Distributed Network Storage System With Virtualization
First Claim
1. A system for use in achieving distributed data storage over a computer network comprising:
- a storage server system comprising one or more storage servers that each comprise a data storage device and a network interface for communicating with an application client that will require data storage and a management storage server; and
a management storage server system comprising one or more management storage servers that each comprise a network interface for communicating with an application client that will require data storage and each of said one or more storage servers;
wherein each of said management storage servers comprises a data storage configuration identifier whose value is indicative of an allocation of data storage within said storage server system at a point in time;
wherein an allocation of data storage within said storage server system comprises defining one or more virtual volumes of data storage distributed over one or more of said storage servers;
wherein each of said management storage servers is capable of providing a first value for said data storage configuration identifier to an application client;
wherein each of said management storage servers is capable of providing a second value for said data storage configuration identifier to each of said storage servers after there is a change in the allocation of data storage within said storage server system;
wherein each of said storage servers comprises a comparator capable of;
(a) comparing said first value for said data storage configuration identifier which is associated with a data storage related request received from an application client with said second value for said data storage configuration, and (b) ignoring said data storage related request if said first value is not equal to said second value.
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Abstract
The present invention is directed to a data storage system for use in achieving distributed data storage over a computer network. One embodiment of the data storage system comprises a storage server system that is comprised of one or more storage servers that each provide data storage, a management server system that is comprised of one or more management servers that each provide management functionality relating to the storage server system, and a driver that is capable of being associated each of the application clients that are to utilize the data storage system. A data storage configuration identifier structure whose value is updated when there is a change to the composition of the storage system or storage allocation within the storage system is used to manage data transfers between the storage system and application clients.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A system for use in achieving distributed data storage over a computer network comprising:
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a storage server system comprising one or more storage servers that each comprise a data storage device and a network interface for communicating with an application client that will require data storage and a management storage server; and
a management storage server system comprising one or more management storage servers that each comprise a network interface for communicating with an application client that will require data storage and each of said one or more storage servers;
wherein each of said management storage servers comprises a data storage configuration identifier whose value is indicative of an allocation of data storage within said storage server system at a point in time;
wherein an allocation of data storage within said storage server system comprises defining one or more virtual volumes of data storage distributed over one or more of said storage servers;
wherein each of said management storage servers is capable of providing a first value for said data storage configuration identifier to an application client;
wherein each of said management storage servers is capable of providing a second value for said data storage configuration identifier to each of said storage servers after there is a change in the allocation of data storage within said storage server system;
wherein each of said storage servers comprises a comparator capable of;
(a) comparing said first value for said data storage configuration identifier which is associated with a data storage related request received from an application client with said second value for said data storage configuration, and (b) ignoring said data storage related request if said first value is not equal to said second value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification