Masking View Storage Configuration Automation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The complexity of configuring data storage systems increases with the number of data storage systems, target ports, and logical devices, making it a time-consuming and cumbersome task to manage access and paths for host systems.
Innovation Solution
The method involves defining initiator groups, target groups, and storage groups, creating a masking view that indicates accessible devices over specified paths, and performing automated logical unit assignment, allowing for hierarchical group definitions and unique logical unit identifier sequences for each path.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual configuration of initiator ports, target ports, and logical devices is performed for each logical device, then precise access control and path definition are achieved, but the configuration time and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the configuration task into three hierarchical groups: initiator groups (grouping initiator ports), target groups (grouping target ports), and storage groups (grouping logical devices). This segmentation allows administrators to configure access rights at the group level rather than individually for each port and device, significantly reducing configuration time while maintaining precise access control through the masking view that defines which initiator groups can access which storage groups through which target groups.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-defining initiator groups, target groups, and storage groups before establishing access relationships. The masking view is created in advance to define the access matrix between these pre-grouped entities. This preliminary grouping and masking configuration eliminates the need for individual port-device pairing during actual deployment, reducing configuration time and complexity while ensuring access control precision is maintained.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the number of data storage systems, target ports, and logical devices increases, then system capacity and functionality are improved, but the complexity of managing access paths and configuration increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements universality through the masking view mechanism, which serves as a universal access control matrix that can define relationships between any initiator group, target group, and storage group组合. This universal masking approach allows the system to scale to accommodate increasing numbers of data storage systems, ports, and devices without proportionally increasing configuration complexity, as the same masking mechanism handles all access relationships regardless of system size.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a hierarchical dimension to the configuration model by introducing group-level abstraction above individual ports and devices. Instead of managing access in a flat one-to-one port-to-device mapping, the system operates in multiple dimensions: initiator ports are grouped, target ports are grouped, logical devices are grouped, and masking views define the access matrix between these groups. This dimensional transformation allows scalable management of large systems.
Data Source
AI summary
Described are techniques for storage configuration. Defined are one or more initiator groups each including one or more initiator ports, one or more target groups each including one or more target ports, and one or more storage groups each including one or more devices. A masking view is created where the masking view includes a first of the initiator groups, a first of the target groups, and a first of the storage groups. The masking view indicates which devices of the first storage group are accessible using one or more paths. Each of the one or more paths is specified using an initiator port from the first initiator group and a target port from the first target group.