JP2024027326A - Relay device and method for controlling the relay device - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to improve the communication quality of a relay device. A relay device 2 has group information that associates zones to which the same combination of devices are connected as a group based on zone information regarding the zone and identification information of each of a plurality of devices connected to the zone. 21a in the storage area 21, and in response to acquisition of a failure occurrence notification transmitted in response to the occurrence of an intermittent communication failure, within a first zone including a first route passing through the location where the communication failure has occurred. , determines whether there is a second route that does not pass through the occurrence point, and if the second route does not exist within the first zone, the route is associated with the first zone based on the group information 21a. Determining whether the second route exists in one or more second zones in the group, and if the second route exists in the first zone or in the one or more second zones, Control is performed to switch the first route used by the first zone to the second route. [Selection diagram] Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to a relay device and a method of controlling the relay device.

In a system where an initiator and target communicate via a relay device such as an FC (Fibre Channel) switch, if a link down of the relay device is detected, the initiator switches the communication path to an alternative path to stabilize the communication. There are known techniques to do this.

For example, link down occurs when predetermined data for heartbeat etc. is transmitted from an initiator to one or more relay devices or between relay devices, and a response is not obtained within a predetermined period (link down detection time). Detected when

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-017686 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-123792 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2014-26637

However, even if the failure affects communication, if an intermittent failure occurs in a relay device for a short period of time, for example, less than a predetermined period, the initiator may Device link down may not be detected.

Additionally, the relay device may not have a function to determine an alternative route for each communication route, and the relay device may not be able to switch the communication route to an alternative route by itself in the event of an intermittent failure. be.

As described above, when an intermittent failure occurs in a relay device, a communication failure may occur, in other words, the communication quality of the relay device may deteriorate.

In one aspect, one of the objects of the present invention is to improve the communication quality of a relay device.

In one aspect, the relay device may include a control unit. The control unit stores group information in a storage area in which zones to which the same combination of devices are connected are associated as a group based on zone information regarding the zone and identification information of each of the plurality of devices connected to the zone. You can remember it. The control unit, in response to obtaining a failure occurrence notification transmitted in response to the occurrence of an intermittent communication failure, locates the occurrence point in a first zone including a first route passing through the communication failure occurrence point. It may be determined whether or not there is a second route that does not go through. If the second route does not exist within the first zone, the control unit may route the second route into one or more second zones within a group associated with the first zone based on the group information. It may be determined whether or not exists. The control unit controls switching the first route used by the first zone to the second route when the second route exists within the first zone or the one or more second zones. You may do this.

In one aspect, the present invention can improve communication quality of a relay device.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example configuration of a system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware (HW) configuration of a switch. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a switch according to an embodiment. It is a figure showing an example of zone setting information. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a route management table. It is a figure showing an example of route information. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a case where a route in zone #0 is switched to a route in zone #1. FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of the operation of the system according to an embodiment.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiments described below are merely examples, and there is no intention to exclude the application of various modifications or techniques not specified below. For example, this embodiment can be modified and implemented in various ways without departing from the spirit thereof. In the drawings used in the following description, parts with the same reference numerals represent the same or similar parts unless otherwise specified.

[A] Configuration example of an embodiment FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a system 1 according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, a system 1 illustratively includes one or more (four in the example of FIG. 1) switches 2, one or more (two in the example of FIG. 1) servers 3, and one or more (two in the example of FIG. In this example, one storage device 4 may be provided.

Hereinafter, when indicating a specific switch 2 among the plurality of switches 2, it may be written as switch #0, #1, #2, or #3. Moreover, when indicating a specific server 3 among the plurality of servers 3, it may be written as server #0 or #1. Furthermore, the storage device 4 may be referred to as storage #0.

The switch 2 is an example of a relay device. An example of the switch 2 is an FC switch. Hereinafter, the switch 2 may be referred to as SW2. One or more switches 2 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a switch group) included in the system 1 may form various networks, for example, an optical network such as a SAN (Storage Area Network).

The switch 2 may include multiple ports 20. In the example of FIG. 1, each switch 2 is assumed to have nine ports 20 #1 to #9 (simply expressed as "1" to "9" in FIG. 1).

The ports 20 of the plurality of switches 2, the servers 3 and the ports 20 of the switches 2, and the ports 20 of the switches 2 and the storage device 4 are connected to each other via cables, such as optical cables, so that they can communicate with each other. It's okay to be.

The server 3 is an example of an initiator or a first device. The server 3 accesses the storage device 4 via one or more switches 2. Examples of the server 3 include a business server and a computer such as a PC (Personal Computer).

The storage device 4 is an example of a target or a second device. The storage device 4 includes one or more storage devices for storing data, and provides the server 3 with a storage area of the storage device. Examples of the storage device 4 include various types of storages and computers such as servers.

[B] Hardware Configuration Example FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware (HW) configuration of the switch 2. When the system 1 includes a plurality of switches 2, each switch 2 may include the HW configuration illustrated in FIG. 2.

As shown in FIG. 2, the switch 2 may include, for example, a processor 2a, a memory 2b, a storage section 2c, an IF (Interface) section 2d, and a plurality of ports 20 as a HW configuration.

The processor 2a is an example of an arithmetic processing device that performs various controls and calculations. The processor 2a may be connected to each block within the switch 2 via a bus so that they can communicate with each other. Note that the processor 2a may be a multiprocessor including a plurality of processors, a multicore processor having a plurality of processor cores, or a configuration including a plurality of multicore processors.

Examples of the processor 2a include integrated circuits (ICs) such as a CPU, MPU, APU, DSP, ASIC, and FPGA. Note that a combination of two or more of these integrated circuits may be used as the processor 2a. CPU is an abbreviation for Central Processing Unit, and MPU is an abbreviation for Micro Processing Unit. APU is an abbreviation for Accelerated Processing Unit. DSP is an abbreviation for Digital Signal Processor, ASIC is an abbreviation for Application Specific IC, and FPGA is an abbreviation for Field-Programmable Gate Array.

