Managing access to spare data storage devices
First Claim
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1. A dynamic storage system, comprising:
- a first storage server adapted to transmit a request in response to a first data storage device becoming inaccessible;
a spare storage pool containing a spare data storage device; and
a second storage server, configured as a sparing server, adapted to establish and maintain a plurality of communication channels over a plurality of network connections between the spare data storage device and the first storage server in response to said request, the plurality of communication channels providing redundancy in the event of a failure of an individual communication channel.
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Abstract
A dynamic storage system allows storage servers to access spare data storage devices should an associated data storage device fail or become inaccessible. A sparing server receives requests for spare data storage devices from storage servers and allocates spare data storage devices, establishing and maintaining a communication channel between the storage server and the spare data storage device. Once the associated data storage device is returned to service, the spare data storage device is released by the storage server and returned to a spare storage pool by the sparing server.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A dynamic storage system, comprising:
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a first storage server adapted to transmit a request in response to a first data storage device becoming inaccessible; a spare storage pool containing a spare data storage device; and a second storage server, configured as a sparing server, adapted to establish and maintain a plurality of communication channels over a plurality of network connections between the spare data storage device and the first storage server in response to said request, the plurality of communication channels providing redundancy in the event of a failure of an individual communication channel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of accessing a spare data storage device, comprising the steps of:
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configuring a first storage server as a sparing server; requesting the sparing server to provide a spare data storage device in response to a first data storage device becoming inaccessible; allocating the spare data storage device to a second storage server by the sparing server; notifying the second storage server of the allocated spare data storage device; and establishing a plurality of communications channels, between the spare data storage device and the second storage server, by the sparing server, wherein the plurality of communication channels provide redundancy in the event of a failure of an individual communication channel. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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13. An article of manufacture including a data storage medium, said data storage medium including a set of machine-readable instructions that are executable by a processing device to implement an algorithm, said algorithm comprising the steps of:
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configuring a first storage server as a sparing server; requesting the sparing server to provide a spare data storage device in response to a first data storage device becoming inaccessible; allocating the spare data storage device to a second storage server by the sparing server; notifying the second storage server of the allocated spare data storage device; and establishing a plurality of communications channels, between the spare data storage device and the second storage server, by the sparing server, wherein the plurality of communication channels provide redundancy in the event of a failure of an individual communication channel. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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Specification