Virtual private storage array service for cloud servers
First Claim
1. A method to provide virtual private storage array service over a computer network for cloud servers in a public or a private cloud, comprising:
- receiving parameters for a virtual private storage array over the computer network, the parameters for the virtual private storage array including a virtual controller hardware model for each virtual controller in the virtual private storage array, drive characteristics for the virtual private storage array, and a drive quantity for the virtual private storage array;
creating the virtual private storage array from processor/memory complexes and physical drives available from server computers;
creating one or more volumes from the virtual private storage array;
exposing the one or more volumes over the computer network to one or more cloud servers; and
handling access requests to the exposed one or more volumes over the computer network from the one or more cloud servers;
wherein;
each server computer runs software including at least one of a storage node and a compute agent; and
said creating the virtual private storage array, said creating one or more volumes, said exposing the one or more volumes, and said handling access requests comprise;
selecting a set of the physical drives that meets or exceeds the drive characteristics and the drive quantity, the selected physical drives being from a set of the server computers;
instructing storage nodes on the set of the server computers to allocate virtual drives to the virtual private storage array, the storage nodes being configured to;
create the virtual drives from the selected physical drives, each virtual drive being a partition that is one entire selected physical drive or a part of one selected physical drive; and
expose the virtual drives to virtual controllers in the virtual private storage array;
selecting a set of the processor/memory complexes that each meets or exceeds the virtual controller hardware model, the selected processor/memory complexes being from an other set of the server computers;
instructing compute agents on the other set of the server computers to spawn virtual machines for the virtual controllers, the compute agents being configured to;
spawn one virtual machine on at least part of each selected processor/memory complex dedicated to the virtual machine; and
start one virtual controller per virtual machine so each virtual controller in the virtual private storage array runs on a different server computer, one or more of the virtual controllers being configured to;
discover the exposed virtual drives;
create one or more virtual pools comprising the exposed virtual drives;
implement a data protection scheme on the one or more virtual pools;
create the one or more volumes from the one or more virtual pools;
expose the one or more volumes over the computer network to the one or more cloud servers; and
handle the access requests to the exposed one or more volumes over the computer network from the one or more cloud servers.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method for providing virtual private storage array (VPSA) service for cloud users over a computer network includes receiving parameters for the VPSA over the network and creating the VPSA from resources of server computers. Creating the VPSA includes allocating and exposing drives that meets or exceeds specified drive characteristics, drive quantity, and array redundancy criteria to virtual controllers (VCs) in the VPSA, and dedicating parts of processor/memory complexes that each meets or exceeds a specified virtual controller hardware model to the VCs. The VCs run on virtual machines on the dedicated parts of processor/memory complexes on independent server computers. The VCs discover the exposed drives, create a virtual pool from the exposed virtual drives, implement data protection on the virtual pool, create volumes from the virtual pool, expose the volumes over the network to a customer computer, and handle access requests to the volumes from the customer computer.
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Citations
34 Claims
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1. A method to provide virtual private storage array service over a computer network for cloud servers in a public or a private cloud, comprising:
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receiving parameters for a virtual private storage array over the computer network, the parameters for the virtual private storage array including a virtual controller hardware model for each virtual controller in the virtual private storage array, drive characteristics for the virtual private storage array, and a drive quantity for the virtual private storage array; creating the virtual private storage array from processor/memory complexes and physical drives available from server computers; creating one or more volumes from the virtual private storage array; exposing the one or more volumes over the computer network to one or more cloud servers; and handling access requests to the exposed one or more volumes over the computer network from the one or more cloud servers; wherein; each server computer runs software including at least one of a storage node and a compute agent; and said creating the virtual private storage array, said creating one or more volumes, said exposing the one or more volumes, and said handling access requests comprise; selecting a set of the physical drives that meets or exceeds the drive characteristics and the drive quantity, the selected physical drives being from a set of the server computers; instructing storage nodes on the set of the server computers to allocate virtual drives to the virtual private storage array, the storage nodes being configured to; create the virtual drives from the selected physical drives, each virtual drive being a partition that is one entire selected physical drive or a part of one selected physical drive; and expose the virtual drives to virtual controllers in the virtual private storage array; selecting a set of the processor/memory complexes that each meets or exceeds the virtual controller hardware model, the selected processor/memory complexes being from an other set of the server computers; instructing compute agents on the other set of the server computers to spawn virtual machines for the virtual controllers, the compute agents being configured to; spawn one virtual machine on at least part of each selected processor/memory complex dedicated to the virtual machine; and start one virtual controller per virtual machine so each virtual controller in the virtual private storage array runs on a different server computer, one or more of the virtual controllers being configured to;
