Custom Host Naming for SAN Failover and Resource Utilization

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional storage area network management applications face challenges in dynamically renaming secondary hosts at a hot site, leading to cumbersome management and limited flexibility, as the predetermined machine name does not provide mnemonic relevance or allow for alternate purposes.

Innovation Solution

A custom host naming mechanism that allows operators to define and modify virtual names for secondary hosts, enabling descriptive names like 'HOST_A2_EXECUTING_AS_FAILOVER_HOST_A1' and allowing these hosts to undertake offline tasks, thus facilitating failover operations and maximizing resource utilization.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If conventional predetermined machine names are used for secondary hosts, then network identification is stable, but operational flexibility and mnemonic relevance are limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenaming flexibilityVSAvoidmanagement complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The host naming system is segmented into two independent components: the machine name (for network identification) and the virtual name (for application-level referencing). This segmentation allows each component to serve its specific purpose independently, enabling flexible virtual naming without affecting network stability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The virtual name acts as an intermediary layer between the management application and the actual host machine. This intermediary allows operators to reference hosts by descriptive names while the system internally maps these to the actual machine names, providing flexibility without compromising system stability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If secondary hosts use fixed machine names, then network stability is maintained, but ability to perform alternate purposes is restricted

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemulti-purpose capabilityVSAvoidreconfiguration time

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The virtual name assigned to secondary hosts is dynamic and can be changed without affecting the underlying machine name or network configuration. This dynamic naming allows hosts to be rapidly reconfigured for different purposes by simply changing their virtual names, eliminating time-consuming reconfiguration processes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

Secondary hosts can serve multiple purposes through dynamic virtual naming. A single host can be assigned different virtual names to represent different roles or functions, allowing the same physical resource to be universally applied across multiple scenarios without requiring dedicated hardware for each purpose.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Ease of operation

If descriptive virtual names are implemented, then operational clarity is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehost identification easeVSAvoidnaming system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically manages the mapping between virtual names and machine names without requiring manual intervention. The management application handles the complexity of name resolution internally, allowing operators to simply use descriptive virtual names while the system self-manages the underlying complexity of maintaining these mappings.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

4Reliability

If secondary hosts remain idle for failover, then disaster recovery readiness is ensured, but resource utilization efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefailover readinessVSAvoidresource utilization

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

Secondary hosts can continuously perform useful offline tasks while maintaining their failover capability. The dynamic virtual naming system allows these hosts to be assigned meaningful names that reflect their current operational state, enabling them to productively utilize resources during normal operations while remaining ready for rapid failover when needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Data Source

PatentUS7437445B1System and methods for host naming in a managed information environment

Publication Date: 2008.10.14 EMC IP HLDG CO LLC

AI summary

A custom host naming mechanism that allows a user to define a custom host name as a virtual name for the hosts in the managed information environment, such as the storage area network, overcomes the shortcomings of the use of a network assigned machine name during a failover operation. The custom host naming mechanism allows the operator to define a mnemonic virtual name for each host in the managed information environment, thereby facilitating failover switching. Further, such secondary hosts may undertake offline, lower priority executing tasks while not in failover mode, and rapidly reconfigure as the failover secondary host should the need arise. Therefore, secondary hosts at a hot site deploy with a mnemonically descriptive name indicative of their status as a secondary host for a corresponding primary host, and further, need not remain idle pending a disaster recovery scenario, but rather are employable for offloading of other, lower priority tasks pending failover response.