CAUSATION OF A DATA READ OPERATION AGAINST A FIRST STORAGE SYSTEM BY A SERVER ASSOCIATED WITH A SECOND STORAGE SYSTEM ACCORDING TO A HOST GENERATED INSTRUCTION

• US 20100169452A1
• Filed: 12/26/2008
• Published: 07/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: InMage Systems, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Atluri, Rajeev, Tirumala, Anup S.
• Granted Patent: US 9,209,989 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/215
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/413 with random access, e.g. carrier-sense multiple-access with collision detection [CSMA-CD]

Abstract

Methods and systems of causation of a data read operation against a first storage system by a server associated with a second storage system according to a host generated instruction are disclosed. In an embodiment, a method of causing a data read operation against a first storage system, the data read operation performed by a server associated with a second storage system according to a machine-readable instruction generated by a host directly associated with the first storage system. The method further includes saving data from the host to the first storage system, creating a record of at least one data write comprising the data saved to the first storage system, and using a variable contained in the record to process a mapping scheme resulting in knowledge of at least one physical offset in the first storage system to receive the at least one data write.

Claims

1. A method of causing a data read operation against a first storage system, the data read operation performed by a server associated with a second storage system according to a machine-readable instruction generated by a host directly associated with the first storage system, the method comprising:

(a) saving data from the host to the first storage system;

(b) creating a record of at least one data write comprising the data saved to the first storage system;

(c) processing, using a variable contained in the record, a mapping scheme resulting in knowledge of at least one physical offset in the first storage system to receive the at least one data write;

(d) forwarding the record including the offset information to the server associated with the second storage system;

(e) accessing the first storage system to read the data according to the instruction of the host; and

(f) reading the data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein in step (a) the host is a LAN connected server and the first storage system is a SAN-based storage system.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the SAN-based storage system is accessible through at least one of a Fibre Channel network and an Ethernet network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein in step (b) the record created includes at least origin and destination machine address information, physical payload length information, logical write location information as seen by the host, and at least one mapping value pre-known and associated with the first storage system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein in step (c) the processing is achieved via algorithm using at least one mapping value as a variable.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein in step (d) the record is forwarded over a TCP/IP-enabled connection.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein in step (e) the first storage system is accessed for read by at least one of through a Host Bus Adaptor and Fibre Channel network and through an Ethernet network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a client instance of the host performs a mapping function against a primary storage view to derive a mapped offset location.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the server reads changed data of a host from the first storage system to apply the information to the second storage system and to provide time-based recovery.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the host has a configurable host view of its storage volume and access to time-stamped versions of its backed up information, wherein the versions are compatible with the configurable host view.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the configurable host view is comprised of at least one of a file, a data set, and a volume.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the server reads from at least one of a first storage system buffer and a first storage system cache.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the server performs a mapping function using at least one of a standard protocol and a custom application program interface.

14. A software suite to cause a data read operation against a first storage system, the data read operation performed by a server associated with a second storage system according to a machine-readable instruction generated by a host directly associated with the first storage system, the software suite comprising:

(a) a portion to save data from the host to the first storage system;

(b) a portion to create a record of at least one data write comprising the data saved to the first storage system;

(c) a portion to process, using a variable contained in the record, a mapping scheme resulting in knowledge of at least one physical offsets in the first storage system to receive the at least one data write;

(d) a portion to forward the record including the offset information to the server associated with the second storage system;

(e) a portion to access the first storage system to read the data according to the instruction of the host; and

(f) a portion to read the data.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein in step (a) the host is a LAN connected server and the first storage system is a SAN-based storage system.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the SAN-based storage system is accessible through at least one of a Fibre Channel network and an Ethernet network.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein in step (b) the record created includes at least origin and destination machine address information, physical payload length information, logical write location information as seen by the host, and at least one mapping value pre-known and associated with the first storage system.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein in step (c) the processing is achieved via algorithm using at least one mapping value as a variable.

19. A system, comprising:

a host to save data on a first storage system and to generate a machine-readable instruction to initiate a data read operation, wherein the data read operation is performed by a server associated with a second storage system;

the first storage system, wherein data of the host is saved on the first storage system;

the second storage system;

the server, wherein the server is associated with the second storage system;

a record keeping module comprised of at least one of the host and the server,

wherein the record keeping module creates a record of at least one data write comprising the data saved to the first storage system;

a mapping module comprised of at least one of the host and the server to use a variable in the record to process a mapping scheme resulting in knowledge of at least one physical offset in the first storage system to receive the at least one data write, wherein the mapping module forwards the record to the server when it processes the mapping scheme; and

a read module comprised of at least one of the host and the server to access and read the first storage system to read the data according to the instruction of the host.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the host is a LAN connected server and the first storage system is a SAN-based storage system.