Storage device and system for providing communications buffer reservation function
First Claim
1. A storage device communicating with a host computer and another storage device through a network, said storage device comprising:
- an available buffer including a plurality of memory buffers;
an in-use buffer including a plurality of memory buffers already allocated as memory buffers dedicated for communications;
notification means for giving a notice of an available-buffer size to an external inquirer in response to an inquiry made by the external inquirer;
buffer securing means for taking memory buffers having a reserved-buffer size specified in addition to a buffer-reservation target in a request made by an external requester through the network as a request for a buffer reservation out of said available buffer and reserving said taken memory buffers as a reserved buffer for said buffer-reservation target in response to said request for a buffer reservation based on said reserved-buffer size specified in said request;
allocation means for allocating said memory buffers of said reserved buffer to said buffer-reservation target to make said allocated memory buffers a part of said in-use buffer in response to a request made by the external requester as a request to start an application; and
execution means for executing the application communicating by using said in-use buffer allocated by said allocation means.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A storage device (1) communicating with a host computer and other storage devices through a network is characterized in that the storage device (1) secures memory buffers for temporarily storing data in a remote copy operation carried out between the storage devices. A network memory (100) in the storage device (1) includes an available buffer comprising a plurality of memory buffers and an in-use buffer also comprising a plurality of memory buffers. A buffer control unit (215) secures memory buffers of the available buffer as a reserved buffer having a reserved-buffer size specified in a buffer reservation request made by a storage management device (8) in response to the request. The buffer control unit (215) then allocates the memory buffers of the reserved buffer as the in-use buffer in response to a request received from the storage management device (8) to start a remote copy operation.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A storage device communicating with a host computer and another storage device through a network, said storage device comprising:
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an available buffer including a plurality of memory buffers; an in-use buffer including a plurality of memory buffers already allocated as memory buffers dedicated for communications; notification means for giving a notice of an available-buffer size to an external inquirer in response to an inquiry made by the external inquirer; buffer securing means for taking memory buffers having a reserved-buffer size specified in addition to a buffer-reservation target in a request made by an external requester through the network as a request for a buffer reservation out of said available buffer and reserving said taken memory buffers as a reserved buffer for said buffer-reservation target in response to said request for a buffer reservation based on said reserved-buffer size specified in said request; allocation means for allocating said memory buffers of said reserved buffer to said buffer-reservation target to make said allocated memory buffers a part of said in-use buffer in response to a request made by the external requester as a request to start an application; and execution means for executing the application communicating by using said in-use buffer allocated by said allocation means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A storage device communicating with a host computer and another storage device through a network, said storage device comprising:
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an available buffer including a plurality of memory buffers; an in-use buffer including a plurality of memory buffers already allocated as memory buffers dedicated for communications; a network-interface-information acquisition unit for giving a notice of a size of said available buffer to an external inquirer in response to an inquiry made by an external inquirer; a buffer control unit for taking memory buffers having a reserved-buffer size specified in addition to a buffer-reservation target in a request made by an external requester through the network as a request for a buffer reservation out of said available buffer and reserving said taken memory buffers based on said reserved-buffer size specified in said request, and allocating said memory buffers to said buffer-reservation target for making said allocated memory buffers a part of said in-use buffer in response to a request made by the external requester as a request to start an application; and an application execution unit for executing an application communicating by using said in-use buffer allocated by said buffer control unit.
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14. A storage system comprising a storage device communicating with a host computer and another storage device through a network, and a storage management device communicating with said storage device through the network, wherein:
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said storage device comprises; an available buffer including a plurality of memory buffers; an in-use buffer including a plurality of memory buffers already allocated as memory buffers dedicated for communications; notification means for giving a notice of an available-buffer size to said storage management device in response to an inquiry made by said storage management device; buffer securing means for taking memory buffers having a reserved-buffer size specified in addition to a buffer-reservation target in a request made by said storage management device through the network as a request for a buffer reservation out of said available buffer and reserving said taken memory buffers as a reserved buffer for said buffer-reservation reservation target in response to said request for a buffer reservation based on said reserved-buffer size specified in said request; allocation means for allocating said memory buffers of said reserved buffer to said buffer-reservation target to make said allocated memory buffers a part of said in-use buffer in response to a request made by said storage management device as a request to start an application; and execution means for executing an application communicating by using said in-use buffer allocated by said allocation means; and said storage management device comprises; means for inquiring of said storage device a size of said available buffer; and means for transmitting the request to start said application to said storage device. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A storage system comprising a storage device communicating with a host computer and another storage device through a network, and a storage management device communicating with said storage device through the network, wherein:
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said storage device comprises; a CPU and a memory; an available buffer on the memory including a plurality of memory buffers; an in-use buffer on the memory including a plurality of memory buffers already allocated as memory buffers dedicated for communications; a network-interface-information acquisition unit for giving a notice of an available-buffer size to said storage management device in response to an inquiry made by said storage management device; a buffer control unit for taking memory buffers having a reserved-buffer size specified in addition to a buffer-reservation target in a request made by said storage management device through the network as a request for a buffer reservation out of said available buffer and reserving said taken memory buffers as a reserved buffer for said buffer-reservation target in response to said request for a buffer reservation based on said reserved-buffer size specified in said request; a network-protocol-processing unit for allocating said memory buffers of said reserved buffer to said buffer-reservation target to make said allocated memory buffers a part of said in-use buffer in response to a request made by said storage management device as a request to start a remote copy application; and a remote copy program stored on the memory and executed by the CPU for executing the remote copy application communicating by using said in-use buffer allocated by said network-protocol-processing unit; and said storage management device comprises; a CPU and a memory, said CPU executing programs stored on the memory, said programs inquiring of said storage device a size of said available buffer and transmitting the request to start said remote copy application to said storage device.
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Specification