Virtualized data storage in a network computing environment

摘要

Methods and systems for load balancing read/write requests of a virtualized storage system. In one embodiment, a storage system includes a plurality of physical storage devices and a storage module operable within a communication network to present the plurality of physical storage devices as a virtual storage device to a plurality of network computing elements that are coupled to the communication network. The virtual storage device comprises a plurality of virtual storage volumes, wherein each virtual storage volume is communicatively coupled to the physical storage devices via the storage module. The storage module comprises maps that are used to route read/write requests from the network computing elements to the virtual storage volumes. Each map links read/write requests from at least one network computing element to a respective virtual storage volume within the virtual storage device.

主权项

1. A storage module comprising:
one or more ports configured to couple the storage module to one or more computing elements via a network; and one or more maps; wherein the storage module is configured to:
receive a first storage request from one of the computing elements, the first storage request including a logical block address;determine a communication type of the first storage request and process the first storage request according to the communication type, the communication type being selected from a group consisting of Fibre Channel, SAS, TCP/IP, SCSI, iSCSI, and SCSI over Infiniband;select a virtual extent based on the logical block address;determine a virtual storage volume based on the virtual extent and the one or more maps; andforward the first storage request to a physical storage device storing the virtual storage volume using a preassigned path between the storage module and the physical storage device; wherein each of the one or more maps balances distribution of storage requests by handling a predetermined number of storage requests.