Method and system to provide high availability of shared data
First Claim
1. A data storage system comprising:
- a data repository to store data;
an active storage controller coupled to the data repository via at least one network device;
a standby storage controller coupled to the active storage controller and the data repository via the at least one network device, the standby storage controller configured to monitor an active status of the active storage controller to detect failover of the active storage controller, the monitoring to check whether the active storage controller is running and answering requests, the monitoring neither requiring an acknowledgement from the active storage controller nor a status message to be generated by the active storage controller; and
at least one communications link to couple at least one client to the active storage controller and to the standby storage controller to access the data in the data repository via the active storage controller and the standby storage controller, the standby storage controller being configured to become active and at least partially inhibit network connectivity of the active storage controller during the failover, without requiring a host computer to either control the failover or provide switching operations during the failover.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A data storage system and method are described. The system may comprise a data repository to store data, and first and second storage controllers. The first and second storage controllers may be connected via at least one network device to the data repository. One or more clients may be connected to the first storage controller and to the second storage controller to access the data in the data repository via the first and second storage controllers. The second storage controller may be configured to at least partially inhibit network connectivity of the first storage controller if the first storage controller at least partially fails. The system may include a Storage Area Network providing the data repository, each of the first and second storage controllers being connected to the Storage Area Network via switch. Each switch comprises at least one fiber channel gateway and at least two Target Channel Adaptors.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A data storage system comprising:
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a data repository to store data; an active storage controller coupled to the data repository via at least one network device; a standby storage controller coupled to the active storage controller and the data repository via the at least one network device, the standby storage controller configured to monitor an active status of the active storage controller to detect failover of the active storage controller, the monitoring to check whether the active storage controller is running and answering requests, the monitoring neither requiring an acknowledgement from the active storage controller nor a status message to be generated by the active storage controller; and at least one communications link to couple at least one client to the active storage controller and to the standby storage controller to access the data in the data repository via the active storage controller and the standby storage controller, the standby storage controller being configured to become active and at least partially inhibit network connectivity of the active storage controller during the failover, without requiring a host computer to either control the failover or provide switching operations during the failover. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of managing a data repository to store data accessible by at least one client machine, the method comprising:
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providing the at least one client with access to the data repository through an active storage controller, the active storage controller being communicatively coupled via at least one network device to the data repository; monitoring, by a standby storage controller, an active status of the active storage controller to identify at least a partial failure of the active storage controller, the monitoring to check whether the active storage controller is running and answering requests, the monitoring neither requiring an acknowledgement from the active storage controller to the standby storage controller nor a status message to be generated by the active storage controller; and based on a determination that the active storage controller at least partially failed, providing a failover, the failover including; modifying network connectivity of the active storage controller utilizing the standby storage controller; and configuring network connectivity of the standby storage controller to provide the at least one client with access to the data repository without requiring a host computer to either control the failover or provide switching operations during the failover. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium containing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, perform a method of managing a data repository to store data accessible by at least one client machine, the method comprising:
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providing the at least one client machine with access to the data repository through an active storage controller, the active storage controller being communicatively coupled via at least one network device to the data repository; monitoring, by a standby storage controller, an active status of the active storage controller to identify at least a partial failure of the active storage controller, the monitoring to check whether the active storage controller is running and answering requests, the monitoring neither requiring an acknowledgement from the active storage controller to the standby storage controller nor a status message to be generated by the active storage controller; and based on a determination that the active storage controller at least partially failed, providing a failover, the failover including; modifying network connectivity of the active storage controller utilizing the standby storage controller; and configuring network connectivity of the standby storage controller to provide the at least one client with access to the data repository without requiring a host computer to either control the failover or provide switching operations during the failover.
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Specification