Method, apparatus and program storage device for dynamically resizing mirrored virtual disks in a RAID storage system

• US 20050027938A1
• Filed: 07/29/2003
• Published: 02/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Violin Systems LLC
• Original Assignee: Xiotech Corporation
• Inventors: Burkey, Todd R.
• Application Number:
  US10/629,415
• Publication Number:
  US 20050027938A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/114
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0608 Saving storage space on storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0629 Configuration or reconfiguration of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0662 Virtualisation aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program storage device for dynamically resizing mirrored virtual disks in a RAID storage system is disclosed. Mirrored virtual disks are expanded by creating the amount of storage necessary by providing RAIDs on each subsystem that is associated with each of the components of the mirror set, attaching the RAIDs to the specific Virtual Disks for each of the mirror devices, and specifying the Virtual Disk size and mapping this directly to all components via the source Vdisk of the mirror set. To decrease the size of mirrored virtual disks the process is reversed, with the inclusion of the optional requirement that some raids will need to be truncated to provide exact shrink values without sacrificing storage space.

Claims

1. A program storage device readable by a computer tangibly embodying one or more programs of instructions executable by the computer to perform a method for dynamically resizing mirrored virtual disks in a RAID storage system, the method comprising:

receiving a request to dynamically resize mirrored virtual disks in a RAID storage system;

manipulating RAIDs in the RAID storage system to provide the desired resizing of the mirrored virtual disk; and

providing the resized mirrored virtual disks for operation.

2. The program storage device of claim 1 wherein the request to dynamically resize mirrored virtual disks in a RAID storage system is a request to dynamically expand mirrored virtual disks in a RAID storage system, and wherein the manipulating RAIDs to provide the desired resizing further comprises:

creating an amount of storage necessary by providing RAIDs on each subsystem that is associated with each component of a mirror set;

attaching the RAIDs to a specific virtual disk for a mirror device; and

specifying a size for the virtual disk and mapping the size of the virtual disk directly to all components of the mirror set.

3. The program storage device of claim 2 wherein the specifying a size for the virtual disk and mapping the size of the virtual disk is performed by an operating system.

4. The program storage device of claim 1 wherein the request to dynamically resize mirrored virtual disks in a RAID storage system is a request to dynamically shrink mirrored virtual disks in a RAID storage system, and wherein the manipulating the RAIDs to provide the desired resizing further comprises:

specifying a size of a virtual disk and mapping the size of the virtual disk directly to all components of a mirror set;

detaching any RAIDs that extend beyond the specified size of the virtual disk; and

truncating RAIDs to free up any excess physical segments back into the RAID storage system.

5. The program storage device of claim 4 wherein the specifying a size for the virtual disk and mapping the size of the virtual disk is performed by an operating system.

6. A program storage device readable by a computer tangibly embodying one or more programs of instructions executable by the computer to perform a method for dynamically expanding mirrored virtual disks in a RAID storage system, the method comprising:

creating an amount of storage necessary by providing RAIDs on each subsystem that is associated with each component of a mirror set;

attaching the RAIDs to a specific virtual disk for a mirror device; and

specifying a size for the virtual disk and mapping the size of the virtual disk directly to all components of the mirror set.

7. A program storage device readable by a computer tangibly embodying one or more programs of instructions executable by the computer to perform a method for dynamically shrinking mirrored virtual disks in a RAID storage system, the method comprising:

specifying a size of a virtual disk and mapping the size of the virtual disk directly to all components of a mirror set;

detaching any RAIDs that extend beyond the specified size of the virtual disk; and

truncating RAIDs to free up any excess physical segments back into the RAID storage system.

8. An apparatus for dynamically resizing mirrored virtual disks in a RAID storage system, comprising:

a storage system interface for providing access to a storage system;

host side interface for communicating with host devices; and

a processor, coupled to the host side interface and the storage system interface, the processor being configured for receiving a request to dynamically resize mirrored virtual disks in a RAID storage system, manipulating RAIDs in the RAID storage system to provide the desired resizing of the mirrored virtual disk and providing the resized mirrored virtual disks for operation.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the processor is further configured for creating an amount of storage necessary by providing RAIDs on each subsystem that is associated with each component of a mirror set, attaching the RAIDs to a specific virtual disk for a mirror device and specifying a size for the virtual disk and mapping the size of the virtual disk directly to all components of the mirror set.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the processor is further configured for specifying a size of a virtual disk and mapping the size of the virtual disk directly to all components of a mirror set, detaching any RAIDs that extend beyond the specified size of the virtual disk and truncating RAIDs to free up any excess physical segments back into the RAID storage system.

11. A storage area network, comprising:

a plurality of hosts;

at least one access device, coupled to the plurality of hosts, for managing data input/output operations; and

a storage platform, for providing networked storage to the at least one access device, the storage platform including a management device for dynamically resizing mirrored virtual disks in a RAID storage system, the management device further comprising;

a storage system interface for providing access to a storage system;

host side interface for communicating with host devices; and

a processor, coupled to the host side interface and the storage system interface, the processor being configured for receiving a request to dynamically resize mirrored virtual disks in a RAID storage system, manipulating RAIDs in the RAID storage system to provide the desired resizing of the mirrored virtual disk and providing the resized mirrored virtual disks for operation.

12. The storage area network of claim 11 wherein the processor is further configured for creating an amount of storage necessary by providing RAIDs on each subsystem that is associated with each component of a mirror set, attaching the RAIDs to a specific virtual disk for a mirror device and specifying a size for the virtual disk and mapping the size of the virtual disk directly to all components of the mirror set.

13. The storage area network of claim 11 wherein the processor is further configured for specifying a size of a virtual disk and mapping the size of the virtual disk directly to all components of a mirror set, detaching any RAIDs that extend beyond the specified size of the virtual disk and truncating RAIDs to free up any excess physical segments back into the RAID storage system.

14. An apparatus for dynamically resizing mirrored virtual disks in a RAID storage system, comprising:

first means for providing an interface to a storage system;

second means for providing communication with host devices; and

means, coupled to the host side interface and the storage system interface, for receiving a request to dynamically resize mirrored virtual disks in a RAID storage system, manipulating RAIDs in the RAID storage system to provide the desired resizing of the mirrored virtual disk and providing the resized mirrored virtual disks for operation.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the means for manipulating further comprises means for creating an amount of storage necessary by providing RAIDs on each subsystem that is associated with each component of a mirror set, attaching the RAIDs to a specific virtual disk for a mirror device and specifying a size for the virtual disk and mapping the size of the virtual disk directly to all components of the mirror set.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the means for manipulating further comprises means for specifying a size of a virtual disk and mapping the size of the virtual disk directly to all components of a mirror set, detaching any RAIDs that extend beyond the specified size of the virtual disk and truncating RAIDs to free up any excess physical segments back into the RAID storage system.