Virtual disk drive system and method
First Claim
1. A method of data fusion, comprising the steps of:
- generating at least one virtual volume of disk space from a plurality of data storage devices;
allocating the disk space of the at least one virtual volume;
writing data to the allocated disk space;
automatically generating a snapshot point-in-time-copy (PITC) for each of the at least one virtual volumes at predetermined time intervals, each snapshot PITC comprising a table of pointers to data pages, the pointers used to map the contents of the corresponding virtual volume as of the point in time the snapshot PITC was generated; and
storing an address index of each snapshot PITC such that each snapshot PITC of the at least one virtual volume can be instantly located via the stored address index.
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Abstract
A disk drive system and method capable of dynamically allocating data is provided. The disk drive system may include a RAID subsystem having a pool of storage, for example a page pool of storage that maintains a free list of RAIDs, or a matrix of disk storage blocks that maintain a null list of RAIDs, and a disk manager having at least one disk storage system controller. The RAID subsystem and disk manager dynamically allocate data across the pool of storage and a plurality of disk drives based on RAID-to-disk mapping. The RAID subsystem and disk manager determine whether additional disk drives are required, and a notification is sent if the additional disk drives are required. Dynamic data allocation and data progression allow a user to acquire a disk drive later in time when it is needed. Dynamic data allocation also allows efficient data storage of snapshots/point-in-time copies of virtual volume pool of storage, instant data replay and data instant fusion for data backup, recovery etc., remote data storage, and data progression, etc.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method of data fusion, comprising the steps of:
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generating at least one virtual volume of disk space from a plurality of data storage devices; allocating the disk space of the at least one virtual volume; writing data to the allocated disk space; automatically generating a snapshot point-in-time-copy (PITC) for each of the at least one virtual volumes at predetermined time intervals, each snapshot PITC comprising a table of pointers to data pages, the pointers used to map the contents of the corresponding virtual volume as of the point in time the snapshot PITC was generated; and storing an address index of each snapshot PITC such that each snapshot PITC of the at least one virtual volume can be instantly located via the stored address index. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of data fusion, comprising the steps of:
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defining a default size of disk space of a data storage subsystem which forms a pool of storage; automatically generating a snapshot point-in-time-copy (PITC) of the pool of storage at predetermined time intervals, the snapshot PITC comprising a table of pointers to data pages, the pointers used to map the contents of the pool of storage as of the point in time the snapshot PITC was generated; and storing an address index of the snapshot PITC such that the snapshot PITC of the pool of storage can be instantly located via the stored address index. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A disk drive system, capable of fusing data, comprising:
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a data storage subsystem having a pool of storage; at least one virtual volume of disk space from a plurality of data storage devices of the data storage subsystem; and a disk manager having at least one disk storage system controller, the system controller automatically generating a snapshot point-in-time-copy (PITC) for each of the at least one virtual volumes at predetermined time intervals and storing an address index of each snapshot PITC in the associated virtual volume such that the snapshot PITC of the virtual volume can be instantly located via the stored address index; wherein each snapshot PITC comprises a table of pointers to data pages, the pointers used to map the contents of the corresponding virtual volume as of the point in time the snapshot PITC was generated. - View Dependent Claims (21)
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22. A disk drive system, capable of fusing data, comprising:
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abstract means for generating at one least abstraction of disk space from a plurality of data storage devices; allocating means for allocating the disk space of the at least one abstraction; writing means for writing data to the allocated disk space; fusing means for automatically generating a snapshot point-in-time-copy (PITC) for each of the at least one abstractions at predetermined time intervals, each snapshot PITC comprising a table of pointers to data pages, the pointers used to map the contents of the corresponding abstraction as of the point in time the snapshot PITC was generated; and storing means for storing an address index of each snapshot PITC such that each snapshot PITC can be instantly located via the stored address index.
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Specification