System for determining the mapping of logical objects in a data storage system
First Claim
1. In a computer system having a host computer, a storage system that includes at least one disk storage device, and at least one mapping layer that maps logical objects on the host computer to physical storage locations on the at least one disk storage device, a method comprising a step of:
- providing to an application program that executes on the host computer information pertaining to a manner in which a logical object is mapped through the at least one mapping layer to one or more of the physical storage locations on the at least one disk storage device, the information describing the one or more physical storage locations to which the logical object is mapped by the at least one mapping layer.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for manipulating data in a storage device that is coupled to a host computer. Manipulations that can be performed by the storage device include moving non-contiguous blocks of data between the host computer and the storage device in a single operation. Other manipulations can be performed directly by the storage device without passing data to or from the host computer and include copying data from one logical object that is defined on the host computer to another, initializing, backing-up, transforming, or securely deleting a logical object that is defined by the host computer with a single command. In one embodiment, an application programming interface is provided that allows a relationship between logical objects on a host computer and storage locations on a storage device to be communicated between the host computer and the storage device. By providing the storage device with knowledge of the relationship between a logical object and the storage locations corresponding to that logical object, data corresponding to the logical object can be manipulated directly by the storage device, rather than by the host computer. In another embodiment, a graphical visualization routine is provided that displays the global mapping of a logical object to a set of physical blocks on the storage device for each layer of mapping below the logical object.
114 Citations
15 Claims
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1. In a computer system having a host computer, a storage system that includes at least one disk storage device, and at least one mapping layer that maps logical objects on the host computer to physical storage locations on the at least one disk storage device, a method comprising a step of:
providing to an application program that executes on the host computer information pertaining to a manner in which a logical object is mapped through the at least one mapping layer to one or more of the physical storage locations on the at least one disk storage device, the information describing the one or more physical storage locations to which the logical object is mapped by the at least one mapping layer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A computer readable medium encoded with a program for execution on a host computer that is coupled to a storage system including at least one disk storage device, the host computer including as least one mapping layer that maps logical objects on the host computer to physical storage locations on the at least one disk storage device, the program, when executed on the host computer, performing a method comprising a step of:
providing an application program that executes on the host computer with information pertaining to a manner in which a logical object is mapped through the at least one mapping layer to one or more of the physical storage locations on the at least one disk storage device, the information describing the one or more physical storage locations to which the logical object is mapped by the at least one mapping layer. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A computer system comprising:
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a host computer, a storage system that is coupled to the host computer and includes at least one disk storage device;
at least one mapping layer that is mounted on at least one of the host computer and the storage system that maps logical objects on the host computer to physical storage locations on the at least one disk storage device; and
means for providing to an application program that executes on the host computer information pertaining to a manner in which a logical object on the host computer is mapped through the at least one mapping layer to one or more of the physical storage locations on the at least one disk storage device, the information describing the one or more physical storage locations to which the logical object is mapped by the at least one mapping layer. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification