Storage router and method for providing virtual local storage

• US 7,987,311 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2010
• Issued: 07/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Crossroads Systems (Texas) Incorporated (Crossroads Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Crossroads Systems (Texas) Incorporated (Crossroads Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hoese, Geoffrey B., Russell, Jeffry T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shin, Christopher B
• Application Number:
  US12/910,515
• Publication Number:
  US 20110035528A1
• Time in Patent Office: 277 Days
• Field of Search: 710 1- 5, 710 8- 13, 710 36- 38, 710126-131, 710/250, 710/305, 709/258, 714/42, 711110-113
• US Class Current: 710/305
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/1668 Details of memory controller
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/385 for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4022 using switching circuits, e.g. switching matrix, connection or expansion network G06F13/4009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4059 where the synchronisation uses buffers, e.g. for speed matching between buses
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0601 Interfaces specially adapted for storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0607 by facilitating the process of upgrading existing storage systems, e.g. for improving compatibility between host and storage device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0661 Format or protocol conversion arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0664 at device level, e.g. emulation of a storage device or system
• 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 3/0673 Single storage device
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/631 Small computer system interface [SCSI] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/645 Fibre channel identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/106 across networks, e.g. mapping telephone numbers to data network addresses
• 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 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching

Abstract

A storage router and method for providing virtual local storage on remote storage devices to devices are provided. Devices are connected to a first transport medium, and a plurality of storage devices are connected to a second transport medium. In one embodiment, the storage router maintains a map to allocate storage space on the remote storage devices to devices connected to the first transport medium by associating representations of the devices connected to the first transport medium with representations of storage space on the remote storage devices, wherein each representation of a device connected to the first transport medium is associated with one or more representations of storage space on the remote storage devices and controls access from the devices connected to the first transport medium to the storage space on the remote storage devices in accordance with the map and using native low level block protocol.

Claims

1. A storage router for providing virtual local storage on remote storage devices, comprising:

a first controller operable to connect to a first transport medium, wherein the first medium is a serial transport medium;

a second controller operable to connect to a second transport medium; and

a processing device coupled to the first controller, wherein the processing device is configured to;

maintain a map to allocate storage space on the remote storage devices to devices connected to the first transport medium by associating representations of the devices connected to the first transport medium with representations of storage space on the remote storage devices, wherein each representation of a device connected to the first transport medium is associated with one or more representations of storage space on the remote storage devices;

control access from the devices connected to the first transport medium to the storage space on the remote storage devices in accordance with the map and using native low level block protocol, further comprising;

for a device connected to the first transport medium, identifying LUNs for storage space allocated to that device in the map;

presenting to that device only the identified LUNs as available storage space; and

processing native low level block requests directed to the identified LUNs from that device to allow access to the storage space associated with the identified LUNs.

2. The storage router of claim 1, wherein the storage router is further operable to, present the identified LUNs in response to a native low level block protocol discovery request.

3. The storage router of claim 2, wherein the storage router identifies the LUNs in response to the discovery request.

4. The storage router of claim 1, wherein the map resides at the storage router and is maintained at the storage router.

5. The storage router of claim 1, wherein the storage router is configured to receive requests according to a first low level block protocol from the device connected to the first transport medium and forward commands according to a second low level block protocol to the remote storage devices.

6. The storage router of claim 1, wherein the map comprises one or more tables.

7. The storage router of claim 1, wherein the virtual local storage is provided to the devices connected to the first transport medium in a manner that is transparent to the devices and wherein the storage space allocated to the devices connected to the first transport medium appears to the devices as local storage.

8. The storage router of claim 1, wherein the storage router provides centralized control of what the devices connected to the first transport medium see as local storage.

9. The storage router of claim 1, wherein the storage router is operable to route requests to the same LUN from different devices connected to the first transport medium to different subsets of storage space on the remote storage devices.

10. The storage router of claim 1, wherein the representations of devices connected to the first transport medium are unique identifiers.

11. The storage router of claim 10, wherein the unique identifiers are world wide names.

12. The storage router of claim 1, wherein the storage router is configured to allow modification of the map in a manner transparent to and without involvement of the devices connected to the first transport medium.

13. The storage router of claim 1, wherein the processing device is a microprocessor.

14. The storage router of claim 1, wherein the processing device is a microprocessor and associated logic to implement a stand-alone processing system.

15. The storage router of claim 1, wherein the storage router is operable to communicate with devices connected to the first transport medium via Ethernet.

16. A method for providing virtual local storage on remote storage devices comprising:

connecting a storage router between a set of devices connected to a first transport medium and a set of remote storage devices, wherein the first transport medium is a serial transport medium;

maintaining a map at the storage router to allocate storage space on the remote storage devices to devices connected to the first transport medium by associating representations of the devices connected to the first transport medium with representations of storage space on the remote storage devices, wherein each representation of a device connected to the first transport medium is associated with one or more representations of storage space on the remote storage devices;

controlling access from the devices connected to the first transport medium to the storage space on the remote storage devices in accordance with the map by;

for a device connected to the first transport medium, identifying LUNs for storage space allocated to that device in the map;

presenting to that device only the identified LUNs as available storage space; and

processing native low level block requests directed to the identified LUNs from that device to allow access to the storage space associated with the identified LUNs.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising presenting the identified LUNs in response to a native low level block protocol discovery request.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising identifying the LUNs in response to the discovery request.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the map associates a representation of a device connected to the first transport medium with a representation of an entire storage space of at least one remote storage device.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the map resides at the storage router and is maintained at the storage router.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising receiving commands at the storage router according to a first low level block protocol from the device connected to the first transport medium and forwarding commands according to a second low level block protocol to the remote storage devices.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the map comprises one or more tables.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein the virtual local storage is provided to the devices connected to the first transport medium in a manner that is transparent to the devices and wherein the storage space allocated to the devices connected to the first transport medium appears to the devices as local storage.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein the storage router provides centralized control of what the devices connected to the first transport medium see as local storage.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein the storage router is operable to route requests to the same LUN from different devices connected to the first transport medium to different subsets of storage space on the remote storage devices.

26. The method of claim 16, wherein the representations of devices connected to the first transport medium are unique identifiers.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the unique identifiers are world wide names.

28. The method of claim 16, wherein the storage router is configured to allow modification of the map in a manner transparent to and without involvement of the devices connected to the first transport medium.