Dell Products Inc.

Clearsky Data

Equallogic, Inc.

Daniel E Suman

Lazarus J Vekiarides

Janice Ann Lacy

G Paul Koning

Paula Long

Peter C Hayden

Eric Robert Schott

Hsin H Lee

Kirtley C Gillum

Jason C Shamberger

Neil A Swinton

Paul G Koning

Lazarus Vekiarides

In an embodiment, a method can include storing a plurality of volumes on persistent media. A set of the volumes can store at least one portion of a same copy of data. The method can further include caching the set of the volumes as a single group. In an embodiment, the plurality of volumes can include at least one of drives, snapshots, clones and replicas.

Integrated page-sharing cache storing a single copy of data where the data is stored in two volumes and propagating changes to the data in the cache back to the two volumes via volume identifiers

A coordinating node acts as a write back cache, isolating local cache storage endpoints from latencies associated with accessing geographically remote cloud cache and storage resources.

Write back coordination node for cache latency correction

A coordinating node maintains globally consistent logical block address (LBA) metadata for a hierarchy of caches, which may be implemented in local and cloud based storage resources. Associated storage endpoints initially determine a hash associated with each access request, but forward the access request to the coordinating node to determine a unique discriminator for each hash.

Hash discriminator process for hierarchical cache system

A coordinating node creates virtual storage from a hierarchy of local and remote cache storage resources by maintaining global logical block address (LBA) metadata maps. A size of the metadata maps at each level of the hierarchy is independent of an amount of data allocated to a respective cache store at each level.

Decoupling data and metadata in hierarchical cache system

Systems and methods for providing an efficient partitioned resource server. In one embodiment, the partitioned resource server comprises a plurality of individual servers, and the individual servers appear to be equivalent to a client. Each of the individual servers may include a routing table that includes a reference for each resource that is maintained on the partitioned resource server. Requests from a client are processed as a function of the routing table to route the request to the individual server that maintains or has control over the resource of interest.

Client load distribution

A network of data processors for providing access to a resource, such as implemented a Storage Area Network that uses iSCSI and Microsoft MPIO-based network communication protocols. In preferred embodiments, the system or method uses (a) target-side consideration of MPIO disk structures, such as by having iSCSI initiators in from iSCSI targets via an iSCSI session object that is settable by a service action; and/or (b) uploading of routing tables from iSCSI targets to iSCSI initiator(s), such as to a Device Specific Module (DSM). Implementations may also involve, in a preferred embodiment: (1) requesting that the contents of the routing table be provided from the iSCSI target side storage servers to the iSCSI initiators, and using this as one of the factors influencing path selection as performed in the MPIO DSM on the initiator side; and/or (2) transmitting information from the iSCSI initiator to the iSCSI target storage server identifying connections as belonging to the same MPIO disk, and then receiving back from the iSCSI target storage server, information about the connections that should be created, and further then having a connection load balancer on the storage server handle those connections as related connections that need to be assigned each to a different Network Interface (NIC) on the storage servers.

Storage area network with target side recognition and routing table upload

The systems and methods described herein include methods for providing resources over a data network. The methods may be embodied as processes operating on a computer server, wherein that server comprises a plurality of server platforms, each of which are truly equivalent in that each provides a functionally equivalent interface to a client. In one practice of the invention, a method responds to client requests by detecting a request from a client for access to a resource and by establishing a connection for communicating with the client. The method then identifies a server available for servicing the detected request, and determines whether state information is associated with the connection. The method then, grants the identified server with access to the state information and allows the identified server to create and transmit a response to the client, also allowing the identified server to update the state information.

Growing community of inventors

Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America

Daniel E Suman