Storage virtualization in a storage area network

Details Storage virtualization in a storage area network Storage virtualization in a storage area network

2005-05-24

2005-05-24

Nguyen, Than (Department: 2187)

Electrical computers and digital processing systems: memory

Storage accessing and control

Specific memory composition

C711S111000, C711S112000, C711S147000, C711S148000, C711S149000, C709S212000, C709S213000, C709S214000, C709S215000, C709S216000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06898670

ABSTRACT:
A distributed architecture for the virtualization of storage capacity in a Storage Area Network (SAN) and for the management of virtual and physical memory is described. There is provided a virtualization software computer program consisting of two portions, namely virtualization and translation, each portion residing in a different location but both portions operating interactively. A SAN coupling an array of hosts (1) via a Network Switch (2) to an array of storage devices (4) is equipped with a Storage Virtualization Manager (3). The SVM operating the virtualization computer software handles physical storage capacity virtualization and metadata management. The Network Switch routes storage I/O operations between the hosts and the storage devices, while the translation software resides in a processor, in either a host or elsewhere on the Network Switch SAN. Although the Network Switch and the SVM decouple tasks to relieve load and prevent bottlenecks, practical implementation permits to design the Network Switch, the processor(s) operating the virtualization program, and the SVM in many configurations spanning from distributed to integrated packaging. The virtualization software also supports real time configuration adaptation of changes occurring in the configuration of the array of hosts and of storage devices of the SAN.

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