Storage Management LUN Range Mapping for Bridge Port Identification
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Solution Overview
Problem
In storage networks, the sequential assignment of Logical Unit Numbers (LUNs) by bridge devices makes it difficult for storage management computing devices to determine the port of a bridge device that a storage device is attached to, hindering efficient failure detection and resolution, leading to increased downtime and reduced network performance.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method where storage management computing devices maintain a LUN range table and active LUN table to associate LUNs with SAS ports, allowing them to identify the port of a failed storage device based on LUN ranges and disconnect messages, facilitating efficient failure detection and reporting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If LUNs are assigned sequentially by bridge devices, then storage devices can be easily connected and managed, but storage management computing devices cannot determine the port of a bridge device that a storage device is attached to
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-configuring LUN ranges to correspond to specific SAS ports on the bridge device before storage devices are connected. This pre-establishment of LUN-to-port mappings enables the storage management computing device to determine port locations without requiring sequential reconfiguration, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of connection and port identification capability.
2Device complexity
If sequential LUN assignment is used, then device configuration is simplified, but failure detection and resolution time increases due to inability to locate failed devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by having the bridge device send disconnect messages that include LUN information when storage devices fail. The storage management computing device uses the pre-configured LUN range-to-port mappings to immediately identify which port the failed device was connected to, providing rapid feedback for failure detection and resolution without increasing configuration complexity.
3Measurement precision
If LUN ranges are pre-configured to correspond to SAS ports, then port identification is enabled, but bridge device and storage management computing device configuration becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the LUN address space into distinct ranges, where each range corresponds to a specific SAS port on the bridge device. This segmentation creates a structured mapping that enables precise port identification while maintaining manageable configuration complexity, as the segmentation follows a systematic pattern rather than requiring arbitrary complex mappings.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, non-transitory computer readable media, and storage management computing devices that obtains and stores a plurality of LUN ranges and an indication of a plurality of ports of a bridge device corresponding to the plurality of LUN ranges. A LUN is received from the bridge device. One of the plurality of ports of the bridge device to which a storage device associated with the received LUN is attached via inclusion in one of a plurality of stacks communicably coupled to the one of the plurality of ports of the bridge device is identified. The received LUN is within one of the plurality of LUN ranges corresponding to the one of the plurality of ports. An action is initiated based on the identified one of the plurality of ports of the bridge.