SAS STORAGE VISUALIZATION CONTROLLER, SUBSYSTEM AND SYSTEM USING THE SAME, AND METHOD THEREFOR

• US 20130013828A1
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Published: 01/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infortrend Technology Incorporated (Infortrend Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Infortrend Technology Incorporated (Infortrend Corporation)
• Inventors: PANG, CHING-TE, SCHNAPP, MICHAEL GORDON, SUE, SHIANN-WEN, LEE, CHENG-YU
• Granted Patent: US 10,896,105 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/74
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1469 Backup restoration techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/201 between storage system components
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2089 Redundant storage control functionality
• 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 3/061 Improving I/O performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0611 in relation to response time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0613 in relation to throughput
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0659 Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0661 Format or protocol conversion arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0664 at device level, e.g. emulation of a storage device or system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD

Abstract

A storage virtualization computer system. The storage virtualization computer system comprises a host entity for issuing an IO request, a SAS storage virtualization controller coupled to the host entity for executing IO operations in response to the IO request, and at least one physical storage device, each coupled to the storage virtualization controller through a SAS interconnect, for providing data storage space to the storage virtualization computer system through the SAS storage virtualization controller.

Claims

1. A storage virtualization computer system comprising:

a host entity for issuing IO requests;

an external storage virtualization controller coupled to said host entity for executing IO operations in response to said IO requests; and

a group of physical storage devices(PSDs), each coupled to the storage virtualization controller through a SAS interconnect, for providing data storage space to the storage virtualization computer system through the storage virtualization controller;

wherein said external storage virtualization controller is configured to define at least one logical media unit (LMU) consisting of sections of said group of PSDs;

wherein the IO requests are parsed to determine what operation is to be performed and on which section of the LMU the operation is to be performed.

2. The storage virtualization computer system of claim 1, wherein when the operation comprises internally-emulated, asynchronous device sub-operations, then the SVC executes the associated sub-operations including transferring any associated data to/from the host entity and then, when there is a failed operation, the SVC responds to the host entity with a status report indicating the failed operation.

3. The storage virtualization computer system of claim 2, wherein the operation further comprises a synchronous device sub-operation.

4. The storage virtualization computer system of claim 1, wherein said group of the PSDs comprises hard disk drives(HDDs) or solid state drives(SSDs).

5. The storage virtualization computer system of claim 1, wherein said group of the PSDs comprises at least one of the following PSDs:

SATA(Serial ATA) PSDs, SAS(Serial Attached SCSI) PSDs, and PATA(Parallel ATA) PSDs.

6. The storage virtualization computer system of claim 1, further comprising a detachable canister attached to said storage virtualization controller for containing one of said group of the PSDs therein.

7. The storage virtualization computer system of claim 1, wherein one of said group of the PSDs is detached from said storage virtualization controller when said storage virtualization controller is on-line.

8. The storage virtualization computer system of claim 1, wherein a new PSD is attached to said storage virtualization controller when said storage virtualization controller is on-line.

9. The storage virtualization computer system of claim 1, wherein said external storage virtualization controller is configured to provide a mapping that allows at least one section of the at least one LMU to be accessible to the host entity.

10. The storage virtualization computer system of claim 1, wherein said storage virtualization controller comprises a plurality of host-side IO device interconnect ports each for coupling to a host-side IO device interconnect, and said storage virtualization controller is configured to present redundantly the LMU on at least two of said plurality of host-side IO device interconnect ports.

11. The storage virtualization computer system of claim 1, wherein said group of PSDs include a first set of PSDs and a second set of PSDs, said first set of PSD and said external storage virtualization controller are in the same enclosure, said first set of PSDs and said second set ofPSDs are not received in a same enclosure, and said external storage virtualization controller further comprises at least one expansion port for coupling to said second set of said PSDs.

12. The storage virtualization computer system of claim 1, wherein said external SVC is configured to accommodate said group of PSDs having a SAS PSD in said group of PSDs or a SATA PSD in said group of PSDs connected to the same SAS interconnect.

13. The storage virtualization computer system of claim 1, wherein said storage virtualization controller comprises:

a central processing circuits for performing IO operations in response to said IO requests of said host entity;

at least one IO device interconnect controller coupled to said central processing circuitry;

at least one host-side IO device interconnect port provided in a said at least one IO device interconnect controller for coupling to said host entity; and

at least one SAS device-side IO device interconnect port provided in one of said at least one IO device interconnect controller for coupling to said group of physical storage devices(PSDs).

