Yottayotta, Inc.

Emc Corporation

Other

Seek Systems, Inc.

William P Brown

Michael B Mathews

Dale Hagglund

Ron Unrau

Michael B Matthews

Multiple Array Management Functions (AMFs) are connected to multiple redundancy groups over a storage area network (SAN), such as a fiber-channel based SAN. The multiple AMFs share management responsibility of the redundancy groups, each of which typically includes multiple resources spread over multiple disks. The AMFs provide concurrent access to the redundancy groups for associated host systems. When a host requests an AMF to perform an operation on a resource, the AMF synchronizes with the other AMFs sharing control of the redundancy group that includes the resource to be operated on, so as to obtain access to the resource. While performing the operation, the AMF send replication data and state information associated with the resource such that if the AMF fails, any of the other AMFs are able to complete the operation and maintain data reliability and coherency.

Methods and systems for implementing shared disk array management functions

Multiple Array Management Functions (AMFs) are connected to multiple redundancy groups over a storage area network (SAN), such as a fiber-channel based SAN. The multiple AMFs share management responsibility of the redundancy groups, each of which typically includes multiple resources spread over multiple disks. The AMFs provide concurrent access to the redundancy groups for associated host systems. When a host requests an AMF to perform an operation on a resource, the AMF synchronizes with the other AMFs sharing control of the redundancy group that includes the resource to be operated on, so as to obtain a lock on the resource. While performing the operation, the AMF send replication data and state information associated with the resource such that if the AMF fails, any of the other AMFs are able to complete the operation and maintain data reliability and coherency.

At least a first and a second server of a cluster of servers are equipped with complementary software RAID drivers and distributed lock managers to enable the first server to delegate to the second server, writing of a version of a unit of coherent data into a number of storage devices coupled to the server cluster. The drivers and lock managers are designed to enable the first server to determine the second server as an appropriate current synchronization server target, which determination includes consideration of the last synchronization server target. If the last synchronization server target is not the appropriate current synchronization server target, the second server is selected among the 'eligible' servers of the cluster. The consideration/selection may be based on the usage state of the candidate server.

Software raid methods and apparatuses including server usage based write delegation

Methods and systems for implementing shared disk array management

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Bellevue, WA, United States of America

William P Brown