IDEMPOTENT STORAGE REPLICATION MANAGEMENT

• US 20090070383A1
• Filed: 09/11/2007
• Published: 03/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Lindley, John Earle, Nissan-Messing, Orit, Zlotnick, Aviad, Nicholson, Robert Bruce, Boyd, Kenneth Wayne, Scales, William James, Jarvis, Thomas Charles, Fienblit, Shachar, Factor, Michael, Gluck, Olympia, Day, Kenneth F. III
• Granted Patent: US 8,150,806 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0659 Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD

Abstract

A method for managing operations in a data storage system comprising at least a first storage controller operating according to a plurality of operation states set by a managing entity is provided. The method comprises the first storage controller performing a first operation associated with a first operation state, in response to the managing entity updating state information stored in a data structure readable by the first storage controller.

Claims

1. A method for managing operations in a data storage system comprising at least a first storage controller operating according to a plurality of operation states set by a managing entity, the method comprising:

performing a first operation associated with a first operation state, in response to the managing entity updating state information stored in a data structure readable by the first storage controller.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first storage controller operates based on a first proprietary operation algorithm and wherein the managing entity sets the plurality of operation states independent of the proprietary operation algorithm implemented for the first storage controller.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the managing entity updates the state information stored in the data structure, instead of directly communicating a request to the first storage controller for performing said first operation, to cause the first storage controller to perform the first operation.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether a first operation state stored in the data structure is updated by the managing entity to a second operation state;

determining a second operation associated with the second operation state; and

performing the second operation.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating the data structure to reflect that the first operation is performed.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the data structure comprises a plurality of operation states, wherein each operation state is associated with an operation for replicating data in a data storage system.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating the data structure to reflect that the first operation is being performed.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating the data structure to reflect that the first operation is scheduled to be performed.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating the data structure to reflect that the first operation has been completed.

7. A method for managing operations in a data storage system comprising at least a first storage controller operating according to a plurality of operation states that can be set by a managing entity, the method comprising:

updating a first operation state to a second operation state in a data structure readable by the first storage controller,

wherein the first storage controller performs a second operation associated with the second operation state, upon determining a change from the first operation state to the second operation state.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first storage controller performs the second operation in absence of a direct request from the managing entity for performing said second operation.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the change from the first operation state to the second operation state comprises periodically examining the data structure for any changes in data recorded in the data structure.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining the second operation associated with the second operation state based on a logical relationship between the second operation and the second operation state, wherein said relationship is stored in the data structure.

12. A system for managing operations in a data storage system comprising at least a first storage controller operating according to a plurality of operation states set by a managing entity, the system comprising:

a logic unit for performing a first operation associated with a first operation state, in response to a managing entity updating state information stored in a data structure readable by a first storage controller.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the first storage controller operates based on a first proprietary operation algorithm and wherein the managing entity sets the plurality of operation states independent of the proprietary operation algorithm implemented for the first storage controller.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the managing entity updates the state information stored in the data structure, instead of directly communicating a request to the first storage controller for performing said first operation, to cause the first storage controller to perform the first operation.

15. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

a logic unit for determining whether a first operation state stored in the data structure is updated by the managing entity to a second operation state;

a logic unit for determining a second operation associated with the second operation state; and

a logic unit for performing the second operation.

16. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to:

perform a first operation associated with a first operation state, in response to a managing entity updating state information stored in a data structure readable by a first storage controller.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to operate the first storage controller based on a first proprietary operation algorithm and wherein the managing entity sets the plurality of operation states independent of the proprietary operation algorithm implemented for the first storage controller.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to have the managing entity update the state information stored in the data structure, instead of directly communicating a request to the first storage controller for performing said first operation, to cause the first storage controller to perform the first operation.

19. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to:

determine whether a first operation state stored in the data structure is updated by the managing entity to a second operation state;

determine a second operation associated with the second operation state; and

perform the second operation.

20. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to update the data structure to reflect that the first operation is performed.

24. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to update the data structure to reflect that the first operation is being performed.

25. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to update the data structure to reflect that the first operation is scheduled to be performed.

26. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to update the data structure to reflect that the first operation has been completed.