Storage system with asynchronous messaging between processing modules for data replication

A method comprising:

• configuring a first storage system to include a plurality of storage nodes each having a plurality of storage devices, each of the storage nodes further comprising a set of processing modules configured to communicate over one or more networks with corresponding sets of processing modules on other ones of the storage nodes;
• configuring the first storage system to participate in a replication process with a second storage system;
• and
• in conjunction with the replication process, a first one of the processing modules generating a request message for transmission to a second one of the processing modules requesting that the second processing module transfer designated replication data to the second storage system;
• the request message comprising a unique message identifier that the second processing module incorporates into a subsequent response message transmitted back to the first processing module to indicate a result of the requested transfer of the designated replication data to the second storage system;
• the unique message identifier thereby relating the request message to the subsequent response message so as to support asynchronous messaging between the first and second processing modules for the requested transfer of the designated replication data within the replication process;
• each of the sets of processing modules comprising a plurality of control modules and a plurality of routing modules;
• the first processing module comprising a given one of the control modules;
• the second processing module comprising a given one of the routing modules;
• in conjunction with the replication process, the given control module is configured to generate the request message as a control-to-routing message for transmission to the given routing module requesting that the given routing module transfer the designated replication data to the second storage system;
• the control-to-routing message comprising the unique message identifier that the given routing module incorporates into the subsequent response message as a routing-to-control message transmitted back to the given control module to indicate the result of the requested transfer of the designated replication data to the second storage system;
• the unique message identifier thereby relating the control-to-routing message to the routing-to-control message so as to support asynchronous messaging between the given control module and the given routing module for the requested transfer of the designated replication data within the replication process;
• wherein the given routing module is configured to initiate a particular instance of a background thread for processing the control-to-routing message received from the given control module;
• and
• wherein the method is implemented by at least one processing device comprising a processor coupled to a memory.

A computer program product comprising a non-transitory processor-readable storage medium having stored therein program code of one or more software programs, wherein the program code when executed by at least one processing device causes said at least one processing device:

• to configure a first storage system to include a plurality of storage nodes each having a plurality of storage devices, each of the storage nodes further comprising a set of processing modules configured to communicate over one or more networks with corresponding sets of processing modules on other ones of the storage nodes;
• to configure the first storage system to participate in a replication process with a second storage system;
• and
• in conjunction with the replication process, a first one of the processing modules being configured to generate a request message for transmission to a second one of the processing modules requesting that the second processing module transfer designated replication data to the second storage system;
• the request message comprising a unique message identifier that the second processing module incorporates into a subsequent response message transmitted back to the first processing module to indicate a result of the requested transfer of the designated replication data to the second storage system;
• the unique message identifier thereby relating the request message to the subsequent response message so as to support asynchronous messaging between the first and second processing modules for the requested transfer of the designated replication data within the replication process;
• each of the sets of processing modules comprising a plurality of control modules and a plurality of routing modules;
• the first processing module comprising a given one of the control modules;
• the second processing module comprising a given one of the routing modules;
• in conjunction with the replication process, the given control module is configured to generate the request message as a control-to-routing message for transmission to the given routing module requesting that the given routing module transfer designated replication data to the second storage system;
• the control-to-routing message comprising the unique message identifier that the given routing module incorporates into the subsequent response message as a routing-to-control message transmitted back to the given control module to indicate the result of the requested transfer of the designated replication data to the second storage system;
• the unique message identifier thereby relating the control-to-routing message to the routing-to-control message so as to support asynchronous messaging between the given control module and the given routing module for the requested transfer of the designated replication data within the replication process;
• wherein the given routing module is configured to initiate a particular instance of a background thread for processing the control-to-routing message received from the given control module.