RE: [LSF/MM TOPIC] linux servers as a storage server - what'smissing?

["Loke, Chetan" <Chetan.Loke@netscout.com>]

> From: linux-scsi-owner@vger.kernel.org
[mailto:linux-scsi-owner@vger.kernel.org] On Behalf Of Tom Coughlan
> 


> Yes, Red Hat does. Tony Asleson. libStorageMgmt:
> 
> http://sourceforge.net/apps/trac/libstoragemgmt
> 
> The current focus is on managing external storage (SMI-S, etc.). This
> focus can be expanded over time. Contributions welcome.
> 

Device management(scalability/feature mgmt) - 

1) scalability:
I may be wrong but storage boxes like symmetrix(and others) support
large number of LUNs.
So device management 'scalability' will make linux shine. By scalability
I mean efficiently managing let's say 32K(?) LUNs.

2) feature management:
As Shyam mentioned in earlier emails - provide an ecosystem similar to
smart-phones. Let me provide an example(and then
you guys can correct me by saying this already exists or bits and pieces
exist):

a) As a kernel developer - export all the features(to the upper layers)
we can by querying the target.

b) As an app developer - GetLUNFeatures(), could return - {Thin
Provision, RAID-level, ... ).

c) As a sys-admin - If I right click(for a volume/LUN) on my management
GUI, I should be able to tell if my volume supports thin-prov, backed by
DRBD[proxy?] etc.

So once we provide b) from above, tens(if not hundreds) of apps will be
developed in a short period of time.
I feel libstoragemgmt is an excellent place to get all of this
organized.


Chetan Loke