System and method for the migration of storage formats
AssigneeDell Products L.P.
InventorAhmad Ali
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method is disclosed for migrating configuration information for a storage array between storage controllers. At a shutdown, a first storage controller saves its configuration information to a storage location in or associated with the storage enclosure processor of the storage array. When a second controller is coupled to the storage array, the second storage controller attempts to recognize the configuration of the storage array. If the second storage controller is not able to recognize the configuration of the storage array, the second storage controller accesses the storage location for the storage location.
Claims20
A method for performing configuration discovery in a storage array, comprising:
- by the storage controller, reading configuration information stored on the disks of the storage array to determine if the configuration of the disks of the storage array is recognized;
- if the configuration of the disks of the storage array is not recognized, reading configuration information stored in a storage location in a storage enclosure associated with the disks of the storage array, wherein the storage location is separate from the disks of the storage array;
- and
- if the configuration stored in the storage location is recognized, update the configuration of the disks in compliance with the configuration information stored in the storage location.
A network, comprising:
- a storage enclosure, wherein the storage enclosure includes a storage location and a storage array comprised of a plurality of disks, wherein the storage location is separate from the storage array;
- a server, wherein the server includes a storage controller that is communicatively coupled to the disks of the storage array, wherein the storage controller is operable to perform a configuration discovery process, comprising:
- reading configuration information stored on the disks of the storage array to determine if the configuration of the disks of the storage array is recognized;
- if the configuration of the disks of the storage array is not recognized, reading configuration information stored in a storage location in a storage enclosure associated with the disks of the storage array, wherein the storage location is separate from the disks of the storage array;
- and
- if the configuration stored in the storage location is recognized, update the configuration of the disks in compliance with the configuration information stored in the storage location.
A method for migrating the array configuration from a first storage controller to a second storage controller, wherein the first storage controller is coupled to a storage array comprising:
- by a first storage controller, saving configuration information concerning the configuration of the storage array to a storage location in a storage enclosure associated with the storage array, wherein the storage location is separate from the storage array;
- replacing the first storage controller with the second storage controller;
- by the second storage controller,
- reading configuration information stored on the disks of the storage array to determine if the configuration of the disks of the storage array is recognized;
- if the configuration of the disks of the storage array is not recognized, reading configuration information stored in a storage location in a storage enclosure associated with the disks of the storage array, wherein the storage location is separate from the disks of the storage array;
- and
- if the configuration stored in the storage location is recognized, update the configuration of the disks in compliance with the configuration information stored in the storage location.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.