Patent ID: 8839043

Claim:
A method for use in managing a port failover in a data storage system, wherein the data storage system comprises a first storage processor and an associated first port and a second storage processor and an associated second port, the data storage system being adapted to communicate with a Fibre Channel switch, the method comprising: providing from the data storage system to the Fibre Channel switch a first unique name characterizing the first port for facilitating registration of the first port with the Fibre Channel switch, wherein the first unique name is provided from the data storage system to the Fibre Channel switch such that the first unique name is associated with the first port; in response to providing the first unique name to the Fibre Channel switch for facilitating registration, receiving in the data storage system a first port address from the Fibre Channel switch, wherein the first unique name and the first port address are associated with the first port; providing from the data storage system to the Fibre Channel switch a second unique name characterizing the second port for facilitating registration of the second port with the Fibre Channel switch, wherein the second unique name is provided from the data storage system to the Fibre Channel switch such that the second unique name is associated with the second port; in response to providing the second unique name to the Fibre Channel switch for facilitating registration, receiving in the data storage system a second port address from the Fibre Channel switch, wherein the second unique name and the second port address are associated with the second port; detecting by the data storage system the operational state of the first and second storage processors in the data storage system, wherein a failure state in connection with one of the first and second storage processors activates the deregistration of the port associated with the failed storage processor; in response to detecting a failure state in connection with the storage processor associated with one of the first and second ports, providing from the data storage system to the Fibre Channel switch one of the first and second unique names characterizing the one of the first and second ports for facilitating re-registration of the one of the first and second ports with the Fibre Channel switch; in response to providing the first unique name to the Fibre Channel switch for facilitating re-registration, receiving in the data storage system a first virtual address from the Fibre Channel switch, wherein the first unique name and the first virtual address are associated with the second port; and in response to providing the second unique name to the Fibre Channel switch for facilitating re-registration, receiving in the data storage system a second virtual address from the Fibre Channel switch, wherein the second unique name and the second virtual address are associated with the first port.