Patent ID: 8024773
Filing Date: 2011-09-20
Classification: G06F,H04L

Abstract:
1. A computer storage device having a computer readable program stored thereon, wherein the computer readable program, when executed on a computing device, causes the computing device to: receive, by a zone planner in a storage area network, a list of host ports and storage ports in the storage area network; receive, by the zone planner, a selection of a set of validation policies; receive, by the zone planner, a selection of a guidance policy for automatically creating a zone in the storage area network, wherein the selected guidance policy is a consistent-zoning policy; choosing, by the zone planner, a guidance policy with a largest zone granularity; determine, by the zone planner, whether a zone created using the guidance policy with the largest zone granularity violates any of the set of validation policies based on the list of host ports and storage ports; and responsive to a determination that none of the validation policies are violated, automatically create, by the zone planner, the zone in the storage area network using the selected guidance policy; responsive to a determination that at least one of the validation policies is violated, choosing a guidance policy with a next smaller zone granularity; and determining whether a zone created using the guidance policy with the next smaller zone granularity violates any of the set of validation policies based on the list of host ports and storage ports.