STORAGE SYSTEM FRONT END

• US 20090222569A1
• Filed: 02/27/2009
• Published: 09/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Assurance Software and Hardware Solution LLC
• Original Assignee: Atrato, Inc. (Assurance Software & Hardware Solution LLC)
• Inventors: Frick, Guy David, Siewert, Samuel Burk
• Application Number:
  US12/395,509
• Publication Number:
  US 20090222569A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers

Abstract

A storage system may include a first storage device and a protocol translator. The protocol translator may be programmed to receive a storage-access command formatted in a first protocol format. The protocol translator may also be programmed to translate the storage-access command into a second protocol format. The storage system may include a pseudo-target-module coupled to the protocol translator. The pseudo-target module may be programmed to send the command to the first storage device after the command is translated into the second protocol format. A virtualization engine may provide an interface to the first storage device, and the storage-access command may be sent to the first storage device through the virtualization engine. The pseudo-target module may be programmed to receive data from both storage-area-network devices and network-attached-storage devices.

Claims

1. A storage system comprising:

a first storage device;

a protocol translator, the protocol translator being programmed to;

receive a storage-access command formatted in a first protocol format;

translate the storage-access command into a second protocol format;

a pseudo-target module coupled to the protocol translator, the pseudo-target module being programmed to send the command to the first storage device after the command is translated into the second protocol format.

2. The storage system of claim 1, further comprising:

a virtualization engine providing an interface to the first storage device, wherein the storage-access command is sent to the first storage device through the virtualization engine.

3. The storage system of claim 1, wherein the second protocol format comprises a small-computer-system-interface format.

4. The storage system of claim 1, wherein the pseudo-target module is programmed to receive data from both storage-area-network devices and network-attached-storage devices.

5. The storage system of claim 1, further comprising:

a small-computer-system-interface mid-level interface configured to transfer the storage-access command from the protocol translator to the pseudo-target module.

6. The storage system of claim 1, wherein:

the pseudo-target module and the protocol translator are kernel-level modules.

7. The storage system of claim 1, further comprising:

an internet small-computer-system-interface input;

a fiber-channel input, the first protocol format comprising a fiber-channel protocol format.

8. The storage system of claim 7, further comprising:

a target-mode-driver application programming interface configured to provide an interface between the protocol translator and a plurality of target mode drivers.

9. The storage system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of target mode drivers comprises at least one of:

a fiber-channel target-mode driver, the fiber-channel target mode driver being programmed to interface between the target-mode-driver application programming interface and the fiber-channel input;

an internet small-computer-system-interface target-mode driver, the internet small-computer-system-interface target-mode driver being programmed to interface between the target-mode-driver application programming interface and the internet small-computer- system-interface input;

an infiniband target-mode driver, the infiniband target mode driver being programmed to interface between the target-mode-driver application programming interface and an infiniband input;

a serial-attached small-computer-system-interface target-mode driver, the serial-attached small-computer-system-interface target-mode driver being programmed to interface between the target-mode driver application programming interface and the serial-attached small-computer-system-interface input;

10. The storage system of claim 1, further comprising:

a data-storage enclosure;

a plurality of hard-disk drives positioned in the data-storage enclosure, the plurality of hard-disk drivers comprising the first storage device.

11. The storage system of claim 1, further comprising:

a front end, the front end comprising the pseudo-target module and the protocol translator.

12. The storage system of claim 1, wherein the pseudo-target module is programmed to:

receive a request to access the first physical storage device from an initiator;

access both the first storage device and a second storage device in response to the request, wherein access to the second storage device is transparent to the initiator.

13. A storage system comprising:

a first storage device;

a virtualization engine that provides an interface to the first storage device;

a first pseudo-target module coupled to the virtualization engine, the pseudo-target module being programmed to;

receive a request to access the first storage device from an initiator;

access the first storage device and a second target in response to the request, wherein access to the second storage device is transparent to the initiator.

14. The storage system of claim 13, wherein the pseudo-target module is programmed to receive data from both storage-area-network devices and network-attached storage devices.

15. The storage system of claim 13, further comprising:

a small -computer-system-interface mid-level interface configured to transfer the command from a protocol translator to the pseudo-target module.

16. The storage system of claim 13, wherein:

the pseudo-target module and the protocol translator may be kernel-level modules.

17. The storage system of claim 13, further comprising:

a data-storage enclosure;

a plurality of hard-disk drives positioned in the data-storage enclosure, the plurality of hard-disk drives comprising the first storage device.

18. The storage system of claim 13, further comprising:

a front end, the front end comprising the pseudo-target module.

19. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, at a pseudo-target module in the front end of a storage system, a request from an initiator to access a first storage device;

accessing the first storage device in response to the request;

accessing a second storage device in response to the request, wherein access to the second storage device is transparent to the initiator.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 19, wherein the pseudo-target module is configured to receive data from both storage-area-network devices and network-attached-storage devices.

21. The computer-implemented method of claim 19, wherein the storage system further comprising:

a data-storage enclosure;

a plurality of hard-disk drives positioned in the data-storage enclosure, the plurality of hard-disk drives comprising the first storage device.