Method, apparatus and program storage device for providing geographically isolated failover using instant RAID swapping in mirrored virtual disks

• US 20060179218A1
• Filed: 02/10/2005
• Published: 08/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xiotech Corporation
• Original Assignee: Xiotech Corporation
• Inventors: Burkey, Todd R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,941,602 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/114
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2069 Management of state, configuration or failover
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2087 with a common controller

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program storage device for providing geographically isolated failover using instant RAID swapping in mirrored virtual disks are disclosed. The closed loop control mechanism provides not only continuous self-tuning to the storage system, but also allows the system to perform the initial configuration better.

Claims

1. A method for providing management and control for a storage system, comprising:

providing a first virtual disk comprising a first physical disk set configured in a first RAID configuration;

providing a second virtual disk mirroring the first virtual disk, the second virtual disk comprising a second physical disk set configured in s second RAID configuration;

detecting failure of at least one physical disk of the first set of physical disks; and

performing an instant swap of the mirrored second physical set of disks configured in the second RAID configuration to the first virtual disk.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising mirroring the first virtual disk to the second virtual disk.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the instant swap comprises performing the instant swap over SANlinks.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the performing the instant swap ensures that the first virtual disk in a mirror set contains RAIDs that are fully redundant.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising rebuilding the second virtual disk.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising detecting a failure in at least one of the second set of physical disks and automatically pausing the mirror until all drives in the second set of physical disks become operable.

7. A storage system, comprising:

a first set of physical disk set configured in a first RAID configuration;

a second set of physical disk set configured in a second RAID configuration; and

a controller for creating a first virtual disk comprising the first physical disk set configured in the first RAID configuration and for creating a second virtual disk mirroring the first virtual disk, wherein the second virtual disk comprises the second physical disk set configured in the second RAID configuration;

wherein the controller detects failure of at least one physical disk of the first set of physical disks and performs an instant swap of the mirrored second physical set of disks configured in the second RAID configuration to the first virtual disk.

8. The storage system of claim 7, wherein the controller mirrors the first virtual disk to the second virtual disk.

9. The storage system of claim 7, wherein the controller performs the instant swap over SANlinks.

10. The storage system of claim 7, wherein the controller ensures that the first virtual disk in a mirror set contains RAIDs that are fully redundant.

11. The storage system of claim 7, wherein the controller rebuilds the second virtual disk.

12. The storage system of claim 7, wherein the controller detects a failure in at least one of the second set of physical disks and automatically pauses the mirroring until all drives in the second set of physical disks become operable.

13. A program storage device, comprising:

program instructions executable by a processing device to perform operations for providing closed-loop management and control for a storage system, the operations comprising;

providing a first virtual disk comprising a first physical disk set configured in a first RAID configuration;

providing a second virtual disk mirroring the first virtual disk, the second virtual disk comprising a second physical disk set configured in s second RAID configuration;

detecting failure of at least one physical disk of the first set of physical disks; and

performing an instant swap of the mirrored second physical set of disks configured in the second RAID configuration to the first virtual disk.

14. The program storage device of claim 13 further comprising mirroring the first virtual disk to the second virtual disk.

15. The program storage device of claim 13, wherein the instant swap comprises performing the instant swap over SANlinks.

16. The program storage device of claim 13, wherein the performing the instant swap ensures that the first virtual disk in a mirror set contains RAIDs that are fully redundant.

17. The program storage device of claim 13 further comprising rebuilding the second virtual disk.

18. The program storage device of claim 13 further comprising detecting a failure in at least one of the second set of physical disks and automatically pausing the mirror until all drives in the second set of physical disks become operable.

19. A storage system, comprising:

a first set of physical storage means configured in a first RAID configuration;

a second set of physical storage means configured in a second RAID configuration; and

means for creating a first virtual disk comprising the first physical storage means configured in the first RAID configuration and for creating a second virtual disk mirroring the first virtual disk;

wherein the second virtual disk comprises the second physical storage means configured in the second RAID configuration, wherein the means for creating detects failure of at least one physical disk of the first set of physical storage means and performs an instant swap of the mirrored second physical storage means configured in the second RAID configuration to the first virtual disk.