DISTRIBUTED STORAGE SERVICE SYSTEMS AND ARCHITECTURE

• US 20090172217A1
• Filed: 01/24/2008
• Published: 07/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jpmorgan Chase Bank NA As The Agent
• Original Assignee: SanDisk IL Ltd. (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Rave, Micha, Pomerantz, Itzhak, Nochimowski, Alain
• Granted Patent: US 8,452,927 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/38
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0246 in block erasable memory, e.g. flash memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0604 Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. storage management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0607 by facilitating the process of upgrading existing storage systems, e.g. for improving compatibility between host and storage device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0655 Vertical data movement, i.e. input-output transfer; data movement between one or more hosts and one or more storage devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0664 at device level, e.g. emulation of a storage device or system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0679 Non-volatile semiconductor memory device, e.g. flash memory, one time programmable memory [OTP]

Abstract

Various methods, devices and systems are described for providing distributed storage services. A data storage device is capable of initiating a communication session with an external entity such as a local host computer (and vice versa) coupled directly to the data storage device, a remote server computer, or directly with remote data storage devices with or without intervention by a local host computer.

Claims

1. A computing system, comprising:

a host device (HD);

a local storage device (LSD) managed by the HD, wherein the LSD does not utilize any interface to a device external to the HD other than that interface provided by the HD, and wherein the LSD prompts the HD to execute a requested process with a LSD logical request wherein the LSD logical request is not created to serve a HD initiated process, and

a HD/LSD interface providing a communication path between the HD and the LSD.

2. A computing system as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

in the HD, a host device file system (HDFS) arranged to generate a block command; and

in the LSD, at least one storage area managed at least by the HDFS, wherein the HDFS manages the at least one storage area by generating a block command that is passed to the at least one storage area by way of the HD/LSD interface.

3. A computing system as recited in claim 2, wherein the HD comprises:

a LSD driver in communication with the HDFS that facilitates the passing of the block command from the HDFS to the at least one storage area by way of the HD/LSD interface.

4. A computing system as recited in claim 3, wherein the LSD prompts the execution of the requested process by either,

if the host device is polling the LSD, then the LSD responds to the host device'"'"'s polling with the LSD logical request, wherein the host device'"'"'s polling is independent of any HDFS initiated process and the LSD driver, otherwise,

generating the LSD logical request, associating the LSD logical request with a LSD interrupt signal, and raising the LSD interrupt to the attention of the host device.

5. A computing system as recited in claim 4, wherein the generating of the LSD logical request is independent of the HD.

6. A computing system as recited in claim 5, wherein the LSD logical request prompts the host device to utilize a network interface to provide a network link between the host device and a remote application associated with a device external to the HD and the LSD included in a network, or the LSD logical request prompts the host device to provide a local communication path between the LSD and a local application associated with a local device external to the LSD wherein the local communication path is not the network link.

7. A computing system as recited in claim 6, wherein the local device is in local communication with the host device.

8. A computing system as recited in claim 7, wherein the host device is prompted to provide the local communication path between the local application other than the LSD driver and the LSD.

9. A computing system as recited in claim 8 wherein the local device is a second LSD managed by the host device.

10. A computing system as recited in claim 7 wherein the device external to the host device and the LSD is a network device (ND).

11. A computing system as recited in claim 10, wherein when the network is an IP protocol based network, then the LSD and the second LSD are assigned an LSD IP address and a second LSD IP address, respectively, the host device is assigned a host device IP address, and the ND is assigned an ND IP address.

12. A computing system as recited in claim 11, wherein the LSD performs a detection of a set of LSD parameters operation and, as a result, generates the LSD logical request as a detection logical request.

13. A computing system as recited in claim 12, wherein the detection of the set of parameters operation by the LSD comprises:

comparing a current state of the LSD to a set of rules governing operation of the LSD.

14. A computing system as recited in claim 13, wherein the detected parameters are selected from a group that includes:

a data content back-up parameter, a data content parameter, a logical storage parameter, a physical storage parameter, a violation of rules parameter, a host device IP address.

15. A computing system as recited in claim 14, wherein the data content parameter is selected from a group comprising:

a file size, a file type, a file name, and a file keyword, and wherein the logical storage parameter includes a remaining capacity, and a LSD IP address, and wherein the physical storage parameter is selected from a group comprising;

a wear level, a number of bad blocks, a number of bit flips.

