Patent ID: 8089903
Filing Date: 2012-01-03
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. In a communications management device, a method of forming a communication pathway with a storage array, comprising: connecting a midplane connector of a switch of the communications management device with a management port and a service port of a storage processor of the storage array via a midplane, the management port configured to provide a first device with access to the storage array and the service port configured to provide a second device with access to the storage array; detecting a configuration characteristic associated with the storage array, the configuration characteristic consisting of the storage array being configured as part of a storage area network (SAN) or the storage array being configured as part of a network attached storage (NAS) system; based on the detected configuration characteristic, configuring a first virtual local area network (VLAN) of the switch to establish a first communications path of the switch and configuring a second VLAN of the switch to establish a second communications path of the switch, the first communications path being isolated from the second communications path; and conveying data between (i) a first port of the communications management device and at least one of the management port and the service port of the storage processor, via the midplane connector, using the first communications path and (ii) a second port of the communications management device and at least one of the management port and the service port of the storage processor, via the midplane connector, using the second communications path, the midplane connector being distinct from the first port of the communications management device and from the second port of the communications management device; wherein configuring the first VLAN of the switch to establish the first communications path of the switch and configuring the second VLAN of the switch to establish the second communications path of the switch comprises configuring the first VLAN through the switch to logically partition the switch into a first isolated communications path between the first port and the midplane connector of the switch and at least one of the management port and the service port of the storage processor and configuring the second VLAN through the switch to logically partition the switch into a second isolated communications path between the second port and the midplane connector of the switch and at least one of the management port and the service port of the storage processor, the first isolated communications path being distinct from the second isolated communications path; wherein when the detected configuration characteristic indicates the storage array is configured as part of the SAN, the configuring of the first and second VLANs of the switch further comprises configuring the first VLAN of the switch to establish the first communications path of the switch between the first port of the communications management device and the management port of the storage processor and configuring the second VLAN of the switch to establish the second communications path of the switch between the second port of the communications management device and the service port of the storage processor, the first communications path being isolated from the second communications path; and wherein when the detected configuration characteristic indicates the storage array is configured as part of the NAS system, the configuring of the first and second VLANs of the switch further comprises configuring the first VLAN of the switch to establish the first communications path of the switch between the first port of the communications management device and the management port of the storage processor and configuring the second VLAN of the switch to establish the second communications path of the switch between the second port of the communications management device and the management port of the storage processor, the first communications path being isolated from the second communications path; and wherein the storage processor is configured to provide load and store operations, relative to the storage array, via the management port on behalf of the first device, the first device configured as a user device disposed in electrical communication with the first port of the communications management device and the storage processor is configured to provide diagnostic and service operations, relative to the storage array, via the service port on behalf of the second device disposed in electrical communication with the second port of the communications management device, the second device configured as a service device.