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Storage Virtualizer Profile

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The Storage Virtualizer Profile allows a Client to manage a RAID array that does not include any local storage. Instead, the virtual storage system uses external storage resources for the storage capacity it uses to create a seamless Storage Pool. Storage Volumes are allocated from this virtual Storage Pool. Using this Profile, a Client can do the following:

  • Ask to be notified when a storage system comes online
  • Ask to be notified when a storage system goes offline
  • Ask to be notified when the operational status of an FC Port or Ethernet Port changes (e.g., from “OK” to “Degraded”)
  • Ask to be notified when the operational status of the storage system changes (e.g., from “OK” to “Degraded”)

This Profile provides the base functionality. The rest of the virtual storage system features is provided by incorporating other Packages and Subprofiles.

By incorporating the Block Services Package as part of the Storage Virtualizer Profile, a Client can manage the storage pools, storage volumes and logical disks on the array. Specifically, a Client can do the following:

  • Enumerate, create or delete a Storage Pool and Storage Volume
  • Change the capacity of a Storage Pool or Storage Volume
  • Return allocated capacity to a Storage Pool
  • Enumerate the Extents in a Storage Pools that may be used to create or expand a Storage Volume
  • Ask to be notified when a new Storage Pool or Storage Volume is created or deleted
  • Ask to be notified when the operational status of a Storage Volume changes (e.g., from “OK” to “Degraded”)

By incorporating the Health Package as part of the Storage Virtualizer Profile, a Client can retrieve information about the status (e.g., “OK”, “Degraded”, “Stopped”, etc.) of the storage system. If the storage system has fault tolerant features, a Client can also retrieve information about the state of the other storage system components that provide the fault tolerance.

The Storage Virtualizer Profile defines the following Subprofiles that represent optional features that a vendor may choose to support in their storage system product:

  • Access Points - allows a Client to discover remote management interfaces to the device
  • Location - allows a Client to retrieve information about the physical location of the storage system
  • Copy Services - allows a Client to manage local mirrors, remote mirrors, clones and snapshots in the storage system
  • Job Control - allows a Client to asynchronously monitor a long running operation on the storage system
  • Extent Composition - allows a Client to retrieve information about the allocation hierarchy of storage pools and storage volumes within the storage system
  • Multiple Computer System - allows a Client to retrieve information about the redundancy configuration and capabilities of the storage system
  • Software - allows the Client to retrieve information about the software used by the storage system
  • FC Target Ports - allows a Client to discover all of the FC ports of the storage system that are acting as target ports
  • FC Initiator Ports - allows a Client to discover all of the FC ports of the storage system that are acting as initiator ports
  • Masking and Mapping - allows a Client to manage the access to the LUNs attached to the target ports on a storage system using the Masking and Mapping mechanisms

 

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