Non-disruptive Software Upgrade for Storage Processors

The patent segments the virtual data mover from the physical storage processor by introducing a virtualization layer. Virtual data movers are instantiated as virtual machines or containers that can be independently managed, migrated, and scaled without affecting the underlying physical infrastructure. This segmentation enables easy mobility while maintaining system operational simplicity through abstracted management interfaces.

The patent introduces a virtualization intermediary layer between the physical storage processor and virtual data movers. This intermediary manages the abstraction, isolation, and migration of virtual data movers, allowing them to be moved between physical SPs without direct manipulation of the root file system. The intermediary handles namespace management, file system mounting, and configuration transfer, simplifying the migration process.

The patent segments virtual data movers into isolated virtual machine instances or containers, each with its own runtime environment, file system namespace, and configuration. This segmentation allows virtual data movers to be upgraded, migrated, or maintained independently without affecting co-located virtual data movers on the same physical SP, thereby maintaining high resource utilization while improving operational stability.

The patent implements redundancy and failover mechanisms where virtual data movers can be pre-configured with backup instances or migration targets. Before performing upgrades or maintenance on a physical SP, the system can proactively migrate virtual data movers to other physical SPs, cushioning against potential disruptions and ensuring continuous operation.

The patent introduces a virtualization intermediary that manages namespace isolation and migration. Each virtual data mover operates in its own namespace context managed by the intermediary, allowing simplified individual migration without affecting the common namespace structure. The intermediary handles namespace mapping, configuration extraction, and reconstruction during migration, maintaining management simplicity while enabling flexible movement.

The patent implements virtual data mover migration through copying and reconstructing the virtual machine or container configuration, file system snapshots, and runtime state to a target physical SP. This copying mechanism allows seamless migration while maintaining the original namespace structure and management simplicity, as the source virtual data mover remains operational during the copy process.