16. A computing system as recited in claim 15, wherein the detection logical request prompts the HD to establish the network link between the LSD and the remote application, and wherein the LSD and the remote application logically interact over the network link to perform a requested detection process without further intervention by the HD except to maintain the network link, or the detection logical request prompts the HD to establish the local communication path between the LSD and the local application and wherein the LSD and the local application logically interact over the local communication path to perform the requested detection process without further intervention by the HD except to maintain the local communication path, wherein the requested detection process is selected from a group comprising:

a content backup process, a content sharing process, an event notification process, a request for a remote instruction process, a request for usage/access right process, a registration to a remote server process, and a request to a discovery server process.

17. A computing system as recited in claim 16, wherein the LSD associates the detection logical request with the polling by the host device thereby prompting the host device to establish the network link between the LSD and the remote application or to establish the local communication path between the LSD and the local application.

18. A computing system as recited in claim 16, wherein the LSD generates the LSD logical request, associates the LSD logical request with a LSD interrupt signal, and raises the LSD interrupt to the attention of the host device thereby prompting the host device to establish the network link between the LSD and the remote application or to establish the local communication path between the LSD and the local application.

19. A computing system as recited in claim 4 wherein the polling of the host device is a based upon at least a read command issued from the LSD driver.

20. A computing system as recited in claim 6, wherein the network interface is included in the host device.

21. A computing system, comprising:

a host device having at least a host device file system; and

a local storage device (LSD) coupled to the host device by way of a HD/LSD interface, wherein the LSD has at least one storage area managed by the HD, wherein the HD manages the at least one storage area by sending a block command to the at least one storage area by way of the HD/LSD interface, and wherein the LSD generates a LSD logical request and wherein the LSD prompts the HD to execute a requested process with the LSD logical request wherein the LSD logical request is not created to serve a HD initiated process, wherein the LSD generates the LSD logical request, associates the LSD logical request with a LSD interrupt, and raises the LSD interrupt to the attention of the host device thereby prompting the host device to execute the requested process, and wherein the LSD does not utilize any interface to a device external to the HD other than that interface provided by the HD.

22. A computing system as recited in claim 21, wherein the LSD logical request prompts the host device to utilize a network interface to provide a network link between the host device and remote application associated with a device external to the HD and the LSD included in a network of interconnected devices, or the LSD logical request prompts the host device to provide a local communication path between the LSD and a local application associated with a local device external to the LSD, wherein the local communication path is not the network link.

23. A computing system as recited in claim 22, wherein the local device is in local communication with the host device.

24. A computing system as recited in claim 23, wherein the host device is prompted to provide the local communication path between the local application other than the LSD driver and the LSD.

25. A computing system as recited in claim 24, wherein the local device is a second LSD.

26. A computing system as recited in claim 24, wherein the device external to the host device and the LSD is a network device (ND).

27. A computing system as recited in claim 26 wherein the second LSD is managed by the HD.

28. A computing system, comprising:

a host device having at least a host device file system; and

a local storage device (LSD) coupled to the host device by way of a HD/LSD interface, wherein the LSD has at least one storage area managed at least by the HD, wherein the HD manages the at least one storage area by sending a block command to the at least one storage area by way of the HD/LSD interface wherein the LSD responds to a polling of the LSD by the host device with a LSD logical request wherein the LSD prompts the HD to execute a requested process with the LSD logical request wherein the LSD logical request is not created to serve a HD initiated process, wherein the polling by the host device is independent of any HD initiated process, and wherein the LSD does not utilize any interface to a device external to the HD other than that interface provided by the HD.

29. A computing system as recited in claim 28, wherein the LSD logical request prompts the host device to utilize a network interface to provide a network link between the host device and a remote application associated with a device included network of interconnected devices external to the host device and the LSD, or the LSD logical request prompts the host device to provide a local communication path between the LSD and a local application associated with a local device external to the LSD wherein the local communication path is not the network link.

30. A computing system as recited in claim 29, wherein the local device is in local communication with the host device.

31. A computing system as recited in claim 30, wherein the host device is prompted to provide the local communication path between the local application other than the LSD driver and the LSD.

32. A computing system as recited in claim 31 wherein the local device is a second LSD.

33. A computing system as recited in claim 32 wherein the device external to the host device and the LSD is a network device (ND).

