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US 9,288,266 B1Granted
Method and apparatus for web based storage on-demand
AssigneeSheng Tai (Ted) Tsao
InventorSheng Tai Tsao
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A distributed virtual SAN infrastructure provides a scalable dynamically expandable virtual storage service pool to a plurality of host systems. The storage service pool is created via execution of a virtual storage automatic construct protocol and provides storage volume (space) to each of the host systems in on-demand base. The distributed virtual SAN infrastructure includes one or more SAN units including IP SAN unit and Fiber Channel SAN unit, at least one management console, one distributing control system across a network infrastructure, where the network infrastructure provides the communication links between all systems in the distributed virtual SAN infrastructure.
Claims20
A server comprising:
- at least one storage network connection medium, and one non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program instructions that being executed by the server, cause the server to control automatically forming a storage pool through control execution of a storage pool construction protocol between the server and a plurality of storage servers across a communication network,
- wherein the program instructions causing the server to control execution of the storage pool construction protocol comprise:
- program instructions for receiving a packet from a first one of the storage servers upon the first one of the storage servers being brought online, the packet informing the server that the first one of the storage servers is going online;
- program instructions for storing, according to the packet received, identification information of the first one of the storage servers for organizing the storage pool;
- program instructions for sending an enquiry packet back to the first one of the storage servers for requesting storage information of the first one of the storage servers;
- program instructions for receiving a response packet from the first one of the storage servers, the response packet comprising the storage information including information of at least one storage volume configured in the first one of the storage servers;
- and
- program instructions for updating the stored information of the first one of the storage servers for the storage pool by including the storage information of the first one of the storage servers obtained from the response packet.
5 more elements
A server comprising:
- at least one storage network connection medium, and one non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program instructions that, being executed by the server, causes the server to control distributing storage volume through a storage pool for delivering storage service;
- wherein the program instructions include:
- program instructions for collecting identification and storage information automatically from each of a plurality of storage servers to form the storage pool across a network through executing a storage pool construction protocol;
- program instructions for receiving a first request from a first computing device for requesting a storage volume with capacity for delivering said storage service;
- program instructions for identifying, via the storage pool, a first storage volume in a first one of the storage servers available for delivering the storage service according to the first request, and
- program instructions for synchronizing a mapping with the first computing device and the first one of the storage servers, the mapping including information of the first computing device, the first one of the storage servers and the first storage volume, including information of internet protocol (“IP”) address, size, and starting logical address of the first storage volume;
- and
- program instructions for permitting the first computing device according to the mapping directly access to the storage service delivered through the first storage volume in the first one of the storage servers independent of the server.
5 more elements
A server comprising:
- at least one storage network connection medium, and one non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program instructions that being executed by the server, cause the server to control operations for a plurality of storage servers through a storage pool;
- wherein the program instructions for the server control operations comprises:
- program instructions for controlling execution of a storage pool construction protocol between the server and each of the storage servers to automatically form the storage pool across a network;
- and
- program instructions for causing display of the storage pool on a console device and program instructions for facilitating a user through the storage pool displayed to remotely perform operations to the storage servers.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.