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AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsEdward Lewis Hauck, Noel Simen Otterness
Estimating the term…
A mirror table that facilitates selective data coherency between local memory segments and remote memory segments includes a content addressable memory (CAM) and a random access memory (RAM). The CAM stores the addresses of local memory segments that are selected to be mirrored, and provides a segment index when presented with a segment address stored therein. The RAM stores one or more remote segment addresses for the mirrored segments along with additional data, and provides the remote segment addresses along with the additional data when presented with the segment index. A mirror link assembles and transmits an update packet comprising the remote segment addresses, a segment offset, the corresponding data, and the additional data to a remote destination. Each indicated remote address is updated with the corresponding data, thus maintaining data coherency between the selected local and remote memory segments.
An apparatus for selectively maintaining data coherency between local memory segments and memory segments within at least one remote memory, the apparatus comprising:
An apparatus for selectively maintaining data coherency between local memory segments and memory segments within at least one remote memory, the apparatus comprising:
An apparatus for selectively maintaining data coherency between local memory segments and memory segments within at least one remote memory, the apparatus comprising:
A method for selectively maintaining data coherency between local memory segments and memory segments within at least one remote memory, the method comprising:
A system for selectively mirroring data between dual active raid controllers, the system comprising:
A method for selectively maintaining data coherency between local memory segments and memory segments within at least one remote memory, the method comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
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Using active fault-masking, e.g. by switching out faulty elements or by switching in spare elements: maintaining the standby controller/processing…
Where persistent mass storage functionality or persistent mass storage control functionality is redundant: redundant storage control functionality
Multiuser, multiprocessor or multiprocessing cache systems: cache consistency protocols
Addressing of a memory level in which the access to the desired data or data block requires associative addressing means, e.g. caches: for…
Term end not estimated
1. The Field of the Invention
The invention relates to maintaining data coherency in computing systems and networks generally. Specifically, the invention relates to maintaining data coherency among redundant RAID controllers.
2. The Relevant Art
In order that the manner in which the advantages and objects of the invention are obtained will be readily understood, a more particular description of the invention briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof, which are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a representative RAID network in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a representative RAID system with dual active controllers in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 1 shows a representative RAID network 100 suitable for use with the present invention. The RAID network 100 as shown includes a number of workstations 110 and servers 120 interconnected by a local area network 130. The servers 120 may be configured to provide specific services such as print services, storage services, Internet access, or the like.
In the depicted embodiment, the servers 120 provide storage services to the local area network 130 via one or more storage arrays 140. The servers 120 are interconnected with the storage arrays 140 through a storage network 150. In one embodiment, the storage network 150 is a local area network in which the servers 120 and the storage arrays 140 are housed within the same facility or campus. In another embodiment, the storage network 150 is a wide area network with the servers 120 and the storage arrays 140 housed in geographically disparate locations. The storage arrays 140 are preferably redundant arrays of independent disks i.e. RAID storage.
FIG. 2 shows one example of a RAID system 200 illustrating the need for the present invention. The RAID system 200 includes a storage array 210 and one or more RAID controllers 220. The RAID system 200 preferably includes a plurality of RAID controllers 220 in order to achieve increased reliability through redundancy. The storage array 210 is also preferably redundant though the inclusion of a plurality of storage devices 230.