Communication protocols, systems and methods
View Patent ↗Methods of transferring data to a target device are presented. A protocol supports sending packets to individual disaggregated elements of the target device. Each packet can be individually addressed to an element using a distinct network address. Data is sent to the target device by sending one or more packets encapsulating protocol commands that provide instructions to the elements.
1. A method comprising:
generating by a sender device, a first packet with a control portion having a first identifier segment of a split identifier, the first identifier segment corresponding to a storage area of a target device remotely disposed across a network from the sender device;
generating by the sender device, a second packet with a control portion having a second identifier segment of the split identifier, the second identifier segment corresponding to a storage block of the storage area;
encapsulating by the sender device the second packet within the first packet; and
transmitting by the sender device, the first packet, with the encapsulated second packet, to the target device across the network.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the storage area is a partition of the target device.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first identifier segment is an internet protocol address and the second identifier segment is a logical block address.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said generating by the sender device, the second packet further comprises:
providing by the sender device, an authentication token within the control portion of the second packet.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said generating by the sender device, the second packet further comprises:
providing by the sender device, data within a data portion of the second packet, the data portion being no larger than the storage block; and
providing by the sender device, a transfer command, within the control portion of the second packet, to transfer the data to the storage block.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein execution of the transfer command is independent of packets other than the first packet and the second packet.
7. The method of claim 5 , wherein said generating by the sender device, the second packet is done by a first storage device and the data portion is no larger than a storage block of the first storage device.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said generating by the sender device, the second packet further comprises:
providing by the sender device, a request command, within the control portion of the second packet, to request data stored in the storage block.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said generating by the sender device, the second packet further comprises:
providing by the sender device, a lock command, within the control portion of the second packet, to instruct the target device to prevent subsequent access to the storage block.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the control portion of the second packet further includes one or more additional identifier segments that correspond to another target device and said generating the second packet further comprises:
providing a go transfer command, within the control portion of the second packet, to instruct the target device to transfer data within the storage block to the another target device.
11. An apparatus comprising:
a controller configured
generate a first packet with a control portion having a first identifier segment of a split identifier, the first identifier segment corresponding to a storage area of a target device remotely disposed from the apparatus across a network;
to generate a second packet with a control portion having a second identifier segment of the split identifier, the second identifier segment corresponding to a storage block of the storage area; and
to encapsulate the second packet within the first packet; and
a network interface coupled to the controller, and configured to transmit the first packet, with the encapsulated second packet, to the target device across the network.
12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the controller is a redundant array of inexpensive disks (RAID) controller.
13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the storage area is a partition of the target device.
14. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the first identifier segment is an internet protocol address and the second identifier segment is a logical block address.
15. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured to provide an authentication token within the control portion of the second packet.
16. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured
to provide data, within a data portion of the second packet, the data portion being no larger than the storage block; and
to provide a transfer command, within the control portion of the second packet, to transfer the data to the storage block.
17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein execution of the transfer command is independent of packets other than the first packet and the second packet.
18. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the data portion is no larger than a storage block of the apparatus.
19. A method comprising:
receiving, by a storage device from a network, a first packet with a second packet encapsulated therein, the first packet having a control portion with a first identifier segment of a split identifier and the second packet having a control portion with a second identifier segment of the split identifier and a command, the first identifier segment corresponding to a storage area of the storage device and the second identifier segment corresponding to a storage block of the storage area; and
executing by the storage device, the command with respect to the storage block.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the storage area is a partition of the storage device.
21. The method of claim 19 , wherein the first identifier segment is an internet protocol address and the second identifier segment is a logical block address.
22. The method of claim 19 , wherein the control portion of the second packet includes an authentication token and the method further comprises:
authenticating by the storage device, the authentication token; and
executing by the storage device, the command based at least in part on said authenticating the authentication token.
23. The method of claim 19 , wherein the second packet includes data within a data portion and said executing the command comprises:
transferring by the storage device, the data to the storage block.
24. The method of claim 19 , wherein said executing the command comprises:
accessing by the storage device, data stored in the storage block; and
transmitting by the storage device, the data to a device that transmitted the first packet.
25. The method of claim 19 , wherein the control portion of the second packet includes one or more additional identifier segments and said executing the command comprises:
accessing by the storage device, data stored in the storage block; and
transmitting by the storage device, the data to a device other than a device that transmitted the first packet.
26. An apparatus comprising:
a network interface configured to receive a first packet with a second packet encapsulated therein, the first packet having a control portion with a first identifier segment of a split identifier and the second packet having a control portion with a second identifier segment of the split identifier and a command, the first identifier segment corresponding to a storage area of the apparatus and the second identifier segment corresponding to a storage block of the storage area; and
a storage element coupled to the network interface, and configured to execute the command with respect to the storage block.
27. The apparatus of claim 26 , wherein the storage area is a partition.
28. The apparatus of claim 26 , wherein the first identifier segment is an internet protocol address and the second identifier segment is a logical block address.
29. The apparatus of claim 26 , wherein the second packet includes data within a data portion and the storage element is configured to execute the command by being configured to
transfer by the storage element, the data to the storage block.
30. The apparatus of claim 26 , wherein the storage element is configured to execute the command by being configured to:
access by the storage element, data stored in the storage block; and
transmit by the storage element, the data to a device that transmitted the first packet.
31. The apparatus of claim 26 , wherein the control portion of the second packet includes one or more additional identifier segments and the storage element is configured to execute the command by being configured to:
access by the storage element, data stored in the storage block; and
transmit by the storage element, the data to a device other than a device that transmitted the first packet.
32. An apparatus comprising:
means for generating a first packet with a control portion having a first identifier segment of a split identifier, the first identifier segment corresponding to a storage area of a target device remotely disposed across a network from the apparatus;
means for generating a second packet with a control portion having a second identifier segment of the split identifier, the second identifier segment corresponding to a storage block of the storage area;
means for encapsulating the second packet within the first packet; and
means for transmitting the first packet, with the encapsulated second packet, to the target device across the network.
33. The apparatus of claim 32 , wherein the storage area is a partition of the target device.
34. The apparatus of claim 32 , wherein the first identifier segment is an internet protocol address and the second identifier segment is a logical block address.
35. The apparatus of claim 32 , wherein said means for generating the second packet further comprises:
means for providing an authentication token within the control portion of the second packet.
36. The apparatus of claim 32 , wherein said means for generating the second packet further comprises:
means for providing data within a data portion of the second packet, the data portion being no larger than the storage block; and
means for providing a transfer command, within the control portion of the second packet, to transfer the data to the storage block.