US 7,890,617 B2 · Method, apparatus and system for serial attached SCSI (SAS) zoning management of a domain using end device grouping

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention include a method, apparatus and system for managing SAS zoning, using end device grouping. A SAS end device grouping management application is configured to group SAS end devices, such as SAS initiator devices and SAS target devices, into any number of zones or zone configurations. The end device grouping application uses these defined zones to create a minimal number of zone groups, e.g., by creating one zone group per defined zone and populating the zone group with the ZPSDS entry point phys of the end devices in the zone from which the zone group is based, and to configure the respective permissions of the created zone groups. The end device grouping application then compares all existing zone groups for common phys and removes them to a new zone group. The zone groups are compared and processed in this manner until no zone groups have common phys.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A SAS end device grouping method for managing SAS zoning within an SAS domain having at least one SAS initiator end device and at least one SAS target end device, the method comprising the steps of:

bundling at least one SAS initiator end device with at least one SAS target end device to define at least one zone;
creating at least one zone group based on the defined zone, wherein the zone group includes phys of the end devices bundled in the zone from which the zone group is based;
and
comparing, after all zone groups based on the defined zones have been created, each zone group with all other zone groups, wherein the zone group comparing step includes
identifying, after all zone groups based on the defined zones have been created, zone groups having at least one common phy,
creating a new zone group for phys common to more than one existing zone group,
moving the phys common to more than one existing zone group to the new zone group, and
configuring the common phys within the new zone group in such a way that the common phys within the new zone group can communicate with other common phys in the new zone group and with the phys in the zone groups from which the common phys were removed,
wherein the comparing step is repeated until no zone group has any phys common to any other zone group.

6 more elements

An SAS end device grouping SAS zoning management application apparatus for use in managing SAS zoning within an SAS domain having at least one initiator end device, at least one zoning expander device coupled to the initiator end device and at least one target end device coupled to the zoning expander device, the apparatus comprising:

an interface for coupling to at least one of the initiator end devices and the zoning expander devices;
and
a controller coupled to the interface and including at least a portion of an end device grouping application,
wherein the end device grouping application is configured to
bundle at least one SAS initiator end device with at least one SAS target end device to define at least one zone,
create at least one first zone group and at least one second zone group based on the defined zones, wherein the first zone group and the second zone group each include phys of the end devices bundled in the zone from which the respective zone group is based,
determine whether a phy residing in the first zone group also resides in the second zone group,
create a new zone group for phys common to the first zone group and the second zone group,
move the phys common to the first zone group and the second zone group from their respective zone groups to the new zone group, and
configure the common phys within the new zone group in such a way that the common phys within the new zone group can communicate with other common phys in the new zone group and with the phys in the zone groups from which the common phys were removed,
wherein the end device grouping application is configured to create new zone groups for common phys, move common phys to new zone groups and configuration common phys within new zone groups until no zone group has any phys common to any other zone group.

8 more elements

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that carry out a method for managing SAS zoning within an SAS domain having at least one SAS initiator end device and at least one SAS target end device, the non-transitory computer readable medium comprising:

instructions for bundling at least one SAS initiator end device with at least one SAS target end device to define at least one zone;
instructions for creating at least one zone group based on the defined zone, wherein the zone group includes phys of the end devices bundled in the zone from which the zone group is based;
and
instructions for comparing, after all zone groups based on the defined zones have been created, each zone group with all other zone groups, wherein the zone group comparing instructions include
instructions for identifying, after all zone groups based on the defined zones have been created, zone groups having at least one common phy,
instructions for creating a new zone group for phys common to more than one existing zone group,
instructions for moving the phys common to more than one existing zone group to the new zone group, and
instructions for configuring the common phys within the new zone group in such a way that the common phys within the new zone group can communicate with other common phys in the new zone group and with the phys in the zone groups from which the common phys were removed,
wherein the instructions for comparing are repeated until no zone group has any phys common to any other zone group.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method, apparatus and system for serial attached SCSI (SAS) zoning management of a domain using end device grouping

Life of this patent

Method, apparatus and system for serial attached SCSI (SAS) zoning management of a domain using end device grouping

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims23