Method to allow storage cache acceleration when the slow tier is on independent controller

• US 9,182,912 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2011
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bert, Luca, Ish, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Yu, Jae
• Application Number:
  US13/197,009
• Publication Number:
  US 20130036265A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,560 Days
• Field of Search: 711/117
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0866 for peripheral storage systems, e.g. disk cache
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0897 with two or more cache hierarchy levels with multilevel cache hierarchies G06F12/0811
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/221 Static RAM
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/222 Non-volatile memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/284 being distributed
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0611 in relation to response time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0656 Data buffering arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0685 Hybrid storage combining heterogeneous device types, e.g. hierarchical storage, hybrid arrays

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a method for providing storage acceleration in a data storage system. In the data storage system described herein, multiple independent controllers may be utilized, such that a first storage controller may be connected to a first storage tier (ex.—a fast tier) which includes a solid-state drive, while a second storage controller may be connected to a second storage tier (ex.—a slower tier) which includes a hard disk drive. The accelerator functionality may be split between the host of the system and the first storage controller of the system (ex.—some of the accelerator functionality may be offloaded to the first storage controller) for promoting improved storage acceleration performance within the system.

Claims

1. A method for providing storage acceleration in a data storage system including at least a first storage tier having a first speed and a second storage tier having a second speed lower than the first speed, said method comprising:

opening an Application Programming Interface (API) via a first storage controller connected to the first storage tier, the first storage tier including a solid-state drive (SSD);

receiving a query at the first storage controller, the query being provided to the first storage controller via a host mapper of the system, the query being generated based on a input/output (I/O) command issued by a host of the system, the query requesting read data;

when the requested read data is at least one of;

located in a cache of the first storage controller, or located on the SSD connected to the first storage controller, retrieving the requested read data and providing the requested read data to the host mapper in response to the query; and

when the requested read data is not at least one of;

located on the cache of the first controller or located on the SSD connected to the first controller, and when the requested read data is obtained by the host mapper from a second controller connected to a second storage tier, the second storage tier including a hard disk drive (HDD), receiving a copy of the requested read data at the first controller.

2. A method for providing storage acceleration as claimed in claim 1, the method further comprising:

when the requested read data is not at least one of;

located in the cache of the first controller, or located on the SSD connected to the first controller, providing a message to the host mapper indicating a cache miss in response to the query.

3. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method for providing storage acceleration in a data storage system including at least a first storage tier having a first speed and a second storage tier having a second speed lower than the first speed, said method comprising:

generating a query via a host mapper connected to a host of the system, the query being based on an input/output (I/O) command issued by a host of the system, the I/O command being a read command, the query including a request for read data;

opening an Application Programming Interface (API) via a first storage controller connected to the first storage tier, the first storage tier including a solid-state drive (SSD);

providing the query to the first controller via the host mapper;

receiving the query via the first controller;

when the requested read data is not at least one of;

located in the cache of the first controller or located on the SSD connected to the first controller, providing a request from the host mapper to a second controller for obtaining the requested read data, the second controller being connected to the second storage tier, the second storage tier including at least one hard disk drive (HDD).

4. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method as claimed in claim 3, said method further comprising:

when the requested read data is at least one of;

located in a cache of the first controller, or located on a SSD connected to the first controller, retrieving the requested read data and providing the requested read data to the host mapper in response to the query.

5. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method as claimed in claim 4, said method further comprising:

when the requested read data is provided by the first controller, receiving the requested read data via the host mapper and directing the requested read data to the host.

6. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method as claimed in claim 3, said method further comprising:

when the requested read data is not at least one of;

located in the cache of the first controller, or located on the SSD connected to the first controller, providing a message to the host mapper indicating a cache miss in response to the query.

7. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method as claimed in claim 6, said method further comprising:

receiving the cache miss message via the host mapper.

8. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the providing a request from the host mapper to the second controller for obtaining the requested read data includes:

in response to receiving the cache miss message from the first controller, providing a request from the host mapper to the second controller.

9. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method as claimed in claim 8, said method further comprising:

when the requested read data is at least one of;

located in a cache of the second controller, or located on a hard disk drive (HDD) connected to the second controller, receiving the requested read data from the second controller via the host mapper and directing the requested read data to the host.

10. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method as claimed in claim 9, said method further comprising:

when the cache miss message indicates to provide a copy of the requested read data obtained from the second controller to the first controller, providing the copy of the requested read data to the first controller via the host mapper.

11. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method as claimed in claim 10, said method further comprising:

receiving the copy of the requested read data via the first controller.

12. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method for providing storage acceleration in a data storage system including at least a first storage tier having a first speed and a second storage tier having a second speed lower than the first speed, said method comprising:

generating a query via a host mapper connected to a host of the system, the query being based on an input/output (I/O) command issued by a host of the system, the I/O command being a read command, the query including a request for read data;

opening an Application Programming Interface (API) via a first storage controller connected to the first storage tier, the first storage tier including a solid-state drive (SSD);

providing the query to the first controller via the host mapper;

receiving the query via a cache engine of the first controller;

when the requested read data is at least one of;

located in a cache of the first controller, or located on a SSD connected to the first controller, retrieving the requested read data and providing the requested read data to the host mapper in response to the query; and

when the requested read data is not at least one of;

located in the cache of the first controller, or located on the SSD connected to the first controller, providing a request from the host mapper to the second controller for obtaining the requested read data, the second controller being connected to at least one hard disk drive (HDD).

13. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method as claimed in claim 12, said method further comprising:

when the requested read data is provided by the first controller, receiving the requested read data via the host mapper and directing the requested read data to the host.

14. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method as claimed in claim 12, said method further comprising:

when the requested read data is not at least one of;

located in the cache of the first controller, or located on the SSD connected to the first controller, providing a message to the host mapper indicating a cache miss in response to the query, the message being provided by the cache engine.

15. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method as claimed in claim 14, said method further comprising:

receiving the cache miss message via the host mapper.

16. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the providing a request from the host mapper to the second controller for obtaining the requested read data, the second controller being connected to at least one hard disk drive (HDD) includes:

in response to receiving the cache miss message from the first controller, providing a request from the host mapper to the second controller for obtaining the requested read data, the second controller being connected to at least one hard disk drive (HDD).

17. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method as claimed in claim 16, said method further comprising:

when the requested read data is at least one of;

located in a cache of the second controller, or located on a hard disk drive (HDD) connected to the second controller, receiving the requested read data from the second controller via the host mapper and directing the requested read data to the host.

18. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method as claimed in claim 17, said method further comprising:

when the cache miss message indicates to provide a copy of the requested read data obtained from the second controller to the first controller, providing the copy of the requested read data to the first controller via the host mapper.

19. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method as claimed in claim 18, said method further comprising:

receiving the copy of the requested read data via the cache engine of the first controller.