Pool partner based replication

• US 10,691,369 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2018
• Issued: 06/23/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Inventors: Bali, Naveen, Siddha, Neha, Root, Michael E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Denise
• Application Number:
  US15/960,226
• Publication Number:
  US 20190324651A1
• Time in Patent Office: 792 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0607 by facilitating the process of upgrading existing storage systems, e.g. for improving compatibility between host and storage device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0619 in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0644 Management of space entities, e.g. partitions, extents, pools
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/065 Replication mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0683 Plurality of storage devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD

Abstract

In some examples, with respect to pool partner based replication, a first pool may be generated for a first storage array and may include a first volume of data stored in a storage space of the first storage array. A second pool may be generated for a second storage array and may include a second volume to receive data replicated from the first volume. Based on the generation of the second pool, first and second pool partners respectively representing end points for communication with the first and second pools may be generated. A volume collection may be generated and may include identifications of the first pool partner and the second pool partner, and a first volume identification of the first volume. Based on the volume collection, replication of the first volume may be performed from the first pool to the second volume of the second pool.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer readable medium storing machine readable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to;

generate, for a first storage array, a first pool that includes a first volume of data stored in a storage space of the first storage array that is allocated to the first volume;

generate, for a second storage array, a second pool that is to include a second volume to receive data replicated from the first volume;

in response to the generation of the second pool, generate a first pool partner representing an end point for communication with the first pool and a second pool partner representing an end point for communication with the second pool;

generate a volume collection that includes a first identification of the first pool partner, a second identification of the second pool partner, and a first volume identification of the first volume; and

perform, based on the volume collection, replication of the first volume from the first pool to the second volume of the second pooh, wherein the instructions to perform the replication of the first volume to the second volume comprise instructions to;

validate a key associated with the first pool partner with a key associated with the second pool partner; and

initiate, upon the validation of the key associated with the first pool partner with the key associated with the second pool partner and based on the volume collection, the replication of the first volume from the first pool to the second volume of the second pool.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the replication includes synchronous replication of the first volume from the first pool to the second volume of the second pool.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first pool includes a first set of volumes including the first volume, the second pool includes a second set of volumes including the second volume, and wherein the instructions to perform, based on the volume collection, replication of the first volume from the first pool to the second volume of the second pool are further to cause the processor to:

perform, based on the volume collection;

replication of the first set of volumes from the first pool to the second set of volumes of the second pool.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the instructions are further to cause the processor to:

generate a further volume collection that includes identification of the first and second pool partners, and identification of a third volume and a fourth volume respectively corresponding to the first and second pools; and

perform, based on the further volume collection, replication of the fourth volume from the second pool to the third volume of the first pool.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the first pool includes a third set of volumes including the third volume, and the second pool includes a fourth set of volumes including the fourth volume, and wherein the instructions to perform, based on the further volume collection, replication of the fourth volume from the second pool to the third volume of the first pool are further to cause the processor to:

perform, based on the further volume collection, replication of the fourth set of the volumes from the second pool to the third set of the volumes of the first pool.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, Wherein the instructions to generate, in response to the generation of the second pool, the first pool partner representing the end point for communication with the first pool and the second pool partner representing the end point for communication with the second pool are further to cause the processor to:

generate the first pool partner to include;

a first pool partner unique identifier,

a first pool partner name that matches a name of the first pool, and

a first pool unique identifier of the first pool; and

generate the second pool partner to include;

a second pool partner unique identifier,

a second pool partner name that matches a name of the second pool; and

a second pool unique identifier of the second pool.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the instructions to perform the replication of the first volume to the second volume comprise instructions to:

receive data to be stored to the first volume;

commit the received data to the first volume;

commit the data committed to the first volume to the second volume; and

generate an acknowledgement of the commitment to the second volume.

8. A computer implemented method comprising:

generating, by a processor, for a first storage array of a group, a first pool that includes a first volume of data in a storage space of the first storage array that is allocated to the first volume;

generating, the processor, for a second storage array that is added to the group, a second pool that is to include a second volume to receive data replicated from the first volume from the first pool to the second pool;

in response to the generation of the second pool, generating, by the processor, a first pool partner representing an end point for communication with the first pool and a second pool partner representing an end point for communication with the second pool;

generating, by the processor, a volume collection that includes a first identification of the first pool partner, a second identification of the second pool partner, and a first volume identification of the first volume; and

performing, based on the volume collection, replication of the first volume from the first pool to the second volume of the second pool, wherein performing the replication of the first volume to the second volume comprises;

validating a communication session associated with the first and second pool partners;

initiating, upon the validation of the communication session and based on the volume collection, the replication of the first volume from the first pool to the second volume of the second pool.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the replication includes synchronous replication of the first volume from the first pool to the second volume of the second pool.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the first pool includes a first set of volumes including the first volume, the second pool includes a second set of volumes including the second volume, and wherein performing, based on the volume collection, replication of the first volume from the first pool to the second volume of the second pool further comprises:

performing, based on the volume collection, replication of the first set of volumes from the first pool to the second set of second volumes of the second pool.

11. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

generating a further volume collection that includes identification of the first and second pool partners, and identification of a third volume and a fourth volume respectively corresponding to the first and second pools; and

performing, based on the further volume collection, replication of the fourth volume from the second pool to the third volume of the first pool.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the first pool includes a third set of volumes including the third volume, and the second pool includes a fourth set of volumes including the fourth volume, and wherein performing, based on the further volume collection, replication of the fourth volume from the second pool to the third volume of the first pool further comprises:

performing, based on the further volume collection, replication of the fourth set of the volumes from the second pool to the third set of the volumes of the first pool.

13. The method according to claim 8, wherein generating, based on the generation of the second pool, the first pool partner representing the end point for communication with the first pool and the second pool partner representing the end point for communication with the second pool further comprises:

generating the first pool partner to include

a first pool partner unique identifier, and

a first pool unique identifier of the first pool; and

generating the second pool partner to include

a second pool partner unique identifier, and

a second pool unique identifier of the second pool.

14. The method according to claim 8, wherein performing, based on the volume collection, the replication of the first volume from the first pool to the second volume of the second pool further comprises:

receiving data to be stored to the first volume;

committing the received data to the first volume;

committing the data committed to the first volume to the second volume; and

generating an acknowledgement of the commitment to the second volume.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon machine readable instructions, the machine readable instructions, when executed, cause a processor to:

ascertain a group including a first storage array, a second storage array, a first pool including a first volume of data stored in a storage space of the first storage array allocated to the first volume, and a second pool including a second volume of data stored in a storage space of the second storage array allocated to the second volume;

update the group to include, for a third storage array, a third pool that is to include a third volume to receive data replicated from the first or second volumes;

generate, based on the update of the group, a first pool partner representing an end point for communication with the first pool, a second pool partner representing an end point for communication with the second pool, and a third pool partner representing an end point for communication with the third pool; and

perform, based on the first pool partner and the third pool partner, replication of the first volume to the third volume, the instructions to perform the replication of the first volume to the third volume comprising instructions to;

validate at least one secret, for communication authentication, associated with the first and third pool partners;

initiate, upon the validation of the at least one secret and based on the volume collection, the replication of the first volume from the first pool to the third volume of the third pool.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 15, wherein the first pool includes a first set of volumes including the first volume, the second pool includes a second set of volumes including the second volume, and the third pool includes a third set of volumes including the third volume, and wherein the machine readable instructions to perform, based on selective ones of the pool partners, the replication of the first volume to the third volume, when executed, further cause the processor to:

perform, based on the first pool partner and the third pool partner, the replication of the first set of volumes to the third set of volumes.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 15, wherein the machine readable instructions to perform the replication of the first volume to the third volume comprise instructions to:

generate a volume collection that includes identification of the first pool partner, the second pool partner, and the third pool partner, and a first identification of the first volume and a second identification of the second volume; and

perform, based on the volume collection, the replication of the first volume to the third volume.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 17, wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to:

generate a further volume collection that includes identification of the first pool partner, the second pool partner, and the third pool partner, and identification of a fourth volume, a fifth volume, and a sixth volume respectively corresponding to the first, second, and third pools; and

perform, based on the further volume collection, replication of the sixth volume from the third pool to the fourth volume of the first pool or the fifth volume of the second pool.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 18, wherein the first pool includes a fourth set of volumes including the fourth volume, the second pool includes a fifth set of volumes including the fifth volume, and the third pool includes a sixth set of volumes including the sixth volume, and wherein the machine readable instructions to perform, based on the further volume collection, replication of the sixth volume from the third pool to the fourth volume of the first pool or the fifth volume of the second pool, when executed, further cause the processor to:

perform, based on the further volume collection, replication of the sixth set of the volumes from the third pool to the fourth set of the volumes of the first pool or the fifth set of volumes of the second pool.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 15, wherein the machine readable instructions to generate, based on the update of the group, the first pool partner representing the end point for communication with the first pool, the second pool partner representing the end point for communication with the second pool, and the third pool partner representing the end point for communication with the third pool, when executed, further cause the processor to:

generate the first pool partner to include

a first pool partner unique identifier,

a first pool partner name that matches a name of the first pool, and

a first pool unique identifier of the first pool;

generate the second pool partner to include

a second pool partner unique identifier,

a second pool partner name that matches a name of the second pool; and

a second pool unique identifier of the second pool; and

generate the third pool partner to include

a third pool partner unique identifier,

a third pool partner name that matches a name of the third pool, and

a third pool unique identifier of the third pool.