System and methods for presenting storage

• US 8,406,152 B1
• Filed: 03/23/2010
• Issued: 03/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marvell Asia Pte Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: QLogic Corporation (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Inventors: Shah, Shishir
• Primary Examiner(s): Chriss, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): KAMARA, MOHAMED A
• Application Number:
  US12/730,139
• Time in Patent Office: 1,099 Days
• Field of Search: 370/254, 370/360, 370/389, 370/390, 370/412, 709/209, 709/213, 709/226, 709/220, 709/223
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/70 Virtual switches

Abstract

A machine implemented method is provided. The method comprises configuring a target port of a target storage array as a plurality of virtual ports; wherein an application executed by a computing system uses the target port to access storage space at the storage array; presenting the plurality of virtual ports to an operating system instance executed by a computing system processor; and using the plurality of virtual ports to read and write information to the storage space of the target storage array.

Claims

1. A machine implemented method, comprising:

configuring a target port of a target storage array as a plurality of virtual ports;

wherein an application executed by a computing system uses the target port to access storage space at the storage array;

presenting the plurality of virtual ports to an operating system instance executed by a computing system processor; and

using the plurality of virtual ports to read and write information to the storage space of the target storage array;

wherein a router coupled to the target storage array and the computing system presents the plurality of virtual ports to the operating system instance in a virtual machine environment where each virtual port is used to present a plurality of logical unit numbers (LUNs) associated with the storage space at the storage array, without having to virtualize the LUNs for the operating system instance; and

wherein the router presents the operating system instance as a plurality of host systems to the target port by virtualizing a router port coupled to the target port such that it appears to the target storage array that it is communicating with the plurality of host systems when presenting the plurality of LUNs via the plurality of virtual ports.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of operating system instances are executed by the computing system and each operating system instance is presented with a plurality of the virtual ports associated with the target port of the target storage array.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein each operating system instance is presented as multiple instances by virtualizing a back-end port of a router coupled to the target storage array and the computing system.

4. A system, comprising:

a computing system having a processor for executing an operating system instance in a virtual environment; and

a router operationally coupled to the computing system and a target storage array having a plurality of target ports interfacing with a plurality of router ports;

wherein the router presents a target port as a plurality of virtual target ports to the operating system instance for accessing the storage array where each virtual target port is used to present a plurality of logical unit numbers (LUNs) associated with storage space at the target storage array, without having to virtualize the LUNs for the operating system instance; and

wherein the router presents a router port to the target storage array as a plurality of virtual router ports such that the target port is presented with more than one image of the computing system so that it appears to the target port that it is communicating with more than one computing system when presenting the plurality of LUNs via the plurality of virtual target ports.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the processor executes a plurality of operating system instances and the router presents the target port as a plurality of virtual target ports to each operating system instance.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein each operating system instance is presented to the target port by the router as multiple operating system instances by virtualizing one of the ports of the router.

7. A router, comprising:

a plurality of front-end ports operationally coupled to a computing system having a processor for executing a plurality of virtual machines;

a plurality of back-end ports coupled to a target storage array having a plurality of target ports used for reading and writing information to a storage device; and

a processor executing instructions out of a router memory for presenting a target port as a plurality of virtual ports to a virtual machine for accessing the storage device; and

presenting one of the back end router ports to one of the target ports as a plurality of virtual machine ports such that the target port is presented with more than one image of the virtual machine and so that it appears to the target port that it is communicating with more than one virtual machine;

wherein a plurality of operating system instances are executed by the computing system and each operating system instance is presented with a plurality of the virtual target ports associated with one of the target ports of the target storage array;

wherein each virtual port is used to present a plurality of logical unit numbers (LUNs) associated with storage space at the target storage array, without having to virtualize the LUNs for the operating system instance; and

wherein the router presents the router port to the target storage array as a plurality of virtual machine ports such that the target port is presented with more than one image of the computing system making the target port believe it is communicating with more than one computing system when presenting the plurality of LUNs via the plurality of virtual ports.

8. The router of claim 7, wherein each operating system instance is presented as multiple instances to the target port by virtualizing one of the back-end ports of the router.