Method and apparatus for implementing an enterprise virtual storage system

A method of managing a virtual data storage object in a computer system including at least one host and at least one storage device that stores data written by the at least one host, the at least one storage device presenting at least one storage disk to the at least one host as a storage resource, the at least one host including at least one of a logical volume manager (LVM) that presents at least one logical volume to other layers in the host as a storage resource and a file system that presents at least one file to other layers in the host as a storage resource the method comprising acts of:

• (A) creating the virtual data storage object to be independent of any particular host and any particular storage device;
• (B) creating the virtual data storage object so that at least one of the at least one logical volume and the at least one file is employed as a storage resource to store data stored to the virtual data storage object;
• (C) creating metadata defining the virtual data storage object;
• and
• (D) distributing the metadata about the computer system so that there is no central location that is the exclusive resource for accessing the metadata;
• wherein the at least one storage device comprises a plurality of storage devices, wherein the at least one host comprises a plurality of hosts, wherein the act (C) comprises an act of creating the metadata on a control station, and wherein the act (D) comprises an act of transmitting the metadata from the control station to the plurality of storage devices, and from the plurality of storage devices to the plurality of hosts;
• and
• wherein the act (A) comprises an act of creating the virtual data storage object to comprise a plurality of data images, wherein the act (D) comprises an act of storing within each one of the plurality of storage devices a list of which ones of the plurality of hosts has accessed a data image stored within the one of the plurality of storage devices, and when the metadata on the one of the plurality of storage devices is updated, transmitting updated metadata from the one of the plurality of storage devices to the ones of the plurality of hosts in its list.

A computer readable medium encoded with a program for execution on a computer system including at least one host and at least one storage device that stores data written by the at least one host, the at least one storage device presenting at least one storage disk to the at least one host as a storage resource, the at least one host including at least one of a logical volume manager (LVM) that presents at least one logical volume to other layers in the host as a storage resource and a file system that presents at least one file to other layers in the host as a storage resource, the program, when executed on the computer system, performs a method of managing a virtual data storage object, the method comprising acts of:

• (A) creating the virtual data storage object to be independent of any particular host and any particular storage device;
• (B) creating the virtual data storage object so that at least one of the at least one logical volume and the at least one file is employed as a storage resource to store data stored to the virtual data storage object;
• (C) receiving a set of parameters that defines a plurality of data images for the virtual data storage object and a manner in which the plurality of data images are interrelated;
• and
• (D) automatically assigning the storage resources within the computer system to store each of the plurality of data images.

A control station for use in a computer system including at least one host and at least one storage device that stores data written by the at least one host, the at least one storage device presenting at least one storage disk to the at least one host as a storage resource, the at least one host including at least one of a logical volume manager (LVM) that presents at least one logical volume to other layers in the host as a storage resource or a file system that presents at least one file to other layers in the host as a storage resource, the control station to manage a virtual data storage object, the control station comprising:

• a storage medium;
• and
• at least one controller that creates the virtual data storage object to be independent of any particular host and any particular storage device, and so that at least one of the at least one logical volume and the at least one file is employed as a storage resource to store data stored to the virtual data storage object;
• wherein the at least one controller receives a set of parameters that defines a plurality of data images for the virtual data storage object and a manner in which the plurality of data images are interrelated, and automatically assigns the storage resources within the computer system to store each of the plurality of data images.

A host computer for use in a computer system including the host computer and at least one storage device that stores data written by the host computer, the at least one storage device presenting at least one storage disk to the host computer as a storage resource, the host computer comprising:

• at least one software layer that issues access requests to a virtual data storage object that is independent of the host computer and any particular storage device;
• at least one of a logical volume manager (LVM) that presents at least one logical volume to other software layers in the host as a storage resource or a file system that presents at least one file to other software layers in the host as a storage resource;
• and
• at least one conversion layer that converts at least one access request directed to the virtual data storage object to an access request directed to at least one of the at least one logical volume and the at least one file;
• wherein the virtual data storage object comprises at least first and second data images;
• wherein the host computer comprises a logical volume manager that presents a plurality of logical volumes to other layers in the host computer;
• wherein the at least one storage device presents a plurality of storage disks to the host computer;
• and
• wherein the at least one conversion layer converts an access request directed to the virtual data storage object to an access request directed to one of the first and second data images, converts an access request directed to the first data image to an access request directed to one of the plurality of logical volumes, and converts an access request directed to the second data image to an access request directed to one of the plurality of storage disks.

