Systems and methods for performing multi-path storage operations

• US 8,504,741 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Issued: 08/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Kottomtharayil, Rajiv, Chen, Ho-Chi, Retnamma, Manoj Vijayan
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsai, Henry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shyu, Jing-Yih
• Application Number:
  US13/620,025
• Publication Number:
  US 20130013883A1
• Time in Patent Office: 326 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 710/17
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

Systems and methods for allocating transmission resources within a computer network are provided. In some embodiments of the invention, communication links may be assigned based on predefined preferences or system configuration to facilitate the transfer of data from one point in the network to another. In other embodiments, system operation may be monitored and communication paths be assigned dynamically based on this information to improve system operation and provide improved failover response, load balancing and to promote robust data access via alternative routes.

Claims

1. A method of allocating data in a storage system, the method comprising:

performing with a media agent, a storage operation that transfers data from at least a first storage device to at least a second storage device, the media agent communicates with the first storage device via at least a first communications path and the media agent communicates with the second storage device via at least a second communications path;

upon determining that the data associated with the storage operation exceeds a threshold, dynamically associating with the media agent at least a third communication path to a third storage device;

subdividing the data associated with the storage operation into smaller data units based on the transmission capacity of at least the second and third communication paths to perform load balancing;

creating metadata identifying that a first portion of the smaller data units are stored on the second storage device and that a second portion of the smaller data units are stored on the third storage device, wherein the metadata defines how to reconstruct the first and second portions of the smaller data units during retrieval of the data;

performing the storage operation by transmitting with the media agent, based on the metadata the first portion of the smaller data units from the first storage device to the second storage device via the second communications path;

transmitting with the media agent based on the metadata, the second portion of the smaller data units from the first storage device to the third storage device via the third communications path; and

retrieving with the media agent, the first and second portions of the smaller data units from the second and third storage devices and reconstructing the first and second portions of the smaller data units based on the metadata.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining availability of host adapter (HBA) devices in the communication paths.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising moving data to the third storage device after determining that the second storage device no longer has available storage capacity.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing configuration information associated with the communication paths.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising monitoring an availability of the communication paths during performance of the storage operation.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising switching from using the second communication path to using a third communication path when the second communication path is determined to become unavailable during performance of the storage operation.

7. A system for allocating data in a storage operation, the system comprising:

a plurality of storage devices;

a media agent that communicates with a first storage device via at least a first communications path and communicates with a second storage device via at least a second communications path, wherein the media agent performs at least one storage operation that transfers the data from at least the first storage device to at least the second storage device, the media agent communicates with the first storage device via at least the first communications path and the media agent communicates with the second storage device via at least the second communications path; and

one or more modules executing in one or more computer processors, configured to;

upon determining that the data associated with the storage operation exceeds a threshold, dynamically associate with the media agent at least a third communication path to a third storage device, the one or more modules being further configured to;

subdivide the data associated with the storage operation into smaller data units based on the transmission capacity of the second and third communication paths; and

create metadata identifying that a first portion of the smaller data units are stored on the second storage device and that a second portion of the smaller data units are stored on the third storage device, wherein the metadata defines how to reconstruct the first and second portions of the smaller data units during retrieval of the data,

wherein the media agent performs the storage operation based on the metadata by transmitting the first portion of the smaller data units to the second storage device via the second communications path,

the media agent transmits, based on the metadata the second portion of the smaller data units to the third storage device via the third communications path, and

the media agent retrieves the first and second portions of the smaller data units from the second and third storage devices and reconstructs the first and second portions of the smaller data units based on the metadata.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the one or more modules determine availability of HBA devices in the communication paths.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the one or more modules select a fourth storage device if the third communication path associated with the third storage device is unavailable.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the one or more modules monitor an available storage capacity of the second storage device.

11. The system of claim 7, further comprising moving data to the third storage device after determining that the second storage device no longer has available storage capacity.

12. The system of claim 7 wherein the communication paths have configuration information associated therewith.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein at least one of the modules is configured to monitor an availability of the communication paths during performance of the storage operation.

14. The system of claim 7, wherein at least one of the modules is further configured to switch from using the second communication path to using the third communication path when the second communication path is determined to become unavailable during performance of the storage operation.