IBM SMI-S-Based Storage Device Simulator

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What is IBM SMI-S-Based Storage Device Simulator?

The Common Information Model (CIM) is an industry-standard way of describing data about applications and devices so that administrators and software management programs can control applications and devices on different platforms in the same way, ensuring interoperability across a network such as the Internet. It was developed by the Distributed Management Task Force (DMTF).

IBM SMI-S-Based Storage Device Simulator is a simulation tool compliant with the SMI-S (Storage Management Initiative Specification) for managing storage devices as a CIM. This tool allows one to simulate storage devices from a console, enabling testing of storage device management architecture. This testing saves considerable time and expense and eliminates the cost of purchasing actual storage devices.

The SMI-S specification allows simple, standardized, and cost-effective management of heterogeneous storage environments. The SMI-S allows an IT manager to use an OEM's software to manage third-party storage products and vise versa. In addition, the SMI-S provides for a common, interoperable, and extensible management transport mechanism, regardless of vendor. A complete, unified, and rigidly-specified object model provides for the control of logical unit numbers (LUNs) and zones in the context of a storage area network (SAN). SMI-S also includes an automated discovery system. By reducing the necessity for managing proprietary interfaces, the SMI-S will have a profound impact on total cost of ownership (TCO).

This simulator is a testing tool for developing the SMI-S-based storage device management applications. The simulator does not need to connect to the real storage device; but, to the user, it looks as if it is connecting to a real storage device at high speeds.

The SMI-S-based simulation tool has the following features:

• Interoperability: The simulator can simulate the execution of some methods of CIM service classes according to SMI-S and can store the execution results in a CIM repository.
• Transparency: When one connects to the simulator for testing, it appears as if one is managing a real storage device. The CIM repository can log the operational data to ensure consistency.
• Intuitiveness: The simulator acts as a standard CIMOM (CIM object manager -- the central component of the CIM server responsible for the communication between the CIM server components). The simulator can give responses to the CIM client's requests according to the standard CIM over HTTP protocol; it creates a repository in which to store all the CIM class hierarchy and concrete CIM class instances. The simulator supports creation, deletion, and modification of CIM instances; it enumerates CIM instances, set/get instance properties, and get CIM class information; and it reports CIM exceptions.
• Flexibility: The conference data of a storage device (DS4000,Ds6000, Ds8000, etc.) can be configured in an XML file; the initialization module will import the virtual device into CIMOM.
• Debugging: The tool naturally assists with debugging; the simulator can report many kinds of exceptions to help catch bugs in code.

The package also includes a CIMOM server and an initialization tool for virtual storage devices. The simulator runs on Java™- and DLL-compatible systems; it has been tested on Windows®.

How does it work?

• Application layer: the front-end management console, including CLI and GUI
• Management layer: the CIMOM and provider
• Device layer: the storage device.

The management application communicates with CIMOM; then CIMOM operates the device. The simulator is a CIMOM server; it connects to a virtual device acting as if it were managing an actual storage device.

When testing the application, the user need only connect the application to the simulator.

Four steps are required in order to set up this simulator: Configure the conference data of virtual storage devices in an XML file; use the initialization tool to import the above settings; start the simulator server; and connect applications to the server for testing.