Abstract: Systems and methods for providing service virtualization endpoint (SVE) redundancy in a two-node, active-standby form. An active-standby pair of SVEs register with a cloud-centric-network control point (CCN-CP) as a single service node (SN) using a virtual IP address for both a control-plane and a data-plane. At any given time, only the active SVE is a host for the control-plane and the data-plane. When a failover happens, the hosting operation is taken over by the standby SVE, therefore the failover will be transparent to CCN-CP and the SN.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing service virtualization endpoint (SVE) redundancy in a two-node, active-standby form. An active-standby pair of SVEs register with a cloud-centric-network control point (CCN-CP) as a single service node (SN) using a virtual IP address for both a control-plane and a data-plane. At any given time, only the active SVE is a host for the control-plane and the data-plane. When a failover happens, the hosting operation is taken over by the standby SVE, therefore the failover will be transparent to CCN-CP and the SN.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and apparatus for facilitating transmission of file access type messages over a Fiber Channel (FC) network. In one embodiment, at a file interposed access protocol layer of a file access client, a file access type operation is received from a file access type layer at the client device. The interposed layer may be interposed between an upper file access layer and an FC layer. The file access type operation specifies a request pertaining to file access. At the interposed file access protocol layer of the client, the file access type operation is modified into one or more sequence of operations so that the operations can be transmitted over an FC network. A sequence of operations are transmitted to an file access server over the FC network.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and apparatus for facilitating transmission of file access type messages over a Fibre Channel (FC) network. In one embodiment, at a file interposed access protocol layer of a file access client, a file access type operation is received from a file access type layer at the client device. The interposed layer may be interposed between an upper file access layer and an FC layer. The file access type operation specifies a request pertaining to file access. At the interposed file access protocol layer of the client, the file access type operation is modified into one or more sequence of operations so that the operations can be transmitted over an FC network. A sequence of operations are transmitted to an file access server over the FC network.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and apparatus for facilitating transmission of file access type messages over a Fibre Channel (FC) network. In one embodiment, at a file interposed access protocol layer of a file access client, a file access type operation is received from a file access type layer at the client device. The interposed layer may be interposed between an upper file access layer and an FC layer. The file access type operation specifies a request pertaining to file access. At the interposed file access protocol layer of the client, the file access type operation is modified into one or more sequence of operations so that the operations can be transmitted over an FC network. A sequence of operations are transmitted to an file access server over the FC network.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing service virtualization endpoint (SVE) redundancy in a two-node, active-standby form. An active-standby pair of SVEs register with a cloud-centric-network control point (CCN-CP) as a single service node (SN) using a virtual IP address for both a control-plane and a data-plane. At any given time, only the active SVE is a host for the control-plane and the data-plane. When a failover happens, the hosting operation is taken over by the standby SVE, therefore the failover will be transparent to CCN-CP and the SN.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and apparatus for facilitating transmission of file access type messages over a Fibre Channel (FC) network. In one embodiment, at a file interposed access protocol layer of a file access client, a file access type operation is received from a file access type layer at the client device. The interposed layer may be interposed between an upper file access layer and an FC layer. The file access type operation specifies a request pertaining to file access. At the interposed file access protocol layer of the client, the file access type operation is modified into one or more sequence of operations so that the operations can be transmitted over an FC network. A sequence of operations are transmitted to an file access server over the FC network.

Abstract: Disclosed are apparatus and methods for facilitating caching in a storage area network (SAN). In general, data transfer traffic between one or more hosts and one or more memory portions in one or more storage device(s) is redirected to one or more cache modules. One or more network devices (e.g., switches) of the SAN can be configured to redirect data transfer for a particular memory portion of one or more storage device(s) to a particular cache module. As needed, data transfer traffic for any number of memory portions and storage devices can be identified for or removed from being redirected to a particular cache module. Also, any number of cache modules can be utilized for receiving redirected traffic so that such redirected traffic is divided among such cache modules in any suitable proportion for enhanced flexibility.

Abstract: Disclosed are apparatus and methods for facilitating caching in a storage area network (SAN). In general, data transfer traffic between one or more hosts and one or more memory portions in one or more storage device(s) is redirected to one or more cache modules. One or more network devices (e.g., switches) of the SAN can be configured to redirect data transfer for a particular memory portion of one or more storage device(s) to a particular cache module. As needed, data transfer traffic for any number of memory portions and storage devices can be identified for or removed from being redirected to a particular cache module. Also, any number of cache modules can be utilized for receiving redirected traffic so that such redirected traffic is divided among such cache modules in any suitable proportion for enhanced flexibility.

Abstract: Disclosed are apparatus and methods for facilitating caching in a storage area network (SAN). In general, data transfer traffic between one or more hosts and one or more memory portions in one or more storage device(s) is redirected to one or more cache modules. One or more network devices (e.g., switches) of the SAN can be configured to redirect data transfer for a particular memory portion of one or more storage device(s) to a particular cache module. As needed, data transfer traffic for any number of memory portions and storage devices can be identified for or removed from being redirected to a particular cache module. Also, any number of cache modules can be utilized for receiving redirected traffic so that such redirected traffic is divided among such cache modules in any suitable proportion for enhanced flexibility.

Abstract: Disclosed are apparatus and methods for facilitating caching in a storage area network (SAN). In general, data transfer traffic between one or more hosts and one or more memory portions in one or more storage device(s) is redirected to one or more cache modules. One or more network devices (e.g., switches) of the SAN can be configured to redirect data transfer for a particular memory portion of one or more storage device(s) to a particular cache module. As needed, data transfer traffic for any number of memory portions and storage devices can be identified for or removed from being redirected to a particular cache module. Also, any number of cache modules can be utilized for receiving redirected traffic so that such redirected traffic is divided among such cache modules in any suitable proportion for enhanced flexibility.