34. A computing system as recited in claim 33 wherein the second LSD is managed by the HD.

35. A method performed by a computing system having a local storage device (LSD) having at least one storage area, wherein the LSD is managed by a host device (HD) wherein the HD manages the LSD by passing at least a block command to the LSD by way of a HD/LSD interface, wherein the LSD does not utilize any interface to a device external to the HD other than that interface provided by the HD, the method comprising:

prompting the HD by the LSD to execute a requested process with a LSD logical request wherein the LSD logical request is not created to serve a HD initiated process.

36. A method as recited in claim 35, wherein the HD includes a host device file system (HDFS) arranged to generate the block command.

37. A method as recited in claim 36, wherein the HD includes a LSD driver in communication with the HDFS that facilitates the passing of the block command to the at least one storage area by way of the HD/LSD interface.

38. A method as recited in claim 37, wherein the LSD prompts the host device to execute the requested process by,

if the host device is polling the LSD, then the LSD responds to the host device'"'"'s polling with the LSD logical request, wherein the host device'"'"'s polling is independent of any HDFS initiated process and the LSD driver, otherwise,

the LSD generates the LSD logical request, associates the LSD logical request with a LSD interrupt signal, and raises the LSD interrupt to the attention of the host device.

39. A method as recited in claim 38, wherein the generating of the LSD logical request is independent of the HD.

40. A method as recited in claim 38, wherein the LSD logical request prompts the host device to utilize a network interface to provide a network link between the host device and a remote application associated with a device external to the HD and the LSD included in a network of interconnected devices, or the LSD logical request prompts the host device to provide a local communication path between the LSD and a local application associated with a local device external to the LSD wherein the local communication path is not the network link.

41. A method as recited in claim 40, wherein the local device is in local communication with the host device.

42. A computing system as recited in claim 41, wherein the host device is prompted to provide the local communication path between the local application other than the LSD driver and the LSD.

43. A computing system as recited in claim 42 wherein the local device is a second LSD managed by the host device.

44. A computing system as recited in claim 43 wherein the device external to the host device and the LSD is a network device (ND).

45. A computing system, comprising,

a host device (HD) having at least a host device file system and a LSD driver;

a local storage device (LSD) having at least a first storage area managed by the host device file system (HDFS), wherein the HDFS manages the at least first storage area by generating a block command and passing the block command to the at least first storage area by way of the HD/LSD interface; and

an application in communication with the host device, wherein the application does not utilize any communication paths with either the host device file system or the LSD driver, and wherein the application compels the LSD to perform at least one storage operation on the at least one storage area without intervention by the host device file system.

46. A computing system as recited in claim 45, wherein the at least one storage operation is selected from a group that includes, a read operation, a write operation, an erase operation, a LSD property retrieval operation, a first storage area property modification operation.

47. A computing system as recited in claim 46, wherein the first storage area property modification operation is selected from a group that includes, modifying remaining capacity, and modifying partitioning.

48. A computing system as recited in claim 45, further comprising:

a second storage area that is not controlled by the host device file system and is not visible to the HDFS, and

an interface arranged to facilitate communication between the second storage area and the first storage area without intervention by the host device.

49. A computing system as recited in claim 48, wherein the first storage area includes dummy content.

50. A computing system as recited in claim 49, wherein when the storage operation is the write operation, then the application causes an updating of the dummy content in the first storage area with updated content without intervention of the host device.

51. A computing system as recited in claim 50, wherein the updated content passes from the second storage area to the first storage area by way of the interface.

52. A computing system as recited in claim 45, wherein when the application resides in a device external to the host device and the LSD, a discovery server is used to facilitate the establishment of a communication path between the HD and the application.

53. A method performed by a computing system having at least a host device (HD) having at least a host device file system and a LSD driver, a local storage device (LSD) having at least a first storage area managed at least by the host device file system, and an application in communication with the host device wherein the application does not utilize any communication paths with either the LSD driver and the host device file system, the method comprising:

compelling the LSD to perform at least one storage operation on the at least one storage area by the application without intervention by the host device file system.

54. A method as recited in claim 53, wherein the at least one storage operation is selected from a group that includes, a read operation, a write operation, an erase operation, a LSD property retrieval operation, a first storage area property modification operation.

55. A method as recited in claim 54, wherein the first storage area property modification operation is selected from a group that includes, modifying remaining capacity, modifying firmware versions, and modifying partitioning.

