Storage proxy with virtual ports configuration

• US 8,830,836 B1
• Filed: 01/03/2013
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Violin Systems LLC
• Original Assignee: Violin Memory Incorporated
• Inventors: de la Iglesia, Erik, Nambala, Surya
• Primary Examiner(s): Ton, Dang
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ambaye, Mewale
• Application Number:
  US13/733,807
• Time in Patent Office: 614 Days
• Field of Search: 370/389, 370/392
• US Class Current: 370/235
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/125 by balancing the load, e.g. traffic engineering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/357 Fibre channel switches
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1014 based on the content of a request
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1021 based on client or server locations
• 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]

Abstract

A fiber channel network is configured into different zones. A first zone of the fiber channel network is configured with an initiator port, a first virtual port for a first physical port on a storage proxy, and a first virtual port for a second physical port on the storage proxy. A second zone of the fiber channel network is configured with a storage target port, a second virtual port for the first physical port on a storage proxy, and a second virtual port for the second physical port on the storage proxy. The virtual ports configured on the storage proxy increase the amount of bandwidth in the fiber channel available for asymmetric data transfers.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a storage services processor having;

a first physical port configured to connect to a storage fabric, the first physical port configured as a first virtual front port to operate in a front zone of the storage fabric, and the first physical port further configured as a first virtual back port to operate in a back zone of the storage fabric; and

a second physical port configured to connect to the storage fabric, the second physical port configured as a second virtual front port to operate in the front zone of the storage fabric, and the second physical port further configured as a second virtual back port to operate in the back zone of the storage fabric, wherein the storage services processor is configured to communicate with a storage array through the back zone of the storage fabric and to increase bandwidth utilization through the first virtual front port and the second virtual front port when storage requests to the storage array identify data stored in a tiering resource.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first virtual front port and the second virtual front port are configured to communicate with an initiator through the front zone of the storage fabric.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first virtual back port and the second virtual back port are configured to communicate with the storage array.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the storage services processor communicates with a storage array through the back zone of a storage fabric responsive to storage operations from an initiator on the front zone of said storage fabric.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the storage services processor is configured allocate bandwidth utilization through the first and second physical ports responsive to a bandwidth requirement of the virtual front ports and virtual back ports.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the storage fabric is a fibre channel network and the physical ports are located in Host Bus Adapter (HBA) cards.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tiering resource is a cache memory in the storage services processor.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the storage services processor communicates with the storage array to maintain contents of the cache memory.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the storage services processor is further configured to increase bandwidth utilization by allocating bandwidth substantially evenly between the first and second virtual front ports and the first and second virtual back ports when there are substantially symmetric data transfers between the initiator and the storage services processor and between the storage array and the storage services processor.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the storage services processor is further configured to:

transfer bandwidth from the first and second virtual back ports to the first and second virtual front ports for asymmetric data transfers between the initiator and the storage services processor;

transfer bandwidth from the first and second virtual front ports to the first and second virtual back ports for asymmetric data transfers between the storage array and the storage services processor.

9. A software program product, comprising instructions stored on a non-transient medium for operating a computer to:

configure a network with a front zone configured to connect the computer with an initiator;

configure the network with a back zone configured to connect the computer with a storage array;

configure the front zone of the network to include a physical port of the initiator and a first virtual front port for a first physical port of the computer; and

configure the back zone of the network to include a physical port of the storage array and a first virtual back port for the first physical port of the computer, wherein the computer is operated to;

increase bandwidth usage over the first virtual front port and a second virtual front port for asymmetric data transfers between the initiator and the computer; and

increase bandwidth usage over the first virtual back port and a second virtual back port for asymmetric data transfers between the storage array and the computer.

10. The software program product of claim 9, wherein the computer is operated to:

configure the front zone of the network to include a second virtual front port for a second physical port of the computer; and

configure the back zone of the network to include a second virtual back port for the second physical port of the computer.

11. The software program product of claim 9, wherein the computer is operated to:

transfer bandwidth from the first and second virtual back ports to the first and second virtual front ports for the asymmetric data transfers between the initiators and the computer;

transfer bandwidth from the first and second virtual front ports to the first and second virtual back ports for the asymmetric data transfers between the storage array and the computer; and

distribute bandwidth substantially evenly between the first and second virtual front ports and the first and second virtual back ports when there are substantially symmetric data transfers between the initiator and the computer and between the storage array and the computer.

12. The software program product of claim 11, wherein the computer is operated to:

store data from the storage array in a cache memory in the computer;

receive a data request from the initiator; and

increase the bandwidth usage in the first and second virtual front ports and reduce bandwidth usage in the first and second virtual back ports when data responsive to the request is located in the cache memory.

13. The software program product of claim 11, wherein the computer is operated to:

communicate with the storage array through the back zone of the storage fabric.

14. The software program product of claim 13, wherein the computer is operated to:

maintain data of the cache memory by transferring data to or from the storage array.