Storage router and method for providing virtual local storage

A method of configuring virtual local storage comprising:

• connecting a management station to a routing device;
• establishing a set of configuration information that associates a host device connected to a serial transport medium and at least a portion of a remote storage device connected to a second transport medium for controlling access to the at least a portion of the remote storage device;
• sending the configuration information from the management station to a routing device;
• and
• storing the configuration information in a memory at the routing device, wherein the routing device is configured to receive a low level block protocol request from the host device to the remote storage device and control access between the host device and the remote storage device in accordance with the configuration information and forward the low level block protocol request to the at least a portion of the remote storage device if the host device is determined to be allowed access to the at least a portion of the remote storage device according to the configuration information.

A system for providing virtual local storage on remote storage devices to host devices connected to a serial transport medium comprising:

• a management station, the management station operable to allow a user to define a map for a routing device that controls access from host devices connected to a serial transport medium to remote storage devices connected to a second transport medium and allows access from host devices connected to the serial transport medium to the remote storage devices connected to the second transport medium through using low level, block protocols;
• a routing device coupled to the management station via a management transport medium, the routing device operable to:
• receive the map from the management station and store the map in a memory;
• implement access controls for storage space on the remote storage devices in accordance with the map;
• and
• allow access from host devices to the remote storage devices through using native low level block protocols.

A management station comprising:

• an interface to connect to a management transport medium;
• a processor;
• and
• a computer readable medium accessible by the processor, the computer readable medium storing a set of computer instructions comprising instructions executable by the processor to:
• provide an interface to allow a user to modify a set of configuration information for a routing device, wherein the configuration information maps between host devices connected to a serial transport medium and remote storage devices connected a second transport medium and is configured for use by the routing device to implement access controls in accordance with the configuration information and to allow access from host devices to the remote storage devices through using native low level block protocol;
• update the set of configuration information based on input from the user;
• and
• communicate the set of configuration information to the routing device over the management transport medium.

A storage network comprising:

• a first transport medium;
• a second transport medium, wherein at least one of the first transport medium or second transport medium is a serial transport medium;
• a set of hosts connected to the first transport medium, wherein each host is configured to issue requests according to a native low level block protocol;
• a set of remote storage devices connected to the second transport medium;
• a routing device configured to:
• maintain a set of configuration information that associates hosts connected to the transport medium with storage space on remote storage devices connected to the second transport medium and allow modification of the configuration information by a remote storage device;
• provide virtual local storage to the host devices in a manner so that the remote storage devices appear to the host devices so as to have the appearance of locally attached storage;
• receive requests from the host devices according to the native low level block protocol;
• and
• for a request received from an issuing host, access a set of configuration information and forward using a low level block protocol the request to a remote storage device if the issuing host is associated with the requested storage space according to the configuration information.

A storage network, comprising:

• a first transport medium;
• a second transport medium, wherein at least one of the first or second transport medium is a serial transport medium;
• a plurality of workstations connected to the first transport medium;
• a plurality of remote storage devices connected to the second transport medium;
• and
• a routing device interfacing between the first transport medium and the second transport medium, the routing device providing virtual local storage on the remote storage devices to the workstations and operable:
• to map between the workstations and the remote storage devices;
• to implement access controls for storage space on the remote storage devices;
• and
• to allow access from the workstations to the remote storage devices using low level, block protocol in accordance with the mapping and access controls.

A storage network method, comprising:

• at a workstation connected to a serial transport medium, sending a communication containing a command according to a native low level block protocol to virtual local storage;
• at a routing device interfacing between the first transport medium and a second transport medium:
• mapping between workstations connected to the serial transport medium and remote storage devices connected to the second transport medium;
• receiving the communication from the workstation;
• determining if the workstation is associated storage space on the remote storage devices;
• and
• forwarding the native low level block command to an appropriate remote storage device if the workstation is associated with storage space on that remote storage device;
• and
• at a remote storage device connected to the routing device, returning a response according to the native low level block protocol if the command is received.

A data storage gateway capable of interfacing with and providing connectivity and mapping between a serial interface connected to a first transport medium and a second interface connected to a second transport medium, the data storage gateway comprising:

• a set of remote storage devices;
• a configurable gateway device in communication with the remote storage device, the routing device configured to:
• maintain a set of configuration information that associates each of a set of hosts with a subset of storage space on the set of remote storage devices;
• present to each host device the subsets of storage space associated with that host device according to the configuration information as if the subsets of storage space are locally attached to that host device;
• implement access controls to the storage space in accordance with configuration information;
• and
• allow each host to communicate with remote storage devices containing subsets of storage space associated with that host using a native low level block protocol.