Methods and systems for maintaining configuration information

A method for managing configuration information associated with a storage area network, the method comprising:

• via at least one processor in a computer system, retrieving configuration information indicating configurations of different types of resources in a storage area network;
• based on the configuration information, generating a set of records, each record in the set including corresponding identifiers indicating the different types of resources associated with a respective storage area network configuration;
• and
• maintaining the set of records in an order depending on respective values of at least a portion of the corresponding identifiers in the set of records;
• wherein retrieving the configuration information includes receiving an interoperability statement indicating configurations of different types of resources that can be validly used in the storage area network, the method further comprising:
• processing the received interoperability statement to:
• i) identify a first type of resource, ii) identify a second type of resource, iii) for the first type of resource, identify a corresponding first resource, and iv) for the second type of resource, identify a group of multiple different resources, each of which can be used in combination with the corresponding first resource as a valid configuration combination in the storage area network;
• and
• generating a respective record for each valid configuration combination.

A method for managing configuration information associated with a storage area network, the method comprising:

• via at least one processor in a computer system, retrieving configuration information indicating configurations of different types of resources in a storage area network;
• based on the configuration information, generating a set of records, each record in the set including corresponding identifiers indicating the different types or resources associated with a respective storage area network configuration;
• maintaining the set of records in an order depending on respective values of at least a portion of the corresponding identifiers in the set of records;
• sorting the records according to a respective value of a first type of identifier stored in each record of the set of records such that a contiguous subset of records in the set includes a same first identifier value;
• and
• sorting the contiguous subset of records based on a second type of identifier value in each record of the contiguous set of records.

A computer system for managing configuration information associated with a storage area network, the computer system comprising:

• a processor;
• a memory unit that stores instructions associated with an application executed by the processor;
• and
• an interconnect coupling the processor and the memory unit, enabling the computer system to execute the application and perform operations of:
• retrieving configuration information indicating configurations of different types of resources in a storage area network;
• based on the configuration information, generating a set of records, each record in the set including corresponding identifiers indicating the different types of resources associated with a respective storage area network configuration;
• and
• maintaining the set of records in an order depending on respective values of at least a portion of the corresponding identifiers in the set of records;
• wherein generating the set of records includes:
• generating a single particular record in the set to indicate multiple different combinations of resources that can be used together in the storage area network, the single particular record including a first identifier of a respective first type of resource and a second identifier of a respective grouping of a second type of multiple different resources, a first combination of interoperable resources defined by the single particular record including the first type of resource and one resource selected from the respective grouping of the second type of multiple different resources, a second combination of interoperable resources defined by the single particular record including the first type of resource and another resource selected from the respective grouping of the second type of multiple different resources.

A computer system for managing configuration information associated with a storage area network, the computer system comprising:

• a processor;
• a memory unit that stores instructions associated with an application executed by the processor;
• and
• an interconnect coupling the processor and the memory unit, enabling the computer system to execute the application and perform operations of:
• retrieving configuration information indicating configurations of different types of resources in a storage area network;
• based on the configuration information, generating a set of records, each record in the set including corresponding identifiers indicating the different types of resources associated with a respective storage area network configuration;
• maintaining the set of records in an order depending on respective values of at least a portion of the corresponding identifiers in the set of records;
• after retrieving the configuration information, processing corresponding interoperability statements in the configuration information to identify valid combinations of the different types of resources that can be used in the storage area network;
• and
• for each of at least two of the valid combinations:
• i) based on the configuration information, identifying a respective set of interoperable resources that can be validly used together in the storage area network;
• ii) mapping each resource in the respective set of interoperable resources to a corresponding numerical value;
• and
• iii) creating a respective record to include a set of corresponding numerical values identifying the respective set of interoperable resources that can be validly used together in the storage area network.