14. The storage virtualization computer system of claim 13, wherein said storage virtualization controller further comprises at least one multiple-device device-side expansion port for accommodating an additional set of at least one PSD.

15. The storage virtualization computer system of claim 13, wherein said storage virtualization controller further comprises at least one expansion port for accommodating an additional set of at least one PSD through an expanding circuit.

16. The storage virtualization computer system of claim 13, wherein said at least one host-side IO device interconnect port and said at least one SAS device-side IO device interconnect port are provided in a same IO device interconnect controller.

17. The storage virtualization computer system of claim 13, wherein said at least one host-side IO device interconnect port and said at least one SAS device-side IO device interconnect port are provided in different IO device interconnect controllers.

18. The storage virtualization computer system of claim 13, wherein said at least one said host-side IO device interconnect port is Fibre Channel supporting point-to-point connectivity in target mode.

19. The storage virtualization computer system of claim 13, wherein said at least one said host-side IO device interconnect port is Fibre Channel supporting private loop connectivity in target mode.

20. The storage virtualization computer system of claim 13, wherein said at least one said host-side IO device interconnect port is Fibre Channel supporting public loop connectivity in target mode.

21. The storage virtualization computer system of claim 13, wherein said at least one said host-side IO device interconnect port is parallel SCSI operating in target mode.

22. The storage virtualization computer system of claim 13, wherein said at least one said host-side IO device interconnect port is ethernet supporting the iSCSI protocol operating in target mode.

23. The storage virtualization computer system of claim 13, wherein said at least one said host-side IO device interconnect port is Serial-Attached SCSI (SAS) operating in target mode.

24. The storage virtualization computer system of claim 13, wherein said at least one said host-side IO device interconnect port is Serial ATA operating in target mode.

25. The storage virtualization computer system of claim 13, wherein said at least one said host-side IO device interconnect port is one of IEEE1394A/IEEE1394B and USB/USB2.0.

26. The storage virtualization computer system of claim 13, wherein said external SVC issues a device-side IO request to said IO device interconnect controller, and said IO device interconnect controller re-formats said device-side IO request and accompanying IO data into at least one data packet for transmission to said group of PSDs through said device-side IO device interconnect port.

27. The storage virtualization computer system of claim 13 further comprising an enclosure management services mechanism for managing and monitoring devices belonging to the storage virtualization computer system.

28. A storage virtualization subsystem for providing data storage space, comprising:

an external storage virtualization controller for connecting to a host entity and executing IO operations in response to IO requests issued from said host entity; and

a group of physical storage devices(PSDs), each coupled to the storage virtualization controller through a SAS interconnect, for providing data storage space to the host entity through the storage virtualization controller;

wherein said external storage virtualization controller is configured to define at least one logical media unit (LMU) consisting of sections of said group of PSDs;

wherein the IO requests are parsed to determine what operation is to be performed and on which section of the LMU the operation is to be performed.

29. The storage virtualization subsystem of claim 28, wherein when the operation comprises internally-emulated, asynchronous device sub-operations, then the SVC executes the associated sub-operations including transferring any associated data to/from the host entity and then, when there is a failed operation, the SVC responds to the host entity with a status report indicating the failed operation.

30. The storage virtualization subsystem of claim 29, wherein the operation further comprises a synchronous device sub-operation.

31. The storage virtualization subsystem of claim 28, wherein said group of the PSDs comprises hard disk drives(HDDs) or solid state drives(SSDs).

32. The storage virtualization subsystem of claim 28, wherein said group of the PSDs comprises at least one of the following PSDs:

SATA(Serial ATA) PSDs, SAS(Serial Attached SCSI) PSDs, and PATA(Parallel ATA) PSDs.

33. The storage virtualization subsystem of claim 28, further comprising a detachable canister attached to said storage virtualization controller for containing one of said group of the PSDs therein.

34. The storage virtualization subsystem of claim 28, wherein one of said group of the PSDs is detached from said storage virtualization controller when said storage virtualization controller is on-line.

