Vmware, Inc.

Datrium, Inc.

Datrium, Linc.

Brian Biles

Boris Weissman

Ganesh Venkitachalam

Sazzala Reddy

R Hugo Patterson, Iii

R Hugo Patterson

R Hugo Patterson Iii

A data storage system includes a plurality of hosts, each of which includes at least one processor and communicates over a network with a plurality of storage nodes, at least one of which has at least one storage device, at least one storage controller, and at least one non-volatile memory. At least one process within a host issues data storage read/write requests. At least one of the hosts has a cache for caching data stored in at least one of the plurality of storage nodes. The host writes data corresponding to a write request to at least one remote non-volatile memory and carries out at least one storage processing function; data in the written-to node may then be made available for subsequent reading by a different one of the hosts. Examples of the storage processing function include compression, ECC computation, deduplicating, garbage collection, write logging, reconstruction, rebalancing, and scrubbing.

Data storage with a distributed virtual array

A data storage system includes a plurality of hosts, each of which includes at least one processor and communicates over a network with a plurality of storage nodes, at least one of which has at least one storage device, at least one storage controller, and at least one non-volatile memory. At least one process within a host issues data storage read/write requests. At least one of the hosts has a cache for caching data stored in at least one of the storage nodes. The host writes data corresponding to a write request to at least one remote non-volatile memory and carries out at least one storage processing function; data in the written-to node may then be made available for subsequent reading by a different one of the hosts. Examples of the storage processing function include compression, ECC computation, deduplicating, garbage collection, write logging, reconstruction, rebalancing, and scrubbing.

Embodiments of a distributed virtual array data storage system and method are disclosed. Storage nodes made up of relatively unsophisticated disks with associated processors are scalable to store very large amounts of data. The storage nodes communicate with servers directly over a network through, for example, an Ethernet connection. Control of the storage nodes and access to the storage nodes is handled entirely on the server side of the system by distributed virtual array (DVA) software running on the server side and employing a particular protocol over the standard network connection. In an embodiment, server-side virtual machine (VM) hosts host application VMs that are associated with vDisks. The DVA software distributes data for the vDisk over the storage nodes. In the case of failure of one or more of the storage nodes, the DVA software reconstructs the data, for example by reading redundant data from surviving storage nodes.

Distributed virtual array data storage system and method

Growing community of inventors

San Carlos, CA, United States of America

Brian Biles