Dual-mode network storage systems and methods

• US 20040028068A1
• Filed: 08/06/2002
• Published: 02/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marvell Asia Pte Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: NetXen, Inc. (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Inventors: Kizhepat, Govind
• Granted Patent: US 7,263,108 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/420
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0626 Reducing size or complexity of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0635 by changing the path, e.g. traffic rerouting, path reconfiguration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/064 Management of blocks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0643 Management of files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0659 Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/047 Distributors with transistors or integrated circuits

Abstract

A dual-mode network storage controller integrated on a chip is connected to a first set of hosts over a block-level storage area network (SAN), and to a second set of hosts over a metadata Ethernet/IP network. The dual-mode storage controller is also connected to one or more storage devices, such as a Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID). The storage controller comprises dedicated-hardware metadata translation logic for translating metadata (e.g. file-level) storage commands into block-level storage commands. The storage controller can also include block translation logic for translating logical block-level storage commands into physical block-level storage commands. The storage controller further comprises multiplexing logic for sequentially transmitting to the storage device(s) block level storage commands derived from the commands received from the first set of hosts and the second set of hosts. The storage controller allows the first set of hosts and the second set of hosts to share a single storage device.

Claims

1. A dual-mode network storage control apparatus integrated on a chip, comprising:

an input metadata network interface for receiving a metadata storage command from a first network client;

metadata translation logic connected to the input metadata network interface, for translating the metadata storage command into a corresponding first block storage command;

an input block network interface for receiving a second block storage command from a second network client;

a multiplexing unit having

a first input connected to the metadata translation logic, for receiving the first block storage command,

a second input connected to the input block network interface, for receiving the second block storage command, and

a multiplexing unit output for selectively transmitting the first block storage command and the second storage command; and

an output block interface connected to the multiplexing unit output, for receiving the first block storage command and the second block storage command from the multiplexing unit output and sequentially transmitting the first block storage command and the second block storage command.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first block storage command is a logical block storage command comprising an identification of a logical unit number and a logical block number within the logical unit number.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising block translation logic connected to the metadata translation logic, for translating the logical block storage command into a physical block storage command comprising a raw block number.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first block storage command is a physical block storage command comprising a raw block number.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a management interface connected to the metadata translation logic, for supplying translation configuration data to the metadata translation logic.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the metadata storage command comprises a file storage command.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the metadata storage command comprises a URL storage command.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the input metadata network interface is an Ethernet interface.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the input metadata network interface is a SONET interface.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the input block network interface is a Fibre Channel interface.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the input block network interface is an ESCON interface.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the output block interface is connected to a storage device comprising a redundant array of independent disks.

13. A dual-mode storage control apparatus integrated on a chip, comprising:

metadata translation logic integrated on the chip, for translating a metadata storage command into a first block storage command;

multiplexing logic integrated on the chip, having a first input connected to the metadata translation logic for receiving the first block storage command, a second input for receiving a second block storage command, and an output for sequentially transmitting the first block storage command and the second block storage command.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first block storage command is a logical block storage command comprising an identification of a logical unit number and a logical block number within the logical unit number.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising block translation logic connected to the metadata translation logic, for translating the logical block storage command into a physical block storage command comprising a raw block number.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first block storage command is a physical block storage command comprising a raw block number.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a management interface connected to the metadata translation logic, for supplying translation configuration data to the metadata translation logic.

18. A dual-mode storage system comprising:

a storage device;

a first network storage client;

a second network storage client;

a network storage controller connected to the storage device over a block-level storage connection, connected to the first client over a metadata-level network storage connection, and connected to the second client over a block-level network storage connection, wherein the network storage controller comprises

metadata translation logic integrated on a chip, for translating a metadata storage command received from the first client into a first block storage command, and

multiplexing logic integrated on the chip, for selectively transmitting one of the first block storage command and the second block storage command at a time to the storage device.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the metadata-level network storage connection comprises an Ethernet connection.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the metadata-level network storage connection comprises a SONET connection.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the block-level storage connection comprises a Fibre Channel connection.

22. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the block-level storage connection comprises an ESCON connection.

23. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the storage device comprises a redundant array of independent disks.

24. A dual-mode network storage control apparatus integrated on a chip, comprising:

input metadata interface means for receiving a metadata storage command from a first network client;

translation means connected to the input metadata interface means, for translating the metadata storage command into a corresponding first block storage command;

input block interface means for receiving a second block storage command from a second network client;

multiplexing means having

a first input connected to the translation means, for receiving the first block storage command,

a second input connected to the input block interface means, for receiving the second block storage command, and

a multiplexing output for selectively transmitting the first block storage command and the second storage command; and

output block interface means connected to the multiplexing output, for receiving the first block storage command and the second block storage command from the multiplexing output and transmitting the first block storage command and the second block storage command.

25. A dual-mode network storage method comprising:

receiving a metadata storage command from a first network client to dedicated translation logic integrated on a chip;

employing the dedicated translation logic to translate the metadata storage command into a corresponding first block storage command;

receiving a second block storage command from a second network client; and

employing multiplexing logic integrated on the chip to multiplex the first block storage command and the second block storage command.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the first block storage command is a logical block storage command comprising an identification of a logical unit number and a logical block number within the logical unit number.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising block translation logic connected to the metadata translation logic, for translating the logical block storage command into a physical block storage command comprising a raw block number.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the first block storage command is a physical block storage command comprising a raw block number.

29. The method of claim 25, further comprising a management interface connected to the metadata translation logic, for supplying translation configuration data to the metadata translation logic.