Development of an API Standard in Interoperable Storage Networking Benjamin F. Kuo Troika Networks, Inc.

Outline  HBA API Overview The HBA Management Problem The HBA Management Problem Attempts at a Solution Attempts at a Solution The SNIA HBA API The SNIA HBA API Development Timeline Development Timeline  Architecture API Attributes API Attributes API Functions API Functions More information More information  Conclusion

Fibre Channel Network LAN SAN Servers With HBAs Storage SAN Infrastructure ManagementStation

The Host Bus Adapter: Critical Enabler to Storage Networking  Component to connect systems and storage over Fibre Channel  Consists of hardware, firmware, drivers  Located on host system, RAID controllers, storage devices  Supports multiple protocols: FCP-SCSI FCP-SCSI IPFC IPFC FC-VI FC-VI

Need for Managing the HBA  Information about HBA configuration and operational parameters  Information about local port properties  Visibility into the list of discovered network devices, WWN and properties  Ability to correlate SCSI mappings to Fibre Channel network addresses  Access to Fibre Channel network services

The HBA Management Problem  “The HBA is Unmanageable” Multiple vendors Multiple vendors Multiple platforms Multiple platforms Lack of standards Lack of standards Lack of industry agreement Lack of industry agreement No consistency between vendors No consistency between vendors  Result Multiple conflicting attempts at a solution Multiple conflicting attempts at a solution

Benefits of a Solution  Users Increased interoperability Increased interoperability Increased availability Increased availability Simpler administration Simpler administration  Software Vendors Reduced development cycle Reduced development cycle Broader applicability to hardware Broader applicability to hardware Wider market Wider market  FC/SAN Industry Accelerate adoption of FC equipment Accelerate adoption of FC equipment Enables new applications to grow the market Enables new applications to grow the market

Early Attempts at a Solution  HBA Vendor Proprietary Proprietary solutions from every HBA vendor, if available at all Proprietary solutions from every HBA vendor, if available at all  Management Vendor Proprietary Interfaces from every management software vendor Interfaces from every management software vendor  HBA CIM Modeling Not appropriate at an operational level Not appropriate at an operational level  MIB Definitions Not appropriate for HBA Not appropriate for HBA

Solution: The SNIA HBA API  Broad, industry driven initiative  Common HBA information definition  C-Level library interface  Platform independent  Vendor independent  Interoperable Across vendors Across vendors “In the box” “In the box”

API Development Timeline  Version 1.0  Version 2.0 Now – collecting requirements Now – collecting requirements March – Strawman April – Requirements May – HBA API Subgroup Formed July – 1.0 Draft Frozen Added to T11 FC-MI Annex Sept – 1.0 Final T11 FC-MI

HBA API Architecture ISVApplications Library 1 Library 2 Library 3 Library N OS-specific mechanisms are used to dynamically load libraries HBA API HBA Vendor Implementation All supported host bus adapters are accessed using a single interface to common functions HBA vendors provide a common interface to vendor-specific implementations. Common HBA API Library …

HBA API Attributes  Adapter Attributes Mfg, Model, Version, Serial Number, WWNN… Mfg, Model, Version, Serial Number, WWNN…  Adapter Port Attributes WWPN, WWNN, Speed, FC4 Protocols… WWPN, WWNN, Speed, FC4 Protocols…  Adapter Port Statistics Frames and words sent and received, errors… Frames and words sent and received, errors…  FC-3 Management Attributes RNID RNID  Port FCP Attributes Mapping of WWN to OS SCSI Bus, Target, LUN Mapping of WWN to OS SCSI Bus, Target, LUN

HBA API Function Calls  General Functions  Information Functions  FC-3 Management Features  FCP Information Functions  Control Functions

General Functions  A single application interface that can manage multiple HBA vendors adapters, even in the same machine.  Manages the loading of appropriate HBA vendor specific libraries  Identifies installed adapters and their names

Information Functions  Reports details on installed adapters Manufacturer, driver and firmware versions, model numbers… Manufacturer, driver and firmware versions, model numbers… Fibre Channel Port and Node World Wide Names Fibre Channel Port and Node World Wide Names Traffic statistics for Adapter Ports Traffic statistics for Adapter Ports Frames sent/received, errors, etc… Frames sent/received, errors, etc…

FC-3 Management Functions  Allows applications to directly query fibre channel switch services Name and management servers Name and management servers  Allows setting and querying of end-node information RNID RNID

FCP Information Functions  Reports information about what an Operating System knows about SCSI bus and target information for a given LUN (logical device), as well SCSI LUN to FCP LUN bindings.  SCSI Inquiry, Report LUNs, Read Capacity

Control Functions Control Functions  Provides facilities for reading updated (network) information known by an adapter as well as functions like resetting HBA statistics counters.

Example of HBA API Usage Get the list of adapters… number_of_adapters = HBA_GetNumberOfAdapters(); for (i = 0; i < number_of_adapters; i++) { status = HBA_GetAdapterName(i, &adaptername); } Open an adapter… adapterhandle = HBA_OpenAdapter(adaptername); adapterhandle = HBA_OpenAdapter(adaptername); Call HBA function to retrieve information… status = HBA_GetAdapterAttributes(adapterhandle, &adapterattributes); printf("Manufacturer is %s\r\n", adapterattributes.Manufacturer);

HBA API Documents Available  HBA API Specification  Sample code for libraries and applications  Common HBA API Library for multi- vendor loading support  Vendor-supplied libraries

Conclusion  Broad-based, industry supported standard for managing host bus adapters  In early availability across multiple vendors  Critical enabler to managing storage networks  Increases storage network interoperability, reliability, usefulness

More information  SNW Interoperability Demo  SNIA Fibre Channel Working Group FCWG Reflector FCWG Reflector  T11 FC-MI

Questions?