Replicating a storage entity stored in a given storage system to multiple other storage systems

• US 10,437,508 B1
• Filed: 08/09/2017
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2017
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Infinidat Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Infinidat Ltd.
• Inventors: Medan, Yoav
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hiep T
• Application Number:
  US15/672,331
• Time in Patent Office: 790 Days
• Field of Search: 711162
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0611 in relation to response time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0619 in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/065 Replication mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

A storage system, a computer program product and method for replicating a storage entity to a group of storage systems. The method may include splitting the storage entity, by a given storage system, to provide storage entity portions; generating, by the given storage system, storage entity portions information for distributing the storage entity portions between all storage systems of the group so that each storage system of the group eventually receives the storage entity portions; transmitting the storage entity portions, from the given storage system, to storage systems of the group; wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting different storage entity portions from the given storage system to different storage systems of the group; sending, by the given storage system, the storage entity portions information to at least some storage systems of the group; and attempting to verify, by the given storage system, that all the storage systems of the group received all the storage entity portions.

Claims

1. A method for replicating a storage entity to a group of storage systems, the method comprises:

splitting the storage entity, by a given storage system, to provide storage entity portions;

generating, by the given storage system, storage entity portions information for distributing the storage entity portions between all storage systems of the group so that each storage system of the group eventually receives the storage entity portions;

transmitting the storage entity portions, from the given storage system, to storage systems of the group;

wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting different storage entity portions from the given storage system to different storage systems of the group;

sending, by the given storage system, the storage entity portions information to at least some storage systems of the group; and

determining, by the given storage system, whether all the storage systems of the group received all the storage entity portions.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the storage entity portions information indicates distribution paths for sending the storage entity portions between the storage systems of the group.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the sending of the storage entity portions information comprises sending the storage entity portions information over paths that are not included in the distribution paths.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the generating of the storage entity portions information comprises generating different storage entity portions information for at least two storage systems of the group.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the storage entity portions information comprises transmit information for transmitting at least one of the storage entity portions between storage systems of the group.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the storage entity portions information comprises retrieval information for retrieving at least one of the storage entity portions.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the storage entity portions information comprises reconstructing information for reconstructing the storage entity from the storage entity portions.

8. The method according to claim 1, comprising detecting a failure to receive a certain storage entity portion over a certain distribution path and by a certain storage system of the group, and sending the certain storage entity portion to the certain storage system over new distribution path that differs from the certain distribution path.

9. The method according to claim 1, comprising detecting a failure to receive a certain storage entity portion over a certain distribution path and by a certain storage system of the group, and re-sending the certain storage entity portion to the certain storage system over the certain distribution path.

10. A computer program product that comprises a non-transitory computer readable medium, and stores instructions that once executed by a computer causes the computer to replicate a storage entity to a group of storage systems, by:

splitting the storage entity, by a given storage system, to provide storage entity portions;

generating, by the given storage system, storage entity portions information for distributing the storage entity portions between all storage systems of the group so that each storage system of the group eventually receives the storage entity portions;

transmitting the storage entity portions, from the given storage system, to storage systems of the group;

wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting different storage entity portions from the given storage system to different storage systems of the group;

sending, by the given storage system, the storage entity portions information to at least some storage systems of the group; and

determining, by the given storage system, whether all the storage systems of the group received all the storage entity portions.

11. The computer program product according to claim 10, wherein the storage entity portions information indicates distribution paths for sending the storage entity portions between the storage systems of the group.

12. The computer program product according to claim 11, wherein the sending of the storage entity portions information comprises sending the storage entity portions information over paths that are not included in the distribution paths.

13. The computer program product according to claim 10, wherein the generating of the storage entity portions information comprises generating different storage entity portions information for at least two storage systems of the group.

14. The computer program product according to claim 10, wherein the storage entity portions information comprises transmit information for transmitting at least one of the storage entity portions between storage systems of the group.

15. The computer program product according to claim 10, wherein the storage entity portions information comprises retrieval information for retrieving at least one of the storage entity portions.

16. The computer program product according to claim 10, wherein the storage entity portions information comprises reconstructing information for reconstructing the storage entity from the storage entity portions.

17. The computer program product according to claim 10, that stores instructions for detecting a failure to receive a certain storage entity portion over a certain distribution path and by a certain storage system of the group, and sending the certain storage entity portion to the certain storage system over new distribution path that differs from the certain distribution path.

18. The computer program product according to claim 10, that stores instructions for detecting a failure to receive a certain storage entity portion over a certain distribution path and by a certain storage system of the group, and re-sending the certain storage entity portion to the certain storage system over the certain distribution path.

19. A storage system that comprises a storage medium, a controller for controlling the storage medium and a communication module;

wherein the controller is configured to (a) split a storage entity to provide storage entity portions, and (b) generate storage entity portions information for distributing the storage entity portions between all storage systems of a group of storage systems so that each storage system of the group eventually receives the storage entity portions;

wherein the communication module is configured to (a) transmit the storage entity portions to storage systems of the group by transmitting different storage entity portions from the given storage system to different storage systems of the group, and (b) send the storage entity portions information to at least some storage systems of the group;

wherein the storage system is configured to determine whether all the storage systems of the group received all the storage entity portions.