System of managing remote resources

• US 9,405,484 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2014
• Issued: 08/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infinidat Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Infinidat Ltd.
• Inventors: Winokur, Alex
• Primary Examiner(s): Lai, Michael C
• Application Number:
  US14/215,166
• Publication Number:
  US 20140289487A1
• Time in Patent Office: 869 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2071 using a plurality of controllers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0619 in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/065 Replication mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

A system of managing remote resources that includes a local storage associated with a local storage manager constituting a local storage system. A remote storage associated with a remote storage manager constituting a remote storage system. The local storage system is associated with the remote storage system by means of a first link. The local storage system is configured to send through the first link I/O remote commands complying with the SCSI protocol, for execution in the remote storage system. The system includes a second link associating the local storage system and the remote storage system. The local storage manager being responsive to remote storage management commands and being configured to send through the second link corresponding cross-storage-remote management commands that comply with the SCSI protocol, for execution in the remote storage.

Claims

1. A system for managing remote resources comprising a remote storage system and a local storage system linked to the remote storage system, wherein the local storage system is linked to hosts, wherein the system is configured to:

create a local pool in the local storage system for accommodating local volumes permitted to be accessed by a certain host;

generate a first handle associated with the local pool for granting access to the local pool by the certain host;

create a remote pool in the remote storage system for accommodating remote volumes and associating the remote pool with the local pool;

receive by the local storage system from the certain host, a remote management command utilizing the first handle, wherein the remote management command includes a request for managing of a resource in the remote pool associated with the local pool;

transmit, by the local storage system to the remote storage system, a cross storage management command that corresponds to the remote management command, for execution at the remote pool; and

parse, by the remote storage system, the cross storage management command and implement a resource management in the remote pool.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote management command is for managing a remote volume in the remote pool, wherein the remote volume is associated with a local volume in the local pool.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said remote management command being a create remote mirror command, wherein the cross storage management command is for creating in the remote pool that is associated with the local pool a remote volume designated to be a mirror of a local volume indicated in the remote management command;

and wherein the system is further configured to;

associate the local volume with the remote volume; and

initiate a mirroring process.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote management command being a create remote snapshot command, wherein the system is further configured, in response to the remote management command, to identify in the remote pool, a remote volume that corresponds to a local volume in the local pool;

wherein the remote pool is associated with the local pool that corresponds to the first handle; and

wherein the cross storage management command is for creating a snapshot of the remote volume in the remote pool.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote management command complies with an I/O (Input/ Output) protocol, while not directly concerns I/O operations.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said I/O protocol being a SCSI (Small Computer System Interface) protocol.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is further configured to generate a second handle for enabling access to the remote pool by the local storage system, wherein the cross storage management command utilizes the second handle and complies with an I/O (Input/ Output) protocol, while not directly concerns I/O operations.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is further configured to create a local pool volume associated with the local pool and wherein the first handle is indicative of the local pool volume, thereby enabling association of the first handle with the local pool.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote management command is selected from a group of commands consisting of:

creating a remote volume, creating a remote snapshot of a remote volume, deleting a remote volume, deleting a remote snapshot of a remote volume and pairing a local volume and a remote volume.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the remote management command is embedded in a SCSI (Small Computer System Interface) command.

11. A method for managing remote resources in a remote storage system linked to a local storage system, wherein the local storage system is linked to hosts, the method comprising:

creating a local pool in the local storage system for accommodating local volumes permitted to be accessed by a certain host;

generating a first handle associated with the local pool for granting access to the local pool by the certain host;

creating a remote pool in the remote storage system for accommodating remote volumes and associating the remote pool with the local pool;

receiving by the local storage system from the certain host, a remote management command utilizing the first handle, wherein the remote management command includes a request for managing of a resource in the remote pool associated with the local pool;

transmitting, by the local storage system to the remote storage system, a cross storage management command that corresponds to the remote management command, for execution at the remote pool; and

parsing, by the remote storage system, the cross storage management command and implementing a resource management in the remote pool.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the remote management command is for managing a remote volume in the remote pool, wherein the remote volume is associated with a local volume in the local pool.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said remote management command being a create remote mirror command, wherein the cross storage management command is for creating in the remote pool that is associated with the local pool a remote volume designated to be a mirror of a local volume indicated in the remote management command;

and wherein the method further comprising;

associating the local volume with the remote volume; and

initiating a mirroring process.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the remote management command being a create remote snapshot command, wherein the method further comprising in response to the remote management command, identifying in the remote pool, a remote volume that corresponds to a local volume in the local pool;

wherein the remote pool is associated with the local pool that corresponds to the first handle; and

wherein the cross storage management command is for creating a snapshot of the remote volume in the remote pool.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the remote management command complies with an I/O (Input/ Output) protocol, while not directly concerns I/O operations.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said I/O protocol being a SCSI (Small Computer System Interface) protocol.

17. The method of claim 11 comprising generating a second handle for enabling access to the remote pool by the local storage system, wherein the cross storage management command utilizes the second handle and complies with an I/O (Input/ Output) protocol, while not directly concern I/O operations.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said second handle is an ITL (Initiator Target Logical unit number) handle that includes an initiator port for attaching to the local storage system, a target port for attaching to the remote pool, and a LUN (Logical Unit Number) uniquely identifying the second handle.

19. The method of claim 11 comprising creating a local pool volume associated with the local pool and wherein the first handle in indicative of the local pool volume, thereby enabling association of the first handle with the local pool.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the remote management command is selected from a group of commands consisting of:

creating a remote volume, creating a remote snapshot of a remote volume, deleting a remote volume, deleting a remote snapshot of a remote volume and pairing a local volume and a remote volume.

21. The method of claim 11 wherein the remote management command is embedded in a SCSI (Small Computer System Interface) command.

22. The method of claim 11, wherein said first handle is an ITL (Initiator Target Logical unit number) handle that includes an initiator port for attaching to the host, a target port for attaching to the local pool, and a LUN (Logical Unit Number) uniquely identifying the first handle.