Data mover mechanism to achieve SAN RAID at wire speed

A Virtual Storage Server for transferring data in a storage environment from a source to a plurality of target destinations, the Virtual Storage Server including processor memory comprising:

• (a) code for issuing a write command for a target amount of data to the plurality of target destinations;
• (b) code for receiving a Transfer Ready Response from each target destination in the plurality of target destinations, each Transfer Ready Response for an amount of data;
• (c) code for determining a minimum amount of data from the amounts of data for the Transfer Ready Responses;
• (d) code for after issuing the write command, issuing a read command for the minimum amount of data to the source;
• (e) code for transferring the minimum amount of data to the plurality of target destinations;
• and
• (f) code for repeating steps (b)-(e) until the target amount of data has been transferred to the plurality of target destinations.

A Virtual Storage Server for transferring data in a storage environment among a host, a first destination, and a plurality of target destinations, the Virtual Storage Server including a processor memory comprising:

• (a) code for receiving a write command from the host for a target amount of data;
• (b) code for issuing a write command for the target amount of data to the first destination;
• (c) code for issuing a write command for the target amount of data to the plurality of target destinations;
• (d) code for receiving a Transfer Ready Response from each target destination in the plurality of target destinations, each Transfer Ready Response for an amount of data;
• (e) code for determining a minimum amount of data from the amounts of data of the Transfer Ready Responses;
• (f) code for after issuing the write command for the target amount of data, issuing a Transfer Ready Response for the minimum amount of data to the host;
• (g) code for transferring the minimum amount of data to first destination;
• (h) code for transferring the minimum amount of data to the plurality of target destinations;
• and
• (i) code for repeating steps (b)-(h) until the target amount of data has been transferred to the target destination.

A method of mirroring data in a virtual storage environment including a plurality of virtual logical units (VLUNs), the VLUNs arranged in a hierarchy, the method comprising:

• sending a write command to a first VLUN and a second VLUN for an amount of data;
• transferring the amount of data to the first VLUN;
• transferring the amount of data to the second VLUN;
• determining, at the first VLUN, the hierarchy of the virtual storage environment related to the first VLUN, wherein the determined hierarchy indicates a third VLUN in which at least a portion of the amount of data should be transferred;
• and
• transferring the at least a portion of the amount of data to the third VLUN.

A storage server for transferring data in a storage environment from a source to one or more target destinations, the storage server including a processor memory having a plurality of instructions configured to perform a set of steps comprising:

• (a) issuing a write command for a target amount of data to the one or more target destinations;
• (b) receiving one or more Transfer Ready Responses from the one or more target destinations for one or more amounts of data;
• (c) after issuing the write command, issuing a read command for an amount of data to be transferred to the source that is determined from the one or more amounts of data;
• (d) transferring the amount of data from the source to the one or more target destinations;
• and
• (e) repeating steps (b)-(d) until the target amount of data has been transferred to the one or more target destinations.

A storage server for transferring data in a storage environment from a source to a plurality of target destinations, the storage server including processor memory having a plurality of instructions configured to perform a set of steps comprising:

• (a) issuing a write command for a target amount of data to the plurality of target destinations;
• (b) receiving a Transfer Ready Response from each target destination in the plurality of target destinations, each Transfer Ready Response for an amount of data;
• (c) determining a minimum amount of data from the amounts of data for the Transfer Ready Responses;
• (d) after issuing the write command, issuing a read command for the minimum amount of data to the source;
• (e) transferring the minimum amount of data to the plurality of target destinations;
• and
• (f) repeating steps (b)-(e) until the target amount of data has been transferred to the plurality of target destinations.

A storage server for transferring data in a storage environment among a host, a first destination, and a plurality of target destinations, the storage server including a processor memory having a plurality of instructions configured to perform a set of steps comprising:

• (a) receiving a write command from the host for a target amount of data;
• (b) issuing a write command for the target amount of data to the first destination;
• (c) issuing a write command for the target amount of data to the plurality of target destinations;
• (d) receiving a Transfer Ready Response from each target destination in the plurality of target destinations, each Transfer Ready Response for an amount of data;
• (e) determining a minimum amount of data from the amounts of data of the Transfer Ready Responses;
• (f) after issuing the write command for the target amount of data, issuing a Transfer Ready Response for the minimum amount of data to the host;
• (g) transferring the minimum amount of data to first destination;
• (h) transferring the minimum amount of data to the plurality of target destinations;
• and
• (i) repeating steps (b)-(h) until the target amount of data has been transferred to the target destination.