Data storage with stored location data to facilitate disk swapping

• US 20020165930A1
• Filed: 04/17/2002
• Published: 11/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Discreet Logic, Inc. (Autodesk, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tran, Le Huan, Theriault, Eric Yves
• Granted Patent: US 6,981,057 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/214
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/3027 used signal is digitally coded

Abstract

A first image processing system, a second image processing system, a first storage system and a second storage system communicate over a high bandwidth switch. The switch connects the first processing system to the first storage system and also connects the second processing system to the second storage system. At the first image processing system, first location data is read to identify the location of frames on the first frame storage system. Similarly, at the second image processing system second location data is read to identify the location frames on the second frame storage system. In response to control commands issued to the switch, the first image processing system is disconnected from the first storage system and reconnected to the second storage system. Similarly, the second processing system is disconnected from the second storage system and reconnected to the first storage system. In response to the reconnection operations, the second location data is read at the first image processing system and the first location data is read at the second processing system. In this way, immediate and automatic access to the reconnected storage systems is achieved.

Claims

1. Image data processing apparatus, comprising:

a first host processing system;

a first frame storage means connected to said first processing system via a high bandwidth connection, wherein said first image processing system reads first location data to identify the location of frames on said first frame storage means;

a second host processing system; and

a second frame storage means connected to said processing system via a high bandwidth connection, wherein said second image processing system reads second location data to identify the location of frames on said second frame storage means;

wherein;

said first image processing system is disconnected from said first frame storage means and reconnected to said second frame storage means;

said second image processing system is disconnected from said second frame storage means and reconnected to said first frame storage means;

said first image processing system reads said second location data to enable direct access to the reconnected second storage means; and

said second image processing system reads said first location data to enable direct access to said reconnected second storage means.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said data storage systems include a plurality of disks configured to receive image stripes.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said disks are configured as a redundant array of inexpensive disks (RAID).

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said high bandwidth connection includes a high bandwidth switching means.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said high bandwidth switching means is a fibre channel switch.

6. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said high bandwidth switching means is switched under the control of said first processing system.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first location data is transferred to said second processing system and said second location data is transferred to said first processing system.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7, including a low bandwidth network connecting said first processing system to said second processing system, wherein said location data is transferred over said low bandwidth network.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said low bandwidth network is an Ethernet network.

10. Apparatus according to claim 1, including a local disk drive, wherein said location data is stored on said local disk drive.

11. A method of processing image data, comprising:

reading first location data to identify a first location of frames on a first frame storage means at a first image processing system;

reading second location data to identify a second location of frames on a second frame storage means at a second image processing system;

disconnecting said first image processing system from said first storage means and reconnecting said first image processing system to said second frame storage means;

disconnecting said second image processing system from said second frame storage means and reconnecting said second image processing system to said first frame storage means;

reading said second location data at said first image processing system to enable access to the reconnected second storage means; and

reading said first location data at said second image processing system to enable direct access to said reconnected second storage means.

12. A method according the claim 11, wherein said image data consists of a plurality of image frames and wherein each of said image frames is stored by being striped over a plurality of disks.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein said striping procedure includes the generation of redundant data.

14. A method according to claim 11, wherein image data is transferred between an image processing system and a frame storage means over a high bandwidth switch.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein said high bandwidth switch is a fibre channel switch facilitating the transfer of image data at display rate or at multiples of said display rate.

16. A method according to claim 14, wherein said first processing system is configured to switch said high bandwidth switching means.

17. A method according to claim 11, wherein said first location data is transferred to said second processing system and said second location data is transferred to said first processing system.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein said transfer of location data occurs over a low bandwidth network connecting said first processing system to said second processing system, wherein the transition rate of said low bandwidth network is less than that required for image display.

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein said low bandwidth network operates under Ethernet protocols.

20. A method according to claim 11, wherein location data is stored on respective local disk drives.