Data replication method and apparatus

• US 20110087792A2
• Filed: 11/20/2006
• Published: 04/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Dot Hill Systems Corporation (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Dot Hill Systems Corporation (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Rodriguez, Elizabeth, Lee, Kent, Wayda, James
• Application Number:
  US11/561,512
• Publication Number:
  US 20070186001A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1662 the resynchronized component or unit being a persistent storage device re-synchronization of failed mirror storage G06F11/2082; rebuild or reconstruction of parity RAID storage G06F11/1008
• 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 3/065 Replication mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0659 Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling
• 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 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities

Abstract

A data storage system, device, and method are provided for replicating data between different data storage systems or appliances. More specifically, the present invention affords communications between heterogeneous data storage systems that potential employ different communication protocols. A bridging communication protocol is utilized by one or both storage systems in order to accommodate different communication protocols. Alternatively, a storage appliance connecting the data storage systems may employ the bridging communication protocol.

Claims

1. A method of communicating between data storage devices, comprising:

a first data storage system using a first communication protocol to communicate with a first set of devices;

at least a second data storage system using a second communication protocol to communicate with a second set of devices;

employing a bridge communication protocol that that is used by both the first and the at least a second data storage system; and

the first data storage system communicating with the at least a second data storage system via the bridge communication protocol.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the first data storage system requesting capability information from the at least a second data storage system related to the second communication protocol;

the at least a second data storage system sending capability information related to the second communication protocol to the first data storage system in response to the request of the first data storage system;

the first data storage system receiving the capability information related to the second communication protocol from the at least a second data storage system; and

adapting the bridge communication protocol such that the first data storage system is operable to communicate with the at least a second data storage system.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein capability information comprises at least one of snapshot capabilities, remote data capabilities, storage volume naming capabilities, snapshot volume naming capabilities, storage volume mapping capabilities, and snapshot volume mapping capabilities.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the first data storage system utilizes the bridge communication protocol to request the capability information from the at least a second data storage system.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the first and at least a second data storage systems advertising capability information of the communication protocol used by each respective data storage system; and

the bridge communication protocol altering such that the first data storage system is operable to communicate with the at least a second data storage system.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising a third initiator device querying the first and at least a second data storage system for their respective capability information.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

updating at least one of the first and second communication protocols used by the first and at least a second data storage system; and

updating the bridge communication protocol to reflect the updates of the at least one of the first and second communication protocols.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data storage system is associated with a first vendor and the at least a second data storage system is associated with a second different vendor.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the bridge communication protocol is used by the first data storage system to request the at least a second data storage system to perform at least one of the following commands, (i) take a snapshot, (ii), make the snapshot viewable, (iii) map a snapshot to a Logical Unit Number (LUN), and (iv) provide delta data between two snapshots.

10. An electronic data system, comprising:

first data storage means having a first set of communication capabilities that allow the first data storage means to communicate with a first set of devices;

second data storage means having a second set of communication capabilities that allow the second data storage system to communicate with a second set of devices; and

bridging means providing communication capabilities between the first and second data storage means.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the first data storage means is operable to request capability information from the second data storage means related to the second set of communication capabilities, the second data storage means is operable to send capability information related to the second set of communication capabilities to the first data storage means in response to the request, the first data storage means is then operable to receive the capability information related to the second set of communication capabilities and adapt the bridging means such that the first data storage means is operable to communicate with the second data storage means.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the first data storage means utilizes the bridge communication protocol to request the capability information from the second data storage means.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein communication capabilities comprise at least one of snapshot capabilities, remote data capabilities, storage volume naming capabilities, snapshot volume-naming capabilities, storage volume mapping capabilities, and snapshot volume mapping capabilities.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein in response to the communication capabilities of at least one of the first and second storage means being updated, the bridging means is updated to reflect the updates of the communication capabilities of at least one of the first and second storage means.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the bridging means is used by the first data storage means to request the second data storage means to perform at least one of the following commands, (i) take a snapshot, (ii), make the snapshot viewable, and (iii) provide a list of Logical Data Block Addresses (LBAs) that contain data.

16. A device for use in conjunction with data storage, comprising:

an interface for communicating with at least a first data storage system comprising a first set of communication capabilities that allow the first data storage system to communicate with a first set of devices; and

a processor operable to employ a bridge communication protocol that allows a second data storage system to communicate with the first data storage system, wherein the second data storage system comprises a second set of communication capabilities that allow the second data storage system to communicate with a second set of devices.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the processor is further operable to generate a request for capability information from the first data storage system related to the first set of communication capabilities, and adapt the bridge communication protocol upon receipt of capability information such that the first data storage system is operable to communicate with the second data storage system.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein bridge communication protocol is utilized to request the capability information from the first data storage system.

19. The device of claim 16, wherein the bridge communication protocol is used by the first data storage system to request the second data storage system to perform at least one of the following commands, (i) take a snapshot, (ii), make the snapshot viewable, (iii) map a snapshot to a Logical Unit Number (LUN), and (iv) provide delta data between two specified snapshots.

20. The device of claim 16, wherein the bridge communication protocol is employed by at least one of a data storage device and storage appliance.