The memory 2b is an example of HW that stores information such as various data and programs. Examples of the memory 2b include one or both of a volatile memory such as a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), and a non-volatile memory such as a PM (Persistent Memory).

The storage unit 2c is an example of HW that stores information such as various data and programs. Examples of the storage unit 2c include various storage devices such as magnetic disk devices such as HDDs (Hard Disk Drives), semiconductor drive devices such as SSDs (Solid State Drives), and nonvolatile memories. Examples of nonvolatile memory include flash memory, SCM (Storage Class Memory), and ROM (Read Only Memory).

The storage unit 2c may store a program 2e (control program) that implements all or part of various functions of the switch 2.

For example, the processor 2a of the switch 2 can realize the function of the switch 2 (for example, the control unit 27 shown in FIG. 3), which will be described later, by loading the program 2e stored in the storage unit 2c into the memory 2b and executing it. . The program 2e may include, for example, the OS (Operating System) or firmware of the switch 2. Further, for example, if the processor 2a includes an ASIC or FPGA, the program 2e may include circuit information written to the ASIC or FPGA.

The IF unit 2d is, for example, an example of a communication IF for management, and is capable of optical communication such as FC, LAN (Local Area Network) such as Ethernet (registered trademark), serial connection such as USB (Universal Serial Bus), etc. may include various adapters compliant with the . These adapters may be compatible with one or both of wireless and wired communication systems.

For example, the switch 2 may be connected via the IF section 2d to an administrator terminal 2f used by a worker such as an administrator so as to be able to communicate with each other. In this case, the switch 2 may accept various operation inputs from the administrator terminal 2f, download the program 2e, output various information to the administrator terminal 2f, etc. via the IF section 2d. Note that the administrator terminal 2f may be connected to the port 20 as shown by the broken line.

Note that the IF section 2d may include a reader (reading section) that reads data and program information recorded on the recording medium 2g. The reader may include, for example, a connection terminal or device to which the recording medium 2g can be connected or inserted. Examples of the reading unit include a USB-compliant adapter, a drive device that accesses a recording disk, a card reader that accesses a flash memory such as an SD card, and the like. Note that the program 2e may be stored in the recording medium 2g, or the IF section 2d may read the program 2e from the recording medium 2g and store it in the storage section 2c.

Examples of the recording medium 2g include non-temporary computer-readable recording media such as magnetic/optical disks and flash memories. Examples of magnetic/optical discs include flexible discs, CDs (Compact Discs), DVDs (Digital Versatile Discs), Blu-ray discs, and HVDs (Holographic Versatile Discs). Examples of flash memory include semiconductor memories such as USB memory and SD cards.

The port 20 is an example of a communication IF that controls connection and communication between the switches 2 , between the switch 2 and the server 3 , and between the switch 2 and the storage device 4 . For example, the port 20 may include an adapter compatible with optical communication such as FC.

Note that any one or more of the plurality of ports 20 may be usable as the IF section 2d.

The HW configuration of the switch 2 described above is an example. Therefore, the number of HWs within the switch 2 may be increased or decreased (for example, by adding or deleting arbitrary blocks), dividing, integrating in any combination, or adding or deleting buses, etc., as appropriate.

[C] Functional Configuration Example FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration example of the switch 2 according to one embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, the switch 2 exemplarily includes a memory section 21, a zoning setting processing section 22, a connecting device confirmation section 23, a route group setting section 24, an alternative route determination section 25, and a port power supply control section 26. You can prepare. The zoning setting processing section 22 , the connected device confirmation section 23 , the route group setting section 24 , the alternative route determination section 25 , and the port power supply control section 26 are examples of the control section 27 . Note that when the system 1 includes a plurality of switches 2, each switch 2 may include the functional blocks 21 to 26 illustrated in FIG. 3.

The memory unit 21 is an example of a storage area, and stores various data used by the switch 2. The memory section 21 may be realized, for example, by a storage area included in one or both of the memory 2b and the storage section 2c shown in FIG. 2.

As shown in FIG. 3, the memory unit 21 may be capable of storing, for example, a route management table 21a and route information 21b. Hereinafter, for convenience, each of the route management table 21a and the route information 21b will be expressed in a table format, but the route management table 21a and the route information 21b may be expressed in various formats such as an array. Good too.

The zoning setting processing section 22 performs zoning setting processing. The setting process may include, for example, a zone setting process for the route management table 21a, a process for sharing (synchronizing) the route management table 21a between the plurality of switches 2, and the like.

The zoning function of the switch 2 will be explained below. The switch 2 uses a zoning function to control a route for the server 3 (initiator) to access the storage device 4 (target). For example, in the port zoning function, a zone is set by specifying the port 20 on the server 3 side of the switch 2 and the port 20 on the storage device 4 side.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of zone setting information 200. The zone setting information 200 is an example of zone information regarding a zone, and may include items such as "zone number", "server side port", and "storage side port", for example.

"Zone number" is an example of identification information for identifying a zone. In the zone setting information 200, one entry identified by a zone number indicates one zone.

“Server side port” is an example of identification information for identifying the server 3 side port 20 of one or more switches 2. The port 20 on the server 3 side may mean the port 20 connected to the server 3 via FC.

“Storage side port” is an example of identification information for identifying the port 20 on the storage device 4 side of one or more switches 2. The port 20 on the storage device 4 side may mean the port 20 connected to the storage device 4 via FC.

