information comprising an indication that a port of the storage system is scheduled for a future maintenance activity; to determine that a host device utilizes the port for communication with the storage system via a first network; and to issue an alert, via a second network that is different than the first network, the alert being configured to cause the host device to set a path associated with the port to a standby mode prior to the future maintenance activity, the standby mode being configured to inhibit input-output operations from being submitted to the storage system along the path. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein obtaining the maintenance information comprises obtaining the maintenance information from the storage system via at least one of the second network and at least one other network that is different than the first network. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2 wherein: obtaining the maintenance information from the storage system via the at least one of the second network and the at least one other network comprises submitting at least one query to the storage system; and receiving the maintenance information in response to the submitted at least one query. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein: the storage system is configured to indicate to the processing device that the port is scheduled for the maintenance activity; and obtaining the maintenance information comprises receiving the indication that the port is scheduled for the maintenance activity from the storage system. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein: the processing device is configured to determine a list of ports of the storage system, the list of ports comprising the port; the processing device is configured to present an interface to a user, the interface being configured to present the list of ports to the user; obtaining the maintenance information comprises receiving an activation of a maintenance element associated with the port in the interface; and the host device is configured to set the path to an active mode based at least in part on a second alert issued by the processing device, the second alert being configured to cause the host device to set the path to the active mode. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5 wherein: the interface is configured to determine a set of host devices that correspond to each port in the list of ports; the interface is configured to present the set of host devices in association with the list of ports to the user; and determining that the host device utilizes the port for communication with the storage system comprises determining that the host device is included in the set of host devices that correspond to the port. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the host device is configured to set the path to an active mode based at least in part on at least one of: a determination by the host device that the path became unavailable due to the port maintenance activity followed by a determination by the host device that the path is available; and a determination by the host device that a threshold amount of time has passed since the alert was issued. ### Claim 8 A method comprising: obtaining maintenance information from a storage system, the maintenance information comprising an indication that a port of the storage system is scheduled for a future maintenance activity; determining that a host device utilizes the port for communication with the storage system via a first network; and issuing an alert, via a second network that is different than the first network, the alert being configured to cause the host device to set a path associated with the port to a standby mode prior to the future maintenance activity, the standby mode being configured to inhibit input-output operations from being submitted to the storage system along the path; wherein the method is implemented by a processing device comprising a processor coupled to a memory. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8 wherein obtaining the maintenance information comprises obtaining the maintenance information from the storage system via at least one of the second network and at least one other network that is different than the first network. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9 wherein: obtaining the maintenance information from the storage system via the at least one of the second network and the at least one other network comprises submitting at least one query to the storage system; and receiving the maintenance information in response to the submitted at least one query. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8 wherein: the storage system is configured to indicate to the processing device that the port is scheduled for the maintenance activity; and obtaining the maintenance information comprises receiving the indication that the port is scheduled for the maintenance activity from the storage system. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8 wherein the method further comprises: determining a list of ports of the storage system, the list of ports comprising the port; and presenting an interface to a user, the interface being configured to present the list of ports to the user; wherein obtaining the maintenance information comprises receiving an activation of a maintenance element associated with the port in the interface; and the host device is configured to set the path to an active mode based at least in part on a second alert issued by the processing device, the second alert being configured to cause the host device to set the path to the active mode. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 wherein the method further comprises: determining a set of host devices that correspond to each port in the list of ports; and presenting the set of host devices in association with the list of ports to the user; and wherein determining that the host device utilizes the port for communication with the storage system comprises determining that the host device is included in the set of host devices that correspond to the port. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8 wherein the host device is configured to set the path to an active mode based at least in part on at least one of: a determination by the host device that the path became unavailable due to the port maintenance activity followed by a determination by the host device that the path is available; and a determination by the host device that a threshold amount of time has passed since the alert was issued. ### Claim 15 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 processing device comprising a processor coupled to memory, causes the processing device: to obtain maintenance information from a storage system, the maintenance information comprising an indication that a port of the storage system is scheduled for a future maintenance activity; to determine that a host device utilizes the port for communication with the storage system via a first network; and to issue an alert, via a second network that is different than the first network, the alert being configured to cause the host device to set a path associated with the port to a standby mode prior to the future maintenance activity, the standby mode being configured to inhibit input-output operations from being submitted to the storage system along the path. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The computer program product of claim 15 wherein obtaining the maintenance information comprises obtaining the maintenance information from the storage system via at least one of the second network and at least one other network that is different than the first network. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The computer program product of claim 16 wherein: obtaining the maintenance information from the storage system via the at least one of the second network and the at least one other network comprises submitting at least one query to the storage system; and receiving the maintenance information in response to the submitted at least one query. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The computer program product of claim 15 wherein: the storage system is configured to indicate to the processing device that the port is scheduled for the maintenance activity; and obtaining the maintenance information comprises receiving the indication that the port is scheduled for the maintenance activity from the storage system. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the program code further causes the processing device: to determine a list of ports of the storage system and a set of host devices that correspond to each port in the list of ports, the list of ports comprising the port; and to present an interface to a user, the interface being configured to present the list of ports and the set of host devices in association with the list of ports to the user; and wherein: obtaining the maintenance information comprises receiving an activation of a maintenance element associated with the port in the interface; determining that the host device utilizes the port for communication with the storage system comprises determining that the host device is included in the set of host devices that correspond to the port; and the host device is configured to set the path to an active mode based at least in part on a second alert issued by the processing device, the second alert being configured to cause the host device to set the path to the active mode. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the host device is configured to set the path to an active mode based at least in part on at least one of: a determination by the host device that the path became unavailable due to the port maintenance activity followed by a determination by the host device that the path is available; and a determination by the host device that a threshold amount of time has passed since the alert was issued.