Virtualizing storage for WPAR clients using node port ID virtualization
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsMichael P. Cyr, James A. Pafumi, Morgan J. Rosas, Vasu Vallabhaneni
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Abstract
Mechanisms for providing to a plurality of WPARs private access to physical storage connected to a server through a VIOS are disclosed. In one embodiment, a server is logically partitioned to form a working partition comprising a WPAR manager and individual WPARs. Each WPAR is assigned to a different virtual port. The virtual ports are created by using NPIV protocol between the WPAR and VIOS. Thereby, each WPAR has private access to the physical storage connected to the VIOS.
Claims16
A method to provide to each of a plurality of Working load Partitions (WPAR) in a server access to physical storage through a Virtual Input/Output Server (VIOS) of the server, comprising:
- receiving, by a WPAR manager of the server, a request from a requesting WPAR of a logical partition of the server, to perform a memory transaction;
- connecting the requesting WPAR through a virtual port, assigned to the WPAR and connected to the VIOS using Node Port Identification Virtualization (NPIV) protocol, to a physical storage to give the requesting WPAR private access to the physical storage;
- and
- performing the memory transaction between the WPAR and the physical storage via the virtual port assigned to the WPAR;
- and
- creating by execution of software, a Virtual Fiber Channel (VFC) adapter associated with a virtual port identification, wherein each of the WPARs in the plurality of WPARs is associated with a separate unique virtual port, and wherein each of the separate unique virtual ports associated with the WPARs is associated with the virtual port identification of the VFC.
A system for providing to each of a plurality of Working load Partitions (WPAR) in a server access to physical storage through a Virtual Input/Output Server (VIOS) of the server, comprising:
- a server with a processor to execute software to create a logical partition comprising at least one WPAR and a WPAR manager which controls access of each WPAR to the physical storage through virtual ports connected to the VIOS using Node Port Identification Virtualization (NPIV) protocol so that each WPAR has access to its own private memory of the physical storage;
- and
- physical storage connected to the VIOS of the server through a physical adapter, wherein the at least one WPAR comprises a plurality of WPARs, and wherein each of the WPARs is associated with a separate unique virtual port, the system further comprising a Virtual Fiber Channel (VFC) adapter created by software executed by the processor, the VFC associated with a virtual port identification, wherein each of the separate unique virtual ports associated with the WPARs is associated with the virtual port identification of the VFC.
A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to:
- receive by a Working load Partition (WPAR) manager of the computer, a request from a requesting WPAR of a plurality of WPARs of a logical partition of the server, to perform a memory transaction;
- connect the requesting WPAR through a virtual port assigned to the WPAR and connected to a Virtual I/O Server (VIOS) using Node Port Identification Virtualization (NPIV) protocol, to a physical storage to give the requesting WPAR private access to the physical storage;
- and
- perform the memory transaction between the WPAR and the physical storage via the virtual port assigned to the WPAR;
- and
- create by execution of software, a Virtual Fiber Channel (VFC) adapter associated with a virtual port identification, wherein each of the WPARs in the plurality of WPARs is associated with a separate unique virtual port, and wherein each of the separate unique virtual ports associated with the WPARs is associated with the virtual port identification of the VFC.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.