56. A method as recited in claim 55, further comprising:

a second storage area that is not controlled by the host device file system and is not visible to the host device; and

an interface arranged to facilitate communication between the second storage area and the first storage area without intervention by the host device.

57. A method as recited in claim 56, wherein the first storage area includes a dummy file that includes dummy content.

58. A method as recited in claim 57, wherein when the storage operation is the write operation, then the application updates at least some of the dummy content in the dummy file with updated content without intervention of the host device file system.

59. A method as recited in claim 58, wherein the updated content passes from the second storage area to the first storage area by way of the interface.

60. A method as recited in claim 53, wherein when the application resides in a device external to the host device and the LSD, a discovery server is used to facilitate the establishment of a communication path between the HD and the application.

61. Computer program product executed by a processor included in a computing system having a local storage device (LSD) having at least one storage area, wherein the LSD is managed by a host device (HD) wherein the HD manages the LSD by passing at least a block command to the LSD by way of a HD/LSD interface, wherein the LSD does not utilize any interface to a device external to the HD other than that interface provided by the HD, comprising:

computer code for prompting the HD by the LSD to execute a requested process with a LSD logical request wherein the LSD logical request is not created to serve a HD initiated process.

62. Computer program product as recited in claim 61, wherein the HD includes a host device file system (HDFS) arranged to generate the block command.

63. Computer program product as recited in claim 61, wherein the HD includes a LSD driver in communication with the HDFS that facilitates the passing of the block command to the first storage area by way of the HD/LSD interface.

64. Computer program product as recited in claim 63, wherein the LSD prompts the host device to execute the requested process by,

computer code for the LSD responding to the host device'"'"'s polling with the LSD logical request, wherein the host device'"'"'s polling is independent of any HDFS initiated process and the LSD driver if the host device is polling the LSD, otherwise

computer code for the LSD generating the LSD logical request, associating the LSD logical request with a LSD interrupt signal, and raising the LSD interrupt to the attention of the host device

65. Computer program product as recited in claim 64, wherein the generating of the LSD logical request is independent of the HD.

66. Computer program product as recited in claim 65, wherein the LSD logical request prompts the host device to utilize a network interface to provide a network link between the host device and a remote application associated with a device external to the HD and the LSD included in a network, or the LSD logical request prompts the host device to provide a local communication path between the LSD and a local application associated with a local device external to the LSD wherein the local communication path is not the network link.

67. A computing system as recited in claim 66, wherein the local device is in local communication with the host device.

68. A computing system as recited in claim 67, wherein the host device is prompted to provide the local communication path between the local application other than the LSD driver and the LSD.

69. A computing system as recited in claim 68 wherein the local device is a second LSD managed by the host device.

70. A computing system as recited in claim 67 wherein the device external to the host device and the LSD is a network device (ND).

71. Computer program product executed by a processor in a computing system having at least a host device (HD) having at least a host device file system and a LSD driver, a local storage device (LSD) having at least one storage area managed at least by the host device file system, and an application in communication with the host device wherein the application does not utilize any communication paths with either the LSD driver and the host device file system, comprising:

computer code for compelling the LSD to perform at least one storage operation on the at least one storage area by the application without intervention by the host device file system; and

computer readable medium for storing the computer code.

72. Computer program product as recited in claim 71, wherein the at least one storage operation is selected from a group that includes, a read operation, a write operation, an erase operation, a LSD property retrieval operation, a first storage area property modification operation.

73. Computer program product as recited in claim 72, wherein the first storage area property modification operation is selected from a group that includes, modifying remaining capacity, modifying firmware versions, and modifying partitioning.

74. Computer program product as recited in claim 73, further comprising:

a second storage area that is not controlled by the host device file system and is not visible to the host device; and

an interface arranged to facilitate communication between the second storage area and the first storage area without intervention by the host device.

75. Computer program product as recited in claim 74, wherein the first storage area includes a dummy file that includes dummy content.

76. Computer program product as recited in claim 75, wherein when the storage operation is the write operation, then the application updates at least some of the dummy content in the dummy file with updated content without intervention of the host device file system.

77. Computer program product as recited in claim 76, wherein the updated content passes from the second storage area to the first storage area by way of the interface.

78. Computer program product as recited in claim 77, wherein when the application resides in a device external to the host device and the LSD, a discovery server is used to facilitate the establishment of a communication path between the HD and the application.