(54) STORAGE AREA NETWORK METHODS AND APPARATUS WITH FILE SYSTEM EXTENSION
(75) Inventors: Brian Augustine Delaire, Fremont, CA (US); Daniel Graham Douglas, Los Gatos, CA (US); Douglas Paul Dunham, San Jose, CA (US); Vincent Jomartin Hoang, San Jose, CA (US); Nancy Lott Hobbs, Sunnyvale, CA (US); Louis Leo Lorber, Santa Clara, CA (US); Sandy Yuen Sun Hing McDonald, San Jose, CA (US); Gregory John Tevis, Tuscon, AZ (US)
(73) Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US)
( * ) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U.S.C. 154(b) by 648 days.
(21) Appl. No.: 09/972,462
(22) Filed: Oct. 5, 2001
(65) Prior Publication Data
US 2003/0149770 Al Aug. 7, 2003
(51) Int. CI.
G06F12/14 (2006.01)
G06F15/173 (2006.01)
(52) U.S. CI 711/114; 709/226; 709/223;
709/224; 711/147; 711/172
(58) Field of Classification Search 709/226;
711/114, 147, 172 See application file for complete search history.
(56) References Cited
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS 5,073,854 A 12/1991 Martin et al.
The invention provides a storage area network (SAN) of type having one or more digital data processors coupled to one or more storage devices. At least a selected one of the hosts includes a file system that effects access by the host to assigned storage devices. This can be, for example, a conventional AIX or other host platform file system that oversees file and other data accesses between the host and those assigned devices. That host can be associated, according to these aspects of the invention, with lower and upper capacity bounds for purposes of file system extension. In response to a request by (or on behalf of) the selected digital data processor for extension of the file system, the manager assigns one of more further storage devices to that digital data processor.
29 Claims, 48 Drawing Sheets