35. The storage virtualization subsystem of claim 28, wherein a new PSD is attached to said storage virtualization controller when said storage virtualization controller is on-line.

36. The storage virtualization subsystem of claim 28, wherein said external storage virtualization controller is configured to provide a mapping that allows at least one section of the at least one LMU to be accessible to the host entity.

37. The storage virtualization subsystem of claim 28, wherein said storage virtualization controller comprises a plurality of host-side IO device interconnect ports each for coupling to a host-side IO device interconnect, and said storage virtualization controller is configured to present redundantly the LMU on at least two of said plurality of host-side IO device interconnect ports.

38. The storage virtualization subsystem of claim 28, wherein said group of PSDs include a first set of PSDs and a second set of PSDs, said first set of PSD and said external storage virtualization controller are in the same enclosure, said first set of PSDs and said second set of PSDs are not received in a same enclosure, and said external storage virtualization controller further comprises at least one expansion port for coupling to said second set of said PSDs.

39. The storage virtualization subsystem of claim 28, wherein said external SVC is configured to accommodate said group of PSDs having a SAS PSD in said group of PSDs or a SATA PSD in said group of PSDs connected to the same SAS interconnect.

40. The storage virtualization subsystem of claim 28, wherein said storage virtualization controller comprises:

a central processing circuitry for performing IO operations in response to said IO requests of said host entity;

at least one IO device interconnect controller coupled to said central processing circuitry;

at least one host-side IO device interconnect port provided in a said at least one IO device interconnect controller for coupling to said host entity; and

at least one SAS device-side IO device interconnect port provided in one of said at least one IO device interconnect controller for coupling to said group of physical storage devices(PSDs).

41. The storage virtualization subsystem of claim 40, wherein said storage virtualization controller further comprises at least one multiple-device device-side expansion port for accommodating an additional set of at least one PSD.

42. The storage virtualization subsystem of claim 40, wherein said storage virtualization controller further comprises at least one expansion port for accommodating an additional set of at least one PSD through an expanding circuit.

43. The storage virtualization subsystem of claim 40, wherein said at least one host-side IO device interconnect port and said at least one SAS device-side IO device interconnect port are provided in a same IO device interconnect controller.

44. The storage virtualization subsystem of claim 40, wherein said at least one host-side IO device interconnect port and said at least one SAS device-side IO device interconnect port are provided in different IO device interconnect controllers.

45. The storage virtualization subsystem of claim 40, wherein at least one said host-side IO device interconnect port comprises at least one of the following port types:

Fibre Channel supporting point-to-point connectivity in target mode, Fibre Channel supporting private loop connectivity in target mode. Fibre Channel supporting public loop connectivity in target mode, parallel SCSI, operating in target mode, ethernet supporting the iSCSI protocol operating in target mode SAS operating in target mode, Serial ATA operating in target mode, IEEE1394A/IEEE1394B, and USB/USB2.0.

46. The storage virtualization subsystem of claim 40, wherein said external SVC issues a device-side IO request to said IO device interconnect controller, and said IO device interconnect controller re-formats said device-side IO request and accompanying IO data into at least one data packet for transmission to said group of PSDs through said device-side IO device interconnect port.

47. The storage virtualization subsystem of claim 40 further comprising an enclosure management services mechanism for managing and monitoring devices belonging to the storage virtualization subsystem.

48. An external storage virtualization controller, comprising:

a central processing circuitry for performing IO operations in response to IO requests from a host entity;

at least one IO device interconnect controller coupled to said central processing circuitry;

at least one host-side IO device interconnect port provided in a said at least one IO device interconnect controller for coupling to said host entity; and

at least one SAS device-side IO device interconnect port provided in a said at least one IO device interconnect controller for coupling to and performing point-to-point serial-signal transmission with a group of one physical storage devices(PSDs);

wherein said external storage virtualization controller is configured to define at least one logical media unit (LMU) consisting of sections of said group of PSDs;

wherein the IO requests are parsed to determine what operation is to be performed and on which section of the LMU the operation is to be performed.

49. The external storage virtualization controller of claim 48, wherein when the operation comprises internally-emulated, asynchronous device sub-operations, then the SVC executes the associated sub-operations including transferring any associated data to/from the host entity and then, when there is a failed operation, the SVC responds to the host entity with a status report indicating the failed operation.