In the example of FIG. 4, the server-side port of zone #0 is "SW#0-port1" and the storage-side port of zone #0 is "SW#2-port6." Hereinafter, the identification information of the port 20 may be expressed by connecting the number (identification information) of the switch 2 in which the port 20 is provided and the number of the port 20 with a hyphen "-". In the example of zone #0, the server side port "SW#0-port1" means port 1 of switch #0.

For example, the zoning setting processing section 22 may acquire the zone setting information 200 from the administrator terminal 2f or the server 3 connected to the switch 2 and store it in the memory section 21. As an example, the zone setting information 200 may be included in a route management table 21a, which will be described later.

When the zoning setting processing unit 22 performs the zoning setting, the zoning setting processing unit 22 shares the zone information among all the switches 2 in the system 1 by transmitting the zone setting information 200 to other switches 2 in the system 1. . The zoning setting processing unit 22 of the switch 2 that has received the zone setting information 200 stores the received zone setting information 200 in the memory unit 21 of its own switch 2.

As a result, in the system 1, even if zoning settings are performed on any one of the one or more switches 2, the zone information is shared among all the switches 2, and the zone information is is held.

Here, the zone setting information 200 includes the port 20 of the connection point (starting point) on the server 3 side of one or more switches 2 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "switch group"), and the port 20 on the storage device 4 side. This is information that associates the connection point (end point) with the port 20. Therefore, in a group of switches, one zone often has a plurality of routes between the starting point and the ending point.

The route used within each zone is determined by a predetermined switch 2 in the switch group, and information on the determined route is shared by each switch 2 in the switch group. The predetermined switch 2 is an example of a first switch, and may be called a representative switch 2, for example.

When an abnormality occurs in a route used in a zone, the representative switch 2 redetermines the route within the zone and shares route information with each switch 2, thereby allowing communication to continue.

Note that when communication between each switch 2 and the representative switch 2 is interrupted, the representative switch 2 is selected (re-selected) from among the communicable switches 2 in the switch group, and the selected switch 2 Routes are redetermined for each zone.

Various known methods may be used for processing related to setting and sharing of zone information, determining and sharing routes, and selecting representative switch 2.

By the way, if there are no more usable routes in a zone, communication via the zone will be interrupted. Therefore, for example, it may be possible to provide redundancy to the zones by setting a plurality of zones as communication paths for accessing the storage device 4 from a certain server 3.

For example, link down of a zone can be detected by transmitting predetermined data from the server 3 to the switch 2 (or between the switches 2). If no response is received from the switch 2 for predetermined data for a predetermined period of time or longer, the server 3 detects a failure in the port 20 (or route) that transmits the predetermined data, in other words, the occurrence of a link down. The predetermined time is the upper limit of allowable delay. When detecting the occurrence of a link down, the server 3 uses a zone different from the zone containing the route where the failure occurred (for example, by sending data to a different zone) among the zones configured for redundancy. It is possible to continue communication.

However, if a failure that is not detected in the transmission of predetermined data by the server 3 occurs, for example, if an intermittent failure occurs in a predetermined port 20 of the switch 2, the server 3 may not detect a link down of the switch 2. . An intermittent failure is, for example, a failure that causes a communication delay of less than a predetermined time.

If an intermittent failure occurs, for example, the administrator of the system 1 will decide whether to disconnect the path (link) where the failure has occurred or continue to use it. To make this determination, the administrator must check whether there is an alternative route that allows communication to continue even if the link is severed.

In order to reduce the burden on the administrator, it is conceivable to have the switch 2 determine an alternative route and switch from the failed route to the alternative route.

However, as illustrated in FIG. 4, the zone setting information 200 does not include information indicating which device each zone (for example, server-side port and storage-side port) is connected to. Therefore, it is difficult for each switch 2 to determine the presence or absence of redundancy across zones, in other words, it is difficult for each switch 2 to identify an alternative route.

As an example, in the configuration shown in FIG. 1, zones #0 and #1 of the zone setting information 200 shown in FIG. 0).

For example, if an error occurs in "SW#0-port1", switch 2 cannot determine that if "SW#0-port1" is cut off (degenerated), communication using zone #0 will no longer be possible. be. However, the switch 2 uses the zone setting information 200 to determine whether or not "SW#0-port1" can be blocked because communication is possible between server #0 and storage #0 by using zone #1. It is difficult to do this by referring to Therefore, it is difficult for the switch 2 to check the alternative route for the route in which the intermittent failure has occurred or to switch the route in which the intermittent failure has occurred to an alternative route by referring to the zone setting information 200. .

As described above, the occurrence of intermittent failures in the switch 2 causes communication delays in the system 1, etc., because it is difficult to switch the route in use where the failure has occurred to an alternative route based on the judgment made by the switch 2. There is a possibility that the communication quality of the switch 2 will be degraded.

Although it is possible to control communication across different zones by introducing other management devices, etc., if such devices are introduced, the cost of installation and operation, communication resources, and processing resources will be required. etc. costs will increase.

Therefore, the switch 2 according to one embodiment improves the communication quality of the switch 2 by switching a route where an intermittent failure has occurred to an alternative route using control described below.

In the following description, it is assumed that, for example, the administrator of the system 1 uses the administrator terminal 2f or the server 3 to identify the port 20 where an intermittent failure occurs. In one embodiment, the administrator uses the administrator terminal 2f.

For example, in response to an operation by the administrator of the system 1, the administrator terminal 2f transmits data such as a test frame to the port 20 of the switch 2. If the response time from sending data to the time when a response is received from the port 20 that is the destination of the data is equal to or longer than the threshold time, the administrator terminal 2f detects an intermittent communication failure at the port. Detect occurrence. The threshold time is a time shorter than the predetermined time.

In one embodiment, when the administrator terminal 2f identifies a port 20 in which an intermittent failure occurs, the administrator terminal 2f accesses any switch 2 in the switch group and includes the identification information of the port 20 (for example, an argument ) run the diagnostic command. Execution of a diagnostic command is an example of a failure occurrence notification sent in response to the occurrence of an intermittent communication failure.

