Locally providing cloud storage array services

• US 10,027,757 B1
• Filed: 01/30/2017
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pure Storage, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Pure Storage, Inc.
• Inventors: Borowiec, Benjamin P., Noonan, Terence W.
• Primary Examiner(s): JEAN GILLES, JUDE
• Application Number:
  US15/419,551
• Time in Patent Office: 533 Days
• Field of Search: 709223, 709203, 709204, 709224, 709225, 709221, 709229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54

Abstract

Locally providing cloud storage array services for a storage array of a data center when the storage array is not connected to a remote cloud-based storage array services provider includes initiating, by a primary storage array, one or more cloud storage array services and locally providing the cloud storage array services. Such local providing of the cloud storage array services also includes generating, by the cloud storage array services, metadata describing one or more real-time storage array characteristics and presenting the metadata to a user through a local area network.

Claims

1. A method of locally providing cloud storage array services for a storage array of a data center, wherein:

the data center comprises a plurality of storage arrays and each storage array is coupled only to one or more local networks;

the method comprising;

initiating, on at least one of the plurality of storage arrays, one or more cloud storage array services; and

locally providing the cloud storage array services including;

generating, by the cloud storage array services, metadata describing one or more real-time storage array characteristics; and

presenting the metadata to a user through at least one of the one or more local networks.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein generating, by the cloud storage array services, metadata describing one or more real-time storage array characteristics further comprises:

generating metadata describing one or more real-time storage array characteristics of each of the plurality of the storage arrays; and

aggregating, for presentation to the user, the metadata of each of the plurality of storage arrays.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating the one or more cloud storage array services further comprises:

selecting, in dependence upon workload characteristics of each of the plurality of storage arrays, one of the plurality of storage arrays to host the one or more cloud storage array services.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

detecting a change in workload characteristics of at least one of the plurality of storage arrays; and

re-selecting one of the plurality of storage arrays to host the one or more cloud storage array services in dependence upon the changed workload characteristics.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

operating, by a storage array that is not hosting the one or more cloud storage array services, as a proxy for the storage array that is hosting the one or more cloud storage array services; and

presenting the metadata to a user through at least one of the one or more local networks further comprises presenting the metadata through the proxy of the storage array that is hosting the one or more cloud storage array services.

6. An apparatus for locally providing cloud storage array services for a storage array of a data center, wherein:

the data center comprises a plurality of storage arrays and each storage array is coupled only to one or more local networks;

the apparatus comprising a computer processor and a computer memory operatively coupled to the computer processor, where the computer memory includes computer program instructions that, when executed by the computer processor, cause the apparatus to carry out the steps of;

initiating, on at least one of the plurality of storage arrays, one or more cloud storage array services; and

locally providing the cloud storage array services including;

generating, by the cloud storage array services, metadata describing one or more real-time storage array characteristics; and

presenting the metadata to a user through at least one of the one or more local networks.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein generating, by the cloud storage array services, metadata describing one or more real-time storage array characteristics further comprises:

generating metadata describing one or more real-time storage array characteristics of each of the plurality of the storage arrays; and

aggregating, for presentation to the user, the metadata of each of the plurality of storage arrays.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein initiating the one or more cloud storage array services further comprises:

selecting, in dependence upon workload characteristics of each of the plurality of storage arrays, one of the plurality of storage arrays to host the one or more cloud storage array services.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising computer program instructions that, when executed by the computer processor, cause the apparatus to carry out the steps of:

detecting a change in workload characteristics of at least one of the plurality of storage arrays; and

re-selecting one of the plurality of storage arrays to host the one or more cloud storage array services in dependence upon the changed workload characteristics.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising computer program instructions that, when executed by the computer processor, cause the apparatus to carry out the steps of:

operating, by a storage array that is not hosting the one or more cloud storage array services, as a proxy for the storage array that is hosting the one or more cloud storage array services; and

presenting the metadata to a user through at least one of the one or more local networks further comprises presenting the metadata through the proxy of the storage array that is hosting the one or more cloud storage array services.

11. A computer program product for locally providing cloud storage array services for a storage array of a data center, wherein:

the data center comprises a plurality of storage arrays and each storage array is coupled only to one or more local networks;

the computer program product disposed upon a non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer program product comprising computer program instructions that, when executed, cause a computer to carry out the steps of;

initiating, on at least one of the plurality of storage arrays, one or more cloud storage array services; and

locally providing the cloud storage array services including;

generating, by the cloud storage array services, metadata describing one or more real-time storage array characteristics; and

presenting the metadata to a user through at least one of the one or more local networks.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein

generating, by the cloud storage array services, metadata describing one or more real-time storage array characteristics further comprises:

generating metadata describing one or more real-time storage array characteristics of each of the plurality of the storage arrays; and

aggregating, for presentation to the user, the metadata of each of the plurality of storage arrays.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein

initiating the one or more cloud storage array services further comprises:

selecting, in dependence upon workload characteristics of each of the plurality of storage arrays, one of the plurality of storage arrays to host the one or more cloud storage array services.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising computer program instructions that, when executed, cause the computer to carry out the steps of:

detecting a change in workload characteristics of at least one of the plurality of storage arrays; and

re-selecting one of the plurality of storage arrays to host the one or more cloud storage array services in dependence upon the changed workload characteristics.