Abstract: A method and apparatus for automatically provisioning at least a portion of a computer system to meet a specification provided in a provisioning request. In one embodiment, the provisioning includes provisioning at least one resource from each of at least one host computer, at least one storage system, and at least one connectivity resource that connects the at least one host computer to the at least one storage system. In another embodiment, the provisioning includes selecting and configuring at least one logical volume of storage and configuring the computer system to provide access to the selected volume. In another aspect, a computer-readable provisioning transaction is created to provision the computer system, and a computer-readable undo transaction is created to undo it. In a further embodiment, an existing computer system is reverse engineered to create a specification that is modified to create the specification in the provisioning request.

Abstract: A software process receives a command initiating creation of a zone naming policy for automatically generating zone names in a storage area network. During creation of a zone naming policy, the software process receives selection of one or more format elements to be used in the zone naming policy. The one or more format elements each identify which corresponding at least one type of characteristic associated with a given zone in the storage area network shall be used to automatically generate a respective zone name for the given zone. For example, the format elements in a zone policy may identify how to generate a respective zone name using identifiers associated with resources associated with the zone. Accordingly, a network manager can create a zone naming policy for automatically generating zone names in a storage area network rather than having to manually create zone names for each created zone.

Abstract: A software process receives a command initiating creation of a zone naming policy for automatically generating zone names in a storage area network. During creation of a zone naming policy, the software process receives selection of one or more format elements to be used in the zone naming policy. The one or more format elements each identify which corresponding at least one type of characteristic associated with a given zone in the storage area network shall be used to automatically generate a respective zone name for the given zone. For example, the format elements in a zone policy may identify how to generate a respective zone name using identifiers associated with resources associated with the zone. Accordingly, a network manager can create a zone naming policy for automatically generating zone names in a storage area network rather than having to manually create zone names for each created zone.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for automatically provisioning at least a portion of a computer system to meet a specification provided in a provisioning request. In one embodiment, the provisioning includes provisioning at least one resource from each of at least one host computer, at least one storage system, and at least one connectivity resource that connects the at least one host computer to the at least one storage system. In another embodiment, the provisioning includes selecting and configuring at least one logical volume of storage and configuring the computer system to provide access to the selected volume. In another aspect, a computer-readable provisioning transaction is created to provision the computer system, and a computer-readable undo transaction is created to undo it. In a further embodiment, an existing computer system is reverse engineered to create a specification that is modified to create the specification in the provisioning request.

Abstract: The present invention provides a tool with which a DBA can analyze a VLDB at all levels of data storage, both logical and physical, to analyze performance problems. The invention is particularly applicable to systems in which database files are striped over multiple disk drives. In the present invention, storage of information is monitored at three levels: database files, file system files, and individual disk drives Parameters indicating the activity and performance level of each of the levels of storage are taken at selected intervals and stored. An analysis tool is provided that allows a DBA to select a time window during which the database performance is be assessed. The analysis tool has a map of the logical and physical arrangement of the database being monitored and allows a DBA to move from level to level of both logical and physical structures involved in storing the data while displaying I/O activity in an easily understood manner.