Immediately available, statically allocated, full-logical-unit copy with a transient, snapshot-copy-like intermediate stage
First Claim
1. A method for copying a logical-data-storage entity within a mass storage device, the method comprising:
- providing a primary logical-data-storage entity having data-storage units;
pre-allocating a copy logical-data-storage entity having data-storage units;
initializing the copy logical-data-storage entity to contain, in each data-storage unit, an indirection indication to a corresponding data-storage unit within the primary logical-data-storage entity; and
copying data from the primary logical-data-storage entity to the copy logical-data-storage entity, overwriting the indirection indications while, at the same time, allowing READ and WRITE access to the primary logical-data-storage entity and READ access to the copy logical-data-storage entity.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A hybrid LUN copy operation that ultimately produces a full LUN copy, but involves a transient snapshot-copy-like intermediate stage. In one embodiment, a statically pre-allocated copy LUN is initialized with references pointing back to the primary LUN. Over time, the sectors, blocks, or other data-storage units of the primary LUN are copied to the copy LUN, so that, in the end, a full copy LUN in completed. In a second, alternative embodiment, both the primary LUN and copy LUN are READ and WRITE accessible immediately following the nearly instantaneous initialization of the copy LUN. In both embodiments, the copy LUN may be statically allocated. The immediate-full-LUN-copy operations provided by the present invention further enable rotatable copy-LUN groups, each copy LUN within a copy-LUN group representing a full, robust copy LUN.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A method for copying a logical-data-storage entity within a mass storage device, the method comprising:
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providing a primary logical-data-storage entity having data-storage units;
pre-allocating a copy logical-data-storage entity having data-storage units;
initializing the copy logical-data-storage entity to contain, in each data-storage unit, an indirection indication to a corresponding data-storage unit within the primary logical-data-storage entity; and
copying data from the primary logical-data-storage entity to the copy logical-data-storage entity, overwriting the indirection indications while, at the same time, allowing READ and WRITE access to the primary logical-data-storage entity and READ access to the copy logical-data-storage entity. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A virtual logical-data-storage entity within a mass storage device comprising:
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a primary logical-data-storage entity containing a number of data-storage units; and
a copy logical-data-storage entity containing a number of data-storage units equal to, or greater than, the number of data-storage units in the primary logical-data-storage entity, each of which initially contain an indirection indication to a corresponding data-storage unit in the primary logical-data-storage entity. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for copying a storage entity within a mass storage device, the method comprising:
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providing a primary storage entity having data-storage units;
pre-allocating a copy storage entity having data-storage units;
initializing the copy storage entity to store, associated with each data-storage unit, an indirection indication to a corresponding data-storage unit within the primary storage entity;
when a READ access directed to the copy storage entity is received and a data storage unit to which the READ access is directed references an indirection indication, reading a corresponding data storage unit on the primary storage entity; and
when a READ access directed to the copy storage entity is received and a data storage unit to which the READ access is directed does not reference an indirection indication, reading the data storage unit on the copy storage entity. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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14. A method for copying a storage entity within a mass storage device, the method comprising:
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providing a primary storage entity having data-storage units;
pre-allocating a copy storage entity having data-storage units;
initializing the copy storage entity to store, associated with each data-storage unit, an indirection indication to a corresponding data-storage unit within the primary storage entity; and
satisfying a READ access directed to the copy storage entity from the primary storage entity if the data-storage unit to which the READ access is directed is associated with an indirection indication to the primary storage entity. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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Specification