Netapp, Inc.

Network Appliance, Inc.

John Meneghini

Frederick Knight

Arthur F Lent

Santosh Ananth Rao

Arun Raj Rajendran

Vijayan Rajan

David Brittain Bolen

James R Grier

Saji Kumar Vijayakumari Rajendran Nair

Arun Kumar Rajendran

Saji Kumar Vijaya Kumari Rajendran Nair

Steven R Klinkner

John Hildebrand

Geoffrey Stewart Brown

Vinay Gupta

Nathan Baker

Aurn Kumar Rajendran

Methods and systems for a copy-offload operation are provided. A soft range lock is placed for a data container for generating a token for a copy-offload operation for copying the data container from a source location to a destination location, where presence of the soft range lock indicates that content of the data container has not changed during the copy-offload operation. A token for the copy-offload operation represents the content of data container and includes information regarding the soft range lock. The token with the soft range lock information is provided to the client that requests the copy-offload operation. If the soft range lock exists, then the data container is copied without using a point in time copy of the data container.

Methods and systems for a copy-offload operation

Methods and apparatuses for performing inter-protocol copy offload operations are provided. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a request in a first interface protocol from a host device. The request is a request to copy a data set from a source data storage location to a destination data storage location. The request includes a token, representing the data set, to be copied that was created using a second interface protocol that is different from the first interface protocol. The method also includes transferring the data set, in response to receiving the request, from the source data storage location to the destination data storage location without transferring the data set to the host device.

Inter-protocol copy offload

Techniques to managing non-disruptive SAN availability in a partitioned cluster comprising one or more components configured to determine whether to separate a cluster into two or more partitions, notify one or more responsive cluster nodes to separate the cluster into a first partition and a second partition, update one or more access states, notify the host that access states of one or more network paths has been updated, and provide the one or more access states. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Techniques to manage non-disruptive SAN availability in a partitioned cluster

Methods and apparatuses for performing simplified copy offload operations are provided. In one exemplary embodiment, a method includes creating a persistent point-in-time image of a data set of a source storage device in response to receiving a token request for a copy offload operation from a host. Creating the persistent point-in-time image includes generating pointers to data blocks of the data set, but does not include duplicating the data blocks. The method also includes transmitting a token that is a representation of the persistent point-in-time image to the host in response to the request.

Simplified copy offload

A system and method proxies data access commands acrossed a cluster interconnect between storage appliances and a cluster using a file-level protocol. Each storage appliance activates two ports per data access, a local port for data access requests directed to clients of the storage appliance and a proxy port for data access requests directed to the partner storage appliance. Clients utilizing multi-pathing software may send data access requests to either the local port of the storage appliance or the proxy port of the storage appliance. The system and method improves high availability, especially during a loss of connectivity due to non-storage appliance hardware failure.

System and method for proxying data access commands in a storage system cluster

A system and method provides a single system image for a clustered storage network including techniques for processing data access commands between storage appliances over the cluster interconnect. The system is configured such that the cluster is assigned a single world wide nodename. Requests coming to the cluster from client initiators are directed to one or the storage appliances in the cluster, i.e. the 'receiving' storage appliance. Commands received by the receiving storage appliance are examined to determine LUN value(s) in the request. If the LUN value is associated with a local storage device, the request is processed by the receiving storage appliance. If the LUN value is not associated with the receiving storage appliance, the request is conveyed over the cluster interconnect to the partner storage appliance to be processed and the appropriate data written or retrieved.

Single nodename cluster system for fibre channel

A user interface system simplifies management of a clustered storage system by a user or system administrator. The user interface system comprises a Command Line Interface (CLI) and/or a Graphical User Interface (GUI) that supports virtual ports associated with a single physical port and multi-mode operation of ports in the clustered storage system. Management of the clustered storage system is further simplified through the use of a novel command set used to, inter-alia, set a cluster mode and set a USE_PARTNER attribute of an initiator group (igroup).

User interface system for a clustered storage system

A storage system includes a communication port, the mode of operation of which can be dynamically switched by a user between a target mode and an initiator mode. The port may be a Fibre Channel port. The storage system may be a unified storage system operable to provide file-level access and block-level access to stored data.

Growing community of inventors

Billerica, MA, United States of America

John Meneghini