Storage Technology Corporation

Other

Stephen S Selkirk

Charles Allen Milligan

Kenneth L Willis

Perry Wayde Merritt

Edward T Gladstone

Michael Lawrence Leonhardt

Thai Nguyen

William A Burns

James Boyd Lenehan

Nicholas J Krull

Michael Vaughn Konshak

George A Rudeseal

Steven Harvey McCown

Jacques Debiez

Robert F Walsh

Philippe Y Le Graverand

Gerald O'Nions

Ludovic Duval

Robert Klunker

James Prescott Hughes

Mark C Briel

Gerald O Nions

The present invention provides a flexible storage system through the use of portable, removable canisters holding multiple storage subsystems.

Canister-based storage system

A system is provided to support dynamically changeable virtual mapping schemes in a data processing system. The present invention separates processing of data unit requirements from the selection of which storage subsystems to use for storage by using a storage methodologies inventory. A stored data management subsystem contains one or more hosts. A plurality of data storage elements is functionally coupled to the one or more hosts. The plurality of data storage elements is organized using a plurality of layers of mapping tables. The plurality of layers of mapping tables provides unique identification of location of the data such that individual data entries in a mapping table is variable and self-defining with respect to the amount of data managed.

Dynamically changeable virtual mapping scheme

A method, computer program product, and data processing system for continuously writing new data to a redundant array of independent storage devices without interrupting the writing of new data to the array to reconstruct missing data from a failed device or failed media is disclosed. A fault-tolerance scheme using multiple independent parity values is used to record data to the array. In the event that one of the volumes in the array fails, the remaining volumes continue being written to, but with fewer data or parity values being employed. The failed volume can then be reconstructed following the completion of writing the media set currently being written.

Simultaneous writing and reconstruction of a redundant array of independent limited performance storage devices

A direct access storage system includes at least one disk and a controller. The at least one disk physically may be partitioned into at least one first access performance partition and at least one other access performance partition. The controller may be configured to process I/O accesses to the first access performance partition without regulation and regulate I/O accesses to the at least one other access performance partition.

System and method for quality of service management in a partitioned storage device or subsystem

A system is provided to support dynamically flexible data definitions and storage requirements in a data processing system. The present invention separates processing of data unit requirements from the selection of which storage subsystems to use for storage by using a storage methodologies inventory. The present invention provides a system to support dynamically flexible data definitions and storage requirements in a data processing system. A virtual stored data management subsystem contains one or more hosts. A plurality of virtual data units are functionally coupled to the one or more hosts. The plurality of virtual data units includes associated management information such that the management information provides first and second boundaries. The first and second boundaries limit preferences in which to store the virtual data units with the stored data management subsystem.

System to support dynamically flexible data definitions and storage requirements

A mechanism is provided for storing self-defining data and mapping elements with either a fixed set of allowed structures or types or with the structures and types determined by rules. Recovery is enhanced by the use of backward and forward pointers between data and mapping elements for the data elements in the order written by the management algorithm. Recovery is also enhanced by the use of companion pointers with metadata. The companion pointers may include pointers to data or mapping elements that are part of the same structural grouping. The metadata may describe the structural grouping. The metadata may also include pointers to the previous and/or next versions of the same elements. Recovery of the data and/or mapping structures is achieved by the reverse application of the management algorithm.

Data element including metadata that includes data management information for managing the data element

In a redundant storage subsystem including an array controller and a group composed of a plurality of storage devices, a method is provided. The method includes logically parsing each storage device of the group into a corresponding number of allocation units. A stripe size is selected, and a series of writing operations is performed. Each writing operation includes selecting a subset of the plurality of storage devices based on the stripe size, and writing the stripe of data to the subset of the plurality of storage devices. The selected subset over the series of writing operations varies from operation to operation.

System and method for raid striping

A virtual stored data management system is provided. In one embodiment, the management system includes one or more hosts and a plurality of data storage elements functionally coupled to the hosts. Each data storage element includes a host network attachment, data transfer means, a storage controller, and permanent data storage media. The permanent data storage media is organized with management information uniquely associated with units of the data such that the management information may be manipulated in several different locations within the management system substantially simultaneously. Thus, the organization of the management processes allows for the management information to be processed, used, changed, or modified in several different locations within the management system at any particular instance. Provision is made for the internal processes to discover the current location of the processing, for the location to be changed as directed, and for the processing to be kept consistent when done in more than one place simultaneously.

Floating virtualization layers

Recovery of dynamic maps and data managed thereby

A method, apparatus and computer program product for performing an instant copy of data are provided to support dynamically changeable virtual mapping schemes in a data processing system. The present invention separates processing of data unit requirements from the selection of which storage subsystems to use for storage by using a storage methodologies inventory. Various instant copy mechanisms are provided for copying data upon receiving a write operation to either original or copy data. The instant copy mechanisms may be selected based on the type of mapping originally used to store the data that is to be copied. Determining the mapping of the data may include parsing extents of the data into sets based on types of mapping used to map extents. The mapping of the data may be one of load point and offset, and a full pointer mapping.

Apparatus and method for performing an instant copy of data based on a dynamically changeable virtual mapping scheme

A method, apparatus, and computer program product for performing an instant copy of data. Various instant copy mechanisms are provided for copying data upon receiving a write operation to either original or to copy data. Upon receiving a write operation for writing new data to a first data location, new data is written to a second data location in an additional physical storage area regardless of whether the first data location is in an initial physical storage area or the additional physical storage area. Original data may be separated from copy data by determining a first amount of new data for original data present in the additional physical storage area and a second amount of new data for copy data present in the additional physical storage area. The instant copy mechanisms may be selected based on the type of mapping originally used to store the data to be copied.

Apparatus and method for instant copy of data by writing new data to an additional physical storage area

A method, apparatus, and computer program product for performing an instant copy of data are disclosed. Various instance copy mechanisms are provided for copying data upon receiving a write operation command to write data to a data location in one of an initial physical storage area and an additional physical storage area. An instant copy operation is performed to copy data from the data location to write new data to the data location. The instance copy operation includes generating a pointer to one of the new data and original data in the data location and updating the pointer to one of the original data or new data in the data location upon writing data to the data location.

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Broomfield, CO, United States of America

Stephen S Selkirk