Abstract: Embodiments are described for systems and methods that facilitate dynamic configuration of NPIV virtual ports in a Fiber Channel network environment. SCSI target endpoints are virtualized through NPIV mapping mechanisms. The assignment of many virtual ports to one or more base ports through the NPIV mapping allows data storage systems to be reconfigured dynamically or on-the-fly while the system is up and running. This also allows movement of virtual ports among physical ports, or even among different systems in the network. In a highly available system, such as critical data recovery systems, the ability to migrate data on-the-fly by moving endpoints port-to-port or system-to-system greatly facilitates the ability for data to be maintained and protected in a non-disruptive manner.

Abstract: Embodiments are described for systems and methods of reconfiguring logical units (LUN) in a network of SCSI target endpoints by defining a first bitmap associated with each LUN of a plurality of LUNs in the network, wherein each bit of the first bitmap represents an endpoint utilizing a corresponding LUN so that a bit pattern of the first bitmap represents a first set of endpoints utilizing the corresponding LUN, applying a lock to block I/O operations to the plurality of LUNs, updating the first bitmap to generate a second bitmap representing a second set of endpoints utilizing the corresponding LUN, and releasing the lock to update a LUN to endpoint mapping for the plurality of LUNS and the endpoints in a single update operation.

Abstract: Embodiments are described for systems and methods that transparently virtualize SCSI transport endpoints for management purposes between Fiber Channel base nodes and virtual nodes. An N_Port ID Virtualization mapping component maps multiple endpoints to a single physical port. The endpoints are abstract objects that have attributes can be moved around the system. This allows virtual port management (e.g., port migration, moving ports, removing ports, adding ports, etc.) to be performed on many virtual ports in a unified manner. This allows storage area network to be configured with virtual endpoints that span both base and virtual ports.