Methods and apparatus for partitioning management information

A method of partitioning data comprising:

• identifying a set of data indicative of update information corresponding to manageable entities in a storage area network (SAN);
• computing a range of manageable entities to which the updates pertain;
• determining if the updates are within the computed range;
• defining a series of partitions inclusive of subranges of the manageable entities in the storage array;
• computing a threshold indicative of a need to partition;
• and
• determining if the number of updates to the data set exceeds the computed threshold;
• and
• selectively transmitting updates corresponding to the computed range, the manageable entities further comprising storage objects, each storage object recognizable distinctly from other manageable entities and responsive to a management application for generating update data indicative of updates in the SAN.

A host computer for partitioning management information data in a storage area network (SAN) comprising:

• a computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon for processing data information, such that the instructions, when carried out by a processing device, enable the processing device to provide an agent operable to identify a set of updates indicative of update information in a storage array, the storage array including a plurality of storage objects;
• a partitioner in the agent operable to
• identify, for each of the updates, a storage object to which the updates correspond;
• compute a subset of the storage objects in the storage array, and determine, for each of the identified updates, if the updates correspond to the computed subset of storage objects;
• identify a range of storage objects in the storage array;
• and
• enumerate, from the identified range, subranges of storage objects in the storage array, each of the subranges defining a consecutive sequence of storage objects;
• and
• wherein the agent is further operable to update a SAN managed object database (MODB) using the updates corresponding to the computed subset of storage objects;
• wherein the agent is further operable to:
• compute a threshold indicative of a need to partition;
• determine if the number of updates to the data set exceeds the computed threshold;
• partition the updates by subdividing the updates into the corresponding partitions;
• and
• transmit each of the partitions independently of the other partitions.

A host computer for partitioning management information data in a storage area network (SAN) comprising:

• a computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon for processing data information, such that the instructions, when carried out by a processing device, enable the processing device to provide an agent operable to identify a set of updates indicative of update information in a storage array, the storage array including a plurality of storage objects;
• a partitioner in the agent operable to
• identify, for each of the updates, a storage object to which the updates correspond;
• compute a subset of the storage objects in the storage array, and determine, for each of the identified updates, if the updates correspond to the computed subset of storage objects;
• identify a range of storage objects in the storage array;
• and
• enumerate, from the identified range, subranges of storage objects in the storage array, each of the subranges defining a consecutive sequence of storage objects;
• and
• wherein the agent is further operable to update a SAN managed object database (MODB) using the updates corresponding to the computed subset of storage objects;
• wherein each of the enumerated subranges defines a partition, the partitioner further operable to determine a series of partitions, the partitions subdividing the range of storage objects, the series of partitions collectively inclusive of each of the storage objects in the storage array;
• wherein the partitioner is operable to compute the partition subranges by:
• identifying a total range of storage objects, the storage objects comprising storage devices in a storage array, each of the storage objects referenced by a device ID and the identity of the storage array;
• demarcating substantially equal subranges of storage devices of the total range to compute a plurality of subranges;
• and
• defining the limits of the subrange by a specification of sequential identifiers indicative of the corresponding storage devices.

A computer program product including a computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon for partitioning data in a storage area network (SAN) for processing data information, such that the instructions, when carried out by a processing device, enable the processing device to perform the operations of:

• identifying a set of updates indicative of update information in a storage array, the storage array including a plurality of storage objects;
• identifying, for each of the updates, a storage object to which the updates correspond;
• computing a subset of the storage objects in the storage array;
• determining, for each of the identified updates, if the updates correspond to the computed subset of storage objects;
• identifying a range of storage objects in a storage array;
• defining a partition inclusive of a subrange of the storage objects in the storage array;
• receiving each update in the set of updates, each update corresponding to a particular storage object;
• determining, for each of the updates, a storage object to which the update corresponds;
• identifying the update as corresponding to a particular partition based on the storage object to which that update corresponds;
• and
• updating a SAN managed object database (MODB) using the updates corresponding to the computed subset of storage objects;
• computing a threshold indicative of a need to partition;
• determining if the number of updates to the data set exceeds the computed threshold;
• and
• transmitting each of the partitions independently of the other partitions.

A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon for processing data information, such that the instructions, when carried out by a processing device, enable the processing device to provide a storage area network (SAN) management agent for gathering management information updates from a remote node in a storage area network (SAN) comprising:

• means for identifying a set of data indicative of update information corresponding to manageable entities in a storage area network (SAN);
• means for computing a range of manageable entities to which the updates pertain, further comprising:
• means for identifying a top level manageable entity, the top level manageable entity inclusive of other manageable entities;
• means for identifying a set of manageable entities included in the top level manageable entity, each of the set of manageable entities having an object ID;
• and
• means for identifying partitions by an upper and lower bound of the object ID of a subrange of the set of manageable entities;
• means for determining if the updates are within the computed range;
• means for computing a threshold indicative of a need to partition;
• means for determining if the number of updates to the data set exceeds the computed threshold;
• means for selectively transmitting updates corresponding to the computed range;
• and
• the manageable entities further comprising storage objects, each storage object recognizable distinctly from other manageable entities and responsive to a management application for generating update data indicative of updates in the SAN and for updating a SAN managed object database (MODB) using the updates corresponding to the computed subset of storage objects.