Method and system for end-to-end problem determination and fault isolation for storage area networks

A method for processing errors within a storage area network (SAN), the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

• receiving an error message at a communication architecture manager (CAM), wherein the CAM comprises problem determination (PD) functionality for the SAN, wherein a CAM maintains a SAN PD information table (SPDIT), and wherein a communication architecture (CA) managed by the CAM comprises all network-connected elements capable of communicating information stored in the SPDIT;
• generating a SAN topology map comprising a table in which each row of the SAN topology tables uniquely mapped to a communication architecture element (CAE) and each column of the SAN topology table is uniquely mapped to the CAE, wherein the CAE is a network-connected device that has successfully registered with the communications architecture manager (CAM) via a network service protocol, wherein the CAM contains problem determination (PD) functionality for the SAN and maintains the SPDIT;
• and
• processing the error message using a real-time diagnostic algorithm (RDA).

A data processing system for processing errors within a storage area network (SAN), the data processing system comprising:

• first generating means for generating a SAN topology map comprising a table in which each row of the SAN topology table is uniquely mapped to a communication architecture element (CAE) and each column of the SAN topology table is uniquely mapped to the CAE, wherein the CAE is a network-connected device that has successfully registered with a communications architecture manager (CAM) via a network service protocol, wherein the CAM contains problem determination (PD) functionality for the SAN and maintains the SPDIT;
• second generating means for generating a SAN problem determination information table (SPDIT);
• and
• third generating means for generating a SAN diagnostic table (SDT) using the SAN topology map and the SPDIT.

A data processing system for processing errors within a storage area network (SAN), the data processing system comprising:

• receiving means for receiving an error message at a communication architecture manager (CAM), wherein the CAM comprises problem determination (PD) functionality for the SAN, wherein a CAM maintains a SAN PD information table (SPDIT), and wherein a communication architecture (CA) managed by the CAM comprises all network-connected elements capable of communicating information stored in the SPDIT;
• generating means for generating a SAN topology map comprising a table in which each row of the SAN topology table is uniquely mapped to a communication architecture element (CAE) and each column of the SAN topology table is uniquely mapped to the CAE, wherein the CAE is a network-connected device that has successfully registered with the communications architecture manager (CAM) via a network service protocol, wherein the CAM contains problem determination (PD) functionality for the SAN and maintains the SPDIT;
• and
• processing means for processing the error message using a real-time diagnostic algorithm (RDA).

A computer program product in a computer-readable medium for use in a data processing system for processing errors within a storage area network (SAN), the computer program product comprising:

• first instructions for generating a SAN topology map comprising a table in which each row of the SAN topology table is uniquely mapped to a communication architecture element (CAE) and each column of the SAN topology table is uniquely mapped to the CAE, wherein the CAE is a network-connected device that has, successfully registered with a communications architecture manager (CAM) via a network service protocol, wherein the CAM contains problem determination (PD) functionality for the SAN and maintains the SPDIT;
• second instructions for generating a SAN problem determination information table (SPDIT);
• and
• third instructions for generating a SAN diagnostic table (SDT) using the SAN topology map and the SPDIT.

A computer program product in a computer-readable medium for use in a data processing system for processing errors within a storage area network (SAN), the computer program product comprising:

• first instructions for receiving an error message at a communication architecture manager (CAM), wherein the CAM comprises problem determination (PD) functionality for the SAN, wherein a CAM maintains a SAN PD information table (SPDIT), and wherein a communication architecture (CA) managed by the CAM comprises all network-connected elements capable of communicating information stored in the SPDIT;
• and
• second instructions for generating a SAN topology map comprising a table in which each row of the SAN topology table is uniquely mapped to a communication architecture element (CAE) and each column of the SAN topology table is uniquely mapped to the CAE, wherein the CAE is a network-connected device that has successfully registered with the communications architecture manager (CAM) via a network service protocol wherein the CAM contains problem determination (PD) functionality for the SAN and maintains the SPDIT;
• and
• third instructions for processing the error message using a real-time diagnostic algorithm (RDA).