Method and system for a storage area network

摘要

In a system and method for a storage area network (SAN), a first controller receives a write request for a SAN and communicates with a first nested storage array module (NSAM), the first NSAM manages storage of data onto a shelf and presents the shelf as a logical unit, a buffer stores a portion of a write request from the first controller and aggregates data from the write request for the shelf, from a shelf with a second NSAM, the second NSAM provides a portion of data from the buffer to a third NSAM, the third NSAM manages storage of the portion of data from the buffer to a physical storage unit, and a second controller coupled to the first controller handles requests for the SAN in response to a failure of the first controller.

主权项

1. A system for a storage area network, comprising:
a first controller operable to receive a write request for the storage area network, the first controller in communication with a first nested storage array module, the first nested storage array module operable to manage storage of data using a configuration that supports striping of data across a plurality of shelves, each shelf of the plurality of shelves comprising one or more storage arrays, each storage array of the one or more storage arrays comprising a plurality of physical storage units, the first nested storage array module operable to present the plurality of shelves as a logical unit and wherein the configuration that supports striping of data across the plurality of shelves includes providing parity information for at least one stripe of data to at least one of the plurality of shelves; a buffer operable to store a portion of a write request from the first controller, the buffer aggregating data from one or more write requests from the first controller for a shelf from the plurality of shelves and reordering of one or more partly invalidated blocks of data from the one or more write requests from the first controller by combining valid portions of the partly invalidated blocks and rewriting one or more valid blocks of data; the shelf from the plurality of shelves comprising a second nested storage array module, the second nested storage array module comprising one or more third nested storage array modules and operable to provide a portion of data from the buffer to the one or more third nested storage array modules, the one or more third nested storage array modules operable to manage storage of the portion of data from the buffer to a plurality of physical storage units for a storage array of the shelf; and a second controller coupled to the first controller and operable to monitor health of the first controller and to handle any write requests for the storage area network in response to a failure of the first controller.