A method for use in a computer system including at least one host and at least one storage device that stores data written by the at least one host, the method comprising acts of:

• (A) creating metadata defining a virtual data storage object that is independent of any particular host and any particular storage device;
• and
• (B) distributing the metadata about the computer system so that there is no central location that is the exclusive resource for accessing the metadata;
• wherein the at least one storage device comprises a plurality of storage devices, wherein the at least one host comprises a plurality of hosts, wherein the act (A) comprises an act of creating the metadata on a control station, and wherein the act (B) comprises an act of transmitting the metadata from the control station to the plurality of storage devices, and from the plurality of storage devices to the plurality of hosts;
• and
• wherein the virtual data storage object comprises a plurality of data images, wherein the act (B) comprises an act of storing within each one of the plurality of storage devices a list of which ones of the plurality of hosts has accessed a data image stored within the one of the plurality of storage devices, and when the metadata on the one of the plurality of storage devices is updated, transmitting updated metadata from the one of the plurality of storage devices to the ones of the plurality of hosts in its list.

A method for use in a computer system including at least one host and at least one storage device that stores data written by the at least one host, the method comprising acts of:

• (A) creating metadata defining a virtual data storage object that is independent of any particular host and any particular storage device;
• and
• (B) distributing the metadata about the computer system so that there is no central location that is the exclusive resource for accessing the metadata;
• wherein the act (A) includes acts of:
• receiving a set of parameters that defines a plurality of data images for the virtual data storage object and a manner in which the plurality of data images are interrelated;
• and
• automatically assigning the storage resources within the computer system to store each of the plurality of data images.

A computer readable medium encoded with a program for execution on a computer system including at least one host and at least one storage device that stores data written by the at least one host, the program, when executed on the computer system performs a method comprising acts of:

• (A) creating metadata defining a virtual data storage object that is independent of any particular host and any particular storage device;
• and
• (B) distributing the metadata about the computer system so that there is no central location that is the exclusive resource for accessing the metadata;
• wherein the at least one storage device comprises a plurality of storage devices, wherein the at least one host comprises a plurality of hosts, wherein the act (A) comprises an act of creating the metadata on a control station, and wherein the act (B) comprises an act of transmitting the metadata from the control station to the plurality of storage devices, and from the plurality of storage devices to the plurality of hosts;
• and
• wherein the virtual data storage object comprises a plurality of data images, wherein the act (B) comprises an act of storing within each one of the plurality of storage devices a list of which ones of the plurality of hosts has accessed a data image stored within the one of the plurality of storage devices, and when the metadata on the one of the plurality of storage devices is updated, transmitting updated metadata from the one of the plurality of storage devices to the ones of the plurality of hosts in its list.

A computer readable medium encoded with a program for execution on a computer system including at least one host and at least one storage device that stores data written by the at least one host, the program, when executed on the computer system, performs a method comprising acts of:

• (A) creating metadata defining a virtual data storage object that is independent of any particular host and any Particular storage device;
• and
• (B) distributing the metadata about the computer system so that there is no central location that is the exclusive resource for accessing the metadata;
• wherein the act (A) includes acts of:
• receiving a set of parameters that defines a plurality of data images for the virtual data storage object and a manner in which the plurality of data images are interrelated;
• and
• automatically assigning the storage resources within the computer system to store each of the plurality of data images.

A control station for use in a computer system including at least one host and at least one storage device, the control station comprising:

• a user interface;
• and
• at least one controller that creates metadata defining a virtual data storage object that is independent of any particular host and any particular storage device, and that distributes the metadata about the computer system so that there is no central location that is the exclusive resource for accessing the metadata;
• wherein the at least one controller receives a set of parameters that defines a plurality of data images for the virtual data storage object and a manner in which the plurality of data images are interrelated, and wherein the at least one controller automatically assigns the storage resources within the computer system to store each of the plurality of data images.

A storage system for use in a computer system including at least one host and the storage system, the storage system to store data written by the at least one host, the at least one host storing a first copy of metadata for a virtual data storage object that is independent of any particular host and the storage system and that is stored using a storage resource on the storage system, the storage system comprising:

• the storage resource;
• a storage medium that stores a second copy of the metadata;
• and
• at least one controller that notifies the at least one host when the second copy of the metadata is updated so that the host can update the first copy of the metadata.