Discovery of storage area network devices for a virtual machine

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer-readable program code stored thereon for causing a computer system to perform a method for discovering a plurality of storage area network (SAN) devices for a virtual machine, the method comprising:

• at a SAN device of the plurality of SAN devices:
• discovering physically adjacent SAN devices connected to the SAN device;
• and
• registering the physically adjacent SAN devices connected to the SAN device at a name server;
• establishing communications between a host device and a target device of the plurality of SAN devices, wherein the virtual machine is resident on the host device;
• identifying, at the host device and the target device, a plurality of paths over the plurality of SAN devices to communicate between the host device and the target device;
• populating a mapping table for the virtual machine with the plurality of paths over the plurality of SAN devices to communicate between the host device and the target device, wherein the mapping table is maintained at a central management server;
• and
• updating the mapping table at the central management server in response to movement of at least one SAN device of the plurality of SAN devices.

A computer-implemented method for discovering a plurality of storage area network (SAN) devices for a virtual machine, the method comprising:

• at a SAN device of the plurality of SAN devices:
• discovering physically adjacent SAN devices connected to the SAN device;
• and
• registering the physically adjacent SAN devices connected to the SAN device at a name server;
• establishing communications between a host device and a target device of the plurality of SAN devices, wherein the virtual machine is resident on the host device, the establishing communications between a host device and a target device of the plurality of SAN devices comprising:
• accessing, at a host device of the plurality of SAN devices, the name server to discover a target device of the plurality of SAN device;
• and
• negotiating, at the host device and the target device, parameters used for further communication between the host device and the target device over the SAN;
• identifying, at the host device and the target device, a plurality of paths over the plurality of SAN devices to communicate between the host device and the target device;
• populating a mapping table for the virtual machine with the plurality of paths over the plurality of SAN devices to communicate between the host device and the target device, wherein the mapping table is maintained at a central management server;
• and
• updating the mapping table at the central management server in response to movement of at least one SAN device of the plurality of SAN devices.