Failover Handling In Modular Switched Fabric For Data Storage Systems

A method of operating a data storage system, the method comprising:

• in a plurality of network interfaces, receiving storage operations issued by one or more host systems for handling by the data storage system, and transferring the storage operations over a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) fabric;
• in a plurality of processors, receiving the storage operations over the PCIe fabric, processing properties of the storage operations against allocation information of a shared PCIe address space to determine target processors to handle the storage operations, and selectively transferring ones of the storage operations to the target processors for handling of the storage operations with associated storage drives coupled over the PCIe fabric;
• and
• in a monitoring system, identifying failed ones of the processors and responsively initiating backup ones of the processors to handle portions of the shared PCIe address space handled by the failed ones of the processors.

A modular data storage system, comprising:

• a plurality of network modules each configured to receive storage operations issued by one or more host systems for handling by the data storage system, and transfer the storage operations over a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) fabric;
• a plurality of processing modules each comprising one or more processors configured to receive the storage operations over the PCIe fabric, process properties of the storage operations against allocation information of a shared PCIe address space to determine target processors to handle the storage operations, and selectively transfer ones of the storage operations to the target processors for handling of the storage operations with associated storage drives coupled over the PCIe fabric;
• a plurality of storage modules each comprising a plurality of storage drives communicatively coupled to the PCIe fabric, and
• monitoring ones of the processors configured to identify failed ones of the processors and responsively initiate backup ones of the processors to handle portions of the shared PCIe address space formerly handled by the failed ones of the processors.