Network, storage appliance, and method for externalizing an external I/O link between a server and a storage controller integrated within the storage appliance chassis
A network storage appliance is disclosed. The storage appliance includes a port combiner that provides data communication between at least first, second, and third I/O ports; a storage controller that controls storage devices and includes the first I/O port; a server having the second I/O port; and an I/O connector for networking the third I/O port to the port combiner. A single chassis encloses the port combiner, storage controller, and server, and the I/O connector is affixed on the storage appliance. The third I/O port is external to the chassis and is not enclosed therein. In various embodiments, the port combiner comprises a FiberChannel hub comprising a series of loop resiliency circuits, or a FiberChannel, Ethernet, or Infiniband switch. In one embodiment, the port combiner, I/O ports, and server are all comprised in a single blade module for plugging into a backplane of the chassis.
1. A computer network, comprising:
a first server, enclosed in a first chassis, for issuing first requests for first data stored on a plurality of storage devices; and
a network storage appliance comprising a processor and a memory coupled to the processor, enclosed in a second chassis, further comprising:
a second server, for issuing second requests to store second data on the plurality of storage devices and third requests to access storage devices external to the network storage appliance, comprising:
a port combiner; and
a first portion of a storage controller, coupled to the plurality of storage devices, for receiving the first and second requests, and for controlling the plurality of storage devices in response thereto, and
a second portion of the storage controller, wherein the second portion of the storage controller performs logical to physical block translation, wherein the second portion of the storage controller that performs logical to physical block translation is separate from the first and second servers and the first portion of the storage controller wherein the second server and the second portion of the storage controller are on different field replaceable units,
wherein the port combiner is configured to enable transfers of the first data between an I/O port of the first server and an I/O port of the storage controller and to enable transfers of the second data between an I/O port of the second server and the I/O port of the storage controller, wherein the storage devices external to the network storage appliance are independent from the plurality of storage devices and interconnected to the network storage appliance by a different communication path than the plurality of storage devices.
2. The computer network of claim 1 , wherein the second server is configured to issue the third requests for backing up the second data stored on the plurality of storage devices to a backup device external to and networked to the network storage appliance.
3. The computer network of claim 2 , wherein the second server is configured to backup the second data onto the backup device comprising a tape device.
4. The computer network of claim 2 , wherein the second server is configured to backup the second data onto the backup device comprising a remote server.
5. The computer network of claim 2 , wherein the second server is configured to execute a data backup software application for issuing the third requests.
6. A computer network, comprising:
a first storage controller, enclosed in a first chassis, for controlling a first plurality of storage devices; and
a network storage appliance comprising a processor and a memory coupled to the processor, enclosed in a second chassis, further comprising:
a second storage controller, for controlling a second plurality of storage devices; and
at least one server, for issuing requests to the first and second storage controllers for data stored on the first and second plurality of storage devices, respectively, comprising:
a port combiner, configured to enable transfers of the data between an I/O port of the at least one server and an I/O port of the first storage controller and between the I/O port of the at least one server and an I/O port of the second storage controller,
wherein a portion of the second storage controller performs logical to physical block translation and is on a different field replaceable unit than any of the at least one server, wherein the portion of the second storage controller that performs logical to physical block translation is separate from the at least one server.
7. The computer network of claim 6 , wherein the at least one server is configured to execute a storage virtualization software application for virtualizing storage of the first and second plurality of storage devices presented by the first and second storage controllers, respectively, for presentation to computers networked to the at least one server.