When the switch 2 obtains a failure occurrence notification, for example, upon receiving execution of a diagnostic command, it starts diagnostic processing (alternative route switching control). Hereinafter, alternative route switching control according to one embodiment will be described.

Returning to the explanation of FIG. 3, the connected device confirmation unit 23 acquires the identification information of each of the server 3 and storage device 4 connected to the switch 2, and sets it in the route management table 21a.

The route group setting unit 24 associates zones to which the same combination of servers 3 and storage devices 4 are connected as a route group based on the zone setting information 200 and the identification information acquired by the connected device confirmation unit 23, and performs route management. Set in table 21a.

The processing by the connected device confirmation unit 23 and the route group setting unit 24 may be executed, for example, in a presetting process before the system 1 starts operating.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the route management table 21a. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the route management table 21a may include zone setting information 200, tag information 210, and group information 220.

The zone setting information 200 is similar to the zone setting information 200 shown in FIG. 4, and includes items such as "zone number," "server side port," and "storage side port," as illustrated in FIG. good. Note that the route management table 21a may be regarded as information obtained by adding tag information 210 and group information 220 to the zone setting information 200.

The tag information 210 is an example of identification information for each of a plurality of devices connected to a zone, which is acquired by the connected device confirmation unit 23, and may include, for example, items such as "initiator" and "target". . “Initiator” is a tag that specifies the server 3, and “target” is a tag that specifies the storage device 4. Each tag (identification information) may be a variety of identifiers, addresses, etc.

In the example of FIG. 5, the tag information 210 for zones #0 to #3 is initiator: server #0, target: storage device #0, and the tag information 210 for zones #4 to #7 is initiator: server #1. , target: storage device #0.

The connected device confirmation unit 23 may acquire the tag information 210 using various methods. For example, the connected device confirmation unit 23 may receive a tag as a response by sending a command to inquire about the tag to the server 3 and the storage device 4, or may snoop data (frames) passing through the zone and send it. The source and destination tags may be obtained.

The group information 220 is an example of information regarding groups grouped by the route group setting unit 24, and may include, for example, items such as "route group" and "zone number within group." "Route group" is an example of identification information of a group of zones in which the initiator and target are the same. “Intra-group zone number” is an example of identification information for each zone within a route group.

In the example of FIG. 5, the group information 220 indicates that zones #0 to #3 are route group #0 (a group of zones of server #0-storage device #0), and zones #4 to #7 are route group #1. (server #1-storage device #0 zone group). Further, in the group information 220, the intra-group zone numbers of zones #0 to #3 in route group #0 are 1 to 4, respectively, and the intra-group zone numbers of zones #4 to #7 in route group #1 are as follows. Indicates a value of 1 to 4, respectively.

The route group setting unit 24 refers to the zone setting information 200 and the tag information 210, and sets zones with the same combination of initiator and target into the same route group, and also sets zones that have the same combination of initiator and target into the same route group, and also sets zones that have the same combination of initiator and target into the same route group. Set the zone number.

When the tag information 210 and group information 220 are set in the route management table 21a, the switch 2 shares the route management table 21a by transmitting the route management table 21a to the representative switch 2.

Note that any one of the zoning setting processing section 22, the connected device confirmation section 23, and the route group setting section 24 may transmit the route management table 21a to the representative switch 2. Further, the switch 2 may send the zone setting information 200, tag information 210, and group information 220 to the representative switch 2 in units of information each time the zone setting information 200, tag information 210, and group information 220 are set. good.

Further, the tag information 210 may be acquired by the connected device confirmation unit 23 of the switch 2 having the port 20 connected to the server 3 or the storage device 4, and may be aggregated in the representative switch 2. In this case, the route group setting unit 24 of the representative switch 2 may set (determine) the group information 220 based on the aggregated tag information 210.

The alternative route determination unit 25 executes diagnostic processing in response to execution of a diagnostic command by the administrator terminal 2f. As described above, the diagnostic command may include, as an argument, the identification information of the port 20 where an intermittent failure occurs (hereinafter, may be referred to as a failure occurrence port). The failure port 20 is an example of a location where an intermittent communication failure occurs.

For example, when the administrator terminal 2f executes a diagnostic command, the alternative route determining unit 25 performs the following processes (a) and (b) on all route groups to determine whether an alternative route exists. By determining whether or not the faulty port 20 can be shut off, it is determined whether or not the failed port 20 can be shut off.

(a) The alternative route determining unit 25 determines a route (path) that passes through the failed port 20 within the first zone where the route in use includes the failed port 20, based on the route management table 21a and the route information 21b. Determine whether there is an alternative route. The route passing through the failure port 20 is an example of a first route passing through the location where the communication failure has occurred. The alternative route is an example of a second route that does not go through the location where the communication failure occurs.

(b) If there is no alternative route within the zone, the alternative route determining unit 25 determines which alternative route exists within one or more second zones within the route group associated with the first zone, based on the route management table 21a and the route information 21b. Determine whether there is a route.

The route information 21b is information that stores, for each zone, one or more available routes in each zone and routes currently in use in the zone. The route information 21b may be positioned as part of the information in the route management table 21a, and may be included in the route management table 21a.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the route information 21b. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the route information 21b may include items such as "zone number", "in use", "route", and "transit port".

The "zone number" corresponds to the zone number shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. "In use" is information indicating a route currently in use. For example, a route currently in use is set with the zone number of the zone that uses the route, and a route not currently in use is set with "0". ” may be set. As will be described later, in "in use", when the route is set as an alternative route for another zone, the zone number of the other zone that uses the route as an alternative route may be set.

