DISPATCHING OF SERVICE REQUESTS IN REDUNDANT STORAGE VIRTUALIZATION SUBSYSTEMS
First Claim
1. A method for dispatching of service requests in a redundant storage virtualization subsystem (SVS) including a plurality of storage virtualization controllers (SVCs), comprising the steps of:
- said host entity issuing a first service request to a first one of said SVCs;
said first SVC handling said first service request, acquiring a first result of servicing the first service request, and returning said first result to the host entity the result; and
, said host entity issuing a second service request to a second one of said SVCs; and
said second SVC handling said second service request, acquiring a second result of servicing the second service request, and returning said second result to the host entity the result.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for dispatching of service requests in a redundant storage virtualization subsystem including a plurality of storage virtualization controllers is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of the host entity issuing a first service request to a first one of the SVCs; the first SVC handling the first service request, acquiring a first result of servicing the first service request, and returning the first result to the host entity the result; and, the host entity issuing a second service request to a second one of the SVCs; and, the second SVC handling the second service request, acquiring a second result of servicing the second service request, and returning the second result to the host entity the result. A storage virtualization subsystem implementing the method, a computer system comprising such storage virtualization subsystem, and a storage media having machine-executable codes stored therein for performing the method are also disclosed.
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Citations
93 Claims
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1. A method for dispatching of service requests in a redundant storage virtualization subsystem (SVS) including a plurality of storage virtualization controllers (SVCs), comprising the steps of:
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said host entity issuing a first service request to a first one of said SVCs;
said first SVC handling said first service request, acquiring a first result of servicing the first service request, and returning said first result to the host entity the result; and
,said host entity issuing a second service request to a second one of said SVCs; and
said second SVC handling said second service request, acquiring a second result of servicing the second service request, and returning said second result to the host entity the result. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A method for dispatching of service requests in a redundant storage virtualization subsystem (SVS) including a plurality of storage virtualization controllers (SVCs), comprising the steps of:
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selecting at least one of the SVCs;
enabling a port on the at least one selected SVC for dispatching of service requests;
issuing at least one service request to said at least one selected SVC;
said at least one service request being handled by said at least one selected SVC;
acquiring a result of servicing the at least one service request by said at least one selected SVC; and
,returning to the host entity the result by said at least one selected SVC. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for dispatching of service requests in a redundant storage virtualization subsystem (SVS) including a plurality of storage virtualization controllers (SVCs), comprising the steps of:
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said host entity selecting a first one of the SVCs to issue service requests;
said first SVC receiving said service requests;
said first SVC completing the servicing of all the received service requests; and
,said host entity selecting a second one of the SVCs to issue service requests.
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10. A method for dispatching of service requests in a redundant storage virtualization subsystem (SVS) including a plurality of storage virtualization controllers (SVCs), comprising the steps of:
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a first one of the SVCs receiving a service request from the host entity and forwarding said received service request to a second one of the SVCs;
said second SVC dispatching the service request for servicing;
on completion of request servicing, said second SVC conveying response data and status information to said first SVC; and
,said first SVC forwarding said response data and status information to the host entity. - View Dependent Claims (11)
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12. A method for dispatching of service requests in a redundant storage virtualization subsystem (SVS) including a plurality of storage virtualization controllers (SVCs), comprising the steps of:
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a first one of the SVCs receiving a service request from the host entity;
determining whether or not said first SVC is a service request servicing function owner;
if said first SVC is the service request servicing function owner, servicing the service requests directly, otherwise issuing a request to a service request servicing function ownership arbiter for an ownership transfer to itself;
said ownership arbiter issuing a request to the servicing function owner to relinquish ownership;
said servicing function owner preparing to relinquish ownership first and then issuing an acknowledgement to said ownership arbiter acknowledging the relinquishing of ownership;
said ownership arbiter issuing an acknowledgement to a said SVC to which ownership is to be transferred and the said SVC becoming a new servicing function owner;
said new servicing function owner starting to service pending service requests; and
,on completion of request servicing, said new servicing function owner conveying response data and status information to the host entity. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for dispatching of service requests in a redundant storage virtualization subsystem (SVS) including a plurality of storage virtualization controllers (SVCs), comprising the steps of:
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a first one of the SVCs receiving a service request from the host entity;
determining whether or not said first SVC is a service request servicing function owner;
if said first SVC is the service request servicing function owner, servicing the service requests directly, otherwise issuing a request to said servicing function owner for an ownership transfer to itself;
said servicing function owner determining an appropriate time to start the process of relinquishing ownership and preparing the relinquishing of ownership;
said servicing function owner issuing an acknowledgement to a said SVC to which ownership is to be transferred and the said SVC becoming a new servicing function owner;
said new servicing function owner starting to servicing pending service requests; and
, on completion of request servicing, said new servicing function owner conveying response data and status information to the host entity. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A storage virtualization computer system comprising:
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a host entity for issuing service requests;
a plurality of storage virtualization controllers (SVCs) coupled to said host entity; and
