HYBRID FIBRE CHANNEL STORAGE WITH END-TO-END STORAGE PROVISIONING AND EXTERNAL CONNECTIVITY IN A STORAGE AREA NETWORK ENVIRONMENT

• Main Authors: ROSSET SEBASTIEN T, KEWALRAM SURESH KUMAR
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 26.03.2015
• Subjects: ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE; ELECTRICITY; TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHICCOMMUNICATION

An example method for hybrid Fibre Channel (FC) storage with end-to-end storage provisioning and external connectivity in a storage area network (SAN) environment is provided and includes partitioning a SAN into an internal virtual storage area network (VSAN) for connectivity to an internal storage element located in a first portion of the SAN implemented in a unified computing system (UCS), where a second portion of the SAN is external to the UCS, partitioning the SAN into an external VSAN for connectivity to an external storage element located in the second portion of the SAN, and facilitating communication with the internal storage element over the internal VSAN and with the external storage element over the external VSAN. In one embodiment, border ports on a FI in FC switching mode are configured as N-ports for the external VSAN, and the external storage element is attached to the UCS through an N-port.