Patent ID: 7389401
Filing Date: 2008-06-17
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A data processing system for automatically provisioning storage in a data center, the data processing system comprising: a processor; a memory connected to a processor via a processor bus; a storage device connected to the processor bus, wherein the storage device stores a plurality of volume container settings comprising: a plurality of physical volume settings; a plurality of logical volume settings; wherein the processor is adapted to execute computer implemented instructions stored in the memory to create a volume container using the plurality of volume container settings, wherein at least one physical volume is added to the volume container using the plurality of physical volume settings; add a server to the volume container, wherein the server includes a plurality of physical volumes; create at least one logical volume using the plurality of logical volume settings; add at least one physical volume from the plurality of physical volumes to the at least one logical volume using the plurality logical volume settings and a plurality of disk partition settings; and create at least one file system for the at least one logical volume using a plurality of file system settings, wherein the at least one file system is mounted using a plurality of file system mount settings; wherein the processor is adapted to execute computer implemented instructions to add the at least one physical volume to the volume container using the plurality of physical volume settings by performing a lookup of existing direct access storage devices, if the at least one physical volume is a direct access storage device volume and realizing the at least one physical volume for storage area network storage if the at least one physical volume is a storage area network volume, and wherein the processor is adapted to execute computer implemented instructions to realize the at least one physical volume for storage area network storage by retrieving the physical volume settings, performing a lookup of storage area network volumes using attributes of the physical volume settings, configuring storage area network fabric and subsystems using data path settings, wherein the data path settings include network connection settings from storage area network fabric to a switch and from the switch to a storage subsystem, and installing multi-path software using storage multi-path settings, wherein the storage multi-path settings facilitate communication between the server and the switch.