Using a Genetic Algorithm to Design and Improve Storage Area Network Architectures

Designing storage area networks is an NP-hard problem. Previous work has focused on traditional algorithmic techniques to automatically determine fabric requirements, network topology, and flow routes. This paper presents work performed with a genetic algorithm to both improve designs developed with heuristic techniques and to create new designs. For some small networks (10 hosts, 10 devices, and single-layered) we find that we can create networks which result in savings of several thousand dollars over previously established methods. This paper is the first publication, to our knowledge, to describe the successful application of this technique to storage area network design.