iSCSI Session Manager Multi-Acceleration Path Selection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current iSCSI systems are limited by their inability to span connections with differing characteristics, such as different levels of acceleration, leading to complications in managing multiple sessions and utilizing various transport provider hardware effectively.
Innovation Solution
A novel iSCSI session manager is configured to manage different types of transport provider hardware over multiple connections within a single session, enabling multi-path operations and selecting the highest accelerated connection as the preferred data pathway.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple sessions are used to support different levels of acceleration, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple connections with different acceleration levels into a single iSCSI session. The session manager consolidates what would otherwise require separate sessions, allowing diverse transport provider hardware (NICs, TOEs, HBAs) to coexist within one session context, thereby reducing management overhead while maintaining adaptability
Solution Approach 2:
The session manager is designed with multi-functionality to handle different types of transport provider hardware uniformly. It can manage connections with varying acceleration characteristics (CPU-based NICs, offloaded TOEs, specialized HBAs) through a single unified interface, eliminating the need for separate specialized session managers for each hardware type
2Ease of operation
If a single session manages multiple connections with differing characteristics, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability may worsen due to potential conflicts
Solution Approach 1:
The session manager applies local quality by allowing each connection within the session to maintain its specific acceleration characteristics and hardware properties while being managed under a unified session framework. Each connection retains its individual identity and performance profile, preventing conflicts while enabling simplified management at the session level
Solution Approach 2:
The session manager implements dynamic path selection capabilities, allowing the system to adaptively choose which connection to use based on current conditions such as acceleration availability, load, and performance requirements. This dynamic approach ensures reliability by automatically selecting the most appropriate connection while maintaining ease of operation through automated decision-making
3Reliability
If multiple sessions are managed separately, then connection stability is maintained, but productivity decreases due to increased management overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The session manager performs preliminary actions by pre-establishing multiple connections with different acceleration levels within a single session and pre-configuring path selection criteria. This allows the system to have connections ready and configured in advance, eliminating the need for separate session management while maintaining stability and enabling efficient data access through pre-planned path selection
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method supports a plurality of levels of acceleration in an iSCSI session between a client and a storage system. The iSCSI session includes multiple connections and the levels of acceleration include different types of transport provider hardware. An iSCSI session manager is configured to manage a different type of transport provider hardware over one or more connections of the session. The use of a multi-connection session with differing levels of acceleration enables the client to use standard multi-pathing algorithms, such as active/passive and/or weighted path selection, to maximize performance by employing the highest accelerated connection as a preferred data pathway.