Note that the method of managing the route currently in use in the route information 21b is not limited to the method using the "in use" item shown in FIG. 6. Various methods may be used to manage the route currently in use, such as managing the route using information different from the route information 21b.

"Route" is an example of identification information of multiple routes within a zone. "Transit port" is information indicating a plurality of ports 20 that are passed through (passed through) on each route. Adjacent ports 20 set as transit ports indicate that data (frames) can be communicated (transmitted) in both directions. In the example of FIG. 6, the leftmost port 20 of the transit ports corresponds to the server side port, and the rightmost port 20 of the transit ports corresponds to the storage side port (see FIG. 5).

The route information 21b may be used, for example, by the representative switch 2 to determine a route to be used for each zone. For example, the representative switch 2 determines the route to be used (active route) from among the one or more available routes set in the route information 21b, and sets the zone number to "in use" for the determined route. You may do so.

The alternative route determination unit 25 may refer to such route information 21b and execute the processes (a) and (b) above.

For example, in the process (a) above, the alternative route determining unit 25 determines whether or not there is an alternative route that does not go through the failed port 20 in the zone (first zone) that includes the failed port 20. good.

For example, in the process (b) above, the alternative route determining unit 25 may provide an alternative route that does not go through the failed port 20 to another zone (second zone) in the route group to which the zone including the failed port 20 belongs. It may be determined whether a route exists.

Note that in the process (b) above, the alternative route determination unit 25 checks all routes included in the switch group in order to confirm whether or not the blocking of the failed port 20 does not affect other route groups. The determination may be made for groups. In this case, the alternative route determination unit 25 determines whether, for example, in each of the plurality of route groups, if the first zone exists, there is one or more zones including the alternative route (second route) in that route group. It may be determined whether or not.

When the alternative route determination unit 25 detects an alternative route in the process (a) above, or when it detects an alternative route in another zone within the route group in the process (b) above, in other words, If the second route exists within one zone or within one or more second zones, it may be determined that the failed port 20 can be shut off.

When the alternative route determining unit 25 determines that the failed port 20 can be shut down, it transmits a shut down command including the identification information of the failed port 20 to the switch 2 having the failed port 20 . Then, upon receiving the shutoff completion response from the switch 2, the alternative route determination unit 25 transmits a completion response to the diagnostic command to the administrator terminal 2f. The completion response may include information indicating that the blocking of the failed port 20 has been completed.

The transmission of the blocking command by the alternative route determining unit 25 causes the switch 2 having the failed port 20 to shut down the failed port 20, and after the blocking, causes the representative switch 2 to execute a route switching process in accordance with the blocking. (becomes a trigger that induces processing). In other words, the transmission of the cutoff command by the alternative route determination unit 25 can be said to be an example of control for switching the first route used by the first zone to the second route.

On the other hand, if the alternative route determining unit 25 does not detect an alternative route in the process (a) above and does not detect an alternative route in another zone within the route group in the process (b) above, in other words, , if the second zone including the alternative route does not exist in the route group in which the first zone exists, it may be determined that the failed port 20 cannot be shut off.

When the alternative route determining unit 25 determines that the failed port 20 cannot be shut off, it transmits a completion response to the diagnostic command to the administrator terminal 2f. In this case, the completion response may include information indicating that it is impossible to shut off the failed port 20 or that there is no alternative route.

In response to receiving the shutdown command from the alternative route determination unit 25, the port power supply control unit 26 performs a shutdown process for the failed port 20 identified from the identification information included in the shutdown command. The cutoff process is an example of a degeneracy process, and may be a process of disabling the faulty port 20, such as stopping power supply to the faulty port 20, for example.

When the port power supply control unit 26 completes the shutdown process for the failed port 20, it transmits a completion response to the shutdown command to the switch 2 that is the source of the shutdown command.

As described above, in the system 1, each of the one or more switches 2 has the alternative route determining section 25, and the route management table 21a is shared between the one or more switches 2. Therefore, even if any switch 2 in the switch group is accessed from the administrator terminal 2f and a diagnostic command is executed, the switch 2 on which the diagnostic command was executed can independently determine whether or not the shutdown is possible. .

Note that when the blocking process for the failed port 20 is completed, the route is redetermined by the zoning process by the representative switch 2. For example, when the representative switch 2 detects a shutdown of the port 20 (faulty port 20) of a certain switch 2, the representative switch 2 redetermines the route using the route information 21b, and transmits the route information 21b including information on the redetermined route to each switch. Share to 2.

For example, based on the route management table 21a and the route information 21b, the representative switch 2 selects the " Routes that are currently in use may be updated. The logic for determining the alternative route by the representative switch 2 may be similar to the above-described processes (a) and (b) by the alternative route determination unit 25.

As an example, if there is a route that does not go through the failed port 20 in the first zone that includes the failed port 20 among the routes in use in the route information 21b, the representative switch 2 determines that the route is "in use". The identification information of the first zone may be set in the first zone.

Furthermore, if there is no route in the first zone that does not go through the failed port 20, the representative switch 2 identifies one or more second zones that belong to the same route group as the first zone from the route management table 21a. It's fine. Then, the representative switch 2 may set the identification information of the first zone to "in use" for a route that does not go through the failed port 20 in one or more second zones.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a case where a route in zone #0 is switched to a route in zone #1. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, if a certain port 20 used in all routes in zone #0 is blocked and there is an alternative route that does not go through the port 20 in zone #1, the representative switch 2 updates the route information 21b so that the data (frame) destined for zone #0 passes through the alternative route within zone #1.

In this way, in one embodiment, the representative switch 2 determines the route in use that includes the blocked failed port 20 not only from the zone that includes the route but also from zones within the same route group as the zone. It becomes possible to switch to an alternative route. In other words, according to one embodiment, the selection range of routes to be redetermined as routes in use is expanded from one zone to multiple zones within the same route group as the zone.

