Methods and structure for transferring ownership of a logical volume by transfer of native-format metadata in a clustered storage environment

A clustered storage system comprising:

• multiple storage controllers coupled for communication with a host system, and coupled for communication with a logical volume;
• and
• at least one storage device coupled with the storage controllers and implementing the logical volume,
• wherein a first storage controller is operable to initiate a transfer of ownership of the logical volume from the first storage controller to a second storage controller by transferring metadata stored in a memory of the first storage controller to the second storage controller, the metadata existing in a native format that describes the configuration of the logical volume on the at least one storage device,
• wherein the first storage controller is further operable to generate the metadata by selectively acquiring Disk Data Format (DDF) structures kept at the at least one storage device provisioning the logical volume and re-formatting the acquired DDF structures into a native format distinct from DDF.

A method for transferring ownership of a logical volume in a storage system comprising multiple storage controllers, the storage controllers coupled for communication with a logical volume, wherein at least one storage device coupled with the storage controllers implements the logical volume, the method comprising:

• identifying, at a first storage controller, a second storage controller to receive the logical volume;
• initiating a transfer of ownership of the logical volume from the first storage controller to the second storage controller by transferring metadata stored in a memory of the first storage controller to the second storage controller, the metadata existing in a native format that describes the configuration of the logical volume on the at least one storage device;
• generating the metadata at the first storage controller by selectively acquiring Disk Data Format (DDF) structures kept at the at least one storage device provisioning the logical volume;
• and
• re-formatting the acquired DDF structures into a native format distinct from DDF.