Systems and methods for booting from virtual volume spanned across unknown number of storage devices by constructing a virtual logical unit based on metadata of the storage resources and by responding to I/O commands with data associated with a dummy logical unit
View Patent ↗In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, an information handling system may include a processor and a plurality of physical storage resources communicatively coupled to the processor via a bus, the plurality of physical storage resources configured to, in order to facilitate booting from a virtual logical unit spanning the plurality of physical storage resources: (i) after enumeration of the plurality of physical storage resources, construct the virtual logical unit based on metadata of the plurality of physical storage resources; and (ii) prior to construction of the virtual logical unit, respond to input/output commands from an operating system of the information handling system with data associated with a dummy logical unit or with an indication that the dummy logical unit is busy.
1. An information handling system comprising:
a processor; and
a plurality of physical storage resources communicatively coupled to the processor via a bus, the plurality of physical storage resources configured to, in order to facilitate booting from a virtual logical unit spanning the plurality of physical storage resources:
after enumeration of the plurality of physical storage resources, construct the virtual logical unit based on metadata of the plurality of physical storage resources; and
prior to construction of the virtual logical unit, respond to input/output commands from an operating system of the information handling system with data associated with a dummy logical unit or with an indication that the dummy logical unit is busy.
2. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein, during enumeration of the plurality of physical storage resources, the plurality of physical storage resources is configured to:
upon completion of initialization of one of the physical storage resources, begin a timer of predetermined duration;
reset the timer responsive to beginning of initialization of another one of the physical storage resources; and
construct the virtual logical unit based on metadata of the plurality of physical storage resources responsive to expiration of the timer.
3. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of physical storage resources are configured to respond to input/output commands other than a read command and a write command with data associated with the dummy logical unit.
4. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of physical storage resources are configured to respond to input/output commands including a read command and a write command with the indication that the dummy logical unit is busy.
5. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the bus is a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express bus.
6. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of physical storage resources comprise Non-Volatile Memory Express devices.
7. A method comprising, in an information handling system comprising a processor and a plurality of physical storage resources communicatively coupled to the processor via a bus, in order to facilitate booting from a virtual logical unit spanning the plurality of physical storage resources:
after enumeration of the plurality of physical storage resources, constructing the virtual logical unit based on metadata of the plurality of physical storage resources; and
prior to construction of the virtual logical unit, responding to input/output commands from an operating system of the information handling system with data associated with a dummy logical unit or with an indication that the dummy logical unit is busy.
8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising, during enumeration of the plurality of storage resources:
upon completion of initialization of one of the physical storage resources, beginning a timer of predetermined duration;
resetting the timer responsive to beginning of initialization of another one of the physical storage resources; and
constructing the virtual logical unit based on metadata of the plurality of storage resources responsive to expiration of the timer.
9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising responding to input/output commands other than a read command and a write command with data associated with the dummy logical unit.
10. The method of claim 7 , further comprising responding to input/output commands including a read command and a write command with the indication that the dummy logical unit is busy.
11. The method of claim 6 , wherein the bus is a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express bus.
12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of physical storage resources comprise Non-Volatile Memory Express devices.
13. An article of manufacture comprising:
a non-transitory computer-readable medium; and
computer-executable instructions carried on the computer-readable medium, the instructions readable by a processor, the instructions, when read and executed, for causing the processor to, in an information handling system comprising a host processor and a plurality of physical storage resources communicatively coupled to the host processor via a bus, in order to facilitate booting from a virtual logical unit spanning the plurality of physical storage resources:
after enumeration of the plurality of physical storage resources, construct the virtual logical unit based on metadata of the plurality of physical storage resources; and
prior to construction of the virtual logical unit, respond to input/output commands from an operating system of the information handling system with data associated with a dummy logical unit or with an indication that the dummy logical unit is busy.
14. The article of claim 13 , the instructions for further causing the processor to, during enumeration of the plurality of storage resources:
upon completion of initialization of one of the physical storage resources, begin a timer of predetermined duration;
reset the timer responsive to beginning of initialization of another one of the physical storage resources; and
construct the virtual logical unit based on metadata of the plurality of storage resources responsive to expiration of the timer.
15. The article of claim 13 , the instructions for further causing the processor to respond to input/output commands other than a read command and a write command with data associated with the dummy logical unit.
16. The article of claim 8 , the instructions for further causing the processor to respond to input/output commands including a read command and a write command with the indication that the dummy logical unit is busy.
17. The article of claim 13 , wherein the bus is a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express bus.
18. The article of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of physical storage resources comprise Non-Volatile Memory Express devices.