,a plurality of physical storage devices, each coupled to said SVCs and accessed by said SVCs, for providing storage to said storage virtualization computer system;
wherein said host entity can discover at least two SVCs and convey service request through interconnects to said at least two SVCs, and only one of said at least two SVCs can service the service requests at a time. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. A storage virtualization subsystem (SVS) comprising:
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a plurality of storage virtualization controllers(SVCs) coupled to a host entity; and
,a plurality of physical storage devices, each coupled to said SVCs and accessed by said SVCs, for providing storage to said host entity;
wherein said host entity can discover said SVCs and convey service request through the connections to said SVCs, and only one of said SVCs can service the service requests at a time. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59)
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60. A method for dispatching of service requests in a redundant storage virtualization computer system, comprising the steps of:
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a host entity selecting only one of a plurality of SVCs redundantly configured to issue service requests at a time; and
said selected SVC receiving service requests from said host entity and servicing them, then returning the results of the servicing of the service requests to said host entity. - View Dependent Claims (61, 62, 63)
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64. A method for dispatching of service requests, said method being performed by a host in a redundant storage virtualization computer system, comprising the steps of:
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generating a service request;
checking if all issued service requests have been serviced to completion;
issuing said service request to one of redundant SVCs, if all issued service requests have been serviced to completion;
otherwise, said host entity issuing said service request to one of said SVCs after said issued service requests have been serviced to completion. - View Dependent Claims (65)
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66. A method for dispatching of service requests, said method being performed by a host in a redundant storage virtualization computer system having a plurality of storage virtualization controllers (SVCs) redundantly configured, comprising the steps of:
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generating a new service request;
checking if all previously issued service requests have been serviced to completion;
issuing said new service request to one of the SVCs, if all the previously issued service requests have been serviced to completion;
otherwise, said host entity issuing said new service request to the SVC which received said service requests issued previously and not serviced to completion. - View Dependent Claims (67)
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68. A method for dispatching of service requests in a redundant storage virtualization computer system having a plurality of storage virtualization controllers (SVCs) redundantly configured, comprising the steps of:
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a host entity selecting one of redundant SVCs to issue service requests;
said selected SVC receiving service requests from said host entity and checking if it is an owner of service request servicing function; and
,if it is, then said selected SVC servicing the request; and
,if it is not, said selected SVC forwarding service requests to an owner of service request servicing function, then said owner receiving and dispatching the service requests for servicing and returning the results of the servicing of the service requests to said host entity. - View Dependent Claims (69, 70)
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71. A method for dispatching of service requests, said method being performed by a first SVC in a redundant storage virtualization computer system having a plurality of storage virtualization controllers (SVCs) redundantly configured, comprising the steps of:
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receiving a service request from a host entity;
forwarding said service request to a second SVC;
receiving response data and status information of servicing said service request from the second SVC; and
,forwarding said data and information to said host entity. - View Dependent Claims (72, 73, 74, 75)
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76. A method for dispatching of service requests, said method being performed by a first SVC in a redundant storage virtualization computer system having a plurality of storage virtualization controllers (SVCs) redundantly configured, comprising the steps of:
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receiving a service request from a second SVC;
servicing said service request; and
,issuing response data and status information of servicing said service request to the second SVC. - View Dependent Claims (77, 78, 79)
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80. A method for dispatching of service requests, said method being performed by a SVC in a redundant storage virtualization computer system having a plurality of storage virtualization controllers (SVCs) redundantly configured, comprising the steps of:
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receiving a service request from a host entity;
determining whether or not said SVC is a service request servicing function owner;
if said SVC is the service request servicing function owner, servicing the service requests directly; and
,if said SVC is not the owner, said SVC issuing a request to a service request servicing function ownership arbiter for an ownership transfer to itself, and said SVC servicing the service requests after receiving an acknowledgement from said ownership arbiter. - View Dependent Claims (81, 82)
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83. A method for arbitrating of service request servicing function ownership, said method being performed by a first SVC in a redundant storage virtualization computer system having a plurality of storage virtualization controllers (SVCs) redundantly configured, comprising the steps of:
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receiving a request from a second SVC for an ownership transfer;
issuing a request to a service request servicing function owner to relinquish ownership;
receiving an acknowledgement from said owner that ownership has been relinquished; and
,issuing an acknowledgement to a said SVC to which ownership is to be transferred. - View Dependent Claims (84, 85)
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86. A method for relinquishing of service request servicing function ownership, said method being performed by a first SVC in a redundant storage virtualization computer system having a plurality of storage virtualization controllers (SVCs) redundantly configured, comprising the steps of:
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receiving a request for it to relinquish ownership;
preparing to relinquish ownership at a convenient time; and
,issuing an acknowledgement to a second SVC issuing said request to inform it that ownership has been relinquished. - View Dependent Claims (87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93)
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Specification