High performance multi-controller processing
View Patent ↗A system and method for high performance multi-controller processing is disclosed. Independent Network storage controllers (NSCs) are connected by a high-speed data link. The NSCs control a plurality of storage devices connected by a Fiber Channel Arbitrated Loop (FCAL). To provide redundancy, for a given logical unit of storage one NSC will function as the primary controller and the other NSC will function as a mirror controller. To enhance the efficiency of command-response data transfers between NSCs, mirror memory is correlated with primary memory and named resources are used for command-response data transfers. Methods are disclosed to provide for efficient active mirroring of data.
1. A data storage system, comprising:
a first network storage controller (NSC) including a processor and associated non-volatile memoly divided into a primary memory segment and a mirror memory segment;
a second NSC including a processor and associated non-volatile memory divided into a primary memory segment and a mirror memory segment:
at least one FCAL connected to the first NSC and the second NSC;
a plurality of storage devices connected to the FCAL;
a point-to-point communication link between the first NSC and the second NSC:
wherein the primary memory in the first NSC and the mirror memory in the second NSC are allocated in corresponding blocks; and
wherein the NSCs reserve positions for command-response data in the data flow on the point-to-point communication link.
2. The data storage system of claim 1 , wherein the primary memory in the second NSC and the mirror memory in the first NSC are allocated in corresponding blocks.
3. The data storage system of claim 1 , wherein command-response data is transmitted between the first NSC and the second NSC in one or more named resources.
4. The data storage system of claim 1 , wherein data transmitted as a result of a write I/O operation directed by the first NSC is mirrored in the mirror memory of the second NSC.
5. The data storage system of claim 1 , wherein data transmitted as a result of a write I/O operation directed by the second NSC is mirrored in the mirror memory of the first NSC.