Network data storage-related operations

• US 7,007,142 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2002
• Issued: 02/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Smith, Hubbert
• Primary Examiner(s): PORTKA, GARY J
• Application Number:
  US10/080,063
• Publication Number:
  US 20030158998A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,470 Days
• Field of Search: 711/112, 711/162, 711/144, 711/167, 711/114, 710/5, 710/29, 710/62, 710/74, 714/10, 714/6, 709/214
• US Class Current: 711/162
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2003/0697 device management, e.g. handlers, drivers, I/O schedulers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0601 Interfaces specially adapted for storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/061 Improving I/O performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0614 Improving the reliability of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/065 Replication mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD

Abstract

A network in which one embodiment of the present invention may be practiced may include first and second network nodes coupled together via a network communications link, and first and second sets of mass storage devices associated with the first and second network nodes, respectively. The first and second network nodes may comprise first and second input/output (I/O) processors, respectively. The first I/O processor may cause, in response to a first request, both the execution of a first data storage-related operation associated with the first set of mass storage devices and the issuance of a second request from the first network node to the second network node via the link to cause the second I/O processor to perform, in response to the second request, a second data storage-related operation associated with the second set of mass storage devices.

Claims

1. A first adapter to use in a first server in a network, the first adapter comprising:

circuitry to cause, in response to a first request received by the first adapter, execution of a first data storage-related operation associated with a first set of mass storage devices and to issue, also in response to the first request, a second request from the first adapter to a second adapter in a second server in the network to cause the second adapter to perform, in response to the second request, a second data storage-related operation associated with a second set of mass storage device;

additional circuitry to issue, in response to a first message from the second adapter, a second message to a process in the first server, the first message indicating that the second data storage-related operation has been completed, the second message indicating that a respective data storage-related operation requested by the first request has been completed,

wherein the second request and the first message each include a respective message identification field, and respective message identification fields in the second request and the first message contain identical message identification values.

2. The first adapter of claim 1, wherein the circuitry and the second adapter each comprise a respective I/O processor.

3. The first adapter of claim 1, wherein:

the first adapter comprises a first host bus adapter coupled to the first set of mass storage devices;

the second adapter comprises a second host bus adapter coupled to the second set of mass storage devices; and

the first adapter and the second adapter are coupled together via a network communication link.

4. A first adapter to use in a first server, the first adapter comprising:

circuitry to perform, in response to a request, a data storage-related operation associated wit a first set of mass storage devices, the request being issued from a second adapter in a second server in response to another request received by the second adapter to cause the second adapter to perform, in response to the another request, another data storage-related operation associate with a second set of mass storage devices;

additional circuitry to issue a first message to the second adapter to indicate that the data storage-related operation associated with the first set of mass storage devices has been completed, and the second adapter is configured to issue, in response to the first message, a second message to a process in the second server;

wherein the second request and the first message each include a respective message identification field, and respective message identification fields in the second request and the first message contain identical message identification values.

5. The first adapter of claim 4, wherein:

the first adapter comprises a first host bus adapter coupled to the first set of mass storage devices;

the second adapter comprises a second host bus adapter coupled to the second set of mass storage devices; and

the first adapter and the second adapter are coupled together via a network communication link.

6. A method of using a first adapter in a first server in a network, the method comprising:

using the first adapter to perform, in response to a first request, a first data storage-related operation associated with a first set of storage devices;

issuing from the first adapter, also in response to the first request, a second request to a second adapter in a second server in the network to cause the second I/O adapter to perform, in response to the second request, a second data storage-related operation associated with a second set of mass storage devices;

issuing from the first adapter, in response to a first message from the second adapter, a second message to a process in the first server, the first message indicating that the second data storage-related operation has been completed, the second message indicating that a respective data storage-related operation requested by the first request has been completed;

wherein the second request and the first message each include a respective message identification field, and respective message identification fields in the second request and the first message contain identical message identification values.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first adapter and the second adapter each comprise a respective I/O processor.

8. Computer program instructions residing in a computer-readable memory, the computer program instructions comprising a set of instructions that when executed by a first processor of a first adapter in a first server cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

executing in response to a first request, a first data storage-related operation associated with a first set of mass storage devices;

generating of, also in response to the first request, a second request that may be issued from the first adapter to a second processor in second adapter to cause the second processor to perform, in response to the second request, a second data storage-related operation associated with a second set of mass storage devices;

issuing from the first adapter, in response to a first message from the second adapter, a second message to a process in the first server, the first message indicating that the second data storage-related operation has been completed, the second message indicating that a respective data storage-related operation requested by the first request has been completed;

wherein the second request and the first message each include a respective message identification field, and respective message identification fields in the second request and the first message contain identical message identification values.

9. The computer program instructions of claim 8, wherein:

the second data storage-related operation comprises one or more of the following operations;

designation of a first data volume in the second server in which data stored in a second data volume in the first server is to be replicated;

expansion of a size of the volume; and

replication in the first data volume of the data.

10. The computer program instructions of claim 8, wherein:

the second data storage-related operation comprises one or more of the following operations;

termination of a previously-established association between a first data volume in the second server and a second data volume in the first server, the association designating that data stored in the second data volume is to be replicated in the first data volume; and

re-establishment of the previously-established association after the previously established association has been terminated.