Virtualizing storage for WPAR clients using key authentication
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsMichael P. Cyr, James A. Pafumi, Morgan J. Rosas, Vasu Vallabhaneni
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Abstract
Systems, methods and media 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.
Claims15
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;
- physical storage connected to the VIOS of the server through a physical adapter;
- and
- an authenticator created by software executed by the processor to authenticate a memory transaction initiated by a WPAR, wherein the authenticator is configured to authenticate a key value submitted by a WPAR against stored key values for the at least one WPAR, and wherein a data transfer between the WPAR and the physical storage, via the virtual port, is only performed in response to the authenticator determining the WPAR to be authentic based on results of the authentication of the key value.
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;
- performing the memory transaction between the WPAR and the physical storage via the virtual port assigned to the WPAR;
- and
- authenticating the request from the requesting WPAR, wherein authenticating the request from the requesting WPAR comprises authenticating a key value submitted by the requesting WPAR with the request against stored key values for the plurality of WPARs of the server, and wherein the memory transaction is performed only in response to the authentication of the request resulting in the requesting WPAR indicating that the requesting WPAR is authentic.
A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer useable medium storing 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;
- perform the memory transaction between the WPAR and the physical storage via the virtual port assigned to the WPAR;
- and
- authenticate the request from the requesting WPAR, wherein authenticating the request from the requesting WPAR comprises authenticating a key value submitted by the requesting WPAR with the request against stored key values for the plurality of WPARs of the server, and wherein the memory transaction is performed only in response to the authentication of the request resulting in the requesting WPAR indicating that the requesting WPAR is authentic.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.