Storage in multi-queue storage devices using queue multiplexing and access control

• US 10,031,872 B1
• Filed: 12/20/2017
• Issued: 07/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2017
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: E8 Storage Systems Ltd. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Friedman, Alex
• Primary Examiner(s): Higa, Brendan
• Application Number:
  US15/847,992
• Publication Number:
  US 20180210848A1
• Time in Patent Office: 216 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/287 Multiplexed DMA G06F13/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0601 Interfaces specially adapted for storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0613 in relation to throughput
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0659 Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

A method for data storage includes, in a system that includes multiple servers, multiple multi-queue storage devices and at least one storage controller that communicate over a network, running, in a server among the servers, multiple data-path instances (DPs) that operate independently of one another and issue storage commands for execution in the multi-queue storage devices. The storage commands, issued by the multiple DPs running in the server, are multiplexed using an Input-Output Multiplexer (I/O MUX) process. The multiplexed storage commands are executed in the multi-queue storage devices.

Claims

1. A method for data storage, comprising:

in a system that comprises multiple servers, multiple multi-queue storage devices and at least one storage controller that communicate over a network, running, in a server among the servers, multiple data-path instances (DPs) that operate independently of one another and issue storage commands for execution in the multi-queue storage devices;

using an Input-Output Multiplexer (I/O MUX) process, multiplexing the storage commands issued by the multiple DPs running in the server; and

executing the multiplexed storage commands in the multi-queue storage devices, including, in a given multi-queue storage device, queuing the storage commands issued by the multiple DPs running in the server in a single queue pair (QP) associated with the I/O MUX process.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein multiplexing the storage commands comprises running the I/O MUX process in the server.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein multiplexing the storage commands comprises running the I/O MUX process in a gateway separate from the server.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising running in the gateway an access-control process that enforces an access-control policy on the storage commands.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein multiplexing and executing the storage commands comprises accessing the multi-queue storage devices using remote direct memory access, without running code on the at least one storage controller.

6. A computing system, comprising:

multiple multi-queue storage devices;

at least one storage controller;

multiple servers, wherein a server among the servers is configured to run multiple data-path instances (DPs) that operate independently of one another and issue storage commands for execution in the multi-queue storage devices; and

a processor configured to multiplex the storage commands issued by the multiple DPs running in the server using an Input-Output Multiplexer (I/O MUX) process, so as to execute the multiplexed storage commands in the multi-queue storage devices,

wherein a given multi-queue storage device is configured to queue the storage commands issued by the multiple DPs running in the server in a single queue pair (QP) associated with the I/O MUX process.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the processor, which is configured to multiplex the storage commands, is a processor in the server.

8. The system according to claim 6, wherein the processor, which is configured to multiplex the storage commands, is a processor in a gateway separate from the server.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the processor in the gateway is further configured to run an access-control process that enforces an access-control policy on the storage commands.

10. The system according to claim 6, wherein the server and the processor are configured to multiplex and execute the storage commands by accessing the multi-queue storage devices using remote direct memory access, without running code on the at least one storage controller.