Data replication network traffic compression

摘要

An apparatus and method improving effective system throughput for replication of data over a network in a storage computing environment by using software components to perform data compression is disclosed. Software compression support is determined between applications in a data storage computing environment. If supported, compression parameters are negotiated for a communication session between storage systems over a network. Effective system throughput is improved since the size of a compressed lost data packet is less than the size of an uncompressed data packet when a lost packet needs to be retransmitted in a transmission window.

主权项

1. A method, comprising:
receiving, by a first transport layer of a first storage system, a request from a first application layer of the first storage system for transmitting data to a second storage system, establishing, by a first compression module of the first storage system via the first transport layer, a data communication and handshaking session with a second compression module of the second storage system, wherein utilization of the first compression module is transparent to the first application layer; exchanging, by the first compression module with the second compression module, information relating to available system resources of the first and second storage systems during the handshaking session; and negotiating, by the first compression module with the second compression module, compatible data compression parameters based on said exchanged information; compressing, by the first compression module, the data that the first application layer requests to transmit to the second storage system by utilizing the negotiated compatible data compression parameters; and transmitting, by the first transport layer, the compressed data in packets to the second storage system.