50. The external storage virtualization controller of claim 49, wherein the operation further comprises a synchronous device sub-operation.

51. The external storage virtualization controller of claim 48, wherein said group of the PSDs comprises hard disk drives(HDDs) or solid state drives(SSDs).

52. The external storage virtualization controller of claim 48 further comprising a detachable canister attached to said storage virtualization controller for containing one of said group of the PSDs therein.

53. The external storage virtualization controller of claim 48, wherein one of said group of the PSDs is detached from said storage virtualization controller when said storage virtualization controller is on-line.

54. The external storage virtualization controller of claim 48, wherein a new PSD is attached to said storage virtualization controller when said storage virtualization controller is on-line.

55. The external storage virtualization controller of claim 48, wherein said external storage virtualization controller is configured to provide a mapping that allows at least one section of the at least one LMU to be accessible to the host entity.

56. The external storage virtualization controller of claim 48, wherein said storage virtualization controller comprises a plurality of host-side IO device interconnect ports each for coupling to a host-side IO device interconnect, and said storage virtualization controller is configured to present redundantly the LMU on at least two of said plurality of host-side IO device interconnect ports.

57. The external storage virtualization controller of claim 48, wherein said group of PSDs include a first set of PSDs and a second set of PSDs, said first set of PSD and said external storage virtualization controller are in the same enclosure, said first set of PSDs and said second set of PSDs are not received in a same enclosure, and said external storage virtualization controller further comprises at least one multiple-device device-side expansion port for coupling to said second set of said PSDs.

58. The external storage virtualization controller of claim 48, wherein said at least one host-side IO device interconnect port and said at least SAS device-side IO device interconnect port are provided in a same IO device interconnect controller.

59. The external storage virtualization controller of claim 48, wherein said at least one host-side IO device interconnect port and said at least one SAS device-side IO device interconnect port are provided in different IO device interconnect controllers.

60. The external storage virtualization controller of claim 48, wherein said external SVC issues a device-side IO request to said IO device interconnect controller, and said IO device interconnect controller re-formats said device-side IO request and accompanying IO data into at least one data packet for transmission to said group of PSDs through said device-side IO device interconnect port.

61. The external storage virtualization controller of claim 48 further comprising an enclosure management services mechanism for managing and monitoring devices belonging to a storage virtualization computer system.

62. The external storage virtualization controller of claim 48, wherein said device-side IO device interconnect controller further comprises a PCI/PCI-X interface for connecting to the central processing circuit.

63. The external storage virtualization controller of claim 48, wherein said device-side IO device interconnect controller further comprises a PCI Express interface for connecting to the central processing circuit.

64. The external storage virtualization controller of claim 48, wherein said storage virtualization controller comprises at least one host-side IO device interconnect port each for coupling to a host-side IO device interconnect.

65. The external storage virtualization controller of claim 48 further comprising at least one multiple-device device-side expansion port for accommodating a second set of at least one PSD.

66. The external storage virtualization controller of claim 48 further comprising at least one expansion port for accommodating a second set of at least one PSD through an expanding circuit.

67. The external storage virtualization controller of claim 48, wherein at least one said host-side IO device interconnect port comprises at least one of the following port types:

Fibre Channel supporting point-to-point connectivity in target mode. Fibre Channel supporting private loop connectivity in target mode, Fibre Channel supporting public loop connectivity in target mode, parallel SCSI operating in target mode, ethernet supporting the iSCSi protocol operating in target mode SAS operating in target mode, Serial ATA operating in target mode, IEEE1394A/IEEE1394B, and USB/USB2.0.

68. A method for performing storage virtualization in a computer system with an external storage virtualization controller of the computer system, comprising:

receiving an IO request from a host entity of the computer system with the storage virtualization controller;

parsing the IO request with the storage virtualization controller to decide at least one IO operation to perform in response to said IO request; and

performing at least one IO operation with the storage virtualization controller to access a group of physical storage devices(PSDs) of the computer system in point-to-point serial-signal transmission complying with SAS protocol;

wherein said external storage virtualization controller is configured to define at least one logical media unit (LMU) consisting of sections of said group of PSDs;

wherein the IO requests are parsed to determine what operation is to be performed and on which section of the LMU the operation is to be performed.

