Redundant Pathways for Serial Storage Connectivity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current mass storage systems face challenges in maintaining high availability and performance due to unanticipated failures in connectivity or communication with serially-connected data storage units, as they often require expensive fiber switches and experience performance degradation during failover events.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of multiple redundant pathways between filers and serially-connected data storage units, which allows for continued access and management of data storage units even in the event of primary pathway failures, reducing the need for failover and maintaining system performance without incurring additional costs associated with fiber switches.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If fiber switches are used to provide redundant pathways to data storage units, then connectivity redundancy is improved, but system cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates redundant communication pathways by establishing multiple logical connections between filers and data storage units through the existing serial-attached SCSI infrastructure. Instead of deploying expensive fiber switches, the system copies communication paths by enabling filers to access storage units through alternative serial connections, thereby achieving connectivity redundancy using the existing hardware architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the existing serial-attached SCSI interfaces and connectors serve multiple functions: primary data communication pathways and backup redundant pathways. By enabling the same physical infrastructure to provide both primary and redundant connectivity, the system eliminates the need for dedicated fiber switch hardware while maintaining connectivity redundancy.
2Reliability
If clustered failover configuration is implemented, then data availability is improved, but performance degradation occurs during failover events
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-establishes multiple active communication pathways between filers and data storage units before any failure occurs. By having redundant pathways ready and configured in advance, the system can switch to backup paths immediately upon detecting a failure, avoiding the performance degradation associated with traditional failover that requires reconfiguration and activation of standby systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent maintains continuous data access by keeping multiple communication pathways active simultaneously. When a primary pathway fails, the system continues useful action by seamlessly transitioning to an alternative pathway without interruption, thereby maintaining system performance while ensuring data availability.
3Reliability
If multiple redundant pathways are implemented using existing serial connectors, then connectivity redundancy is improved, but pathway selection complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements automatic pathway selection and management through the operating system and driver software that monitor the health and status of communication pathways. The system self-manages the complexity of multiple redundant pathways by automatically detecting failures, selecting alternative paths, and managing connector assignments without requiring manual intervention or complex external control mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
A group of data storage units are serially connected in a sequential data communication path to communicate read and write operations to first and second interfaces of each data storage unit in the group. A data management computer device (“filer”) manages read and write operations of the data storage units of the group through an adapter of the filer. Main and redundant primary communication pathway connectors extend from the filer to the interfaces of the data storage unit, thereby establishing redundancy through multiple pathways to communicate the read and write operations to the data storage units of the group. Main and redundant secondary communication pathway connectors extend from partner filers to the groups of data storage units associated with each partner filer, thereby further enhancing redundancy.