Using replication facility to provide secure host network connectivity wherein a first logical device is used exclusively for sending messages from host to second host

1. A method of performing inter-host communication comprising:

issuing a first message from a first host;

and sending the first message from the first host to a second host, wherein said sending includes:

transmitting the first message indirectly to the second host over a first connection between a first data storage system and a second data storage system, wherein a first device of the first data storage system and a second device of a second data storage are configured as a same logical device, a first logical device, and wherein the first connection is used for synchronous data replication to maintain the second device of the second data storage system as a synchronous mirror of the first device of the first data storage system, wherein the first host issues a first write that writes the first message to the first logical device over a first path between the first host and the first data storage system, and the second host issues a first read to the first logical device over a second path between the second host and the second data storage system, wherein the first logical device is used exclusively in connection with sending messages from the first host to the second host, and wherein a second logical device, that is different from the first logical device, is used exclusively in connection with sending messages from the second host to the first host, wherein a third device of the first data storage system and a fourth device of the second data storage system are configured as a same logical device, the second logical device, that is different from the first logical device, and wherein messages sent from the second host to the first host are transmitted indirectly over a second connection between the first data storage system and the second data storage system, wherein the first connection and the second connection are two different connections.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first message includes first data, and said sending the first message includes issuing the first write that writes the first data to a first logical address of the first logical device.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the second host receives the first message by issuing the first read to read the first data from the first logical device, said first read being sent from the second host to the second data storage system.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

issuing a second message from the second host; and

sending the second message from the second host to the first host, wherein said sending the second message includes:

transmitting the second message indirectly to the first host over the second connection between the first data storage system and the second data storage system, and wherein the second connection is used for synchronous data replication to maintain the fourth device of the second data storage system as a synchronous mirror of the third device of the first data storage system.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the second message includes second data, and said sending the second message includes issuing a second write that writes the second data to a second logical address of the second logical device.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first host receives the second message by issuing a second read to read the second data from the second logical device, said second read being sent from the first host to the first data storage system.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein there is no direct communication connection between the first host and the second host.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first host has a direct connection to the first data storage system and does not have a direct connection to the second data storage system.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the second host has a direct connection to the second data storage system and does not have a direct connection to the first data storage system.

10. A method of performing inter-host communication comprising:

issuing a first message from a first host,

and sending the first message from the first host to a second host, wherein said sending includes:

transmitting the first message indirectly to the second host over a first connection between a first data storage system and a second data storage system, wherein a first device of the first data storage system and a second device of a second data storage are configured as a same logical device, a first logical device, and wherein the first connection is used for synchronous data replication to maintain the second device of the second data storage system as a synchronous mirror of the first device of the first data storage system, wherein the first host issues a first write that writes the first message to the first logical device over a first path between the first host and the first data storage system, and the second host issues a first read to the first logical device over a second path between the second host and the second data storage system, and wherein the first logical device has a logical address space and a first portion of the logical address space is used exclusively in connection with sending messages from the first host to the second host, and a second portion of the logical address space, that is different than the first portion of the logical address space, is used exclusively in connection with sending messages from the second host to the first host, and wherein the first write is a first request to write the first data to a first logical address of the first portion.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

issuing a second message from the second host; and

sending the second message from the second host to the first host, wherein said sending the second message includes:

transmitting the second message indirectly to the first host over the first connection between the first data storage system and the second data storage system.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second message includes second data, and said sending the second message includes issuing a second write that writes the second data to a second logical address of the first logical device, wherein said second logical address is included in the second portion.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first host receives the second message by issuing a second read to read the second data from the second logical address of the second portion, said second read being sent from the first host to the first data storage system.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first host and the second host each include an instance of a distributed or clustered application and wherein the first message is issued by a first instance of the distributed or clustered application on the first host and the second message is issued by a second instance of the distributed or clustered application on the second host, wherein the first message and the second message are issued in connection with any of coordinating access and control of storage resources used concurrently by the distributed or clustered application.

15. A system comprising:

a first host;

a second host;

a first data storage system;

a second data storage system;

and one or more memories comprising code stored thereon that, when executed, perform a method comprising:

configuring a first device of the first data storage system and a second device of the second data storage system for synchronous replication, wherein the first device and the second device are configured as a same logical device, a first logical device, wherein a first connection between the first data storage system and the second data storage system is used to transmit data, written to the first logical device, between the first data storage system and the second data storage system in order to maintain the second device as a synchronous mirror of the first device of the first data storage system, wherein the first host issues a first write to the first logical device over a first path between the first host and the first data storage system and the second host issues a first read to the first logical device over a second path between the second host and the second data storage system;

configuring a third device of the first data storage system and a fourth device of the second data storage system for synchronous replication, wherein the third device and the fourth device are configured as a same logical device, a second logical device, wherein a second connection, that is different than the first connection and is between the first data storage system and the second data storage system is used to transmit data, written to the second logical device, between the first data storage system and the second data storage system in order to maintain the fourth device as a synchronous mirror of the third device of the first data storage system, wherein the first host issues a second read to the second logical device over a third path between the first host and the first data storage system and the second host issues a second write to the second logical device over a fourth path between the second host and the second data storage system;

performing first processing in connection with the first write directed to the first logical device, wherein the first write is issued by the first host over the first path to the first data storage system, wherein the first write writes first data that is a first message to the second host, wherein said first processing includes sending the first data over the first connection to the second data storage system, wherein the first logical device is used exclusively in connection with sending messages from the first host to the second host;

and performing second processing in connection with the second write directed to the second logical device, wherein the second write is issued by the second host over the fourth path to the second data storage system, wherein the second write writes second data that is a second message to the first host, wherein said second processing includes sending the second data over the second connection to the second data storage system, wherein the second logical device is different from the first logical device and wherein the second logical device is used exclusively in connection with sending messages from the second host to the first host.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein there is no direct communication connection between the first host and the second host.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the first host has a direct connection to the first data storage system and does not have a direct connection to the second data storage system, and wherein the second host has a direct connection to the second data storage system and does not have a direct connection to the first data storage system.

18. A computer readable medium comprising code stored thereon that, when executed, performs a method of performing inter-host communication comprising:

issuing a first message from a first host;

and sending the first message from the first host to a second host, wherein said sending includes:

transmitting the first message indirectly to the second host over a first connection between a first data storage system and a second data storage system, wherein a first device of the first data storage system and a second device of a second data storage are configured as a same logical device, a first logical device, and wherein the first connection is used for synchronous data replication to maintain the second device of the second data storage system as a synchronous mirror of the first device of the first data storage system, wherein the first host issues a first write that writes the first message to the first logical device over a first path between the first host and the first data storage system, and the second host issues a first read to the first logical device over a second path between the second host and the second data storage system, wherein the first logical device is used exclusively in connection with sending messages from the first host to the second host, and wherein a second logical device, that is different from the first logical device, is used exclusively in connection with sending messages from the second host to the first host, wherein a third device of the first data storage system and a fourth device of the second data storage system are configured as a same logical device, the second logical device, that is different from the first logical device, and wherein messages sent from the second host to the first host are transmitted indirectly over a second connection between the first data storage system and the second data storage system, wherein the first connection and the second connection are two different connections.