Data storage system for a multi-client network and method of managing such system
First Claim
1. A method of processing operation requests related to data objects in a data storage system connected to a multi-client network, the data storage system comprising a storage pool having a plurality of storage units (SUs), the method comprising:
- providing at least one routing processor (RP) and a plurality of storage processor (SPs) coupled to the RP and the SUs;
dividing the storage pool into logical containers and assigning each logical container to one of the SPs;
at the RP, receiving an operation request related to a data object from a client of the network;
determining which one of the containers corresponds to the data object;
sending the operation request to the SP assigned to the corresponding logical container;
receiving the operation request at the assigned SP; and
processing the operation request at the SP.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
The data storage system comprises a scalable number of routing processors (RPs) through which clients of a network communicate. The storage system also includes a scalable number of storage processors (SPs) connected to a scalable number of storage units (SUs). This data storage system provides a new and hybrid approach which lies in between conventional NAS and SAN environments. It creates a unified and scalable storage pool accessible through a single consistent directory without the need for a metadata controller (MDC). There is thus no table lookup at a central node and no single point of failure. It allows a dissociation of the relationship between the physical path and the actual location where the data objects are stored.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method of processing operation requests related to data objects in a data storage system connected to a multi-client network, the data storage system comprising a storage pool having a plurality of storage units (SUs), the method comprising:
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providing at least one routing processor (RP) and a plurality of storage processor (SPs) coupled to the RP and the SUs;
dividing the storage pool into logical containers and assigning each logical container to one of the SPs;
at the RP, receiving an operation request related to a data object from a client of the network;
determining which one of the containers corresponds to the data object;
sending the operation request to the SP assigned to the corresponding logical container;
receiving the operation request at the assigned SP; and
processing the operation request at the SP. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of processing operation requests associated with data objects in a data storage system connected to a multi-client network, the data storage system comprising a storage pool having a plurality of storage units (SUs) divided into logical containers, each logical containers being assigned to one among a plurality of storage processors (SPs), the method comprising:
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receiving at a routing processor (RP) a save request from a client of the network concerning a new data object;
determining, from at least one attribute of the new data object, a destination container among the logical containers for storing the new data object;
sending the new data object to the SP to which the selected container is assigned;
receiving the new data object at the SP handling the destination container; and
storing the new data object in the storage pool at the destination container. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of routing new data objects in a data storage system connected to a multi-client network, the data storage system having a storage pool divided in a predetermined number of logical containers in which data objects are stored, each data object including contents and at least one attribute, the method comprising:
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selecting one of the logical containers as a destination container to store a new data object received from a client of the network, the destination container being selected using a scheme providing a statistically substantially uniform distribution of the data objects between the logical containers using at least one attribute of each data object; and
sending the new data object to the destination container. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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17. A data storage system for storing data objects, the data storage system being connected to a multi-client network and being provided with a storage pool having a plurality of storage units (SUs), the system comprising:
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at least one routing processor (RP) coupled to the network;
a plurality of storage processors (SPs) coupled to the RP;
a storage pool having a plurality of storage units (SUs), the storage pool being divided into logical containers;
a switch to interconnectivity couple the SPs and the SUs; and
a managing station (MS) coupled to the RP and the SPs, the MS maintaining a main configuration database and corresponding configuration databases in the RP and the SPs to indicate which of the SPs is being assigned to each logical container. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification