Storage system including capability to move a virtual storage device group without moving data
First Claim
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1. A method of moving a virtual storage device group in a storage system from a previous location to a target location comprising:
- storing user data received from hosts on a group of disks in storage devices;
controlling and managing the user data on the group of disks with a first pair of controllers having ownership of the user data; and
migrating the ownership of the user data from the first pair of controllers to a second pair of controllers by moving control and data transfer functions related to the user data stored on the group of disks in the storage devices from the first pair of controllers to a second pair of controllers, wherein the ownership transfers from the first pair of controllers to the second pair of controllers by transferring management information about the user data from the first pair of controllers to the second pair of controllers rather than transferring the user data from the group of disks.
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Abstract
A storage system comprises a plurality of storage arrays, a plurality of controllers selectively coupled to ones of the storage arrays, a network fabric coupling the plurality of controllers, and a processor. The processor is capable of moving control and/or data transfer functions related to a group of elements in the plurality of storage arrays between controllers or storage arrays by transferred management information rather than data.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method of moving a virtual storage device group in a storage system from a previous location to a target location comprising:
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storing user data received from hosts on a group of disks in storage devices; controlling and managing the user data on the group of disks with a first pair of controllers having ownership of the user data; and migrating the ownership of the user data from the first pair of controllers to a second pair of controllers by moving control and data transfer functions related to the user data stored on the group of disks in the storage devices from the first pair of controllers to a second pair of controllers, wherein the ownership transfers from the first pair of controllers to the second pair of controllers by transferring management information about the user data from the first pair of controllers to the second pair of controllers rather than transferring the user data from the group of disks. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A storage system comprising:
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a plurality of storage arrays; a plurality of controllers including a first pair of controllers that manage control and data transfer functions of user data stored in a first group of the storage arrays and including a second pair of controllers that manage control and data transfer functions of user data stored in a second group of the storage arrays; and a processor moving management of the control and the data transfer functions of the user data stored in the first group of the storage arrays from the first pair of controllers to the second pair of controllers by transferring management information to the second pair of controllers rather than moving the user data from the first group of the storage arrays to the second group of the storage arrays, wherein the management information relates to the control and the data transfer functions of the user data stored in the first group of the storage arrays. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A recordable computer readable medium having instructions for causing a computer in a storage system to execute a method, comprising:
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receiving user data from a host; storing the user data in storage arrays that are controlled by a first pair of controllers but not a second pair of controllers; and migrating ownership of the user data from the first pair of controllers to the second pair of controllers by moving control of the user data from the first pair of controllers to the second pair of controllers without moving the user data from the storage arrays controlled by the first pair of controllers, wherein the control of the user data is moved to the second pair of controllers by transferring management information about the user data from the first pair of controllers to the second pair of controllers rather than by transferring the user data between the first and second pairs of controllers, and the management information relates to control and data transfer functions of the user data.
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21. A recordable computer readable medium having instructions for causing a computer to execute a method, comprising:
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receiving user data from a host; storing first portions of the user data in storage arrays that are controlled by a first pair of controllers; storing seconds portions of the user data in storage arrays that are controlled by a second pair of controllers; moving control of the first portions of the user data from the first pair of controllers to the second pair of controllers without moving the first portions of the user data from the storage arrays that are controlled by the first pair of controllers, wherein the control of the first portions of the user data is moved to the second pair of controllers by transferring management information from the first pair of controllers to the second pair of controllers rather than transferring the user data from the storage arrays controlled by the first pair of controllers, and the management information relates to control and data transfer functions of the user data.
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Specification