Volume server and volume owner communication protocol in a distributed storage management system
View Patent ↗A system, method, and medium provide communication between a volume server and a volume owner in a distributed storage management system. A volume server may manage configuration information for a particular volume of storage. A volume owner may manage input/output (I/O) for the volume. The volume server may lease the configuration information to the volume owner using a communications protocol. The communications protocol comprises a plurality of operations for management of the lease. The volume owner may use the configuration information to manage the I/O for the volume.
1. A system comprising:
one or more physical storage devices;
a computer system comprising at least one processor and a memory, wherein the memory stores a volume server which is executable by the at least one processor to manage configuration information for a volume, wherein the volume comprises data stored on the one or more physical storage devices, wherein the configuration information for the volume specifies a logical configuration of the data stored on the one or more physical storage devices; and
a volume owner, wherein the volume owner is coupled to the one or more physical storage devices over a network;
wherein the volume server is further executable by the at least one processor to lease the configuration information to the volume owner using a communications protocol, wherein leasing the configuration information creates a lease of the configuration information to the volume owner, wherein the lease comprises a specific duration of time for exclusive management of input/output (I/O) for the volume by the volume owner, wherein the communications protocol comprises a plurality of operations for management of the lease; and
wherein the volume owner is configured to use the logical configuration specified in the configuration information to manage I/O for the volume, and wherein the volume owner is configured to use the logical configuration specified in the configuration information to send I/O requests over the network to the one or more physical storage devices.
2. The system of claim 1 ,
wherein the volume server comprises a configuration engine;
wherein the volume owner comprises an I/O engine.
3. The system of claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of operations comprises an operation to open the volume when given a globally unique identifier for the volume.
4. The system of claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of operations comprises an operation to close the volume when given a globally unique identifier for the volume.
5. The system of claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of operations comprises an operation to get the configuration information.
6. The system of claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of operations comprises an operation to renew the lease.
7. The system of claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of operations comprises an operation to revoke the lease.
8. The system of claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of operations comprises an operation to set lease parameters.
9. The system of claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of operations comprises an operation to set I/O statistics information for the volume.
10. A method comprising:
a volume server storing configuration information for a volume, wherein the volume comprises data stored on one or more physical storage devices, wherein the configuration information for the volume specifies a logical configuration of the data stored on the one or more physical storage devices;
the volume server leasing the configuration information to a volume owner using a communications protocol, wherein leasing the configuration information creates a lease of the configuration information to the volume owner, wherein the lease comprises a specific duration of time for exclusive management of input/output (I/O) for the volume by the volume owner, wherein the communications protocol comprises a plurality of operations for management of the lease; and
the volume owner using the logical configuration specified in the configuration information to manage I/O for the volume and send I/O requests over a network to the one or more physical storage devices.
11. The method of claim 10 ,
wherein the volume server comprises a configuration engine;
wherein the volume owner comprises an I/O engine.
12. The method of claim 10 ,
wherein the plurality of operations comprises an operation to open the volume when given a globally unique identifier for the volume.
13. The method of claim 10 ,
wherein the plurality of operations comprises an operation to close the volume when given a globally unique identifier for the volume.
14. The method of claim 10 ,
wherein the plurality of operations comprises an operation to get the configuration information.
15. The method of claim 10 ,
wherein the plurality of operations comprises an operation to renew the lease.
16. The method of claim 10 ,
wherein the plurality of operations comprises an operation to revoke the lease.
17. The method of claim 10 ,
wherein the plurality of operations comprises an operation to set lease parameters.
18. The method of claim 10 ,
wherein the plurality of operations comprises an operation to set I/O statistics information for the volume.
19. A computer-accessible storage medium comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions are computer-executable to perform:
storing configuration information for a volume at a volume server, wherein the volume comprises data stored on one or more physical storage devices, wherein the configuration information for the volume specifies a logical configuration of the data stored on the one or more physical storage devices;
leasing the configuration information from the volume server to a volume owner using a communications protocol, wherein leasing the configuration information creates a lease of the configuration information to the volume owner, wherein the lease comprises a specific duration of time for exclusive management of input/output (I/O) for the volume by the volume owner wherein the communications protocol comprises a plurality of operations for management of the lease; and
using the logical configuration specified in the configuration information at the volume owner to manage I/O for the volume and send I/O requests over a network to the one or more physical storage devices.
20. The computer-accessible storage medium of claim 19 ,
wherein the volume server comprises a configuration engine;
wherein the volume owner comprises an I/O engine.
21. The computer-accessible storage medium of claim 19 ,
wherein the plurality of operations comprises an operation to open the volume when given a globally unique identifier for the volume.
22. The computer-accessible storage medium of claim 19 ,
wherein the plurality of operations comprises an operation to close the volume when given a globally unique identifier for the volume.
23. The computer-accessible storage medium of claim 19 ,
wherein the plurality of operations comprises an operation to get the configuration information.
24. The computer-accessible storage medium of claim 19 ,
wherein the plurality of operations comprises an operation to renew the lease.
25. The computer-accessible storage medium of claim 19 ,
wherein the plurality of operations comprises an operation to revoke the lease.
26. The computer-accessible storage medium of claim 19 ,
wherein the plurality of operations comprises an operation to set lease parameters.
27. The computer-accessible storage medium of claim 19 ,
wherein the plurality of operations comprises an operation to set I/O statistics information for the volume.
28. A system comprising:
means for storing configuration information for a volume at a volume server, wherein the volume comprises data stored on one or more physical storage devices, wherein the configuration information for the volume specifies a logical configuration of the data stored on the one or more physical storage devices;
means for leasing the configuration information from the volume server to a volume owner using a communications protocol, wherein leasing the configuration information creates a lease of the configuration information to the volume owner, wherein the lease comprises a specific duration of time for exclusive management of input/output (I/O) for the volume by the volume owner, wherein the communications protocol comprises a plurality of operations for management of the lease; and
means for using the logical configuration specified in the configuration information at the volume owner to manage I/O for the volume and send I/O requests over a network to the one or more physical storage devices.