NETWORK ATTACHED VIRTUAL DATA STORAGE SUBSYSTEM

• US 20020004883A1
• Filed: 10/20/1999
• Published: 01/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Storage Technologies Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: LEONHARDT, MICHAEL L., NGUYEN, THAI, RAYMOND, ROBERT M.
• Granted Patent: US 6,658,526 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/111
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0613 in relation to throughput
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0664 at device level, e.g. emulation of a storage device or system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0686 Libraries, e.g. tape libraries, jukebox

Abstract

This data storage subsystem creates multiple virtual storage devices on demand, which are available to any and all of the system'"'"'s host data processors. The subsystem utilizes a plurality of tape devices and automated tape libraries with the tape devices connected to a plurality of data processors via a high-speed network. A set of software components, the Network Storage Manager (NSM) controls all system operations. Depending upon the requested storage performance, one or more tape devices are assigned to a virtual device. Data stripping across multiple tape devices allows the storage bandwidth of a virtual device to be changed on demand. The overall capacity and performance of the subsystem is scalable by adding or removing storage devices. The NSM system controller contains a plurality of software elements including: Resource Allocation, Resource Configuration, Resource Management, and Security Management modules. The use of a networked storage manager enables the storage devices to be managed as a pool and yet be attached directly to the network as individual resources. The NSM also provides the mechanism for the enterprise management to control tape device allocation and configuration as well as other functions, such as tape cartridge movement, data migration and data security.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a network;

a plurality of data processors coupled to the network;

a plurality of storage devices coupled to the network; and

means, coupled to the network, for dynamically creating at least one virtual device from at least a portion of the plurality of storage devices.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the means for creating at least one virtual device is responsive to a storage request from at least one of the plurality of data processors.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the means for creating at least one virtual device establishes at least one data storage characteristic of (i) capacity, (ii) data rate, (iii) fault tolerance and (iv) security.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the storage request is initiated from any of manual operator commands, algorithms, rules, and application program requests.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of storage devices comprises a plurality of tape drives and a plurality of tape media.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the plurality of tape media are manipulated by at least one automated tape cartridge library system.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the automated tape cartridge library system is operatively coupled to the means for dynamically creating at least one virtual device.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein at least a portion of the tape drives are coupled to the network.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein at least a portion of the tape drives are coupled to the network through a bridge.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the bridge is operable to connect between dissimilar interfaces.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the dissimilar interfaces are SCSI and a fiber channel.

12. The system of claim 5, wherein the plurality of tape drives are configured to provide a redundant array of independent tapes (RAIT).

13. The system of claim 5, wherein the plurality of tape drives are configured to provide a plurality of redundant array of independent tape (RAIT) configurations.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of RAIT configurations are dissimilar.

15. The system of claim 5, wherein the plurality of tape drives are configured to provide at least one redundant array of independent tape (RAIT) configuration and at least one single independent drive (SID) configuration.

16. The system of claim 5, wherein the plurality of tape drives are manipulated by a plurality of automated tape cartridge library systems.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the means for creating at least one virtual device comprises means for resource allocation, resource configuration and resource management.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the means for resource configuration is dynamically assignable.

19. The system of claim 1 further comprising a control network coupled to the plurality of data processors and the means for creating at least one virtual device.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the network is a high speed data network and the control network operates at a low speed with respect to the high speed data network.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the control network is an ethernet based network.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the high speed data network is a fiber channel network.

23. The system of claim 1, further comprising means for reserving, assigning and managing at least a portion of the plurality of storage devices.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein the means for dynamically creating at least one virtual device from a least a portion of the plurality of storage devices comprises means for creating a plurality of virtual devices from the plurality of storage devices.

25. The system of claim 19 wherein the means for dynamically creating at least one virtual device comprises:

a network storage manager means for receiving a storage request from at least one of the plurality of data processors; and

a control block means, operatively coupled between each of the plurality of data processors and the network, for redirecting data received from its respective data processor to one or more of the plurality of storage devices as directed by the network storage means.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the control block means are integral with their respective data processor.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the control block means are integral with a network interface card connected to their respective data processor.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein the control block means are integral with the network.

29. The system of claim 1, wherein the means for dynamically creating at least one virtual device comprises:

a network storage manager means for receiving a storage request from at least one of the plurality of data processors; and

a control block means, operatively coupled between each of the plurality of storage devices and the network, for redirecting data received from the network to one or more of the plurality of storage devices as directed by the network storage means.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the control block means are integral with their respective storage device.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein the control block means are integral with a network interface card connected to their respective storage device.

32. The system of claim 29, wherein the control block means are integral with the network.

33. The system of claim 1, wherein the means for dynamically creating at least one virtual device comprises:

a network storage manager means for receiving a storage request from at least one of the plurality of data processors; and

a control block means, operatively coupled to the network, for redirecting data received by the network to one or more of the plurality of storage devices as directed by the network storage means.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the control block means is integral with the network.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the network comprises a network fabric switch, and the control block means is integral with the network fabric switch.

36. A system, comprising:

a network;

a plurality of storage devices connected to the network; and

means for managing the plurality of storage devices as a pooled resource.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the means for managing comprises:

network system management means for managing the plurality of storage devices; and

control block means for translating data receiving from at least one of a plurality of data processors to appropriate of the plurality of storage devices as directed by the network system management means.

38. A system, comprising:

a network;

a plurality of data processors coupled to the network;

a plurality of storage devices coupled to the network; and

means, coupled to the network, for dynamically managing at least one virtual device composed from at least a portion of the plurality of storage devices.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein the means for dynamically managing comprises means for dynamically changing any of configuration and performance of the at least one virtual device.

40. In a system comprising a network, a plurality of data processors coupled to the network and a plurality of storage devices coupled to the network, a method comprising the step of:

dynamically creating at least one virtual device from at least a portion of the plurality of storage devices.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the step of creating the at least one virtual device is in response to a storage request from at least one of the plurality of data processors.

42. In a system comprising a network, a plurality of data processors coupled to the network and a plurality of storage devices coupled to the network, a method comprising the step of:

dynamically managing at least one virtual device composed from at least a portion of the plurality of storage devices.

43. In a system comprising a network and a plurality of storage devices connected to the network, a method of managing the plurality of storage devices as a pooled resource, comprising the steps of:

configuring at least a portion of the plurality of storage devices as a virtual device; and

dynamically reconfiguring at least a portion of the plurality of storage devices as another virtual device.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the step of dynamically reconfiguring is responsive to a storage request.

45. The system of claim 44, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a storage request from a processor; and

translating data receiving from the processor to appropriate of the plurality of storage devices.