Note that the representative switch 2 may be notified that the faulty port 20 has been cut off, for example, from the switch 2 on which the diagnostic command was executed or the switch 2 having the faulty port 20.

[D] Operation example Next, an operation example of the system 1 according to one embodiment will be described.

[D-1] Example of Sequence Hereinafter, an example of the sequence of the system 1 according to one embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 8. FIG. 8 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of the operation of the system 1 according to one embodiment.

In the example of FIG. 8, SW #1 is the representative switch 2 and is the switch 2 that has the failed port 20, and SW #2 is accessed from the administrator terminal 2f and the diagnostic command is executed. Assume that the switch 2 is The sequence illustrated in FIG. 8 is the same even when SW #1 is not the representative switch 2.

Furthermore, in the example of FIG. 8, it is assumed that the route management table 21a and the route information 21b are shared between the switch group.

As illustrated in FIG. 8, the administrator terminal 2f accesses one of the switches 2 (SW#2) and executes a diagnostic command (process P1).

SW#2 executes diagnostic processing in response to execution of the diagnostic command. The alternative route determining unit 25 of SW#2 initializes variables n and k to "0" (process P2).

The alternative route determination unit 25 determines whether or not the failed port 20 is on the route in use in zone #k of route group #n of the route management table 21a by referring to the route information 21b (processing P3).

If it is determined that the failed port 20 is on the route in use in zone #k (YES in process P3), the alternative route determination unit 25 determines that a route that does not include the failed port 20 can be used in zone #k. (for example, whether it exists in the route information 21b) (predetermined P4).

If it is determined that a route that does not include the faulty port 20 in zone #k is not usable (NO in process P4), there is no alternative route in the zone #k (at this stage, the faulty port 20 is not included). It can be said that it is impossible to shut off). In this case, the alternative route determining unit 25 determines whether an undetermined zone exists in route group #n (for example, whether zone #k+1 exists) (process P5).

If it is determined that there is an undetermined zone in route group #n (YES in process P5), the alternative route determination unit 25 increments variable k (process P6) and performs determination on other zones in route group #n. In order to do this, the process moves to process P3.

If it is determined that there is no undetermined zone in route group #n (NO in process P5), it can be said that there is no route that does not include the failed port 20 in any zone in route group #n. . In this case, the alternative route determination unit 25 transmits a diagnosis result report indicating that there is no alternative route to the administrator terminal 2f as a response to the diagnosis command (process P16).

The administrator terminal 2f receives the result report indicating that there is no alternative route (process P17), and the process of the system 1 related to the execution of the diagnostic command ends. In this case, the administrator will make a decision regarding the operation of the system 1 according to the result report. For example, the administrator may decide to continue using the route where the intermittent failure occurred, or decide to perform recovery work such as stopping system 1 and replacing SW #1 (or port 20 where the failure occurred). Various judgments may be made, such as:

On the other hand, if NO in process P3 or YES in process P4, the process moves to process P7. The case of NO in the process P3 is the case where it is determined that the failed port 20 in zone #k is not on the route in use. If YES in process P4, it is determined that a route that does not include the failed port 20 in zone #k can be used.

In process P7, the alternative route determination unit 25 determines whether there is an undetermined route group in the route management table 21a (for example, whether route group #n+1 exists).

If it is determined that there is an undetermined route group (YES in process P7), the alternative route determination unit 25 increments the variable n and initializes the variable k to "0" (process P8). In order to make a determination regarding the zone, the process moves to process P3.

On the other hand, if it is determined that there is no undetermined route group (NO in process P7), in each of the determined one or more route groups, at least one zone has a route that does not go through the failed port 20 (alternative route group). route) exists. In other words, it means that the failed port 20 can be shut off.

In this case, the alternative route determination unit 25 transmits a command to shut off the failed port 20 to the switch 2 (SW #1) having the failed port 20 (process P9).

When SW #1 receives the shutdown command (process P10), the port power control unit 26 of SW #1 shuts off the failed port 20 specified by the shutdown command (process P11). Then, the port power supply control unit 26 transmits a shutdown completion report to SW#2, which is the source of the shutdown command (process P12).

When the SW#2 receives the shutoff completion report from the SW#1 (process P13), the SW#2 transmits the shutoff completion report to the administrator terminal 2f as a response to the diagnostic command (process P14).

The administrator terminal 2f receives the shutdown completion report (process P15), and the process of the system 1 related to the execution of the diagnostic command ends.

In the sequence diagram shown in FIG. 8, the determination process from YES in process P3 to process P4 is an example of the process (a) described above by the alternative route determination unit 25. Further, the determination processes of processes P3 and P4, which are executed from NO in process P4 to YES in process P5 and through process P6, are an example of the above-described process (b) by the alternative route determination unit 25.

[D-2] Application Example Next, an application example of the embodiment along the sequence diagram shown in FIG. 8 will be described.

In the following description, it is assumed that the route management table 21a and the route information 21b have contents illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, respectively. Further, it is assumed that the failed port 20 is the second port 20 (SW#0-port2) of SW#0. Furthermore, it is assumed that a diagnostic command is executed by SW#2.

(1) The administrator accesses SW#2 from the administrator terminal 2f.

(2) The administrator terminal 2f specifies "SW#0-port2" as the failed port 20 in SW#2 and executes a diagnostic command (see process P1 in FIG. 8).

(3) SW#2 refers to the route management table 21a and route information 21b and determines whether "SW#0-port2" is included in route 1 in use in zone #0 of route group #0. and confirms that it is not included (see NO in process P2→process P3 in FIGS. 6 and 8). SW#2 has confirmed that communication can be continued in route group #0 even if "SW#0-port2" is cut off, and therefore ends the determination of route group #0.

