Apparatus and methods for controlling a data tapping session in a storage area network
First Claim
1. A method of modifying a data tapping process in a storage area network (SAN), the method comprising:
- at a network device of the SAN, providing a data tapping mechanism for an appliance to receive SAN data that is being sent from a host to a storage device, wherein the appliance and the storage device are both physical devices and providing the data tapping mechanism includes creating a control virtual target (CVT) for receiving requests from the appliance to modify the tapping mechanism for the appliance, a data virtual target (DVT) for intercepting data sent from the host to the storage device, one or more virtual initiators (VIs) for mirroring the intercepted data to both the storage device and the appliance, wherein the DVT has an identifier for use by the host for writing and reading data with respect to the DVT, which such data are then handled by the one or more VIs so as to write and read such data with respect to the storage device or appliance or both;
the network device receiving a request at the CVT to modify operation of the data tapping mechanism; and
the network device modifying the data tapping mechanism based on the request.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed is a session modification mechanism for altering a data tapping process in a storage area network (SAN). In general, a data tapping mechanism is set up so that an appliance receives SAN data that is tapped from a particular SAN session. That is, the data tapping mechanism provides to a particular appliance a copy of the SAN data that is being written from a particular host to a particular storage device. The session modification mechanism allows the appliance to alter various aspects of the SAN session that is to be (or is being) tapped. Examples of various modification features includes (i) redirecting READ commands initiated by the host to the appliance and not sending such command to the storage device, (ii) redirecting both READ and WRITE commands initiated by the host to the appliance and not sending such commands to the storage device, (iii) halting redirection and thereby causing READ commands initiated by the host to be sent to the storage device and WRITE commands initiated by the host to be mirrored to both the storage device and appliance, (iv) quiescing and unquiescing all data I/O'"'"'s for the particular storage device and appliance, and (v) stopping and starting the data tapping mechanism.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of modifying a data tapping process in a storage area network (SAN), the method comprising:
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at a network device of the SAN, providing a data tapping mechanism for an appliance to receive SAN data that is being sent from a host to a storage device, wherein the appliance and the storage device are both physical devices and providing the data tapping mechanism includes creating a control virtual target (CVT) for receiving requests from the appliance to modify the tapping mechanism for the appliance, a data virtual target (DVT) for intercepting data sent from the host to the storage device, one or more virtual initiators (VIs) for mirroring the intercepted data to both the storage device and the appliance, wherein the DVT has an identifier for use by the host for writing and reading data with respect to the DVT, which such data are then handled by the one or more VIs so as to write and read such data with respect to the storage device or appliance or both; the network device receiving a request at the CVT to modify operation of the data tapping mechanism; and the network device modifying the data tapping mechanism based on the request. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An apparatus for modifying a data tapping process in a storage area network (SAN), comprising:
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one or more processors; one or more memory, wherein at least one of the processors and memory are adapted for; providing a data tapping mechanism for an appliance to receive SAN data that is being sent from a host to a storage device, wherein the appliance and the storage device are both physical devices and providing the data tapping mechanism includes creating a control virtual target (CVT) for receiving requests from the appliance to modify the tapping mechanism for the appliance, a data virtual target (DVT) for intercepting data sent from the host to the storage device, one or more virtual initiators (VIs) for mirroring the intercepted data to both the storage device and the appliance, wherein the DVT has an identifier for use by the host for writing and reading data with respect to the DVT, which such data are then handled by the one or more VIs so as to write and read such data with respect to the storage device or appliance or both; receiving a request at the CVT to modify operation of the data tapping mechanism; and modifying the data tapping mechanism based on the request. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An apparatus for modifying a data tapping process in a storage area network (SAN), comprising:
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means for providing a data tapping mechanism for an appliance to receive SAN data that is being sent from a host to a storage device, wherein the appliance and the storage device are both physical devices and the data tapping mechanism is provided by creating a control virtual target (CVT) for receiving requests from the appliance to modify the tapping mechanismfor the appliance, a data virtual target (DVT) for intercepting data sent from the host to the storage device, one or more virtual initiators (VIs) for mirroring the intercepted data to both the storage device and the appliance, wherein the DVT has an identifier for use by the host for writing and reading data with respect to the DVT, which such data are then handled by the one or more VIs so as to write and read such data with respect to the storage device or appliance or both; means for receiving a request at the CVT to modify operation of the data tapping mechanism; and means for modifying the data tapping mechanism based on the request.
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20. A system for modifying a data tapping process in a storage area network (SAN), comprising:
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a host; a storage device for storing data; an appliance for tapping data in the SAN; a network device in the SAN operable to; provide a data tapping mechanism for an appliance to receive SAN data that is being sent from a host to a storage device, wherein the appliance and the storage device are both physical devices and the data tapping mechanism is provided by creating a control virtual target (CVT) for receiving requests from the appliance to modify the tapping mechanism for the appliance, a data virtual target (DVT) for intercepting data sent from the host to the storage device, one or more virtual initiators (VIs) for mirroring the intercepted data to both the storage device and the appliance, wherein the DVT has an identifier for use by the host for writing and reading data with respect to the DVT, which such data are then handled by the one or more VIs so as to write and read such data with respect to the storage device or appliance or both; receive a request at the CVT to modify operation of the data tapping mechanism; and
modify the data tapping mechanism based on the request.
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Specification