69. The method of claim 68 further comprising the step of providing an enclosure management services mechanism for managing and monitoring devices belonging to the storage virtualization subsystem.

70. The method of claim 68, wherein the step of performing said at least one IO operation comprises issuing at least one device-side IO request to a SAS device-side IO device interconnect controller provided in the SVC and re-formatting said device-side IO request and accompanying IO data by said SAS device-side IO device interconnect controller into at least one data packet complying with SAS protocol for transmission.

71. The method of claim 68, wherein when the operation comprises internally-emulated, asynchronous device sub-operations, then the SVC executes the associated sub-operations including transferring any associated data to/from the host entity and then, when there is a failed operation, the SVC responds to the host entity with a status report indicating the failed operation.

72. The method of claim 71, wherein the operation further comprises a synchronous device sub-operation.

73. The method of claim 68, wherein said group of the PSDs comprises hard disk drives(HDDs) or solid state drives(SSDs).

74. The method of claim 68, wherein said group of the PSDs comprises at least one of the following PSDs:

SATA(Serial ATA) PSDs, SAS(Serial Attached SCSI) PSDs, and PATA(Parallel ATA) PSDs.

75. The method of claim 68, further comprising a detachable canister attached to said storage virtualization controller for containing one of said group of the PSDs therein.

76. The method of claim 68, wherein one of said group of the PSDs is detached from said storage virtuaiization controller when said storage virtualization controller is on-line.

77. The method of claim 68, wherein a new PSD is attached to said storage virtualization controller when said storage virtualization controller is on-line.

78. The method of claim 68, wherein said external storage virtualization controller is configured to provide a mapping that allows at least one section of the at least one LMU to be accessible to the host entity.

79. The method of claim 68, wherein said storage virtualization controller comprises a plurality of host-side IO device interconnect ports each for coupling to a host-side IO device interconnect, and said storage virtualization controller is configured to present redundantly the LMU on at least two of said plurality of host-side IO device interconnect ports.

80. The method of claim 68, wherein said group of PSDs include a first set of PSDs and a second set of PSDs, said first set of PSD and said external storage virtualization controller are in the same enclosure, said first set of PSDs and said second set of PSDs are not received in a same enclosure, and said external storage virtualization controller further comprises at least one expansion port for coupling to said second set of said PSDs.

81. The method of claim 68, wherein said external SVC is configured to accommodate said group of PSDs having a SAS PSD in said group of PSDs or a SATA PSD in said group of PSDs connected to the same SAS interconnect.

82. The method of claim 68, wherein said storage virtualization controller comprises:

a central processing circuitry for performing IO operations in response to said IO requests of said host entity;

at least one IO device interconnect controller coupled to said central processing circuitry;

at least one host-side IO device interconnect port provided in a said at least one IO device interconnect controller for coupling to said host entity; and

at least one SAS device-side IO device interconnect port provided in one of said at least one IO device interconnect controller for coupling to said group of physical storage devices(PSDs).

83. The method of claim 82, wherein said storage virtualization controller further comprises at least one multiple-device device-side expansion port for accommodating an additional set of at least one PSD.

84. The method of claim 82, wherein said storage virtualization controller further comprises at least one expansion port for accommodating an additional set of at least one PSD through an expanding circuit.

85. The method of claim 82, wherein said at least one host-side IO device interconnect port and said at least one SAS device-side IO device interconnect port are provided in a same IO device interconnect controller.

86. The method of claim 82, wherein said at least one host-side IO device interconnect port and said at least one SAS device-side IO device interconnect port are provided in different IO device interconnect controllers.

87. The method of claim 82, wherein at least one said host-side IO device interconnect port comprises at least one of the following port types:

Fibre Channel supporting point-to-point connectivity in target mode. Fibre Channel supporting private loop connectivity in target mode. Fibre Channel supporting public loop connectivity in target mode, parallel SCSI operating in target mode, ethernet supporting the iSCSI protocol operating in target mode SAS operating in target mode, Serial ATA operating in target mode, IEEE1394A/IEEE1394B, and USB/USB2.0.

88. The method of claim 82, wherein said external SVC issues a device-side IO request to said IO device interconnect controller, and said IO device interconnect controller re-formats said device-side IO request and accompanying IO data into at least one data packet for transmission to said group of PSDs through said device-side IO device interconnect port.