Autonomic block-level hierarchical storage management for storage networks
First Claim
1. A storage management system for managing a digital storage network including at least two hierarchical storage levels interconnected to form said digital storage network that can be accessed by at least one client system, characterized by storage virtualization means located in said storage network for providing virtual storage volumes to said at least one client system as an abstraction of physical storage devices contained in said storage network, wherein said management of the storage network is accomplished on a block-level.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A Hierarchical Storage Management (HSM) system connects client systems to physical storage devices via a storage virtualization system (SVS) which is embedded in a storage network. The SVS provides virtual disk volumes to the client systems as an abstraction of the physical storage devices. The client systems have no direct connection to the physical storage devices and the SVS provides an abstract view of these devices, which allows it to utilize the available physical storage space by spreading storage assigned to the individual client systems across the physical storage devices. Within the SVS, a block-mapping table (BMT) translates each virtual block address being issued by the client systems to a corresponding physical block address.
58 Citations
14 Claims
- 1. A storage management system for managing a digital storage network including at least two hierarchical storage levels interconnected to form said digital storage network that can be accessed by at least one client system, characterized by storage virtualization means located in said storage network for providing virtual storage volumes to said at least one client system as an abstraction of physical storage devices contained in said storage network, wherein said management of the storage network is accomplished on a block-level.
- 7. A method for managing a digital storage network including at least two hierarchical storage levels interconnected to form said digital storage network that can be accessed by at least one client system, characterized by providing virtual volumes being externalized by virtual block addresses comprising translating said virtual block addresses issued by said at least one client system connected to said storage network to a corresponding physical block address, said translating being performed in said storage network.
Specification