Network storage appliance with integrated server and redundant storage controllers

• US 8,185,777 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2009
• Issued: 05/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dot Hill Systems Corporation (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Dot Hill Systems Corporation (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Davies, Ian Robert, Pecone, Victor Key, Kalwitz, George Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilson, Yolanda L
• Application Number:
  US12/607,507
• Publication Number:
  US 20100064169A1
• Time in Patent Office: 937 Days
• Field of Search: 714/4.11, 714/4.12, 714/6.21
• US Class Current: 714/4.11
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1456 Hardware arrangements for backup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2005 using redundant communication controllers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2007 using redundant communication media
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/201 between storage system components
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2028 eliminating a faulty processor or activating a spare
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2035 without idle spare hardware
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2046 where the redundant components share persistent storage G06F11/2043 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2051 in regular structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2092 Techniques of failing over between control units
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0601 Interfaces specially adapted for storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0673 Single storage device

Abstract

A network storage appliance is disclosed. The appliance includes a chassis enclosing a backplane, and a server enclosed in the chassis and coupled to the backplane. The appliance also includes storage controllers enclosed in the chassis, each coupled to the backplane, which control transfer of data between the server and storage devices coupled to the storage controllers. The storage controllers also control transfer of data between the storage devices and computers networked to the appliance and external to the appliance. The storage controllers and the server comprise a plurality of hot-replaceable blades. Any one of the plurality of blades may be replaced during operation of the appliance without loss of access to the storage devices by the computers. In one embodiment, the server executes storage application software, such as backup software for backing up data on the storage devices, such as to a tape device networked to the server.

Claims

1. A method for performing a data replication operation, comprising:

receiving, by a server enclosed in a network storage appliance chassis, a command to backup data stored on a storage device controlled by a pair of hot-pluggable redundant active-active failover storage controllers also enclosed in the chassis, the network storage appliance chassis comprising a first, a second, and a third hot-pluggable blade, each of the first and second hot-pluggable blades comprising one of the pair of storage controllers, the third hot-pluggable blade comprising the server and first and second I/O interface controllers, each of the first and second I/O interface controllers comprising a local bus interface to one of the first and second hot-pluggable blades and an I/O link interface configured to receive I/O requests from the server;

in response to receiving the command to backup data, generating a plurality of requests, by the server, to the storage controllers to read the data from the storage device, wherein the local bus interface of each of the first and second I/O interface controllers are configured to forward the I/O requests from the I/O link interface to the storage controllers of the first and second blades on the local buses; and

generating a plurality of requests, by the server, to write the data received from the storage controllers to a backup device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by one of the storage controllers, the other of the storage controllers has failed during said generating a plurality of requests to read the data; and

taking over, by the non-failed storage controller, an identity of the failed storage controller, in response to said determining, wherein the non-failed storage controller provides the data requested by the server in place of the failed storage controller.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said determining comprises:

monitoring a heartbeat of each of the storage controllers by the other storage controller; and

detecting, by the non-failed storage controller, the heartbeat of the failed storage controller stopped.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said generating the plurality of requests to read the data from the storage device comprises generating SCSI requests to read logical blocks of data on the storage device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said generating the plurality of requests to write the data to the backup device comprises the server generating the plurality of requests to write the data directly to a tape device networked to the network storage appliance.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said generating the plurality of requests to write the data to the backup device comprises the server generating the plurality of requests to write the data to a remote server networked to the network storage appliance.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said server generating the plurality of requests to a remote server networked to the network storage appliance comprises said server generating a plurality of internet protocol (IP) requests to write the data to the remote server.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said server generating the plurality of requests to a remote server networked to the network storage appliance comprises said server generating a plurality of FibreChannel requests to write the data to the remote server.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said generating the plurality of requests to write the data to a backup device comprises the server generating the plurality of requests to the storage controllers to write the data to a second storage device controlled by the storage controllers.

10. A system for performing a data replication operation, comprising:

a server, enclosed in a network storage appliance chassis, wherein the server receives a command to backup data stored on a storage device, the network storage appliance chassis comprising a first, a second, and a third hot-pluggable blade, the third hot-pluggable blade comprising the server and first and second I/O interface controllers, each of the first and second I/O interface controllers comprising a local bus interface to one of the first and second hot-pluggable blades and an I/O link interface, the I/O link interface configured to receive I/O requests from the server; and

a pair of hot-pluggable redundant active-active failover storage controllers, the first and second hot-pluggable blades each comprising one of the pair of storage controllers, wherein the storage controllers control the storage device, wherein the local bus interface of each of the first and second I/O interface controllers are configured to forward the I/O requests to the storage controllers of the first and second blades on the local buses;

wherein in response to receiving the command to backup data, the server generates a plurality of requests to the storage controllers to read the data from the storage device and the server generates a plurality of requests to write the data received from the storage controllers to a backup device.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein one of the storage controllers determines the other of the storage controllers has failed during said generating a plurality of requests to read the data, and in response to one of the storage controllers determines the other of the storage controllers has failed, the non-failed storage controller takes over an identity of the failed storage controller, wherein the non-failed storage controller provides the data requested by the server in place of the failed storage controller.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein one of the storage controllers determines the other of the storage controllers has failed during said generating a plurality of requests to read the data comprises each of the storage controllers monitors a heartbeat of the other storage controller and the non-failed storage controller detects the heartbeat of the failed storage controller stopped.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the server generates a plurality of requests to the storage controllers to read the data from the storage device comprises the server generates SCSI requests to read logical blocks of data on the storage device.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the server generates a plurality of requests to write the data received from the storage controllers to a backup device comprises the server generates the plurality of requests to write the data directly to a tape device networked to the network storage appliance.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the server generates a plurality of requests to write the data received from the storage controllers to a backup device comprises the server generating the plurality of requests to write the data to a remote server networked to the network storage appliance.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the server generates the plurality of requests to a remote server networked to the network storage appliance comprises the server generating a plurality of internet protocol (IP) requests to write the data to the remote server.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the server generates the plurality of requests to a remote server networked to the network storage appliance comprises the server generates a plurality of FibreChannel requests to write the data to the remote server.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the server generates a plurality of requests to write the data received from the storage controllers to a backup device comprises the server generates the plurality of requests to the storage controllers to write the data to a second storage device controlled by the storage controllers.