US 7,606,889 B1Granted

Methods and systems for comparing storage area network configurations

AssigneeEMC Corporation

InventorsShankar Kundala, Paul Ogren, Mark M. McBride

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Abstract

Methods and systems for comparing configurations of a storage area network are disclosed. A first configuration file and a second configuration file, each representing the configuration of a storage area network, are imported into a first configuration tree and a second configuration tree. An unordered comparison is then performed on the configuration trees. The unordered comparison produces a difference file that identifies changes in the configurations of the storage area networks. The configuration trees may be each processed into comparison trees before the unordered comparison is performed. The unordered comparison may produce two results files, one corresponding to the first comparison tree and the other corresponding to the second comparison tree; these may be combined to create the difference file. The identified changes in the difference file or in the results files may then be reported to a storage area network manager or administrator.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A computer-implemented method of comparing configurations of a storage area network in which a computer system performs operations comprising:

importing a first configuration file and a second configuration file into a first configuration tree and a second configuration tree, the first configuration file representing a first configuration of a storage area network and the second configuration file representing a second configuration of the storage area network;
processing the first configuration tree and the second configuration tree into a first comparison tree and a second comparison tree, wherein processing the first configuration tree and the second configuration tree comprises:
converting or modifying the format of the first and second configuration trees to one that is compatible with a comparison routine that performs an unordered comparison;
removing irrelevant information and/or inserting additional information into the first and second comparison trees;
and
adding pointers to the first comparison tree and to the second comparison tree, each pointer in the first comparison tree referring back to the equivalent part of the first configuration tree and each pointer in the second comparison tree referring back to the equivalent part of the second configuration tree, wherein the pointers carry over regardless of any changes made to the format of the first and second comparison trees;
and
performing the unordered comparison on the first configuration tree and the second configuration tree to produce a difference file, the difference file identifying changes between the first configuration of the storage area network and the second configuration of the storage area network.

5 more elements

A computer system comprising:

a memory;
a processor;
a display;
an interconnection mechanism coupling the memory, the processor and the display allowing communication there between;
wherein the memory is encoded with a comparison application, that when executed in the processor, provides a comparison process that compares configurations of a storage area network, by causing the computer system to perform the operations of:
importing a first configuration file and a second configuration file into a first configuration tree and a second configuration tree, the first configuration file representing a first configuration of a storage area network and the second configuration file representing a second configuration of the storage area network;
processing the first configuration tree and the second configuration tree into a first comparison tree and a second comparison tree, wherein processing the first configuration tree and the second configuration tree comprises:
converting or modifying the format of the first and second configuration trees to one that is compatible with a comparison routine that performs an unordered comparison;
removing irrelevant information and/or inserting additional information into the first and second comparison trees;
and
adding pointers to the first comparison tree and to the second comparison tree, each pointer in the first comparison tree referring back to the equivalent part of the first configuration tree and each pointer in the second comparison tree referring back to the equivalent part of the second configuration tree, wherein the pointers carry over regardless of any changes made to the format of the first and second comparison trees;
and
performing the unordered comparison on the first configuration tree and the second configuration tree to produce a first results file and a second results file, the first results file and the second results file identifying changes between the first configuration of the storage area network and the second configuration of the storage area network.

10 more elements

A computer program product, including a computer-readable storage medium for comparing configurations of a storage area network at distinct points in time, comprising:

computer program code for importing a first configuration file and a second configuration file into a first configuration tree and a second configuration tree, the first configuration file representing a first configuration of a storage area network and the second configuration file representing a second configuration of the storage area network;
computer program code for processing the first configuration tree and the second configuration tree into a first comparison tree and a second comparison tree, wherein processing the first configuration tree and the second configuration tree comprises:
computer program code for converting or modifying the format of the first and second configuration trees to one that is compatible with a comparison routine that performs an unordered comparison;
computer program code for removing irrelevant information and/or inserting additional information into the first and second comparison trees;
and
computer program code for adding pointers to the first comparison tree and to the second comparison tree, each pointer in the first comparison tree referring back to the equivalent part of the first configuration tree and each pointer in the second comparison tree referring back to the equivalent part of the second configuration tree, wherein the pointers carry over regardless of any changes made to the format of the first and second comparison trees;
and
computer program code for performing the unordered comparison on the first configuration tree and the second configuration tree to produce a first results file and a second results file, the first results file and the second results file identifying changes between the first configuration of the storage area network and the second configuration of the storage area network.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.