Abstract: An embodiment of the invention provides a method for creating a snapshot of a data store. A command to create a snapshot of an original data store, stored to a parent virtual logical unit (VLU), is received. A deferred propagation data structure (DPDS) is associated with the parent VLU. The DPDS is capable of containing data propagation records and separators, each data propagation record contains a previous version of one or more data blocks of the parent VLU, each separator contains a pointer to a particular child VLU storing a snapshot of the original data store and separating the data propagation records pertaining to the particular child VLU. A child VLU to store the copy of the original data store is created. A new separator containing a pointer to the child VLU is created in the DPDS. A search pointer pointing to the DPDS is implemented in the child VLU.

Abstract: A storage system includes a cache and a collection of metadata, organized by their associations with regard to the data they represent. In one embodiment, the cache stores data blocks in a first plurality of locations. A first metadata storage stores metadata including block addresses of data blocks within the cache. A second metadata storage includes a second plurality of locations, each for storing metadata including a block address identifying a corresponding data block within the cache. The metadata stored within the second metadata storage also includes a first pointer to the corresponding data block. In addition, at least one of the second locations may store a second pointer to another of the second locations that stores metadata corresponding to a related data block. The cache and the first metadata storage are non-volatile storages; however, the second metadata storage may be a volatile storage.

Abstract: A storage system including hierarchical cache metadata storages includes a cache, a first metadata storage, and a second metadata storage. In one embodiment, the cache may store a plurality of data blocks in a first plurality of locations. The first metadata storage may include a plurality of entries that stores metadata including block addresses of data blocks within the cache. The second metadata storage may include a second plurality of locations for storing metadata including the block addresses identifying the data blocks within the cache. The metadata stored within the second metadata storage may also include pointers to the data blocks within the cache. The cache and the first metadata storage are non-volatile storages. However, the second metadata storage may be a volatile storage.

Abstract: A metadata tree structure having a plurality of nodes (slabs), each node containing a MD table. Each of the MD tables has a plurality of entries. Each of the entries in the MD tables represents a contiguous range of block addresses and contains a pointer to a cache slot storing a date block corresponding to the block address, or an indicator to indicate that the corresponding data block is not stored in a NVRAM cache slot. Each MD table also contains a block address range indicator to indicate the contiguous range of block addresses, and at least one pointer to point to any parent or child nodes. In an alternative embodiment, the pointer of each MD entry may point to a disk address if the data is not in cache. For such an embodiment, portions of the MD store may be stored to disk.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide methods and systems for data movement in data storage systems. For one embodiment, a physical data storage parcel containing a first type of data requiring a first type of processing and a second type of data requiring a second type of processing is created. The first type of data is transferred to a first memory address space via a direct memory access operation and the second type of data is transferred to a second memory address space via the direct memory access operation. For one embodiment, the first type of data and the second type of data are copied to physically distinct data storage mediums. In an alternative embodiment, the first type of data and the second type of data are copied to distinct data storage structures of the same device. Thus, the bulk memory access operations are performed via hardware, thereby reducing performance impact.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide methods and apparatuses for accessing MD atomically. For one embodiment, the local cache and the remote cache are each provided with an MBE. To perform an atomic access operation, the local processing system allocates a burst descriptor buffer. The burst descriptor buffer is used to specify the addresses to be atomically accessed. For write operations, the burst descriptor buffer also specifies the update data. The addresses, and data, if any, are then transmitted to the remote cache as a series of packets constituting a single data access request. The MBE of the remote cache then performs the operations contained in the request. Upon completion of all of the operations the remote MBE transmits an acknowledgement. For read operations the remote MBE also transmits the requested data.

Abstract: A method for creating a point-in-time copy of a data store. A command to create a point-in-time copy of an original data store is received. The processing of input/output operations to the original data store is suspended. A metadata structure of a copy data store is created. The metadata structure contains a null metadata slab tree, a backing store register, and a copy record, the copy record containing a pointer to a metadata structure of the original data store, the metadata structure of the original data store containing a pointer to the metadata structure of the copy data store. The processing of input/output operations to the original data store and to the copy data store is resumed.

Abstract: An embodiment of the invention provides a method for improving efficiency in a system containing repeated snapshots of an original data store. A READ/WRITE enabled parent virtual logical unit (VLU) to store an original data store is created. One or more READ-only enabled child VLUs, each storing a point-in-time copy of the original data store, are created at distinct times. A search pointer and a propagation pointer are implemented on the parent VLU and on each child VLU. The search pointer of each child VLU is set to point to the next subsequently created child VLU, with the search pointer of a most recently created child VLU set to point to the parent VLU. The propagation pointer of each child VLU is set to point to the immediately previously created child VLU, with the propagation pointer of the parent VLU set to point to the most recently created child VLU.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a parcel-based, data-mapping scheme that allow for implementation of data integrity methods and variable size logical data blocks while the layout of the physical storage device remains unchanged. For one embodiment, the invention provides a method in which a virtual data storage parcel including a number of extended-size logical data storage blocks is created, and one or more physical data storage parcels, each including a number of standard-size logical data storage blocks, is created. The combined size of the one or more physical data storage parcels equals or exceeds the size of the virtual data storage parcel. The extended-size logical data storage blocks of the virtual data storage parcel are mapped to the standard-size logical data storage blocks of the one or more physical data storage parcels.