Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product for providing enhanced management features for a SAN with scalable hosts. Partitioned hosts (or ‘scalable’ hosts) are managed by extending SAN manager host-centric logical views to show (1) the host partition hierarchy and (2) the storage resource ownership for a SAN-attached scalable host. The extended host-centric view includes the host system, hosting OSes (if applicable), hosted OSes for each hosting OS (or the host system), OS volumes for each hosted OS, and logical mapping of each OS volume to the SAN storage resource (logical unit). The SAN manager is extended to also show how hosting (trusted) partitions, blades, and/or cluster members physically connect into a SAN. Users are able to toggle between a host centric view and a physical topology view by selection of items within the interface.

Abstract: Novel storage area networks (SANs) and methods of operation thereof utilize a plurality of hosts coupled via an interconnect with one or more storage units. A manager device, process or other functionality in communication with a plurality of agent processes, devices or other functionality, each of which is associated with a host. The agents identify attributes of (i) their associated hosts, (ii) interconnect to which that host is coupled, and/or (iii) storage units to which that host is coupled via the interconnect. The manager responds to these attributes identified by the agents to manage the SAN. The manager can be implemented on a first digital data processor and the hosts on further digital data processors. These digital data processors can be coupled via a first network, e.g., an IP or other network, to support communications between the manager and the agents. A second network, e.g.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for mapping a storage environment. An identification module identifies a first controller defined storage unit. A test module tests for a second controller defined storage unit corresponding to the first controller defined storage unit. In one embodiment, the second controller defined storage unit is a virtualized instance of the first controller defined storage unit. In an alternate embodiment, the first controller defined storage unit is a virtualized instance of the second controller defined storage unit. A flag module flags the first controller defined storage unit if there is a second controller defined storage unit corresponding to the first controller defined storage unit. In one embodiment, a monitor module monitors the status of each unflagged defined storage unit in the storage environment. In addition, a report module may report the status of each unflagged defined storage unit.

Abstract: The present invention concerns methods and apparatus for implementing an interactive graphical user interface having the ability to graphically depict the relationships between or among multiple portlets. In one aspect, the present invention relates a child sub-portlet to a parent portlet with at least one graphical indicator when the child sub-portlet is surfaced from the parent portlet. Other aspects of the present invention concern in-line tools integrated in the graphical indicators for managing portlet operations. The graphical indicators and inline controls of the present invention allow a user to accurately and precisely control portlets.

Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and program for selectively removing entities from a user interface displaying network entities. A discovery database includes information on at least one network, and, for each network, information on entities in the network and a status of the entities. A user interface display is generated indicating the entities in one network that are available and unavailable. User selection is received of at least one entity in the network that is displayed as unavailable, wherein at least one displayed unavailable entity is not selected. User selection is received to remove the selected at least one entity and the selected at least one entity and any underlying entities within the selected entity are removed in response to the user selection to remove the selected at least one entity.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product for providing enhanced management features for a SAN with scalable hosts. Partitioned hosts (or ‘scalable’ hosts) are managed by extending SAN manager host-centric logical views to show (1) the host partition hierarchy and (2) the storage resource ownership for a SAN-attached scalable host. The extended host-centric view includes the host system, hosting OSes (if applicable), hosted OSes for each hosting OS (or the host system), OS volumes for each hosted OS, and logical mapping of each OS volume to the SAN storage resource (logical unit). The SAN manager is extended to also show how hosting (trusted) partitions, blades, and/or cluster members physically connect into a SAN. Users are able to toggle between a host centric view and a physical topology view by selection of items within the interface.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for generating a name for a system of devices. An identifier identifies each component in the system. Once each component is identified, information such as the World Wide Name (WWN) of each component is stored in a database. Additional information such as the IP address of each component may also be stored within the database. A comparator then compares a name such as the WWN of each component and selects the name of a selected component based on specified parameters provided by a user. The selected name is modified and then assigned as an identifier of the entire system of devices. The system of devices is thus assigned a unique identifier that remains the same each time those components form a system of devices.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are provided for configuring a network feature for a network fabric. The apparatus includes an input module, a discovery module, a selection module and an assignment module. The input module receives a network feature configuration for a network fabric. The discovery module determines the network feature capabilities of each of a plurality of agents coupled to the network fabric. The selection module selects a preferred agent from the plurality of agents. The assignment module assigns the preferred agent to apply the network feature configuration to the network fabric through a management interface coupling the preferred agent to the network fabric.

Abstract: An innovation for managing a virtual storage area network involves several processing stages. First, a logical portion of each network switch allocated to the virtual storage area network is discovered. Second, for each discovered network switch, a virtual switch is generated as a representation of the logical portion of the corresponding network switch. Third, the virtual storage area network is managed based on visual presentation(s) of the virtual switch(es).

Abstract: One aspect of the invention is a method for processing network discovery data. An example of the method includes defining a plurality of network data aggregations. This example also includes assigning a current state value to at least one of the data aggregations. This example further includes, for at least one current state value, determining if the current state value is different than a corresponding prior state value. This example also includes merging data corresponding with at least one data aggregation determined to have a current state value that is different than a corresponding prior state value, with prior data corresponding with at least one data aggregation determined to have a current state value that is not different than a corresponding prior state value.

Abstract: A system, method and computer program product for intelligent discovery of network information from multiple information gathering agents adapted to discover information concerning the network. The discovery agents each have an associated discovery capability. Based on consideration of the agent discovery capabilities, discovery assignments are computed and network discovery is performed according to the assignments so as to reduce discovery poll overhead.