System for determining the mapping of logical objects in a data storage system

• US 6,938,059 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2003
• Issued: 08/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Tamer, Philip E., Hoffman, Jane E.
• Primary Examiner(s): MOFIZ, APU M
• Application Number:
  US10/368,720
• Publication Number:
  US 20030130986A1
• Time in Patent Office: 923 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/3, 707/100, 707/102, 707/200, 707/203, 707/205, 345/853, 709/225, 709/227, 711/4, 711/100, 711/114, 711/162, 711/165, 711/167, 711/203, 725/61
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4493 Object persistence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/955 Object-oriented
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99956 File allocation

Abstract

A method and apparatus for manipulating data in a storage device that is coupled to a host computer. Manipulations that can be performed by the storage device include moving non-contiguous blocks of data between the host computer and the storage device in a single operation. Other manipulations can be performed directly by the storage device without passing data to or from the host computer and include copying data from one logical object that is defined on the host computer to another, initializing, backing-up, transforming, or securely deleting a logical object that is defined by the host computer with a single command. In one embodiment, an application programming interface is provided that allows a relationship between logical objects on a host computer and storage locations on a storage device to be communicated between the host computer and the storage device. By providing the storage device with knowledge of the relationship between a logical object and the storage locations corresponding to that logical object, data corresponding to the logical object can be manipulated directly by the storage device, rather than by the host computer. In another embodiment, a graphical visualization routine is provided that displays the global mapping of a logical object to a set of physical blocks on the storage device for each layer of mapping below the logical object.

Claims

1. In a computer system having a host computer, a storage system that includes at least one disk storage device, and at least one mapping layer that maps logical objects on the host computer to physical storage locations on the at least one disk storage device, a method comprising a step of:

providing to an application program that executes on the host computer information pertaining to a manner in which a logical object is mapped through the at least one mapping layer to one or more of the physical storage locations on the at least one disk storage device, the information describing the one or more physical storage locations to which the logical object is mapped by the at least one mapping layer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one mapping layer comprises a file system, and wherein the step of providing to an application program comprises providing the information to an application program that is distinct from the at least one mapping layer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of providing to an application program comprises providing the information to an application program adapted to operate on one or more logical objects stored on the at least one disk storage device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of providing to an application program comprises providing to the application program information pertaining to a manner in which a unit of information that is less than a single logical volume is mapped through the at least one mapping layer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one mapping layer comprises first and second mapping layers, and wherein the step of providing to an application program comprises providing to the application program information pertaining to a manner in which a logical object is mapped through the first and second mapping layer.

6. A computer readable medium encoded with a program for execution on a host computer that is coupled to a storage system including at least one disk storage device, the host computer including as least one mapping layer that maps logical objects on the host computer to physical storage locations on the at least one disk storage device, the program, when executed on the host computer, performing a method comprising a step of:

providing an application program that executes on the host computer with information pertaining to a manner in which a logical object is mapped through the at least one mapping layer to one or more of the physical storage locations on the at least one disk storage device, the information describing the one or more physical storage locations to which the logical object is mapped by the at least one mapping layer.

7. The computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the at least one mapping layer comprises a file system, and wherein the step of providing comprises providing an application program that is distinct from the at least one mapping layer with the information.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the step of providing comprises providing an application program adapted to operate on one or more logical objects stored on the at least one disk storage device with the information.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the step of providing comprises providing the application program with information pertaining to a manner in which a unit of information that is less than a single logical volume is mapped through the at least one mapping layer.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the at least one mapping layer comprises first and second mapping layers, and wherein the step of providing comprises providing the application program with information pertaining to a manner in which the logical object is mapped through the first and second mapping layers.

11. A computer system comprising:

a host computer,

a storage system that is coupled to the host computer and includes at least one disk storage device;

at least one mapping layer that is mounted on at least one of the host computer and the storage system that maps logical objects on the host computer to physical storage locations on the at least one disk storage device; and

means for providing to an application program that executes on the host computer information pertaining to a manner in which a logical object on the host computer is mapped through the at least one mapping layer to one or more of the physical storage locations on the at least one disk storage device, the information describing the one or more physical storage locations to which the logical object is mapped by the at least one mapping layer.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the at least one mapping layer comprises a file system, and wherein the means for providing comprises means for providing the information to an application program that is distinct from the at least one mapping layer.

13. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the means for providing comprises means for providing the information to an application program adapted to operate on one or more logical objects stored on the at least one disk storage device.

14. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the means for providing comprises means for providing information pertaining to a manner in which a unit of information that is less than a single logical volume on the host computer is mapped through the at least one mapping layer to the application program.

15. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the at least one mapping layer comprises first and second mapping layers, and wherein the means for providing comprises means for providing information pertaining to a manner in which the logical object is mapped through the first and second mapping layers to the application program.