Abstract: A solid-state drive includes a flash memory device, a power loss protection circuit, a dynamic random access memory (RAM) coupled to the power loss protection circuit, and a controller configured to direct I/O requests to either the flash memory drive or the RAM. Because the controller can direct I/O request to the RAM, the RAM is revealed as a separate mass storage device to a host. Consequently, the RAM provides additional and significantly higher performance storage capacity to the solid-state drive.

Abstract: A compact storage server is configured with two 2.5-inch form factor disk drives, a solid-state drive, and a processor, all mounted on a support frame that conforms to a 3.5-inch disk drive form factor specification. The 2.5-inch form factor disk drives may be configured as the mass storage devices for the compact storage server, the solid-state drive may be configured to increase performance of the compact storage server, and the processor may be configured to perform object storage server operations, such as responding to requests from clients with respect to storing and retrieving objects.

Abstract: A system and method provides a remote direct memory access over a transport medium that does not natively support remote direct memory access operations. An emulated VI module of a storage operating system emulates RDMA operations over such a medium, e.g., conventional Ethernet, thereby enabling storage. Storage appliances in a cluster configuration utilize the non-RDMA compatible transport medium as a cluster interconnect.

Abstract: A storage server obtains metadata to describe a filesystem, then processes the metadata to locate a data block and reads the data block from a remote storage subsystem. Apparatus and software implementing embodiments of the invention are also described and claimed.

Abstract: Data with a short useful lifetime are received and cached by a system. The system waits for the first to occur of two events. If the first event is a local cache flush trigger, the data is written to a longer-term storage subsystem. If the first event is a remote cache flush trigger, the data is discarded. Systems and methods to benefit from this procedure are described and claimed.

Abstract: Data with a short useful lifetime are received and cached by a system. The system waits for the first to occur of two events. If the first event is a local cache flush trigger, the data is written to a longer-term storage subsystem. If the first event is a remote cache flush trigger, the data is discarded. Systems and methods to benefit from this procedure are described and claimed.

Abstract: A server storage system operating in a cluster mode, and a method for operating the server system that provides additional memory for use by a non-failed server to store log records while taking over the operations of a failed server.

Abstract: A filer converts a traditional volume to a flexible volume by: creating an aggregate on storage devices other than the storage devices of the traditional volume; on the aggregate, creating a flexible volume large enough to store metadata describing files residing on the traditional volume; on the flexible volume, creating metadata structures that describe the files of the traditional volume, except that the metadata indicates that data blocks and indirect blocks are absent and must be fetched from another location. As the filer handles I/O requests directed to the flexible volume, the filer calculates physical volume block number (PVBN) addresses where the requested blocks would be located in the aggregate and replaces the absent pointers with the calculated addresses. After the absent pointers have been replaced, the filer adds the storage devices of the traditional volume.

Abstract: A system and method for reliable peer-to-peer communication is provided. The system and method includes a cluster connection manager that acts as a unified resource for opening, closing and maintaining peer-to-peer communication channels between applications executing on storage systems comprising a storage system cluster. The cluster connection manager communicates with cluster connection manager clients to maintain and manage the communication channels. The cluster connection manager may also be operatively interconnected with a plurality of cluster interconnect devices, thereby enabling failover operation in the event that a cluster interconnect device suffers an error condition.

Abstract: A destination storage server, which may be a filer, mirrors a volume managed by a source storage server, which may also be a filer. According to an embodiment of the invention, changes made to the source volume are logged and persistently stored on a data container, such as a file, on the destination volume. The source storage server is coupled to clients that make data access requests to the volume. When an access request is made by a client, the request is written to a log on the source storage server. At the same time, the request is written to a data container on a volume managed by the destination storage server. Each source storage server coupled to the destination storage server has its own file on the volume.

Abstract: A system and method for reliable peer-to-peer communication is provided. The system and method includes a cluster connection manager that acts as a unified resource for opening, closing and maintaining peer-to-peer communication channels between applications executing on storage systems comprising a storage system cluster. The cluster connection manager communicates with cluster connection manager clients to maintain and manage the communication channels. The cluster connection manager may also be operatively interconnected with a plurality of cluster interconnect devices, thereby enabling failover operation in the event that a cluster interconnect device suffers an error condition.

