Dynamic Failover Port Selection in Storage Switches
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing storage network configurations require manual or static association of failover ports, which are labor-intensive and inflexible, leading to inefficient recovery from link down conditions due to hardware or communication faults.
Innovation Solution
A switch in the storage network dynamically identifies and manages failover device ports through partner port managers, requesting and receiving port information from devices to create virtual partner ports that can change based on resource usage and link conditions, enabling dynamic failover without static associations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual or static association of failover ports is used, then configuration simplicity is maintained, but labor intensity increases and flexibility decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic failover port association where the failover port is not statically configured but dynamically selected based on real-time network conditions. The system monitors link status, device availability, and resource usage to automatically determine the optimal failover port, transforming the static configuration into a dynamic adaptive system that responds to changing network states
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service through automated failover port selection and management. The network infrastructure automatically detects link failures, identifies available failover ports, and switches traffic without human intervention. This eliminates manual configuration efforts while maintaining operational simplicity through automation
2Ease of manufacture
If manual configuration of failover ports is performed, then initial setup is straightforward, but recovery efficiency from link down conditions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-establishing the capability for dynamic failover port selection and maintaining real-time awareness of network topology and device status. Before a failure occurs, the system is already configured to automatically respond, eliminating the need for manual reconfiguration during recovery and enabling immediate failover when link failures occur
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous feedback mechanisms by monitoring link status, device availability, and network conditions in real-time. This feedback enables the system to automatically detect failures and dynamically select appropriate failover ports, significantly improving recovery efficiency compared to static configurations that cannot respond to changing conditions
3Device complexity
If static association of failover ports is implemented, then system complexity is reduced, but adaptability to changing network conditions worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The system achieves universality by creating a failover mechanism that can adapt to multiple different failure scenarios and network conditions using a single dynamic selection process. Rather than requiring different configurations for different failure modes, the system universally applies real-time monitoring and dynamic port selection across all failure types, maintaining low complexity while high adaptability
Data Source
AI summary
In some examples, a switch includes a plurality of switch ports, and a processor. The processor is to send, through selected switch ports of the plurality of switch ports, respective requests for port information of device ports of a device connected to the selected switch ports, and receive, from the device responsive to the requests, the port information of the device ports. The processor is to identify, from the device ports of the device in response to the received port information, a failover device port for a first device port of the device, and send, to the device, information of the failover device port for the first device port at the device.