IP Library Granted Patent US 11,210,254
Granted Patent B2
US 11,210,254 · App. 16/883,182 · Granted Dec 28, 2021

Methods, electronic devices, storage systems, and computer program products for storage management

Inventors: Min Zhang (Shanghai, CN); Qiulin Cheng (Shanghai, CN); Rui Chang (Shanghai, CN)
Assignee: EMC IP Holding Company LLC
G06F13/4068G06F13/4022G06F13/4282G06F2213/0026G06F2213/0028
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,210,254
App. No.
16/883,182
Granted
Dec 28, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

Techniques for the storage management involve, in response to detecting that a storage device is plugged into the storage system, determining, at a computing device of a storage system and based on attributes of the storage device, a target interface device matching the storage device from a plurality of types of interface devices in the storage system, the interface device managing the storage device having attributes matching one of the plurality of types; determining an association between the storage device and the target interface device; and generating, based on the association, information characterizing a state of the storage device in the computing device. In this way, it is possible to support at least two different types of disks in the existing storage system, improving the compatibility and scalability of the system.

Claims (69)

1. A method for storage management comprising:

in response to detecting that a first storage device is plugged into a first storage device slot of an enclosure of a storage system, determining, at a computing device of the storage system and based on attributes of the first storage device, a first target interface device by matching a first type of the first target interface device with the attributes of the first storage device, the storage system including a plurality of types of interface devices, the first storage device slot being connected to the respective types of interface devices, the first target interface device being from among the respective types of interface devices;

in response to detecting that a second storage device is plugged into a second storage device slot of the enclosure of the storage system, determining, at the computing device of the storage system and based on attributes of the second storage device, a second target interface device by matching a second type of the second target interface device with the attributes of the second storage device, the second storage device slot being connected to the respective types of interface devices, the second target interface device being from among the respective types of interface devices;

determining a first association between the first storage device and the determined first target interface device;

generating, based on the first association, first information characterizing a state of the first storage device in the computing device;

determining a second association between the second storage device and the determined second target interface device; and

generating, based on the second association, second information characterizing a state of the second storage device in the computing device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the first target interface device comprises:

determining the attributes of the first storage device;

determining the first type of interface device matching the attributes; and

determining the first target interface device based on the determined first type.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein determining the first type of interface device comprises:

in response to determining that the first storage device is a Serial Attached Small Computer System Interface (SAS) type of storage device, determining that the first type of interface device is the SAS type of interface device.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first target interface device is a SAS expander.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein determining the first type of interface device comprises:

in response to determining that the first storage device is a Non-Volatile Memory express (NVMe) type of storage device, determining that the first type of interface device is a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) type of interface device.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first target interface device is a PCIe switch.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first information comprises at least one of the following:

the attributes of the first storage device;

an identifier of the first storage device slot into which the first storage device is plugged; and

an available capacity of the first storage device.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

in response to receiving a write request for data, determining whether the first storage device has available storage space; and

in response to determining that the first storage device has the available storage space, transferring the data from the computing device to the first target interface device, to cause the data to be written to the first storage device via the first target interface device.

9. An electronic device, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor storing instructions to be executed, the instructions when executed by the processor causing the device to execute acts of:

in response to detecting that a first storage device is plugged into a first storage device slot of an enclosure of a storage system, determining, at a computing device of the storage system and based on attributes of the first storage device, a first target interface device by matching a first type of the first target interface device with the attributes of the first storage device, the storage system including a plurality of types of interface devices, the first storage device slot being connected to the respective types of interface devices, the first target interface device being from among the respective types of interface devices;

in response to detecting that a second storage device is plugged into a second storage device slot of the enclosure of the storage system, determining, at the computing device of the storage system and based on attributes of the second storage device, a second target interface device by matching a second type of the second target interface device with the attributes of the second storage device, the second storage device slot being connected to the respective types of interface devices, the second target interface device being from among the respective types of interface devices;

determining a first association between the first storage device and the determined first target interface device; generating, based on the first association, first information

characterizing a state of the first storage device in the computing device;

determining a second association between the second storage device and the determined second target interface device; and

generating, based on the second association, second information characterizing a state of the second storage device in the computing device.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein determining the first target interface device comprises:

determining the attributes of the first storage device;

determining the first type of the interface device matching the attributes; and

determining the first target interface device based on the determined first type.

