Running an enterprise storage subsystem as a virtual machine
A storage array is implemented as a virtual machine on a server. The virtual storage array includes a virtual engine with virtual directors and virtualized processor and memory resources. Embedded storage software converts Input/Output requests into Input/Output requests that can be serviced by the virtual machine. A virtual backend driver enables the virtual storage directors to access a set of virtual drives. A virtualized shared memory driver provides emulated input/output, XOR, direct memory access and copy services for send and receive threads.
1. An apparatus comprising:
a computing node comprising at least one processor and a non-transitory computer-readable memory on which is stored program code configured to be run by the at least one processor to generate a first virtual machine comprising:
a virtual storage array that accesses host application data stored on one or more non-volatile drives responsive to commands from a host application, the virtual storage array comprising:
a plurality of virtual storage engines, each virtual storage engine comprising:
a pair of virtual storage directors interconnected in a failover relationship, each virtual storage director receiving the commands from the host application and configured to communicate with the host application via a virtual front end adapter, each virtual storage director comprising:
a virtual processor;
a virtualized shared memory;
a virtual backend adapter configured to interface with some of the non-volatile drives; and
a virtual channel adapter that interfaces with other virtual storage directors of other virtual storage engines,
the pair of virtual storage directors being interconnected via a virtual switch, the virtual processor and the virtualized shared memory implemented as a second virtual machine nested within the first virtual machine;
whereby host application data requested by a host application from a first virtual storage director of a first virtual storage engine and managed by a second virtual storage director of a second virtual storage engine is provided by the second virtual storage director copying the requested host application from the non-volatile drives to the virtualized shared memory and the first virtual storage director accessing the requested host application data from the virtualized shared memory to provide the requested host application data to the host application that generated the request.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each virtual storage director further comprises a virtual channel adapter with virtual ports which interface with other virtual storage directors via the virtual switch using Ethernet protocol.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the virtual front end adapter is configured to interface the virtual storage directors with a guest operating system hosted by the virtual storage array.
4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the virtual front end adapter implements internet small computer system interface protocol.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the computing node processor comprises a central processing unit and a graphics processing unit.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the virtual storage array further comprises a backend driver configured to enable the virtual storage directors to access a set of virtual drives.
7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the virtual drives are mounted on paravirtualized small computer system interface devices.
8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the virtual drives are an abstraction layer between the virtual storage directors and a set of physical data storage devices.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the virtual storage array further comprises a virtualized shared memory driver which provides direct memory access functionality between the virtualized shared memory allocated to the virtual storage directors.
10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the virtualized shared memory driver provides emulated input/output, XOR, direct memory access and copy services for send and receive threads.
11. A method comprising:
using a computing node comprising at least one processor and a non-transitory computer-readable memory on which is stored program code configured to be run by the at least one processor:
generating a first virtual machine comprising a virtual storage array that accesses host application data stored on one or more non-volatile drives responsive to commands from a host application, the virtual storage array comprising virtual storage engines, each virtual storage engine comprising a pair of virtual storage directors, interconnected in a failover relationship, that each receive the commands from the host application and is configured to communicate with the host application via a virtual front end adapter, each virtual storage director comprising a virtual processor, a virtualized shared memory, a virtual backend adapter configured to interface with some of the non-volatile drives, and a virtual channel adapter that interfaces with other virtual storage directors of other virtual storage engines, the virtual processor and the virtualized shared memory implemented as a second virtual machine nested within the first virtual machine;
interconnecting the pair of virtual storage directors via a virtual switch; and
providing host application data requested by a host application from a first virtual storage director of a first virtual storage engine and managed by a second virtual storage director of a second virtual storage engine by causing the second virtual storage director to copy the requested host application from the non-volatile drives to the virtualized shared memory and the first virtual storage director accessing the requested host application data from the virtualized shared memory for providing the requested host application data to the host application that generated the request.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein each virtual storage director further comprises a virtual channel adapter with virtual ports, and comprising interfacing the virtual storage directors with other virtual storage directors via the virtual switch via the virtual ports using Ethernet protocol.
13. The method of claim 11 comprising interfacing the virtual storage directors with a guest operating system hosted by the virtual storage array via the virtual front end adapter.
14. The method of claim 13 comprising the virtual front end adapter implementing internet small computer system interface protocol.
15. The method of claim 11 wherein the computing node processor comprises a central processing unit and a graphics processing unit.
16. The method of claim 11 wherein the virtual storage array further comprises a backend driver, and comprising the backend driver enabling the virtual storage directors to access a set of virtual drives.
17. The method of claim 16 comprising mounting the virtual drives on paravirtualized small computer system interface devices.
18. The method of claim 17 comprising implementing the virtual drives as an abstraction layer between the virtual storage directors and a set of physical data storage devices.
19. The method of claim 11 wherein the virtual storage array further comprises a virtualized shared memory driver, and comprising the virtualized shared memory driver providing direct memory access functionality between the virtualized shared memory allocated to the virtual storage directors.
20. The method of claim 11 comprising the virtualized shared memory driver providing emulated input/output, XOR, direct memory access and copy services for send and receive threads.