Method and system for compression of data for block mode access storage

For use in a storage network comprising a plurality of network elements and operable with a block mode access storage protocol, a compression system operatively coupled to at least one computer and to one or more storage devices configured as at least one storage logical unit storing compressed data, the computer, the storage devices and the compression system configured as separate network elements, said compression system comprising:

• a) means for compressing raw data to be stored in said at least one storage logical unit;
• b) means for creating and holding a virtual logical unit, said virtual logical unit configured to virtually represent in non-compressed form the data stored in the storage logical unit, wherein a size of the virtual logical unit corresponds to an estimated size of raw data which, being compressed, would substantially amount to a size of the storage logical unit;
• c) means for intercepting data access-related requests from said at least one computer addressed to the storage logical unit and addressing said request to the virtual logical unit;
• and
• d) means for facilitating mapping between the compressed data and their virtual accommodation at the virtual logical unit.

For use in a storage network comprising a plurality of network elements and operable with a block mode access storage protocol, a program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method of operating a compression system operatively coupled to at least one computer and to one or more storage devices configured as at least one storage logical unit accommodating data compressed by the compression system, the computer, the storage devices and the compression system are configured as separate network elements, said method comprising:

• a) configuring the compression system to hold a virtual logical unit, said virtual logical unit configured to virtually represent in non-compressed form the compressed data stored in said at least one storage logical unit, wherein a size of the virtual logical unit corresponds to an estimated size of raw data which, being compressed, would substantially amount to a size of said storage logical unit;
• b) intercepting one or more data access-related requests from said at least one computer addressed to said storage logical unit,
• c) addressing said requests to the virtual logical unit;
• and
• d) facilitating mapping between the compressed data and their virtual representation at the virtual logical unit.

For use in a storage network comprising a plurality of network elements and operable with a block mode access storage protocol, a computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein of operating a compression system operatively coupled to at least one computer and to one or more storage devices configured as at least one storage logical unit accommodating data compressed by the compression system, the computer, the storage devices and the compression system are configured as separate network elements, said computer program product comprising:

• a) computer readable program code for causing the computer to configure the compression system to hold a virtual logical unit, said virtual logical unit configured to virtually represent in non-compressed form the compressed data stored in said at least one storage logical unit, wherein a size of the virtual logical unit corresponds to an estimated size of raw data which, being compressed, would substantially amount to a size of said storage logical unit;
• b) computer readable program code for causing the computer to intercept one or more data access-related requests from said at least one computer addressed to said storage logical unit;
• c) computer readable program code for causing the computer to address said requests to the virtual logical unit;
• and
• d) computer readable program code for causing the computer to facilitate mapping between the compressed data and their virtual representation at the virtual logical unit.