SAN Boot Failover via WWN Management Server
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Solution Overview
Problem
In a computer system booting via a SAN environment, the unique IDs (World Wide Names) of primary and secondary computers differ, making it difficult to directly transfer the software image including the operating system without manual intervention or changing the RAID device's security settings.
Innovation Solution
A management server or service processor delivers an information collection/setting program to read and record unique IDs of fibre channel ports, allowing the secondary computer to set the primary computer's ID before starting its operating system, enabling seamless software image transfer without altering RAID device settings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the security function of the RAID device uses unique IDs (World Wide Names) to associate logical units with fibre channel ports, then data security is improved, but the ability to directly transfer software images during failover deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by collecting and managing World Wide Names of fibre channel ports before failover occurs. The management server stores the WWN information in advance, so when failover is needed, the secondary computer can immediately obtain the primary computer's WWN and configure it without manual intervention, thus maintaining both security and ease of operation
Solution Approach 2:
A management server is introduced as an intermediary between the RAID device and the computers. This intermediary manages the World Wide Names and automatically configures the secondary computer with the primary computer's WWN during failover, eliminating the need for manual security setting changes while maintaining data security through controlled ID assignment
2Reliability
If manual operation or RAID device security setting changes are required for failover, then data security is maintained, but failover time and system downtime increase
Solution Approach 1:
The management server collects and stores World Wide Names in advance before any failover event occurs. This preliminary preparation ensures that when failover is triggered, the secondary computer can immediately receive the configured WWN through automated program execution, eliminating the time-consuming manual configuration process while maintaining security protocols
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service failover where the secondary computer automatically obtains and configures the primary computer's World Wide Name through executed programs without requiring manual intervention. This automated process maintains data security through controlled ID management while significantly reducing failover time
Data Source
AI summary
When a primary computer is taken over to a secondary computer in a redundancy configuration computer system where booting is performed via a storage area network (SAN), a management server delivers an information collecting/setting program to the secondary computer before the user's operating system of the secondary computer is started. This program assigns a unique ID (World Wide Name), assigned to the fiber channel port of the secondary computer to allow a software image to be taken over from the primary computer to the secondary computer.