Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080244196 | Method and apparatus for a unified storage system - A unified storage system for executing a variety of types of storage control software using a single standardized hardware platform includes multiple storage control modules connected to storage devices for storing data related to input/output (I/O) operations. A first type of storage control software is initially installed and executed on a first storage control module for processing a first type of I/O operations. A management module replaces the first type of storage control software by installing a second type of storage control software onto the first storage control module. When the second type of storage control software is installed and executed, the first storage control module processes a second type of I/O operation, different from the first type of I/O operation. Control of volumes originally accessed by the first storage control module may be transferred to a second storage control module having the first type of storage control software installed. | 10-02-2008 |
20080250215 | Method for replicating snapshot volumes between storage systems - An apparatus, system, and method for replicating a snapshot volume in a first storage system to a second storage system includes mapping information corresponding to data in the first storage system that is transferred from the first storage system to the second storage system so that a file system in the second storage system can mount the data after replication. Replication of the snapshot volume can be accomplished using a remote copy mechanism. The snapshot volume can be obtained from a primary source volume P-VOL and a differential source volume D-VOL. If the corresponding destination volumes are not known, a search is conducted to locate appropriate volumes in the second storage system. Mapping information regarding these destination volumes is utilized to enable the file system in the second storage system to mount the replicated snapshot volume. | 10-09-2008 |
20090024752 | Method and apparatus for storage-service-provider-aware storage system - A storage system includes a virtual volume configured on a storage controller and mapping to a physical storage capacity maintained at a remote location by a storage service provider (SSP). The storage controller receives an I/O command in a block-based protocol specifying a logical block address (LBA). The storage controller correlates the LBA with a file name of a file stored by the SSP, translates the I/O command to an IP-supported protocol, and forwards the translated I/O command with the file name to the SSP for processing. In the case of a write command, the SSP stores the write data using the specified file name. In the case of a read command, the SSP enables download of data from the specified file name. In an alternative embodiment, a NAS head may replace the storage controller for correlating the LBA with a file name and translating the I/O command. | 01-22-2009 |
20090043828 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR NAS/CAS INTEGRATED STORAGE SYSTEM - Storage system and method are provided which integrate CAS name space with NAS name space in GNS. The storage system implements archive application functionalities, such as: 1) The name space of CAS can be integrated with NASs under GNS; 2) The storage system is equipped with CAS interface to receive the CAS command from an archive application; 3) The storage system is equipped with index creation and search functionalities; during file archiving from NAS to CAS, a detailed indexing is created; 4) During a file archiving from NAS to CAS, default metadata for the archived file is added; and 5) During a file restore, the storage system can maintain a pointer to the location on CAS, and the pointer is used at a file re-archiving to utilize original metadata and index for the re-archiving file. | 02-12-2009 |
20090089335 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR NAS/CAS UNIFIED STORAGE SYSTEM - An integrated NAS/CAS system is disclosed. The system includes a view management program that is able to provide a NAS view and a CAS view of files to NAS and CAS clients. The system applied NAS or CAS features to stored files according to the view status of the file. Migration of files from NAS to CAS for archiving may be done without transmitting the file, thereby reducing bandwidth requirements and increasing security. CAS features, such as retention policy and metadata can be added to the file when its view is changed from NAS to CAS. | 04-02-2009 |
20090177720 | FAILOVER METHOD OF REMOTELY-MIRRORED CLUSTERED FILE SERVERS - By incorporating a referral mechanism, a failover method and system for remotely mirrored clustered file servers enables a client computer to transparently access a remotely mirrored file system during a failover of a first NAS (network attached storage) storing the file system. The first NAS is clustered with a second NAS that takes over the IP address of the first NAS on failover. A mirroring relationship is established between the first NAS and a third NAS whereby a copy of the file system is replicated to the third NAS. A referral is created on the second NAS, such that an access attempt from the client computer for accessing the first file system that is directed to the second NAS following IP address takeover from the first NAS after failover is referred to the third NAS by the referral to enable the client computer to access the copy of the file system. | 07-09-2009 |
20090240975 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR VIRTUAL NETWORK ATTACHED STORAGE REMOTE MIGRATION - A system and a method for causing migration of VNASs formed on NAS heads of one NAS system to other NAS heads on the same NAS system or on other NAS systems including independent storage systems. A VNAS management program on each NAS head includes a VNAS assign program, a failure detect program and a load balance program, that all include a capability for causing remote migration of VNASs on the NAS head in case a VNAS fails, the NAS head fails, or the entire NAS system fails. The VNAS management capability may cause VNAS migration if a NAS head is over loaded or if it is lightly loaded and may be powered down after its VNASs have been transferred. | 09-24-2009 |
20090300079 | Integrated remote replication in hierarchical storage systems - Remote replication is implemented with hierarchical storage. In exemplary embodiments, a first storage site has a first storage system providing an upper tier of storage and a second storage system providing a lower tier of storage. A remote second storage site has third and fourth storage systems configured to receive remote replication from the first and second storage systems, respectively. When a file is migrated from the upper tier to the lower tier, a stub file is stored in place of the migrated file indicating a storage location of the migrated file on the second storage system. When copies of the migrated file and the stub file are replicated to the fourth and third storage systems, respectively, information is transmitted to the second storage site for linking the copy of the stub file at the third storage system to the copy of the migrated file at the fourth storage system. | 12-03-2009 |