(4) SW #2 determines whether there is an undetermined (alternative route unconfirmed) route group, and confirms that route group #1 exists (YES in process P7 in FIGS. 5 and 8). →Processing P8→Refer to Processing P3).

(5) SW#2 refers to the route management table 21a and route information 21b and determines whether "SW#0-port2" is included in route 1 in use in zone #4 of route group #1. and confirms that it is included (see YES in process P2→process P3 in FIGS. 6 and 8).

(6) SW#2 refers to the route information 21b, determines whether a route for zone #4 can be created (used) without using "SW#0-port2", and confirms that it cannot be created. (See NO in process P4 in FIGS. 6 and 8).

(7) SW #2 determines whether or not there is an undetermined (alternative route unconfirmed) zone in route group #1, and confirms that zone #5 exists (processing in Figures 5 and 8). (Refer to YES in P5 → Processing P6 → Processing P3).

(8) SW#2 refers to the route management table 21a and route information 21b and determines whether "SW#0-port2" is included in route 1 in use in zone #5 of route group #1. and confirms that it is not included (see NO in process P2→process P3 in FIGS. 6 and 8). SW#2 has confirmed that communication can continue in route group #1 even if "SW#0-port2" is cut off, and therefore ends the determination of route group #1.

(9) SW#2 determines whether or not an undetermined (alternative route unconfirmed) route group exists, and confirms that it does not exist (see NO in process P7 in FIGS. 5 and 8). As a result, SW #2 was able to confirm that alternative routes existed in all route groups.

(10) SW#2 transmits a shutoff command to SW#0 to shut off the second port 20 (SW#0-port2) (see process P9 in FIG. 8).

(11) SW #0 receives the shutdown command, shuts off the second port 20, and sends a shutdown completion report to SW #2 (see process P10 → process P11 → process P12 in FIG. 8).

(12) SW#2 transmits a report of completion of blocking of the second port 20 of SW#0 to the administrator terminal 2f (see process P13→process P14 in FIG. 8).

(13) The administrator terminal 2f receives the port 20 shutdown completion report, and the process ends (see process P15 in FIG. 8).

[E] Effects of one embodiment As described above, according to the system 1 according to one embodiment, the switch 2 stores the route management table 21a including the group information 220. In addition, in response to acquiring a failure occurrence notification transmitted in response to the occurrence of an intermittent communication failure, the switch 2 adds the failed port 20 to the first zone that includes the first route via the failed port 20. It is determined whether there is a second route that does not go through. Furthermore, if the second route does not exist within the first zone, the switch 2 determines whether a second route exists within one or more second zones within the group associated with the first zone based on the route management table 21a. Determine whether or not to do so. Then, when the second route exists within the first zone or one or more second zones, the switch 2 performs control to switch the first route used by the first zone to the second route.

As a result, when an intermittent communication failure occurs in system 1, switch 2 determines whether there is an alternative route to the failure route in response to acquiring the failure occurrence notification, and If it is found, the route can be switched and communication can be restored. Thereby, the communication quality of the switch 2 can be improved.

In addition, in the control, the switch 2 switches the route by the representative switch 2 by blocking the faulty port 20, so it is possible to reduce the risk of communication stoppage due to the faulty port 20 continuing to operate. The availability of switch 2 can be improved.

Furthermore, since it is not necessary to introduce a management device or the like that controls communication across different zones, costs for installation and operation, communication resources, processing resources, etc. can be reduced.

[F] Others The technique according to the embodiment described above can be modified and changed as follows.

For example, the functional blocks 22 to 26 included in the switch 2 shown in FIG. 3 may be combined in any combination or may be divided. Further, for example, the information 21a and 21b stored in the memory unit 21 shown in FIG. 3 may be merged or may be divided.

[G] Additional notes Regarding the above embodiments, the following additional notes are further disclosed.

(Additional note 1)
storing in a storage area group information in which zones to which the same combination of devices are connected are associated as a group based on zone information regarding the zone and identification information of each of the plurality of devices connected to the zone;
In response to obtaining a failure occurrence notification sent in response to the occurrence of an intermittent communication failure, a second route that does not go through the occurrence point is added to a first zone that includes a first route that goes through the place where the communication failure occurs. Determine whether a route exists or not,
If the second route does not exist within the first zone, whether or not the second route exists within one or more second zones within a group associated with the first zone based on the group information. determine whether
If the second route exists within the first zone or the one or more second zones, controlling to switch the first route used by the first zone to the second route;
A relay device including a control unit.

(Additional note 2)
The control unit includes:
The second route is routed within the first zone or within the one or more second zones based on route information that stores one or more available routes in the zone and routes in use in the zone for each zone. determine whether or not exists,
The relay device described in Supplementary Note 1.

(Additional note 3)
The control unit includes:
In the control, if the second path exists within the first zone or the one or more second zones, the switching is performed in accordance with the completion of the degeneration by degenerating the occurrence point. causing the relay device to execute the switching;
The relay device according to appendix 2.

(Additional note 4)
The control unit includes:
In the control, when the own relay device is the predetermined relay device, the first route is routed within the first zone or the one or more second routes based on the route information upon completion of the degeneration. switching to the second route existing within the zone;
The relay device according to appendix 3.

(Appendix 5)
The control unit includes:
Based on the zone information, the identification information, the group information, and the route information, if there is one or more zones including the second route in each of the plurality of groups, in the first zone or the first determining that the second route exists within the second zone;
The relay device according to any one of Supplementary notes 2 to 4.

(Appendix 6)
The control unit includes:
Based on the zone information, the identification information, the group information, and the route information, when there is no zone including the second route in at least one of the plurality of groups, sending the failure occurrence notification; transmitting information indicating that degeneration is not possible at the occurrence point to the source;
The relay device according to any one of Supplementary notes 2 to 5.

