Reversing a communication path between storage devices

• US 20030172227A1
• Filed: 11/30/2001
• Published: 09/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Meiri, David, Arnon, Dan, Halstead, Mark J.
• Granted Patent: US 6,976,139 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/112
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1666 where the redundant component is memory or memory area
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/20 using active fault-masking, e.g. by switching out faulty elements or by switching in spare elements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2069 Management of state, configuration or failover
• 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 3/0665 at area level, e.g. provisioning of virtual or logical volumes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

Reversing a communication path between a first volume on a first storage device and a second volume on a second storage device includes suspending communication between the first and second volumes while maintaining operations for other volumes of the storage devices, causing the first volume to change from a source volume to a destination volume without destroying the first volume, causing the second volume to change from a destination volume to a source volume without destroying the second volume, and resuming communication between the first and second volumes. Causing the first volume to change from a source volume to a destination volume may include modifying a table of the first storage device. Causing the second volume to change from a source volume to a destination volume may include modifying a table of the second storage device.

Claims

1. A method of reversing a communication path between a first volume on a first storage device and a second volume on a second storage device, comprising:

suspending communication between the first and second volumes while maintaining operations for other volumes of the storage devices;

causing the first volume to change from a source volume to a destination volume without destroying the first volume;

causing the second volume to change from a destination volume to a source volume without destroying the second volume; and

resuming communication between the first and second volumes.

2. A method, according to claim 1, wherein causing the first volume to change from a source volume to a destination volume includes modifying a table of the first storage device

3. A method, according to claim 2, wherein causing the second volume to change from a source volume to a destination volume includes modifying a table of the second storage device.

4. A method, according to claim 1, wherein suspending communication includes setting the first volume to a not ready state.

5. A method, according to claim 4, wherein resuming communication includes setting the second volume to a ready state.

6. A method, according to claim 1, further comprising:

returning a result indicating successfully reversing the communication path.

7. A method of managing volumes on storage devices, comprising:

receiving a command requesting reversal of a communication path between a first volume on a first storage device and a second volume on a second storage device;

suspending communication between the first and second volumes while maintaining operations for other volumes of the storage devices;

causing the first volume to change from a source volume to a destination volume without destroying the first volume;

causing the second volume to change from a destination volume to a source volume without destroying the second volume; and

resuming communication between the first and second volumes.

8. A method, according to claim 7, wherein the command is a single multihop, multiexecute command that causes operations to be performed on the first and second storage devices.

9. A method, according to claim 7, wherein causing the first volume to change from a source volume to a destination volume includes modifying a table of the first storage device.

10. A method, according to claim 9, wherein causing the second volume to change from a source volume to a destination volume includes modifying a table of the second storage device.

11. A method, according to claim 7, wherein suspending communication includes setting the first volume to a not ready state.

12. A method, according to claim 11, wherein resuming communication includes setting the second volume to a ready state.

13. A method, according to claim 7, further comprising:

returning a result indicating successfully reversing the communication path.

14. A computer program product that reverses a communication path between a first volume on a first storage device and a second volume on a second storage device, comprising:

executable code that suspends communication between the first and second volumes while maintaining operations for other volumes of the storage devices;

executable code that causes the first volume to change from a source volume to a destination volume without destroying the first volume;

executable code that causes the second volume to change from a destination volume to a source volume without destroying the second volume; and

executable code that resumes communication between the first and second volumes.

15. A computer program product, according to claim 14, wherein executable code that causes the first volume to change from a source volume to a destination volume modifies a table of the first storage device

16. A computer program product, according to claim 15, wherein executable code that causes the second volume to change from a source volume to a destination volume modifies a table of the second storage device.

17. A computer program product, according to claim 14, wherein executable code that suspends communication sets the first volume to a not ready state.

18. A computer program product, according to claim 17, wherein executable code that resumes communication sets the second volume to a ready state.

19. A computer program product, according to claim 14, further comprising:

executable code that returns a result indicating successfully reversing the communication path.