LOCATION-INDEPENDENT RAID GROUP VIRTUAL BLOCK MANAGEMENT

• US 20100095060A1
• Filed: 12/17/2009
• Published: 04/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Douglas P. Doucette, Scott Schoenthal, Srinivasan Viswanathan, Stephen H. Strange
• Original Assignee: Douglas P. Doucette, Scott Schoenthal, Srinivasan Viswanathan, Stephen H. Strange
• Inventors: Schoenthal, Scott, Doucette, Douglas P., Viswanathan, Srinivasan, Strange, Stephen H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,041,924 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/114
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1092 Rebuilding, e.g. when physically replacing a failing disk
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2056 by mirroring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2211/1023 Different size disks, i.e. non uniform size of disks in RAID systems with parity
• 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 3/0643 Management of files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0647 Migration mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0665 at area level, e.g. provisioning of virtual or logical volumes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

A computer storage system is described. A range of volume block numbers (VBNs) is assigned to a volume. A range of storage device block numbers (DBNs) is assigned to each of a plurality of storage devices. A first mapping parameters are created to map a first range of VBN numbers to a first selected range of DBNs using a first portion of a new storage device. A second mapping parameters are created to map a second range of VBN numbers to a second range of DBNs on a second portion of the new storage device.

Claims

1. A method for operating a computer storage system, comprising:

assigning a range of volume block numbers (VBNs) to a volume;

assigning storage device block numbers (DBNs) to each of a plurality of storage devices, the storage system including the storage devices;

creating a first mapping parameters to map a first range of VBN numbers to a first selected range of DBNs using a first portion of a new storage device; and

creating a second mapping parameters to map a second range of VBN numbers to a second range of DBNs on a second portion of the new storage device.

2. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

storing a map of the first mapping parameters and the second mapping parameters on the storage device.

3. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

storing a plurality of maps on the storage device, each map of the plurality of maps mapping one or more ranges of VBN numbers into corresponding DBN numbers of the storage device.

4. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

adding extra storage space by replacing a failed storage device with a larger storage device and mapping new VBN numbers into DBN numbers of the extra storage space.

5. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

replacing a failed storage device.

6. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

replacing small storage device with larger storage device.

7. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

adding storage devices to the computer storage system.

8. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

using extra space on a new storage device which is in excess of an old storage space on an old storage device.

9. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

using any type of attached array of writable storage device media as the storage device.

10. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

using video tape as the storage device.

11. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

using an optical device as the storage device.

12. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

using a DVD as the storage device.

13. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

using a magnetic tape as the storage device.

14. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

using a bubble memory as the storage device.

15. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

using an electronic random access memory as the storage device.

16. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

using micro-electro mechanical device as the storage device.

17. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

using a magnetic disk as the storage device.

18. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

using a RAID array of magnetic disks as the storage device.

19. A method for operating a computer storage system, comprising:

assigning a range of volume block numbers (VBNs) to a volume;

assigning storage device block numbers (DBNs) to each of a plurality of storage devices, the storage system including the storage devices;

creating a first mapping parameters to map a first range of VBN numbers to a first selected range of DBNs to reconstruct a physical storage device using a first portion of a replacement storage device, the physical storage device removed from the computer storage system;

creating a second mapping parameters to map a second range of VBN numbers to a second selected range of DBNs on a second portion of the replacement storage device; and

using the second portion of the replacement storage device for an extended range of the VBN space.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

removing the physical storage device from the computer storage system in response to the physical storage device failing.

21. A computer readable storage media, comprising:

said computer readable storage media containing program instructions for execution on a processor for a method of operating a computer storage system, the program instructions for,

assigning a range of volume block numbers (VBNs) to a volume;

assigning storage device block numbers (DBNs) to each of a plurality of storage devices, the storage system including the storage devices;

creating a first mapping parameters to map a first range of VBN numbers to a first selected range of DBNs using a first portion of a new storage device; and

creating a second mapping parameters to map a second range of VBN numbers to a second range of DBNs on a second portion of the new storage device.

22. A computer storage system apparatus, comprising:

a range of volume block numbers (VBNs) assigned to a volume;

storage device block numbers (DBNs) assigned to each of a plurality of storage devices, the storage system including the storage devices;

a first mapping parameters created to map a first range of VBN numbers to a first selected range of DBNs using a first portion of a new storage device; and

a second mapping parameters created to map a second range of VBN numbers to a second range of DBNs on a second portion of the new storage device.

23. The apparatus as in claim 22, further comprising:

a map to store the first mapping parameters and the second mapping parameters on the storage device.

24. The apparatus as in claim 22, further comprising:

a plurality of maps stored on the storage device, each map of the plurality of maps mapping one or more ranges of VBN numbers into corresponding DBN numbers of the storage device.

25. The apparatus as in claim 22, further comprising:

extra storage space added by replacing a failed storage device with a larger storage device and mapping new VBN numbers into DBN numbers of the extra storage space.

26. The apparatus as in claim 22, further comprising:

the storage device to replace a failed storage device.

27. The apparatus as in claim 22, further comprising:

a larger storage device to replace a smaller storage device.

28. The apparatus as in claim 22, further comprising:

a new storage device added to the computer storage system.

29. The apparatus as in claim 22, further comprising:

an extra space on a new storage device which is in excess of an old storage space on an old storage device.

30. The apparatus as in claim 22, further comprising:

any type of attached array of writable storage device media used as the storage device.

31. The apparatus as in claim 22, further comprising:

a video tape used as the storage device.

32. The apparatus as in claim 22, further comprising:

an optical device used as the storage device.

33. The apparatus as in claim 22, further comprising:

a DVD used as the storage device.

34. The apparatus as in claim 22, further comprising:

a magnetic tape used as the storage device.

35. The apparatus as in claim 22, further comprising:

a bubble memory used as the storage device.

36. The apparatus as in claim 22, further comprising:

an electronic random access memory used as the storage device.

37. The apparatus as in claim 22, further comprising:

micro-electro mechanical device used as the storage device.

38. The apparatus as in claim 22, further comprising:

a magnetic disk used as the storage device.

39. The apparatus as in claim 22, further comprising:

a RAID array of magnetic disks used as the storage device.

40. A computer storage system apparatus, comprising:

a range of volume block numbers (VBNs) assigned to a volume;

storage device block numbers (DBNs) assigned to each of a plurality of storage devices, the storage system including the storage devices;

a first mapping parameters created to map a first range of VBN numbers to a first selected range of DBNs to reconstruct a physical storage device removed from the computer storage system using a first portion of a replacement storage device;

a second mapping parameters created to map a second range of VBN numbers to a second selected range of DBNs on a second portion of the replacement storage device; and

the second portion of the replacement storage device used for an extended range of the VBN space.

41. The apparatus of claim 40, further comprising:

the physical storage device removed in response to the physical storage device failing.