Virtual Non-Volatile Storage for Blade Server Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems lack the ability for multiple blade servers to simultaneously access a non-volatile storage medium like a USB flash drive or removable hard disk, resulting in low access efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that utilize a management device with a CPU and LSW, connected via Ethernet interfaces, to create a virtual non-volatile storage medium by forwarding creation requests, establishing links, and managing data packets between clients and target blade servers, ensuring each virtual medium is uniquely accessible by a specific blade server.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a physical non-volatile storage medium is directly connected to a blade server, then the blade server can access the storage medium, but only one blade server can access it at a time, resulting in low access efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the physical non-volatile storage medium that can be accessed by multiple blade servers simultaneously. The virtual storage medium is a software-based representation that replicates the functionality of the physical medium while enabling concurrent access through network protocols, thus resolving the contradiction between exclusive physical access and simultaneous multi-server access requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a management device as an intermediary between the physical storage medium and multiple blade servers. This intermediary manages access requests, handles data transmission, and coordinates multiple connections, allowing simultaneous access while maintaining data integrity and proper resource management, thereby enabling both high productivity and adaptability.
2Reliability
If a virtual non-volatile storage medium is created for unique access by a target blade server, then access security is improved, but system complexity increases due to management overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The management device performs multiple functions including creating virtual storage media, managing access permissions, handling data transmission, and coordinating blade server connections. By consolidating these diverse functions into a single universal system, the patent improves access security through centralized control while avoiding the complexity that would arise from multiple separate management components.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and a system for creating a virtual non-volatile storage medium, and a management system. The method is: receiving, by a CPU, a creation request message that is sent by a client and that is for creating a virtual non-volatile storage medium corresponding to a physical non-volatile storage medium, where the creation request message carries a blade server identifier; forwarding, by the CPU, the creation request message to a target blade server identified by the blade server identifier; and receiving, by the CPU, attribute information sent by the target blade server, and sending the attribute information to the client, such that the client creates, according to the attribute information, a virtual non-volatile storage medium that can be uniquely accessed by the target blade server.