11. The device of claim 10 , wherein determining the first type of interface device comprises:

in response to determining that the first storage device is a Serial Attached Small Computer System Interface (SAS) type of storage device, determining that the first type of interface device is the SAS type of interface device.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the first target interface device is a SAS expander.

13. The device of claim 10 , wherein determining the first type of interface device comprises:

in response to determining that the first storage device is a Non-Volatile Memory express (NVMe) type of storage device, determining that the first type of interface device is a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) type of interface device.

14. The device of claim 13 , wherein the first target interface device is a PCIe switch.

15. The device of claim 9 , wherein the first information comprises at least one of the following:

the attributes of the first storage device;

an identifier of the first storage device slot into which the storage device is plugged; and

an available capacity of the first storage device.

16. The device of claim 9 , further comprising:

in response to receiving a write request for data, determining whether the first storage device has available storage space; and

in response to determining that the first storage device has the available storage space, transferring the data from the computing device to the first target interface device, to cause the data to be written to the first storage device via the first target interface device.

17. A storage system comprising:

an enclosure having a first storage device slot and a second storage device slot;

a plurality of types of interface devices, wherein the first storage device slot and the second storage device slot are connected to the respective types of interface devices; and

an electronic device, connected to the plurality of types of the interface devices, the electronic device including:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor storing instructions to be executed, the instructions when executed by the processor causing the electronic device to execute acts of:

in response to detecting that a first storage device is plugged into the first storage device slot of the enclosure, determining, at a computing device of the storage system and based on attributes of the first storage device, a first target interface device by matching a first type of the first target interface device with the attributes of the first storage device, the first target interface device being from among the respective types of interface devices;

in response to detecting that a second storage device is plugged into a second storage device slot of the enclosure of the storage system, determining, at the computing device of the storage system and based on attributes of the second storage device, a second target interface device by matching a second type of the second target interface device with the attributes of the second storage device, the second target interface device being from among the respective types of interface devices;

determining a first association between the first storage device and the determined first target interface device;

generating, based on the first association, first information characterizing a state of the first storage device in the computing device;

determining a second association between the second storage device and the determined second target interface device; and

generating, based on the second association, second information characterizing a state of the second storage device in the computing device.

18. A computer program product having a non-transitory computer readable medium which stores a set of instructions to perform storage management; the set of instructions, when carried out by computerized circuitry, causing the computerized circuitry to perform a method of:

in response to detecting that a first storage device is plugged into a first storage device slot of an enclosure of a storage system, determining, at a computing device of the storage system and based on attributes of the first storage device, a first target interface device by matching a first type of the first target interface device with the attributes of the first storage device, the storage system including a plurality of types of interface devices, the first storage device slot being connected to the respective types of interface devices, the first target interface device being from among the respective types of interface devices;

in response to detecting that a second storage device is plugged into a second storage device slot of the enclosure of the storage system, determining, at the computing device of the storage system and based on attributes of the second storage device, a second target interface device by matching a second type of the second target interface device with the attributes of the second storage device, the second storage device slot being connected to the respective types of interface devices, the second target interface device being from among the respective types of interface devices;

determining a first association between the first storage device and the determined first target interface device;

generating, based on the first association, first information characterizing a state of the first storage device in the computing device;

determining a second association between the second storage device and the determined second target interface device; and

generating, based on the second association, second information characterizing a state of the second storage device in the computing device.

Assignments (9)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (053578/0183) Recorded Jun 10, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 060332/0864 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (053574/0221) Recorded Jun 10, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 060333/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (053573/0535) Recorded Jun 10, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 060333/0106 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST AT REEL 053531 FRAME 0108 Recorded Nov 2, 2021
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 058001/0371 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 21, 2020
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 053578/0183 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 21, 2020
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 053573/0535 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 21, 2020
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 053574/0221 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 18, 2020
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
Reel/Frame 053531/0108 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 26, 2020
From: ZHANG, MIN; CHENG, QIULIN; CHANG, RUI
To: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 053045/0621 →