Storage device and system for providing communications buffer reservation function
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Abstract
A storage device (1) communicating with a host computer and other storage devices through a network is characterized in that the storage device (1) secures memory buffers for temporarily storing data in a remote copy operation carried out between the storage devices. A network memory (100) in the storage device (1) includes an available buffer comprising a plurality of memory buffers and an in-use buffer also comprising a plurality of memory buffers. A buffer control unit (215) secures memory buffers of the available buffer as a reserved buffer having a reserved-buffer size specified in a buffer reservation request made by a storage management device (8) in response to the request. The buffer control unit (215) then allocates the memory buffers of the reserved buffer as the in-use buffer in response to a request received from the storage management device (8) to start a remote copy operation.
63 Citations
31 Claims
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1-20. -20. (canceled)
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21. A storage system comprising a storage device communicating with a host computer and another storage device through a network, a storage management device communicating with said storage device through said network, and a network-path information management device communicating with said storage management device through said network,
wherein said network-path information management device comprises: -
means for receiving from said storage management device a request for network-path information regarding a network path coupling said storage device to said another storage device;
means for acquiring the network-path information on the network path in accordance with said request for network-path information from a network-path information acquisition device, which measures the network-path information; and
means for transmitting said network-path information to said storage management device;
wherein said storage management device comprises;
means for making an inquiry toward said storage device about an available-buffer size;
means for calculating a recommended buffer size by use of said network-path information;
means for determining a reserved buffer size as a result of a comparison of said available-buffer size and said recommended buffer size;
means for transmitting a buffer reservation request specifying said reserved buffer size to said storage device; and
means for transmitting a request to start an application to said storage device; and
wherein said storage device comprises;
an available buffer including a plurality of memory buffers;
an in-use buffer including a plurality of memory buffers allocated as memory buffers dedicated for communications;
means for notifying said storage management device of the available-buffer size in response to the inquiry from the storage management device;
means for fetching the memory buffers as much as said reserved buffer size, which is specified in said buffer reservation request, from said available buffer, to secure a reserved buffer for a buffer-reservation target specified in said buffer reservation request, in response to said buffer reservation request transmitted from said storage management device through said network;
means for allocating the memory buffers of said reserved buffer to said buffer-reservation target to make the allocated memory buffers a part of said in-use buffer, in response to the request to start the application from said storage management device; and
means for executing the application by using said in-use buffer allocated in accordance with said request to start the application. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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Specification