Array-based replication in data storage systems

• US 9,529,548 B1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 12/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: O'Maolcatha, Fearghal, Gunn, Fergal, David, Benjamin, Hay, Jody
• Primary Examiner(s): Rones, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chang, Tian-Pong
• Application Number:
  US13/804,996
• Time in Patent Office: 1,384 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2056 by mirroring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/815 Virtual middleware or OS functionality using virtual machines to implement generic software techniques for error detection or fault masking G06F11/1484
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/84 Using snapshots, i.e. a logical point-in-time copy of the data
• 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

Techniques for improved replication of storage arrays in data storage systems. For example, a method comprises the following steps. A first set of physical storage devices in a data storage system are identified for replication. Specification is received from a user of at least one storage pool in the data storage system in accordance with which the first set of physical storage devices is to be replicated. A second set of physical storage devices is allocated from the user-specified storage pool. Data stored on the first set of physical storage devices is replicated onto the second set of physical storage devices.

Claims

1. A method comprising the steps of:

identifying a first set of physical storage devices in a first storage array of a data storage system for replication;

receiving at a replicator module, from a user, a specification of a storage pool in a second storage array of the data storage system in accordance with which the first set of physical storage devices is to be replicated, wherein the user is an administrator of the data storage system;

determining, by the replicator module, if the user-specified storage pool has sufficient storage capacity to accommodate the first storage array;

in response to determining that the user-specified storage pool has insufficient storage capacity to accommodate the first storage array, the replicator module returning an error message to the user; and

in response to determining that the user-specified storage pool has sufficient storage capacity to accommodate the first storage array;

automatically creating, by the replicator module, a second set of physical storage devices of the second storage array from the user-specified storage pool;

pairing, by the replicator module, at least one device of the first set of physical storage devices and one device of the second set of physical storage devices;

receiving, by the replicator module, a request from the user to automatically generate logical unit (LUN) mapping and masking designations;

automatically generating, by the replicator module, the LUN mapping and masking designations, wherein the LUN mapping and masking designations are generated based at least in part on an existing zoning configuration associated with the first and second storage arrays;

automatically assigning, by the replicator module, the LUN mapping and masking designations for the at least one pairing; and

replicating, by the replicator module, data stored on the first set of physical storage devices to the user-specified storage pool onto the second set of physical storage devices in accordance with the physical storage device pairing step and the LUN mapping and masking assignment step;

wherein the steps of the method are performed by at least one processor device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the replicating step further comprises displaying results of the logical storage unit mapping step to the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the replicating step is part of a push replication session.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the replicating step is part of a pull replication session.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the user-specified storage pool is one of a control array-based storage pool and a remote array-based storage pool.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the data storage system is part of a distributed virtual infrastructure.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the push replication session comprises the first set of physical storage devices forming a control array and the second set of physical storage devices forming a remote array.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the pull replication session comprises the first set of physical storage devices forming a remote array and the second set of physical storage devices forming a control array.

9. A computer program product comprising a processor-readable storage medium having encoded therein executable code of one or more software programs, wherein the one or more software programs when executed by the at least one processor device implement the step of the method of claim 1.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor device operatively coupled to the memory to form a replicator module and configured to;

identify a first set of physical storage devices in a first storage array of a data storage system for replication;

receive at the replicator module, from a user, specification of a storage pool in a second storage array of the data storage system in accordance with which the first set of physical storage devices is to be replicated, wherein the user is an administrator of the data storage system;

determine, by the replicator module, if the user-specified storage pool has sufficient storage capacity to accommodate the first storage array;

in response to determining that the user-specified storage pool has insufficient storage capacity to accommodate the first storage array, return an error message to the user; and

in response to determining that the user-specified storage pool has sufficient storage capacity to accommodate the first storage array;

automatically create, by the replicator module, a second set of physical storage devices of the second storage array from the user-specified storage pool;

pair, by the replicator module, at least one device of the first set of physical storage devices and one device of the second set of physical storage devices;

receive, by the replicator module, a request from the user to automatically generate logical unit (LUN) mapping and masking designations;

automatically generate, by the replicator module, the LUN mapping and masking designations, wherein the LUN mapping and masking designations are generated based at least in part on an existing zoning configuration associated with the first and second storage arrays;

automatically assign, by the replicator module, the LUN mapping and masking designations for the at least one pairing; and

replicate, by the replicator module, data stored on the first set of physical storage devices to the user-specified storage pool onto the second set of physical storage devices in accordance with the physical storage device pairings and the LUN mapping and masking assignments.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein replication further comprises displaying results of the logical storage unit mapping step to the user.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein replication is part of a push replication session.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein replication is part of a pull replication session.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the user-specified storage pool is one of a control array-based storage pool and a remote array-based storage pool.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the data storage system is part of a distributed virtual infrastructure.

16. A data storage system comprising:

a first set of physical storage devices in a first storage array;

a plurality of pools in a second storage array; and

an array-based replicator module, wherein the array-based replicator module is configured to;

receive, from a user, a specification of a pool from the second storage array in accordance with which the first set of physical storage devices is to be replicated, wherein the user is an administrator of the data storage system;

determine if the user-specified storage pool has sufficient storage capacity to accommodate the first storage array;

in response to determining that the user-specified storage pools has insufficient storage capacity to accommodate the first storage array, return an error message to the user; and

in response to determining that the user-specified storage pool has sufficient storage capacity to accommodate the first storage array;

automatically create a second set of physical storage devices of the second storage array from the user-specified pool;

pair at least one device of the first set of physical storage devices and one device of the second set of physical storage devices;

receive a request from the user to automatically generate logical unit (LUN) mapping and masking designations;

automatically generate the LUN mapping and masking designations, wherein the LUN mapping and masking designations are generated based at least in part on an existing zoning configuration associated with the first and second storage arrays;

automatically assign the LUN mapping and masking designations for the at least one pairing; and

replicate data stored on the first set of physical storage devices to the user-specified pool onto the second set of physical storage devices in accordance with the physical storage device pairings and the LUN mapping and masking assignments.

17. The data storage system of claim 16, wherein the user-specified storage pool is one of a control array-based storage pool and a remote array-based storage pool.

18. The data storage system of claim 16, wherein the data storage system is part of a distributed virtual infrastructure.

19. The data storage system of claim 18, wherein the distributed virtual infrastructure comprises a cloud infrastructure.

20. The data storage system of claim 16, wherein the data storage system is part of a storage area network.