Method for designating one of a plurality of addressable storage devices to process a data transfer request
AssigneeWestern Digital Ventures, Inc.
InventorAndrew D. Hospodor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A plurality of addressable storage devices (“ASD's”) store a replicated data set. A requestor multicasts a data transfer request to the ASD's. The ASD's receive the data transfer request and cooperatively designate one of the ASD's to process the data transfer request and prevent the other ASD's from processing the data transfer request. The designated ASD satisfies the data transfer request and then communicates to the requestor an acknowledgement when the processing is completed. The ASD's maintain coherency in the replicated data set.
Claims19
A method for operating a plurality of addressable storage devices (ASD's) that store a replicated data set, the method comprising the steps of:
- receiving a multicasted request for the ASD's to supply a subset of the replicated data set, the subset being stored in both a first one and a second one of the ASD's;
- multicasting a control signal from the first ASD so that the second ASD receives the control signal and refrains from supplying the subset;
- and
- supplying the subset from the first ASD.
A method for processing a data transfer request by a plurality of ASD's (ASD's) connected to a requestor in a network, each ASD having a response time for satisfying the data transfer request which is variable among the ASD's, wherein the ASD's are configured to access a data set which is replicated in each ASD, the method comprising the steps of:
- multicasting the data transfer request from the requestor to the plurality of ASD's, the data transfer request for transferring at least a subset of the replicated data set;
- receiving the multicast data transfer request by the ASD's at substantially the same time;
- communicating between the ASD's to designate one of the ASD's to satisfy the request based on its variable response time;
- abandoning an effort to satisfy the request by those ASD's which are not designated;
- processing the data transfer request with the designated ASD;
- and
- sending an acknowledgment from the designated ASD to the requestor when the processing is completed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.