System and Method for Input/Output Communication

• US 20090144463A1
• Filed: 11/29/2007
• Published: 06/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Chawla, Gaurav, Cherian, Jacob
• Application Number:
  US11/946,927
• Publication Number:
  US 20090144463A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/33
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1446 Point-in-time backing up or restoration of persistent data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0613 in relation to throughput
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0635 by changing the path, e.g. traffic rerouting, path reconfiguration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0647 Migration mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5682 Policies or rules for updating, deleting or replacing the stored data

Abstract

Systems and methods for input/output communication are disclosed. A method for communicating data may include communicating metadata from a storage array to a host device, the metadata comprising information regarding data stored on a plurality of storage nodes disposed in the storage array. The method may further include determining, from the metadata, individual I/O requests to be communicated to each of the plurality of storage nodes. The host device may communicate the individual I/O requests to the plurality of storage nodes. Each of the plurality of storage nodes may execute the I/O operations responsive to the individual I/O requests.

Claims

1. A method for input/output (I/O) communication comprising:

communicating metadata from a storage array to a host device, the metadata comprising information regarding data stored on a plurality of storage nodes disposed in the storage array;

from the metadata, determining individual I/O requests to be communicated to each of the plurality of storage nodes;

communicating the individual I/O requests from the host device to the plurality of storage nodes; and

executing, by each of the plurality of storage nodes, I/O operations responsive to the individual I/O requests.

2. A method according to claim 1 comprising:

determining if the host device has previously received the metadata; and

communicating a request from the host device to the storage array for the metadata.

3. A method according to claim 1 comprising determining if the metadata has changed since a previous I/O request to the storage array.

4. A method according to claim 3 comprising, in response to a determination that the metadata has changed, redirecting, by first storage node disposed in the plurality of storage nodes to a second storage node disposed in the plurality of storage nodes, the individual I/O request associated with the first storage node.

5. A method according to claim 3 comprising communicating a message from the storage array to the host device that the metadata has changed since the previous I/O request to the storage array.

6. A method according to claim 3 comprising communicating a request from the host device to the storage array for the changed metadata.

7. A method according to claim 6 comprising communicating the changed metadata from the storage array to the host device in response to the request from the host device for the changed metadata.

8. A system for input/output (I/O) communication comprising:

a host device; and

a storage array having a plurality of storage nodes, each of the plurality of storage nodes communicatively coupled to the host device and to each other;

the host device operable to;

receive from the storage array metadata comprising information regarding data stored on the plurality of storage nodes;

from the metadata, determine individual I/O requests to be communicated to each of the plurality of storage nodes; and

communicate the individual I/O requests to the plurality of storage nodes; and

each of the plurality of storage nodes operable to execute the I/O operations responsive to the individual I/O requests.

9. A system according to claim 8 comprising the host device further operable to:

determine if the host device has previously received the metadata; and

communicate a request to the storage array for the metadata.

10. A system according to claim 8 comprising the storage array further operable to determine if the metadata has changed since a previous I/O request to the storage array.

11. A system according to claim 10 comprising:

a first storage node disposed in the plurality of storage nodes; and

a second storage node disposed in the plurality of storage nodes;

the first storage node operable to, in response to a determination that the metadata has changed, redirect to the second storage node the individual I/O request associated with the first storage node.

12. A system according to claim 10 comprising the storage array further operable to communicate a message to the host device that the metadata has changed since the previous I/O request to the storage array.

13. A system according to claim 10 comprising the host device further operable to communicate a request from the host device to the storage array for the changed metadata.

14. A system according to claim 13 comprising the storage array further operable to communicate the changed metadata the host device in response to the request from the host device for the changed metadata.

15. An information handling system comprising:

a memory; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the memory, the processor operable to execute a program of instructions, the program of instructions operable to;

receive metadata from a storage array communicatively coupled to the information handling system, the metadata comprising information regarding data stored on a plurality of storage nodes disposed in the storage array;

from the metadata, determine individual I/O requests to be communicated to each of the plurality of storage nodes; and

communicate the individual I/O requests from the information handling system to the plurality of storage nodes.

16. An information handling system according to claim 15 comprising the program of instructions further operable to:

determine if the information handling system has previously received the metadata; and

communicating a request from the host device to the storage array for the metadata.

17. An information handling system according to claim 15 comprising the program of instructions further operable to determine if the metadata has changed since a previous I/O request to the storage array.

18. An information handling system according to claim 15 comprising the program of instructions further operable to communicate a request to the storage array for the changed metadata.

19. An information handling system according to claim 15 comprising the program of instructions further operable to receive the changed metadata from the storage array.

20. An information handling system according to claim 15 comprising the program of instructions further operable to receive a message from the storage array that the metadata has changed since the previous I/O request to the storage array.