Pooling and provisioning storage resources in a storage network

• US 6,976,134 B1
• Filed: 01/18/2002
• Issued: 12/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Lolayekar, Santosh C., Maranon, Renato E., Cheng, Yu-Ping, Saxena, Sanjay
• Primary Examiner(s): PORTKA, GARY J
• Application Number:
  US10/050,974
• Time in Patent Office: 1,425 Days
• Field of Search: 709/214, 709/215, 710/8, 710/10, 710/15, 710/16, 710/17, 710/36, 710/316, 711/114, 711/148, 711/170, 711/171, 711/172
• US Class Current: 711/148
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0613 in relation to throughput
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0631 by allocating resources to storage systems
• 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 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/101 based on network conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1014 based on the content of a request
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1034 Reaction to server failures by a load balancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/61 taking into account QoS or priority requirements

Abstract

A system in accordance with an embodiment of the invention provides Quality of Service (QoS) for Storage Access. Such QoS is partially enabled in one embodiment by the automatic pooling of storage devices and provisioning virtual targets from those pools. QoS is enforced in one embodiment by keeping the bandwidth for each connection within a specified range, and particularly, by controlling the number of allowed concurrent requests from an initiator. Load balancing is also provided in one embodiment, improving response times for requests, further easing the ability to provide QoS.

Claims

1. A method for use in a storage area network, the method comprising:

provisioning, by a first storage switch, a first virtual target using storage resources in communication with the first storage switch;

provisioning, by a second switch, a second virtual target using storage resources in communication with the second switch;

associating the first virtual target with a user domain accessible by an initiator in communication with the first switch;

associating the second virtual target with the user domain so that the second virtual target is also accessible by the initiator, including provisioning an initiator connection from the first switch to the second switch.

2. A storage area network, comprising:

a first storage switch, having one or more physical devices in communication with it and one or more initiators in communication with it, wherein each physical device includes one or more logical units (LUs);

a second switch, having one or more physical devices in communication with it and one or more initiators in communication with it, wherein each physical device includes one or more LUs;

the first switch including a description of a first virtual target, the first virtual target formed using the LUs of one or more physical devices in communication with the first switch;

the second switch including a description of a second virtual target, the second virtual target formed using the LUs of one or more physical devices in communication with the second switch;

the first switch including a description of a user domain, wherein the user domain includes both the first virtual target and the second virtual target;

the second switch including a description of an initiator connection from the first switch to the second switch.