(Appendix 7)
The control unit includes:
In the process of determining whether the second route exists in the one or more second zones, the route in use in the one or more second zones is a route that does not pass through the occurrence location. As for the zone, it is determined that the second route exists within the zone;
The relay device according to any one of Supplementary notes 2 to 6.

(Appendix 8)
storing in a storage area group information in which zones to which the same combination of devices are connected are associated as a group based on zone information regarding the zone and identification information of each of the plurality of devices connected to the zone;
In response to obtaining a failure occurrence notification sent in response to the occurrence of an intermittent communication failure, a second route that does not go through the occurrence point is added to a first zone that includes a first route that goes through the place where the communication failure occurs. Determine whether a route exists or not,
If the second route does not exist within the first zone, whether or not the second route exists within one or more second zones within a group associated with the first zone based on the group information. determine whether
If the second route exists within the first zone or the one or more second zones, controlling to switch the first route used by the first zone to the second route;
A control method in which a relay device executes processing.

(Appendix 9)
The process of determining whether or not the second route exists within the first zone or the one or more second zones includes one or more available routes in the zone and routes in use in the zone. and determining the above based on route information stored for each zone.
Control method described in Appendix 8.

(Appendix 10)
The control includes, when the second path exists within the first zone or the one or more second zones, performing the switching according to the completion of the degeneration by degenerating the occurrence point. including a process of causing the relay device to execute the switching;
Control method described in Appendix 9.

(Appendix 11)
In the case where the relay device itself is the predetermined relay device, the first route is routed within the first zone or within the one or more second zones based on the route information in accordance with the completion of the degeneration. including a process of switching to the second route existing within the zone;
Control method according to appendix 10.

(Appendix 12)
The process of determining whether or not the second route exists within the first zone or the one or more second zones is based on the zone information, the identification information, the group information, and the route information. In each of the groups, if one or more zones including the second route exist, it is determined that the second route exists in the first zone or in the one or more second zones. include,
The control method according to any one of Supplementary notes 8 to 11.

(Appendix 13)
The process of determining whether or not the second route exists within the first zone or the one or more second zones is based on the zone information, the identification information, the group information, and the route information. If there is no zone including the second route in at least one of the groups, transmitting information indicating that degeneration is not possible at the location where the failure occurred to the source of the failure occurrence notification. including,
The control method according to any one of Supplementary notes 8 to 12.

(Appendix 14)
The process of determining whether or not the second route exists in the one or more second zones is a route in use that does not pass through the occurrence point in the one or more second zones. As for the zone, including a process of determining that the second route exists within the zone;
The control method according to any one of Supplementary notes 8 to 13.

1 System 2 Switch 2a Processor 2b Memory 2c Storage unit 2d IF unit 2e Program 2f Administrator terminal 2g Recording medium 20 Port 21 Memory unit 21a Route management table 21b Route information 22 Zoning setting processing unit 23 Connecting device confirmation unit 24 Route group setting Section 25 Alternative route determination section 26 Port power control section 27 Control section 200 Zone setting information 210 Tag information 220 Group information 3 Server 4 Storage device

Claims (8)

storing in a storage area group information in which zones to which the same combination of devices are connected are associated as a group based on zone information regarding the zone and identification information of each of the plurality of devices connected to the zone;
In response to obtaining a failure occurrence notification sent in response to the occurrence of an intermittent communication failure, a second route that does not go through the occurrence point is added to a first zone that includes a first route that goes through the place where the communication failure occurs. Determine whether a route exists or not,
If the second route does not exist within the first zone, whether or not the second route exists within one or more second zones within a group associated with the first zone based on the group information. determine whether
If the second route exists within the first zone or the one or more second zones, controlling to switch the first route used by the first zone to the second route;
A relay device including a control unit. The control unit includes:
The second route is routed within the first zone or within the one or more second zones based on route information that stores one or more available routes in the zone and routes in use in the zone for each zone. determine whether or not exists,
The relay device according to claim 1. The control unit includes:
In the control, if the second path exists within the first zone or the one or more second zones, the switching is performed in accordance with the completion of the degeneration by degenerating the occurrence point. causing the relay device to execute the switching;
The relay device according to claim 2. The control unit includes:
In the control, when the own relay device is the predetermined relay device, the first route is routed within the first zone or the one or more second routes based on the route information upon completion of the degeneration. switching to the second route existing within the zone;
The relay device according to claim 3. The control unit includes:
Based on the zone information, the identification information, the group information, and the route information, if there is one or more zones including the second route in each of the plurality of groups, in the first zone or the first determining that the second route exists within the second zone;
The relay device according to any one of claims 2 to 4. The control unit includes:
Based on the zone information, the identification information, the group information, and the route information, when there is no zone including the second route in at least one of the plurality of groups, sending the failure occurrence notification; transmitting information indicating that degeneration is not possible at the occurrence point to the source;
The relay device according to any one of claims 2 to 4. The control unit includes:
In the process of determining whether the second route exists in the one or more second zones, the route in use in the one or more second zones is a route that does not pass through the occurrence location. As for the zone, it is determined that the second route exists within the zone;
The relay device according to any one of claims 2 to 4. storing in a storage area group information in which zones to which the same combination of devices are connected are associated as a group based on zone information regarding the zone and identification information of each of the plurality of devices connected to the zone;
In response to obtaining a failure occurrence notification sent in response to the occurrence of an intermittent communication failure, a second route that does not go through the occurrence point is added to a first zone that includes a first route that goes through the place where the communication failure occurs. Determine whether a route exists or not,
If the second route does not exist within the first zone, whether or not the second route exists within one or more second zones within a group associated with the first zone based on the group information. determine whether
If the second route exists within the first zone or the one or more second zones, controlling to switch the first route used by the first zone to the second route;
A control method in which a relay device executes processing.

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