Cluster control protocol

• US 8,838,850 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2009
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Violin Systems LLC
• Original Assignee: Violin Memory Incorporated
• Inventors: Dommeti, Sivaram, Sikdar, Som, de la Iglesia, Erik
• Primary Examiner(s): RHU, KRIS M
• Application Number:
  US12/619,609
• Publication Number:
  US 20100125857A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,765 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 710/32
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0604 Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. storage management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0635 by changing the path, e.g. traffic rerouting, path reconfiguration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2887 characterised by the offered subscriber services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/631 Small computer system interface [SCSI] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/645 Fibre channel identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/106 across networks, e.g. mapping telephone numbers to data network addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• 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 cluster of storage control members connect different clients to different storage disks. Connection path information between the different clients and disks is discovered and distributed to the storage cluster members. The connection path information is then used to maintain coherency between tiering media contained in the different storage cluster members. Unique Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) identifiers may be associated with the different connection paths to uniquely identify particular storage disks connected to the clients.

Claims

1. A method for managing a group of storage control systems in communication with clients and storage arrays, each storage control system having tiering media and a coherence controller, comprising:

discovering a master storage control system of the group of storage control systems;

discovering connection information between clients and disks of the storage arrays established through the storage control systems;

sending the connection information to the master storage control system;

updating a connection table in the master storage control system that identifies the connection information discovered by each of the group of storage control systems;

sending the connection information of the connection table to the group of storage control systems;

using the connection information to maintain coherency between tiering media contained in the group of storage control systems; and

generating a mapping table that maps different portions of a same virtual address range with tiering media located in different storage control systems of the group of storage control systems,

wherein the mapping table maps different portions of a same logical address range with different tiering media operated by the different storage control systems;

the mapping table includes address offsets for the different portions of the logical address range; and

, the logic circuitry is configured to generate virtual addresses by adding the address offsets to physical addresses contained in the storage operations.

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising discovering the connection information by monitoring Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) communications between the clients and the disks with the members of the storage cluster.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein the connection information includes:

a SCSI initiator identifier identifying a particular one of the clients;

a SCSI target identifier identifying a target connecting to the particular one of the clients;

a Logical Unit Number (LUN) associated with a particular disk on the target; and

a SCSI identifier uniquely identifying the particular disk on the target.

4. The method according to claim 3 wherein the SCSI identifier is a world-wide ID number that uniquely defines the particular disk.

5. The method according to claim 1 further comprising mapping the different portions of the virtual address range in the mapping table to Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) identifiers associated with the disks.

6. The method according to claim 5 further comprising:

receiving storage access requests from the clients associated with particular disks, wherein the storage access requests include associated physical addresses;

identifying SCSI identifiers in the mapping table corresponding with the particular disks associated with the storage access request;

locating particular storage control systems of the group of storage control systems in the mapping table corresponding with the SCSI identifiers identified in the mapping table; and

sending the storage access requests to the storage control systems located in the mapping table.

7. The method according to claim 6 further comprising:

identifying address offsets in the mapping table associated with the SCSI identifiers identified in the mapping table;

generating virtual addresses by adding the address offsets to the physical addresses in the storage access requests; and

using the virtual addresses to locate data in the tiering media in the particular storage control systems of the group of storage control systems.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of storage control systems;

tiering media located in the storage control systems;

a master storage control system of the plurality of storage control systems configured to maintain and send a mapping table of storage paths of the plurality of storage control systems to the plurality of storage control systems; and

logic circuitry configured to receive storage operations and forward the storage operations to the storage control systems having storage paths in the mapping table corresponding with connection information for the storage operations,

wherein the mapping table maps different portions of a same logical address range with different tiering media operated by the different storage control systems;

the mapping table includes address offsets for the different portions of the logical address range; and

, the logic circuitry is configured to generate virtual addresses by adding the address offsets to physical addresses contained in the storage operations.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the storage paths in the mapping table include an initiator identifier, a target identifier, and a Logical Unit Number.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the logic circuitry is configured to map the different storage paths in the mapping table with Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) identifiers.

11. The apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the logic circuitry is configured to automatically generate updates to the mapping table for new storage paths established between the clients and the disks and then automatically forward the updates to the storage control systems of the plurality of storage control systems.

12. A storage control system, comprising:

a plurality of storage controllers in communication with clients; and

storage disks, comprising;

tiering media; and

a coherency controller, further comprising;

a configuration interface configured to monitor communications between the clients and the storage disks and generate a configuration table identifying connection paths between the clients and the storage disks; and

an operational interface configured to use the tiering media to store data associated with the storage operations according to the connection paths identified in the configuration table

wherein a storage controller of the plurality of storage controllers is a master storage controller and the configuration table is in the master storage controller;

the coherency controller further comprises a discovery interface configured to identify different members of a same group of storage control systems that each contain associated tiering media;

the configuration interface is configured to derive a mapping table that maps the connection paths with the tiering media in the group of storage control systems;

the mapping table maps different portions of a same logical address range with different tiering media operated by the different storage control systems with address offsets for the different portions of the logical address range; and

, the logic circuitry is configured to generate virtual addresses by adding the address offsets to physical addresses contained in the storage operations.

13. The storage control system according to claim 12 wherein the configuration interface is further configured to:

identify new connection paths between the clients and the disks;

generate an updated configuration table in the master storage controller that includes the new connection paths; and

send the updated configuration table to the group of storage control systems.

14. The storage control system according to claim 12 wherein the operational interface is configured to forward the storage operations to the members of the group of storage control systems having connection paths in the mapping table associated with the storage operations.

15. The storage control system according to claim 12 wherein the configuration interface is further configured to:

identify a single logic address range in the mapping table that includes the tiering media in each of the group of storage control systems;

detect a new storage control system of the group of storage control systems having tiering media;

generate an updated mapping table with a new logical address range that includes the tiering media of the new storage control system; and

send the updated mapping table to the different members of the group of storage control systems.