Server port virtualization for guest logical unit number (LUN) masking in a host direct attach configuration

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11070512-B2
Application number	US-201715429310-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 10, 2017
Priority date	Feb 10, 2017
Publication date	Jul 20, 2021
Grant date	Jul 20, 2021

Abstract

Embodiments for server port virtualization for guest logical unit number (LUN) masking in a host direct attach configuration using a storage adapter in a computing environment by a processor. An F switch port is simulated by an N storage port to enable either N-port virtualization (NPV) or N-port identification (ID) virtualization (NPIV) in the host direct attach configuration by directly attaching the N server port to the N storage port. A domain name system (DNS) operation is performed to cause each virtualized N-port ID to be mapped to fiber channel (FC) IDs in domain format of domain, area, port.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method, by a processor, for server port virtualization for guest logical unit number (LUN) masking in a host direct attach configuration using a storage adapter in a computing environment, comprising:
simulating an F switch port by an N storage port of the storage adapter of a storage system to enable either N-port virtualization (NPV) or N-port identification (ID) virtualization (NPIV) in the host direct attach configuration, wherein the host direct attach configuration includes physically attaching an N server port of a host directly to the N storage port of the storage adapter of the storage system without connecting the N server port to the N storage port through an intermediate switching device;
sending, to a peer host, a fabric login (FLOGI) by the N storage port simulating the F switch port, wherein the FLOGI is received by from the peer host while acting as the N storage port;
receiving, from the peer host, a FLOGI acceptance response, the FLOGI acceptance response inclusive of a fiber channel (FC) ID assigned to the peer host;
accepting the FLOGI acceptance response from the peer host; and
performing a domain name system (DNS) operation, within firmware of the storage system, to cause each virtualized N-port ID to be mapped to the FC-ID in a domain format of domain, area, port, wherein, upon accepting the FLOGI acceptance response from the peer host, the FC-ID is assigned to a peer world wide port name (WWPN) while simulating the F switch port, and wherein upon receiving the FLOGI, the firmware distinguishes and automatically adapts between a standard N port-to-F port FLOGI process using the intermediate switching device, a non-virtualized, direct attach N port-to-N port FLOGI process, and a virtualized, direct attach N-port-to-N port FLOGI process implementing the NPV or NPIV.

2. The method of claim 1 , further including assigning the domain format of domain, area, port to each virtualized WWPN.

3. The method of claim 1 , further including:
identifying WWPN binding defined in logical configuration data in the firmware of the storage system; and
starting a zoning operation in the firmware of the storage system.

4. The method of claim 1 , further including mapping each of the virtualized N-port IDs to the FC-IDs in the domain format of domain, area, port.

5. A system for server port virtualization for guest logical unit number (LUN) masking in a host direct attach configuration in a computing environment, comprising:
one or more computers each having a physical processor and physical memory, the physical memory storing executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the system to:
simulate an F switch port by an N storage port of the storage adapter of a storage system to enable either N-port virtualization (NPV) or N-port identification (ID) virtualization (NPIV) in the host direct attach configuration, wherein the host direct attach configuration includes physically attaching an N server port of a host directly to the N storage port of the storage adapter of the storage system without connecting the N server port to the N storage port through an intermediate switching device;
send, to a peer host, a fabric login (FLOGI) by the N storage port simulating the F switch port, wherein the FLOGI is received by from the peer host while acting as the N storage port;
receive, from the peer host, a FLOGI acceptance response, the FLOGI acceptance response inclusive of a fiber channel (FC) ID assigned to the peer host;
accept the FLOGI acceptance response from the peer host; and
perform a domain name system (DNS) operation, within firmware of the storage system, to cause each virtualized N-port ID to be mapped to the FC-ID in a domain format of domain, area, port, wherein, upon accepting the FLOGI acceptance response from the peer host, the FC-ID is assigned to a peer world wide port name (WWPN) while simulating the F switch port, and wherein upon receiving the FLOGI, the firmware distinguishes and automatically adapts between a standard N port-to-F port FLOGI process using the intermediate switching device, a non-virtualized, direct attach N port-to-N port FLOGI process, and a virtualized, direct attach N-port-to-N port FLOGI process implementing the NPV or NPIV.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the executable instructions assign the domain format of domain, area, port to each virtualized WWPN.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the executable instructions:
identify WWPN binding defined in logical configuration data in the firmware of the storage system; and
start a zoning operation in the firmware of the storage system.

8. The system of claim 5 , wherein the executable instructions map each of the virtualized N-port IDs to the FC-IDs in the domain format of domain, area, port.

9. A computer program product for, by a processor, server port virtualization for guest logical unit number (LUN) masking in a host direct attach configuration using a storage adapter, in a computing environment, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:
an executable portion that simulates an F switch port by an N storage port of the storage adapter of a storage system to enable either N-port virtualization (NPV) or N-port identification (ID) virtualization (NPIV) in the host direct attach configuration, wherein the host direct attach configuration includes physically attaching an N server port of a host directly to the N storage port of the storage adapter of the storage system without connecting the N server port to the N storage port through an intermediate switching device;
an executable portion that sends, to a peer host, a fabric login (FLOGI) by the N storage port simulating the F switch port, wherein the FLOGI is received by from the peer host while acting as the N storage port;
an executable portion that receives, from the peer host, a FLOGI acceptance response, the FLOGI acceptance response inclusive of a fiber channel (FC) ID assigned to the peer host;
an executable portion that accepts the FLOGI acceptance response from the peer host; and
an executable portion that performs a domain name system (DNS) operation, within firmware of the storage system, to cause each virtualized N-port ID to be mapped to the FC-ID in a domain format of domain, area, port, wherein, upon accepting the FLOGI acceptance response from the peer host, the FC-ID is assigned to a peer world wide port name (WWPN) while simulating the F switch port, and wherein upon receiving the FLOGI, the firmware distinguishes and automatically adapts between a standard N port-to-F port FLOGI process using the intermediate switching device, a non-virtualized, direct attach N port-to-N port FLOGI process, and a virtualized, direct attach N-port-to-N port FLOGI process implementing the NPV or NPIV.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 , further including an executable portion that assigns the domain format of domain, area, port to each virtualized WWPN.

11. The computer program product of claim 9 , further including an executable portion that:
identifies WWPN binding defined in logical configuration data in the firmware of the storage system; or
starts a zoning operation in the firmware of the storage system.

12. The computer program product of claim 9 , further including an executable portion that maps each of the virtualized N-port IDs to the FC-IDs in the domain format of domain, area, port.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Fang Min
• Wang Qing
• Yin Wei
• Yu Jiang

Classifications

• H04L2101/645

  Fibre channel identifiers · CPC title

• H04L2101/604

  Address structures or formats · CPC title

• G06F13/4022 Primary

  using switching circuits, e.g. switching matrix, connection or expansion network (G06F13/4009 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04L61/4511 Primary

  using domain name system [DNS] · CPC title

• H04L67/1097

  for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS] · CPC title