20090319736 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR INTEGRATED NAS AND CAS DATA BACKUP - An integrated NAS and CAS storage system and method. System includes NAS and CAS devices and NAS and CAS clients. NAS device includes a NAS head for file sharing, and a storage system providing disk volume to store files. CAS device includes CAS head for archiving files, and a storage system providing disk volume to store archived files. CAS client includes archive AP for migrating files from NAS device to CAS device for archiving, and generating stub data indicating destination file path of archived data. When NAS client accesses stub data, NAS device receives data from CAS device and sends the data to NAS client. When NAS client accesses stub data as backup server, NAS device merely sends stub data to NAS client. NAS device employs methods of classifying the access type from NAS client, as normal NAS access or special NAS access for backup operation. | 12-24-2009 |
20100057985 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ALLOCATING PERFORMANCE TO DATA VOLUMES ON DATA STORAGE SYSTEMS AND CONTROLLING PERFORMANCE OF DATA VOLUMES - System and method for dynamic chunk allocation to data volumes in storage systems. The system includes host computer, management computer and storage system. A dynamic chunk allocation program in the storage system allocates chunks from chunk pool to a volume using a chunk pool management table and a chunk table. A chunk allocation rule table holds rules for allocating chunks from the HDDs. The dynamic chunk allocation program refers to the chunk allocation rule table, to allocate a chunk to a volume. The storage system may have a chunk move program for moving a chunk from one HDD to another HDD or from parity group to parity group for load balancing. A host ID identifying program in the storage system is also used for load balancing. The chunk allocation rule table may be updated by the management computer or rule creation program for changing the rules. | 03-04-2010 |
20100082675 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ENABLING WIDE AREA GLOBAL NAME SPACE - Described are methods and apparatus for establishing a wide area GNS. The key points for implementing the wide area GNS are GNS information sharing among sites and maintaining cache consistency. In a system having the wide area GNS functionality, NFS clients may need to gain access to remote file systems, which may result in prolonged delays. Even worse, network file system protocol may not be able to penetrate firewalls. To solve these problems a cache technology is applied. Once cache mechanism is deployed, cache consistency control is implemented. More specifically, the situation when the NFS client opens a cached file at a remote site, and NFS client would like to write data to an original file. | 04-01-2010 |
20100082729 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PREVENTING THROUGHPUT DEPRESSION IN POWER SAVING NAS SYSTEM - To solve the problem of TCP timeout between NAS head and NAS client caused by the time required for disk drive power on, agent is installed on NAS client and a window size control program is installed on NAS head. The window size control program requests storing TCP/IP window size information at the agent at execution of the disk drive power on operation. After the disk drive power on operation completes, the window size control program requests restoring of TCP/IP window size on NAS client using the window size information stored in the agent. In another implementation, no agent is installed on NAS client. Rather, TCP/IP programs in both NAS client and NAS head are appropriately modified. The window size control program on NAS head issues a request to close TCP/IP session to TCP/IP program on the NAS client at the execution of the disk drive power off operation. After TCP connection is closed by TCP/IP program on the NAS head, the NFS program and TCP/IP program on NAS client tries to reestablish TCP/IP connection with NAS head. At that time, TCP/IP program on NAS client sets large initial send window size, and TCP/IP program on NAS head sends a large receive window size. After that, new session starts with large TCP/IP window size. | 04-01-2010 |
20100318625 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR STORAGE-SERVICE-PROVIDER-AWARE STORAGE SYSTEM - A storage system includes a virtual volume configured on a storage controller and mapping to a physical storage capacity maintained at a remote location by a storage service provider (SSP). The storage controller receives an I/O command in a block-based protocol specifying a logical block address (LBA). The storage controller correlates the LBA with a file name of a file stored by the SSP, translates the I/O command to an IP-supported protocol, and forwards the translated I/O command with the file name to the SSP for processing. In the case of a write command, the SSP stores the write data using the specified file name. In the case of a read command, the SSP enables download of data from the specified file name. In an alternative embodiment, a NAS head may replace the storage controller for correlating the LBA with a file name and translating the I/O command. | 12-16-2010 |
20110082977 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR A UNIFIED STORAGE SYSTEM - A unified storage system for executing a variety of types of storage control software using a single standardized hardware platform includes multiple storage control modules connected to storage devices for storing data related to input/output (I/O) operations. A first type of storage control software is initially installed and executed on a first storage control module for processing a first type of I/O operations. A management module replaces the first type of storage control software by installing a second type of storage control software onto the first storage control module. When the second type of storage control software is installed and executed, the first storage control module processes a second type of I/O operation, different from the first type of I/O operation. Control of volumes originally accessed by the first storage control module may be transferred to a second storage control module having the first type of storage control software installed. | 04-07-2011 |
20110320642 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR A UNIFIED STORAGE SYSTEM - A unified storage system for executing a variety of types of storage control software using a single standardized hardware platform includes multiple storage control modules connected to storage devices for storing data related to input/output (I/O) operations. A first type of storage control software is initially installed and executed on a first storage control module for processing a first type of I/O operations. A management module replaces the first type of storage control software by installing a second type of storage control software onto the first storage control module. When the second type of storage control software is installed and executed, the first storage control module processes a second type of I/O operation, different from the first type of I/O operation. Control of volumes originally accessed by the first storage control module may be transferred to a second storage control module having the first type of storage control software installed. | 12-29-2011 |