Configuring agent services operable by agents in a storage area network

摘要

Data structures, methods, and apparatus useful in configuring agent services operating in a storage area network are provided. The data structures may include a list of agent types for which agent services are configurable for operation by agents of those agent types in a storage area network; for each agent type in the list of agent types, a corresponding list of configurable agent services operable by agents of the agent type; for each configurable agent service in each list of configurable agent services, a corresponding list of configurable parameters for the configurable agent service; and for each configurable parameter in each list of configurable parameters, at least one parameter value associated with the configurable parameter. Procedures and apparatus are provided for configuring agent services by updating elements of the data structures and providing the updated elements to the agent services.

主权项

1. A method comprising:
displaying, on a display screen, a list of agent types, wherein each agent type is compatible for performing at least one different agent service on at least one resource in a Storage Area Network (SAN); in response to receiving a selection of a first agent type from the list of agent types, displaying a first plurality of agent services currently available for implementation by any agent of the first agent type, wherein the first plurality of agent services is different than a second plurality of agent services currently available for implementation by any agent of a second agent type, wherein the second agent type is concurrently indicated in the list of agent types with the first agent type, and wherein the first agent service and the second agent service both are configurable via a SAN management application; in response to receiving a selection of a first agent service from the first plurality of agent services, displaying a plurality of configurable parameters of the first agent service, wherein each of the configurable parameters describes a current execution setting of the first agent service; in response to receiving a new parameters value for a first configurable parameters in the plurality of configurable parameters, creating a configuration file describing the new parameter value; and upon detecting a respective agent of the first agent typecurrently operating remotely in the SAN by the SAN management application;
commencing performance of a first instance of the first agent service; andtransmitting the configuration file to the respective agent, wherein the new parameters provided in the configuration file effects a change in the operation of the first instance of the first agent service as it is performed by the respective agent.