Abstract: A method comprising receiving a request for a connection over a network to an address is disclosed. The network conforms to a first network protocol, and the address conforms to a second network protocol. A field is compared to the network address. If the field matches the network address, a connection is established with a network node corresponding to the file. According to another embodiment of the invention, a Fibre Channel (FC) Virtual Interface (VI) is used to forward Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) packets.

Abstract: In one embodiment the invention provides a method for establishing a point-to-point link between two peer nodes in a communications network. According to the method, one of the client and server roles is assigned to each of the two nodes based on a rule. Thereafter, the point-to-point link is established between the two nodes based on a predefined client-server connection protocol.

Abstract: A method and system mirror flexible volumes in a circular or bi-directional configuration, without creating a deadlock. A source filer maintains a number of log files on a destination filer, where the number of log files is greater than or equal to the number of cache flush operations the primary filer performs between cache flush operations on the destination filer. The source filer can create the log files in advance. Alternatively or in addition, the source filer can create the log files as needed, i.e., the source filer can create a log file when the source filer flushes its cache. Once the destination filer flushes its cache, the log files created prior to the destination filer cache flush can be deallocated or reused.

Abstract: A method for detecting an un-bootable first computer is described. A failed first computer initiates a boot procedure, and the boot procedure is controlled by boot firmware of the first computer. A virtual interface is established by the boot firmware, the virtual interface having boot status data written therein as the failed computer boots. A second computer reads the boot status data in the virtual interface using a remote direct memory access procedure to access data in the virtual interface. The second computer determines, in response to the boot status data, if the boot procedure of the first computer failed, and if it failed performing a failover routine; and if it succeeded allowing the failed computer to complete its boot procedure. Another connection between the first computer and the second computer is opened, in response to the boot procedure succeeding, using higher level software than the boot firmware.

Abstract: A filer converts a traditional volume to a flexible volume by: creating an aggregate on storage devices other than the storage devices of the traditional volume; on the aggregate, creating a flexible volume large enough to store metadata describing files residing on the traditional volume; on the flexible volume, creating metadata structures that describe the files of the traditional volume, except that the metadata indicates that data blocks and indirect blocks are absent and must be fetched from another location. As the filer handles I/O requests directed to the flexible volume, the filer calculates physical volume block number (PVBN) addresses where the requested blocks would be located in the aggregate and replaces the absent pointers with the calculated addresses. After the absent pointers have been replaced, the filer adds the storage devices of the traditional volume.

Abstract: A storage server obtains metadata to describe a filesystem, then processes the metadata to locate a data block and reads the data block from a remote storage subsystem. Apparatus and software implementing embodiments of the invention are also described and claimed.

Abstract: Data storage methods and apparatus combining read-only and read-write storage are described. Data may be located by information maintained in a filesystem; each data block is stored in either the read-only storage or the read-write storage.

Abstract: A method and system mirror flexible volumes in a circular or bi-directional configuration, without creating a deadlock. A source filer maintains a number of log files on a destination filer, where the number of log files is greater than or equal to the number of cache flush operations the primary filer performs between cache flush operations on the destination filer. The source filer can create the log files in advance. Alternatively or in addition, the source filer can create the log files as needed, i.e., the source filer can create a log file when the source filer flushes its cache. Once the destination filer flushes its cache, the log files created prior to the destination filer cache flush can be deallocated or reused.

Abstract: A system and method for monitoring cluster partner boot status over a RDMA-capable transport protocol is provided. Upon initialization, a storage system in a cluster generates a virtual interface connection using a predetermined and pre-assigned fibre channel identification and virtual interface number. The surviving storage system may then open a connection to this predetermined and predefined virtual interface connection and issue RDMA commands thereto. This surviving storage system may utilize the RDMA capabilities of the virtual interface protocol to obtain a set of boot statistics to determine whether the booting file or storage system is progressing normally.