discover the exposed virtual drives;
create one or more virtual pools comprising the exposed virtual drives;
implement a data protection scheme on the one or more virtual pools;
create the one or more volumes from the one or more virtual pools;
expose the one or more volumes over the computer network to the one or more cloud servers; and
handle the access requests to the exposed one or more volumes over the computer network from the one or more cloud servers. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method to provide a virtual private storage array as a service over a computer network, the method comprising:
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receiving parameters for the virtual private storage array over the computer network, the parameters for the virtual private storage array including a virtual controller hardware model for each virtual controller in the virtual private storage array, drive characteristics for the virtual private storage array, and a drive quantity for the virtual private storage array; and creating the virtual private storage array from processor/memory complexes and physical drives available from server computers, each server computer running software including at least one of a storage node and a compute agent, said creating the virtual private storage array comprising; selecting a set of the physical drives that meets or exceeds the drive characteristics and the drive quantity, the selected physical drives being from a set of the server computers; instructing storage nodes on the set of the server computers to allocate virtual drives to the virtual private storage array, the storage nodes being configured to; create the virtual drives from the selected physical drives, each virtual drive being a partition that is one entire selected physical drive or a part of one selected physical drive; and expose the virtual drives to virtual controllers in the virtual private storage array; selecting a set of the processor/memory complexes that each meets or exceeds the virtual controller hardware model, the selected processor/memory complexes being from an other set of the server computers; instructing compute agents on the other set of the server computers to spawn virtual machines for the virtual controllers, the compute agents being configured to; spawn one virtual machine on at least part of each selected processor/memory complex dedicated to the virtual machine; and start one virtual controller per virtual machine so each virtual controller in the virtual private storage array runs on a different server computer, one or more of the virtual controllers being configured to; discover the exposed virtual drives; create one or more virtual pools comprising the exposed virtual drives; implement a data protection scheme on the one or more virtual pools; create one or more volumes from the one or more virtual pools; expose the one or more volumes over the computer network to one or more customer computers; and handle access requests to the exposed one or more volumes over the computer network from the one or more customer computers. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A data storage system providing a virtual private storage array as a service over a computer network in a cloud computing environment to one or more customer computers in a public or a private cloud, the data storage system comprising:
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an availability zone controller being configured to create the virtual private storage array from processor/memory complexes and physical drives available from server computers by; receiving parameters for the virtual private storage array, the parameters including a virtual controller hardware model for each virtual controller in the virtual private storage array, drive characteristics for the virtual private storage array, and a drive quantity for the virtual private storage array; selecting a set of the physical drives that meets or exceeds the drive characteristics and the drive quantity, the selected physical drives being from a set of the server computers; instructing storage nodes on the set of the server computers to allocate virtual drives from the selected physical drives to the virtual private storage array; selecting a set of the processor/memory complexes that each meets or exceeds the virtual controller hardware model, the selected processor/memory complexes being from an other set of the server computers; and instructing compute agents on the other set of the server computers to spawn virtual machines for virtual controllers; the server computers with the physical drives and the processor/memory complexes, the server computers including at least one server computer comprising; one or more physical drives; a processor/memory complex; a storage node running on a first part of the processor/memory complex, the storage node being configured to; create one or more virtual drives from the one or more physical drives, each virtual drive being a partition that is one entire selected physical drive or a part of one selected physical drive; and expose the one or more virtual drives to the virtual controllers in the virtual private storage array; a compute agent being configured to; spawn a virtual machine on a second part of the processor/memory complex dedicated to the virtual machine; and start a virtual controller on the virtual machine; the virtual machine running on the second part of the processor/memory complex dedicated to the virtual machine; the virtual controller running on the virtual machine, the virtual controller being configured to; discover the one or more exposed virtual drives; create one or more virtual pools comprising the exposed one or more virtual drives; implement a data protection scheme on the one or more virtual pools; create one or more volumes from the one or more virtual pools; expose the one or more volumes over the computer network to the one or more customer computers; and handle access requests to the exposed one or more volumes over the computer network from the one or more customer computers; one or more public switches coupling the computer network and the other set of the server computers for communication between the virtual controllers and the one or more customer computers; and one or more private switches coupling the set of the server computers for communication between the virtual controllers and the storage nodes located on different server computers. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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Specification